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Topic: The USA - does the future hold harmony or fragmentation?

One of the United Sates' best features is that it is a melting pot of all races and creeds.  Throughout its short history, it has been bound together by an intangible dream of freedom of free will, shared by all who have obtained, by means foul or fair, entry into its golden land.

With its increasing age, maintaining common goals will become a far harder thing to achieve. States such as California who have independent wealth are becoming increasingly self-orientated.  Texas,  "The Lone Star State" declares a sense of isolation that is not in harmony with a sense of united purpose.

When all is rosy in the garden, appeasing such diverse peoples is a somewhat easier task, but as communities and states grow independently, does such inter-dependence retain that same necessity that once was?  With a recalcitrant state, can a federal government apply enough pressure to tie it to it's whole without the use of force, which will by itself, be a catalyst for separation?

As all empires have shown, constructing one is far easier than keeping one.  Can the United States of America avoid the fate which has befallen all that have preceeded it, or is it destined to become another country which once had a glorious past?

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  • Ps
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Re: The USA - does the future hold harmony or fragmentation?

Yes we're mutts.

And no Americans don't feel loyalty to their respective states. I'm not a Californian, I'm an American. There is a nationalistic spirit in America, Not a Territorial Spirit. Our States aren't even viewed as separated entities. They are treated as testing grounds for laws from various ideologies. The ones that succeed on a small portion of the population move onto the Federal government.

Rehabilitated IC developer

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Re: The USA - does the future hold harmony or fragmentation?

I think the US might go trough very bad times sooner or later but will never cease to exist in the next centuries unless the world goes with it. It has very good cards no empire had before whether you like what its foreign policy is or not.

Even though progress is going at the speed of light, and none can predict the future, I would say its stable enough to survive future troubles.

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Re: The USA - does the future hold harmony or fragmentation?

No country is invincible, and i honestly believe its almost impossible to determine the state of politics in even 100 years. Yes, you  can look on the past 5,000 years and create patterns -- but technology is so quickly changing and advancing that almost anything could happen.

As for the "I'm not a Californian, I'm an American." spirit -- this could change in a matter of decades. A single decade, IMHO, if there is a catalyst.

That all being said, i doubt the U.S. will break apart. When the U.S. isn't in the top5 anymore, then we can talk predictions -- but until then there is no point.

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Re: The USA - does the future hold harmony or fragmentation?

who the hell would be loyal to California?

The core joke of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is that of course no civilization would develop personal computers with instant remote database recovery, and then waste this technology to find good drinks.
Steve Jobs has ruined this joke.

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Re: The USA - does the future hold harmony or fragmentation?

> The Yell wrote:

> who the hell would be loyal to California?

pot heads?

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Re: The USA - does the future hold harmony or fragmentation?

"And no Americans don't feel loyalty to their respective states".

Having lived in Texas for some time, I cannot agree with this statement.  Most people I met when asked would state they were "Texan" not American.  This is not to say that they were un-American, but thought in a state-orientated way first and American way second.

"When the U.S. isn't in the top5 anymore, then we can talk predictions -- but until then there is no point."
OF course there's a point in such discussions.  How could there not be?  Democractic politics are all about reactive government, which coincides with a singular lack of long-term thinking.
Most problems such countries face are because of such attitudes of  "when it happens then we'll think about it".  When you are reacting, it is already too late to give it properly considered thought.

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Re: The USA - does the future hold harmony or fragmentation?

Not my country, not my problem tongue.

Morbo: Morbo can't understand his teleprompter. He forgot how you say that letter that looks like a man with a hat.
Linda: It's a 't'. It goes "tuh".
Morbo: Hello, little man. I will destroy you!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpP7b2lUxVE

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9 Reply by esa (edited by esa 05-Dec-2008 15:47:46)

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Re: The USA - does the future hold harmony or fragmentation?

In 500 years americans will still fight their culture wars.I don

The inmates are running the asylum

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