If you thought U.S. citizens were divided during the election, you haven’t seen anything yet, as post-Tea Party tensions have heightened into full-blown threats of a Texas recession.
Although we saw Tea Party protests throughout the country on Tax Day, in Texas, secession rumors ran rampant in the blogosphere and news media after Governor Rick Perry suggested that one day, Texas might grow so frustrated with the U.S. government that its citizens would want to leave the union.
While the plausibility of a Texas secession is debatable, one thing’s for sure: The controversy has only begun.
Viral Taxpayer Threats
Post-Tea Party Mania, Texas Secession Rumors Loom
Trend Themes
1. Secession Trend - The increasing tension and threats of Texas secession indicate a potential trend of similar movements in other states calling for independence, resulting in disruptive innovation opportunities for businesses to adapt their products and services accordingly.
2. Citizen Divisiveness Trend - The heightened tensions among U.S. citizens as a result of political disagreements, such as the Texas secession issue, could lead to a trend of more polarized communities, indicating disruptive innovation opportunities for businesses to offer products and services that bring people together despite their differences.
3. Digital Rumors Trend - The prevalence of secession rumors in the blogosphere and news media could result in a trend of more digitally spread rumors and gossip, creating disruptive innovation opportunities for businesses to create fact-checking and rumor-control tools.
Industry Implications
1. Politics - The tension and threats of secession illustrate a need for disruptive innovation in the political industry, including innovations in diplomacy, policy-making, and governance to prevent similar movements from gaining traction.
2. Social Media - The digital spread of secession rumors highlights a need for disruptive innovation in the social media industry, including innovations in content control, fact-checking, and community management to prevent the spread of misinformation.
3. Community Building - The heightened divisiveness among U.S. citizens underscores a need for disruptive innovation in the community-building industry, including innovations in communication, education, and social activities that promote unity and understanding despite political differences.