Will the United States fall the way the Soviet Union fell?

Will the United States fall the way the Soviet Union fell?

I can foresee the U.S. economy declining to the point where the United States can no longer afford to finance a military capable of having much of an influence on the world.

I can even foresee the cultural divide between the red states and the blue states expanding to the point where they will peacefully divide into two countries. The northeast states could unite with California,Oregon, and Washington into one country. The south, the mid west, and the mountain states could unite into another country.

I do not want the United States to divide, but I think a diminished role for the United States in world affairs would be good for the rest of the world.

Also, if it becomes widely known in the United States that Europeans have a higher standard of living than Americans, conservatives will have a more difficult time defending the American free enterprise system.

 

The Red state/ Blue state division isn't as clear cut as the news makes it seem, it' more of a Rural/Urban split with the Suburbs carrying the Swing vote...




you would need a really good surgeon to tear this apart based on conservative/liberal, republican/democrat or red stater/blue stater.

I know a lot of partisans don't want to admit it, but your idealogical opponent is not in an another land, he's your neighbor, dentist, postman, mayor, police officer, librarian, co-worker, boss, family member....

 

interesting read..

http://madconomist.com/what-if-us-collapses-soviet-collapse-lessons-every-american-needs-to-know

 

the u.s.a. was never "united" for almost it's first hunderd years. we fought a civil war (or, as the southern states still call it, "the war between the states.") to "unite" the u.s.a. is the u.s.a. now united? most likely, it is better united, at this time then, canada, italy, or the u.k. there is no strong separatist movement in the u.s.a. at this time, like there is in those other nations; but, things do change.

 

Exactly, we fight for countrol of OUR country, not pieces of it.

agreed though, economic collapses do change things quite about, the Great Depression led to FDR, Moussilini, and Hitler, the break up of the USSR led to Putin, economic strife was a big push behind the Iranian revolution, so nothing is set in stone.

 

I was going to make the same point.
I take it you got your image from wiki?

Further up the page it has this:



With the voting history of each state.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_states


It also makes this point:

 

odon

i agree with the increase in animosity, and certainly the proliferation of partisan websites and blogs intensifies that sense of the "other" being far removed from one's own reality, but the question is are our political divisions strong enough or potential strong enough for bloody conflict? I don't think it's even close at this point. Remember the Civil war was literally brother against brother and they didn't have the same cultural bonds that we now enjoy. Though it's good to keep in mind that there has been a sort of political/cultural drift as well, for instance i've heard a lot about conservate californians emmigrating out of that state towards Utah, Nevada and the like, so give it another couple decades and who knows...

and yes i got the map from wiki

 

Well there is always regional devolution I 'spose.
That is "peacefully" - well it was here anyway.
But it was very limited not complete.
So erm,...no, I do not know anywhere.
I can't forsee a wholesale transfer of power being with out some violence.

I agree.

Thanks, I'll take a look at it.

 

One of the things i like about the series is there are no real "good guys" just like in modern Iraq, there are only those seeking to gain power, those seeking to maintain power, grunts who are good people shooting on both sides, extremists on both sides drvien by idealogy or revenge, and the everyday people caught in between. It matches up good to anyone who has actually been through a revolution. I roll my eyes when ever i hear some suburbanite wannabe rant about how much revolution is needed, they have no idea what is involved or what kind of hell on earth that would be.

 

It sounds interesting.
I'm looking through it now.

 

Peaceful revolutions are possible

 

Economically we are heading down the same slippery slope the Soviet Union did and for the same reasons.

I don't see the US breaking up, but it could happen. And we could end up with areas like South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Transnistria, being held by a government they don't wish to be a part of.

 

Well I don't see how it could happen in the US, but for the record:

The Czech Republic and Slovakia

Serbia and Montenegro

Sweden and Norway

I think most of the Soviet republics were able to secede peacefully.

Slovenia and Yugoslavia (not quite peaceful, but almost)

 

That is a false premise. What you see as red and blue are political differences, not cultural.

The United States has a rich blend of social, cultural, and political differences that is slowly evolving, however I don't see the differences in the population nearing a point where it would cause a divide.

My opinion.

 

Good point, i thought of those two about an hour after my post lol

rare, but i'll admit there is precedent

But like i said, hard to do that on a Red State Blue State level due to the fact the geographically our country is split between Urban and Rural voters with the Suburbs swinging, and we of course, are still relatively close together culturally

It's all just opinion and conjecture of course, but i don't see it likely that we'll see a breakaway from the country that way

 

Yeah I agree, I was just being a history geek.

 

I think much of the world would disagree with you on that one, mostly on economic and military grounds, but also on humanitarian grounds, we still provide the world with more international aid than any other country, that's a big vacuum to fill.

One of the reasons the Europeans can afford the programs that allow them such a high standard of living is that the U.S. and it's influence in both the U.N. and NATO take care of a lot it's problems for them, Defense being the prime example. In other words it's easy to neglect your defense budget and pour funds into social programs when you have a powerful ally who takes care of a large portion of your defensive needs. I for one get sick of paying so much to be the barrier between Europe and Russia, but i understand the need. In the meantime keep in mind, Europe is propped up by the U.S., i don't think they ahve any romm to criticize how we use our funds, they might not like what we say in return...

 

According to a poll by the Harris Research for the Financial Times, more Europeans see the United States as the greatest threat to world peace than the number who see any other country. The invasion of Iraq has alienated many of our erstwhile allies. The War in Vietnam was unpopular in Europe. The Europeans do not want our defense, and they do not need it.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/70046760-27...d=12&fname=General+Discussion&d=1512200710590