If there was a civil war in the U.S., that fractured the union of states?

Question

How do you think the states/regions might realign?
- as before?
- blue states/ red states?
- other?

(purely a hypothetical sci-fi scenario)

Answer 1

I think dividing into two countries, largely along the present blue/red state (and classic free north / slave south) would be the most popular idea, if at all.

The new country made of blue states would enjoy the benefits of a well-educated citizenry, hotspots of technological achievements, a globaly-connected economy, entrepeneural businesses, and overall come more in line with much of modern Europe and East Asia. The greatest scholars and entrepeneurs would come to this new country. No longer giving subsidies to the poorer red states, the national coffers would be in constant surplus, providing all its citizens with universal healthcare and good education. Its areas would be more protected and open to more increasing tourism from all over the world. Places like San Francisco, Hollywood, New York City, Hawaii, and numerous national and state parks, would continue to be popular attractions, but new places and sprawling areas would emerge. It would be a more fair, just, civilized society, where they would work more to help the poor and trust in values of cooperation rather than callousness. It would lead the way in new environmental technologies and infrastructure, always working towards a more perfect union.

The new country made of the red states would have a failing economy and suffer under the practices of a conservative majority who would initially drastically change the laws of the land, make Christianity the official religion, they would be relying mostly on supplying agricultural products to other countries for revenues, no longer being subsidized by the wealthier of the United States. Their infrastructure would not be able to be properly kept up and would become dilapidated and old because of lack of funds. Soon their policies which lead to more crime and broken families would make it a more terrible place than when it was part of the U.S., and we would see the creation of a more and more fascist government, oppressing people. People would die in the streets because of their no-welfare policies. Old still-existing racist tendencies would creep up into the mainstream again. Meanwhile, energy tycoons and big business people would cheat their country with more ease and suck the benefits of all the work of the country, evading taxes and living in protected bubbles from the poor average citizen of the new red state country. People would leave the country to the former blue states in search of better opportunities, legally or illegaly just like Mexicans do today. Basically it would be kind of like the south reverting to what it was like in the late 1800's, but with more drastic consequences and the problems of industrialized society with much more domestic issues to deal with.

Just my sci-fi scenario tho : )

Answer 2

Science fiction writer Harry Turtledove has written many "alternative histories" centered around the Civil War.

How Few Remain begins an alternative history where the South wins the Civil War and goes all the way through WWI.

He also wrote a stand alone novel "Guns Of The South" where time traveling white South Africans give Robert E Lee the advantage......AK47s.

Not quite what you think happens.

As to NOW, I think the Pacific Northwest would become its own country and it would join up with British Columbia and call itself Cascadia.

I think North America would break up into bio/geographic and economic-regions like the imaginary "Cascadia". Rather than being part of Cascadia, Eastern Washington would join with Idaho and Eastern Oregon and form its own bio-region nation perhaps including western Montana.

Geography and economy would become the basis for the new "nations" carved out of North America.

"Red state vrs Blue state" scenerios don't make sense because the two different states are scattered throughout the country.

Answer 3

I don't know that there will ever be another civil war as before, so they would definitely not seperate as before (not to mention that there are a few more states in the mix now than there were then) and because you have a huge population of independent voters, i don't see it fracturing into red/blue either. Very seldom do you actually find someone who votes a straight party ticket. How could you possible divide such a diverse society as ours?? To divide our country into specifics, you would have to divide it by cultures......and that would be a horrendous undertaking to determine just exactly which 'single' culture that a person would be catagorized in...because we are a mixture of so many different cultures and diversity. The task would be impossible.

Answer 4

That one's a tough one to answer. There is so much mixing of races, families and cultures. I have family in several states across the U.S.

Not as before, we are so far from that. I doubt if there will ever be another civil war in the U.S. I can't even imagine a scenario for that.

Answer 5

There would be the United States of Canada, and Jesusland.

Pretty much the blue states would be USC and the red states would be Jesusland.

Answer 6

This could never happen, because for a state to leave the union, there would have to be a vote in congress.

Answer 7

Will never happen...are so many safeguards to prevent that.