if a state tried to secede today...

[Deckard]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

...what do you think would happen? would the white house send in national guard troops and declare martial law? would they just let them secede? would they immediately be invaded by russia?

If it's an oil-rich state like Texas, maybe they would be allowed to go their own way - then covertly destabilized, and if that didn't work, invaded!

OK, serious answer: I reckon it would all hang on how the secession occurred. If there was also a strong unionist movement and if it turned nasty, which is quite possible - people tend to have very strong feelings about this sort of thing - then yes, I can easily see martial law being declared. These days, the word "stability" is the politician's most useful tool.