USA without planet Earth

[Kuciwalker]

Anyway, we have a major economic shock as we rebuild oil wells and mines for a few other key resources while expanding local manufacturing, but it's one we'd survive. We'd be somewhat worse off afterward just because we couldn't outsource all of that human manufacturing anymore, but it would probably spur investment in industrial robotics. And, we would get a real peace dividend.

[Whoha]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
And, we would get a real peace dividend.

Until aliens attack.

[Proteus_MST]

Nope, until a religious civil war breaks out between fundamentalist evangelicals (who see in the transport of another planet a work of god who lead them to the promised land and think that he wants them to form a religious state where the theory of evolution is banned and not alowed to be taught, gay people are seen to be mentaly ill and there is only the King James bible as the only allowed bible) the catholics (which of course disagree with the protestants, but also want a small church state for themselves, where, in the absence of the pope on earth, they can determine a new pope), the muslims (which of course want to establish a fundamentalist islamist state wherre the Sharia is law) and the atheist (who disagree with all other 3 groups and want to keep the new planet secularist)

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Proteus_MST
Nope, until a religious civil war breaks out between fundamentalist evangelicals (who see in the transport of another planet a work of god and think that he wants them to form a religious state where the theory of evolution is banned an dnot alowed to be taught, gay people are seen to be mentaly ill and there is only the King James bible as the only allowed bible) the catholics (which of course disagree with the protestants, but also want a small church state for themselves, where, in the absence of the pope on earth, they can determine a new pope), the muslims (which of course want to establish a fundamentalist islamist state wherre the Sharia is law) and the atheist (who disagree with all other 3 groups and want to keep the new planet secularist)

The muslims and atheists are small minorities, and would do well to be careful. The fundies, will unite everyone against them if they try to rule. OTOH they could emigrate to try to set up their own society.

[Kuciwalker]

So they could end up like Utah?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
So they could end up like Utah?

since they know where all the good resources are, they can presumably try to avoid being on the straightest transportation route to important ones.

OTOH USA really needs labor, and scale economies. So we either trade with them peacefully, or bring them back by force.

[Kuciwalker]

USA really needs labor ... bring them back by force

[lord of the mark]

BTW Proteus description of the Catholics sounds most unlike my own impression of American Catholics.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker

USA really needs labor ... bring them back by force

boring thread hell!

So among those who didnt emigrate (the left behind?) theres going to be debate between those for war, and those for peace. We dont want to lose the peace dividend, the war will be costly, if a lot of fundies die we wont even get all the labor back. And the softminded pacifists among us will want to start a world free from war. And some religionists (including fundies sane enough not to have left, but also Catholic, Jews, and moderate Protestants) will be opposed to a war likely to polarize on religion. OTOH alot of Pentagon folks will REALLY want to stay important, and the fundies are likely to say and do obnoxious things.


I think we've got a story here.

[Igloodude]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


since they know where all the good resources are, they can presumably try to avoid being on the straightest transportation route to important ones.

OTOH USA really needs labor, and scale economies. So we either trade with them peacefully, or bring them back by force.

Bounty hunters, and now this?

The US civilian population has lots of guns (and hardcore Christians are among the more gun-ish) and while the rest of the world has gone away, modern technology hasn't, and there's enough ammunition to go around anyway. The last thing the USA needs is to try to rebuild the planet on the backs of enslaved former citizens, or start a war thus killing people for the sake of a larger labor force.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Igloodude


Bounty hunters, and now this?

The US civilian population has lots of guns (and hardcore Christians are among the more gun-ish) and while the rest of the world has gone away, modern technology hasn't, and there's enough ammunition to go around anyway. The last thing the USA needs is to try to rebuild the planet on the backs of enslaved former citizens, or start a war thus killing people for the sake of a larger labor force.

thats what some folks will say.

OTOH we also have the chance to avoid the wars caused by the multiplicity of nations, and this is our chance to prevent the emergence of a potentially hostile state.

Im not sure you have to enslave them all, after you bring them back you can pardon most. The leaders will be imprisoned and sentenced to hard labor for violating "The Law Concerning Unauthorized Settlement Activities"

[Kuciwalker]

OTOH we also have the chance to avoid the wars caused by the multiplicity of nations, and this is our chance to prevent the emergence of a potentially hostile state.

QFT. A little war now to eliminate it forever afterwards

[Igloodude]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


thats what some folks will say.

OTOH we also have the chance to avoid the wars caused by the multiplicity of nations, and this is our chance to prevent the emergence of a potentially hostile state.

Im not sure you have to enslave them all, after you bring them back you can pardon most. The leaders will be imprisoned and sentenced to hard labor for violating "The Law Concerning Unauthorized Settlement Activities"

What are you, some kind of post-apocalyptic neocon?

I see it as the opposite - by hunting them down, and preventing people from leaving, we're creating the seeds of anti-US sentiment that will eventually become United Nations General Assembly 2, The Bad Sequel That's Our Own Damned Fault.

Let them go, encourage them to maintain contact, support them as much as limited resources allow, and the world will (re)develop with an inherent fondness for democracy and the other sorts of ideals the US could represent.

[Kuciwalker]

You think the Christian fundies who emigrate will be particularly interested in "democracy"?

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Igloodude

Let them go, encourage them to maintain contact, support them as much as limited resources allow, and the world will (re)develop with an inherent fondness for democracy and the other sorts of ideals the US could represent.

I seriously doubt that those who go into the wilderness will be the democratic types - probably more like despotism/feudalism.