I continue to be disappointed at northerners' math abilities. Were you under the impression that the south, if it seceded, would keep paying federal income tax? It would not, so the budget deficit would not at all be solved. A lot of expenses would leave, and a lot of money. (A few more expenses, it's true, but not enough to make up the deficit).

As for whether the south would "resemble a third world country within a generation" -- it's a charming idea, of course, and it's true that might happen if the USA treated the south like an enemy, instituted embargos, or the like, which might happen in a civil war type scenario. On the other hand, if they let them walk away, then they probably wouldn't do those things, and it's very unlikely bad things would happen to the southern economy.

http://www.statisticbrain.com/state-economic-growth-statistics/

As you'll notice here, while the economies of AL and MS are quite poor, the south easily holds its own by and large, with two of the four strongest states, and six in the top half.

There are a lot of great reasons for the south NOT to secede, even if allowed. It saddens me that the northeners on this site seem so unaware of them. It's this kind of ignorant and ill-informed snobbery that makes the idea so appealing to a lot of southerners in the first place.