This might not be a popular idea but I want to toss it out there.
It's a thought experiment. I am neither in favor or dead-set against the idea.
For all of our lives and for thousands of years we've been used to the concept of nations, countries. Western Europe is an alliance, like Africa.
What if America became another Europe? What if this one continent, in between Mexico and Canada, there existed several small countries. Why do we have to insist that the nation stay unified?
#politics
@FreedomATX
Statehood is the mildest form of nation building. I doubt the U.S. would break into more than 5, maybe 6 countries. There'd have to be agreements on who gets what of what were national resources. Any country that refused to participate would have to manage with its own resources.
The country would become decentralized. Isn't that all the craze these days? After the breakup of the U.S.S.R. we cheered. What if we did the same?
@Jeber basically the arc the US is on now that would be the most likely path towards avoiding a civil war.
@NorthernInvader @Jeber it wouldn't avoid *war* though-- just the semantic "civil" part of it. there would still, most definitely, be war
@fernfren depends on how the split comes about
@NorthernInvader disagree. as a leftist living in a red state in the reddest part of the country my entire life-- the only thing keeping war at bay is the federal union. when Q nutjobs hold the highest offices of a state, the only thing keeping them from declaring war on their blue neighbors (& residents) is the fear of the US military and limits on state power.
if the union dissolves, texas and florida would become fascist dictatorships and everything that entails.
@Jeber Why? Because the Federal government likes their consolidated power and monetary authority. Same reason when Texas occasionally talks of seceding it's always a fantasy.
@MidnightRider
But what if (that is what we're playing, after all) a federal government turns out not to be the best solution?
@Jeber I just don't see it ever happening so whether it's better is moot. How we going to "war on everyone" if all the US countries have to approve it?
@MidnightRider
But see, we're engaging in "what if", not "what are the odds".
That's a good game to play as well, but that's not this game.
Here we simply ask, what if?
What would the land mass between Mexico and Canada look like? Which states do you imagine joining up to form a nation?
1). @Jeber Empty G has suggested as much. So, full disclosure, I have more of a "United we stand; divided we fall" perspective, but to your point, many countries in Europe have a population equal to some of the States. Finland and Norway, (for ex) each have about 5.5 million which is little more than Oregon and less than Washington.
@FinnegansWhacked
Did you just compare me to Three Toes McGurk?
How dare you.
Under the rules of Counter-Social, I challenge you to a dual. Two rubber bands per person. No shooting above the neck or below the waist.
No one wins, each player endures pain.
This will take place at a location of my choosing and at a time of my convenience. Probably a Thursday. Whatever. I'll let you know.
🙄
@Jeber I did not compare you to MTG, but I'm still game for a rubberband duel. I have a spare set of goggles if you need. 🤣
@FinnegansWhacked
I wear glasses, so I'm good. Thanks for thinking of me, though. That's a very gentlemanly thing to do.
Perhaps I will have to reconsider.
And if your aim is true no goggles should be required. Aim low, just not too low.
@Jeber Well see, there's my problem. I never try to aim low....😉
@Jeber because I never was very good at aiming......
@Jeber 2). If one considers the ratio of Representatives to constituency, back in the early years of our Republic, it was about 35,000 per Representative. Now it is more than 750,000 per Representative. I would aver that we need more Senators and Representatives for a truly "representative government" rather than splitting the country into several smaller countries.
@Jeber That is called Balkanization. Most everyone has spent decades in armchairs or writing books trying to figure out how it would divide. some popular ones
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaregions_of_the_United_States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nine_Nations_of_North_America
IN short, you have 5 to 6 nuclear armed countries in economic ruin, and vast area in the middle ruined due to lack of sea ports but one of the biggest nuclear arsenals in the world
not good
The countries of Dixie land and Greater Texasianna
@Jeber I have never been a fan of secession, but there is a sense in which the Southern states should have had the right to withdraw from the Union.
They'd have done it for all the wrong reasons, but entering into the agreement to join the other states in a federal system would not have been considered "once in, forever bound."
Attempting this now would be disastrous on many counts, especially with the current gerrymandering of votes.
@Jeber That was sort of what the original idea of statehood was.