What would the world look like in 10 years if the United States were to cease to exist as a nation?

China and Russia take over the world except those who have nuclear missiles capable of reaching both countries.

The analogy is simplistic and unworthy of serious consideration. “The world” in the age of Assyria was a little enclave where the disappearance of that empire would go unnoticed within a radius of 1000 miles beyond Nineveh. That’s the problem with jumped up bullshit podcasters. The great majority of the actual world was oblivious to the existence of the Assyrian empire at the height of its power. Today In an actual world of 7 billion people, the rapid disruption of the United States would be a global catastrophe of nearly unimaginable dimensions.

@stanleybmanly Look, all analogies are flawed, and it was just an off hand comment in the podcast to get people thinking what a big deal it was to the area at the time.

Nevertheless, it got me thinking that it might be a good Fluther question.

In the 1960s Edgar Cayce wrote of his predictions for the U.S. and how it would look like after destruction
( not man made but nature’s earthquakes etc)
In one of his books he drew a map of what North America and the U.S. will look like and I remember that map, like it was burned into my memory.

I won’t mention what parts of land fell away that was depicted in that drawing but I’d advise people who are curious to look it up and possibly move further into the center maybe?
However a caveat , not all of his predictions came about.

@Inspired_2write Keep San Andreas in mind though.

@KNOWITALL Yeah that comes to mind and it very well may be the reason the country splits in half.

Ah the 50s. Does anyone remember Bridey Murphy?

I’m thinking:

* Russia occupies and/or dominates Ukraine and some other former Soviet states, and the Middle East, gets to inherit the futile attempt to control Middle East endless conflicts.

* China occupies and/or dominates Taiwan.

* Europe increases its military spending.

* Other powers insist US clean up its act around greenhouse gas emissions and other world-affecting ecosystem abuses.

* US involvement is South America declines, possibly replaced by meddling from other agencies.

* The rest of the world either has a lot less US TV/movie/pop-music to consume and emulate, or gets to be more creative.

* Reorganization of power & money games with the various inter-owned banks and multinational corporations.

* Humans try to survive impending global ecosystem collapse and climate change catastrophes without having to deal with so much influence from idiotic US politics.

You’re not thinking of this for the IMMEDIATE implications. What country exports the most agricultural products feeding the world? What happens instantly to the economies of the Western Hemisphere minus the remittances from relatives working in the United States. What happens in Mexico, the Philippines, etc with no America as a work destination? What happens with the instant disappearance of GPS? Tactical nukes? What are the survivors going to eat? Even the contaminated unburied corpses generating fantastic epidemics is too horrendous a thought to factor.

Excepting natural disaster, and I do mean bigger than California sinking into the ocean and creating an impressive tsunami, which would impressively affect several other countries, it could not be done.
None of the other super powers want the US to cease to exist.
Even if the government were to topple, no resource is great enough to prevent the citizens from revolting against an attempted takeover.
The only thing that could end the US, as it is currently at least, is if the super volcano hiding under the northwest were to blow.
That would end the human race, with the possible exception of a few unfortunate souls.
Between that enormous magma pool, and the fault lines of the west, is why the government abandoned the secret mountain hideaway it was equipping, and possibly chose some location better suited.
Since the pipeline so hotly contested through the Dakotas and Iowa is going through, I would not be surprised to learn it was covering for other construction taking place nearby.

@Patty_Melt Construction for what?

A new doomsday hideaway, of course.
Then again, coal production having been revamped in the east…

North America will become a battleground between Russia and China. China will win. Canada will close its borders but accept now-sovereign Western European nations into the Canadian Commonwealth of Nations. Political entities within the former U.S. will not be admitted, although an exception for Alaska is possible.

Millions of Americans will flee southward and become refugees in Mexico and Central America.

The Mormons, with their hierarchical structure, their obedience to church authority, their vast trove of resources, and their shibboleths, will survive.

Not a realistic projection, of course, but maybe good enough for a TV movie.

There is a power vacuum and a struggle to fill it.

US population numbers plateau, because several million people have fled to other countries, and fewer people are trying to come to America.

Economic chaos happens as regions break apart, and the economic trouble continues through ten years. Property values plummeted in some areas. Some Americans quickly left their state of residence for other states as the fighting broke out. Some people had to leave their jobs to do move, not wanting to get caught on the wrong side of a border now that you need ID to cross state lines.

Latin America takes in some Americans. English speaking communities grow south of the border as Americans move there.

Our best scientists leave to live in Europe.

Some Arab countries, maybe Iran also depending on the leader at the time, unite and try to truly destroy the Israelis once and for all. If it becomes impossible for Israel to fight them off, Israelis blow up the infrastructure and housing and move to South America.

Some people are fine with the country splitting and try to promote peace in a time of separation.

Some communications systems start having some problems without cooperation between the states.

US dollar weakens.

@Inspired_2write North America is not going to split in half. The really bad earthquakes happen where tectonic plates collide. As you can see, the continents were determined by these plates millions of years ago. The San Adreas fault is the point where the the Pacific Plate and North American Plate meet, and they are sliding past each other at a rate of 46 millimeters per year. Eventually LA and San Francisco (if they still exist) will be opposite of each other. Source

@Caravanfan It’s a really hard concept to imagine….

Peace breaks out and everyone is happy. Yay!

How would peace break out if the USA ceased to exist?