Two "DSAs"

Epignosis wrote: Something my wife and I were discussing while I cooked supper. Given our political divisiveness as a nation, would it be a good thing if the USA became two independent countries?  If so, how should we peaceably dissolve our union?  How should the current debt be divided? If not, why not?

I would not be opposed to that at all, actually.  It might be a good thing if those on the left and those on the right went their separate ways.  I do think it should only be decided by a vote of the people in each state though, that's too big of a decision to be left to the politicians to decide.  As for the debt, there are probably two ways to divide it, the easier way, on a strict per capita basis, or the more difficult, but possibly fairer way, using a ratio of the amount of federal services used by the state vs. the amount of revenue the state contributed to the federal government to decide the amount of debt each state would assume upon leaving the union.  One issue that would also have to be addressed would be the free movement of people between the states, especially as the left states are divided between the northeast, parts of the midwest and part of the west coast, where the right states are the plains and the south.  If California and New York are part of the same country, but divided by a country in the middle of the continent, there must be free travel between the states, both by ground and air.   The devil here will be in the details, but as a general premise I approve of such a division.

California, New England, Texas, The South, and the rest...

Of course I agree it could happen, and probably should.

I'm not for the idea, exactly, but I'm sure it's inevitable.

'should the USA divide peacefully into two countries?' is a bit of a trick question though I know you probably didn't mean it that way

I think its a sad thing to even ask this question.  I think we're not as divided as some like to state.

Nonetheless, if the majority is some states wish to leave, then we should let them peacefully.

I certainly see no reason where there would need to be armed resistance to such, unless it was a minority that was doing it over the will of the majority of the local population.

No.  The United States' economic system is so intricate as it is, I can't see splitting it up as a good idea.  It would mess up the lives of thousands of people, split families, and possibly result in conflict between the two new nations or between one of those nations and another that jumps at the chance of exploiting the vulnerability that the two new nations would have.

That being said, I wouldn't be surprised if the US did split eventually.  It may not be in our lifetimes, though.  It could be 100 or 200 years from now.  Of course, the country may not split, but just collapse all at once to internal pressure or enemy forces.

I'd like to see 2 California's myself. 

crimhead wrote: stonebeard wrote: The South instantly becomes a 3rd world country. Epic. With the exception of Florida,Atlanta and New Orleans this would be true.

So the American South suddenly would become non-allied with either NATO or the Soviet Union during the Cold War?    Interesting.

I find it interesting that there are 8 no votes.  Are those American votes or international.  Because here in America, I can only imagine that the conservatives would love to get rid of us liberals, and we liberals would love to get rid of the conservatives.  The only way to do that peaceably, which I would hope would be the preferred method for all, would be to divide the US into two.  

Your little country is two hundred and thirty six years old
And it's not quite the new land
So we spell out the words
We don't want it to understand
Like t.a.x, or maybe s.p.e.n.d.i.n.g.
But the words were hiding from it now
Tears the heart right out of me