If the United States disappeared...

[Bozo Erectus]

Imagine that tommorow morning the world woke up, and there was no USA. It just up and vanished. The North American territory occupied by the U.S. was empty of all people and was pristine wilderness. What would happen in the rest of the world? America is a stabilising force in the world (despite the current administration). What would happen to the world economy? What would happen in the Middle East, in Europe and in Asia? Would there be a world war?

 

[Iggy]

The end of civilisation as we know it - No more Big Macs, Whoppers or Bargain buckets.

 

[stratego]

Where would I wake up if there's no US?

 

[Aphex_Twin]

What would happend? I'd probably have another glass of that glowing green stuff I'd been having

 

[Bozo Erectus]

I was wondering that myself Lets say we appear on a duplicate Earth that only has the USA in it. As far as we knew, it was the rest of the world that vanished. At least until the astronomers saw that we were in a different part of the universe.

(and no, Im not high)

 

[De Lorimier]

Originally posted by Dumb pothead
(and no, Im not high)

Good thing you wrote that...

 

[Pangur Bán]

...Russia would be ambitious again, and Europe would start metaphorically peeing itself.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Originally posted by calgacus
...Russia would be ambitious again, and Europe would start metaphorically peeing itself.

Western Europe would have to immediately start arming itself, really really fast. Would China and JApan go to war? What would happen to Israel? I think people would start missing the USA before too much time had passed.

 

[Pirate]

Wow, what a question! :0 It's so complex - big international meeting, though with no UN and the loss of all diplomats inside the US at the time of disappearance, it would be ad hoc in Geneva probably. US troops overseas would lose all chain of command and supply and would each find their own way to organize with the local government to provide for their survival or be overrun. US businesses overseas would be assumed by the foreign governments. Canadian, Cuban, Mexican, Russian squatters would begin colonizing. Others would come by plane and boat though the international committee would try to impose a moratorium on settlement. Mass hysteria.

 

[stormbind]

We would rush to colonise it again. Nations would stop squabling over petty politics and be united in making something good of the wasted space.

 

[addiv]

The world economy would plummet, Europe would indeed have to arm itself very fast, to be a counterweight to Russia and China. Israel would probably manage to hold out for a while, the US is actually not their only friend and also not the only country they import weapons from. I'd feel a lot less safe in such a world.

 

[stormbind]

Originally posted by Pirate
no UN

The building may be gone but the treaties remain. It can moved to another building

The rest of it was even more naive

Infact, John Titor said something on that matter. It went a little like: What makes you think your society wouldn't be better off if half the Americans were wiped out?

Now, you can go and argue with him over it. Do a google search if you dunno who he is

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Originally posted by Pirate
Wow, what a question! :0 It's so complex - big international meeting, though with no UN and the loss of all diplomats inside the US at the time of disappearance, it would be ad hoc in Geneva probably. US troops overseas would lose all chain of command and supply and would each find their own way to organize with the local government to provide for their survival or be overrun. US businesses overseas would be assumed by the foreign governments. Canadian, Cuban, Mexican, Russian squatters would begin colonizing. Others would come by plane and boat though the international committee would try to impose a moratorium on settlement. Mass hysteria.

Wow, you brought up things I hadnt thought of yet. What would happen to the 130,000 troops in Iraq?? Theyd probably high tail it over to Israel.

 

[stormbind]

Originally posted by addiv
The world economy would plummet, Europe would indeed have to arm itself very fast, to be a counterweight to Russia and China. Israel would probably manage to hold out for a while, the US is actually not their only friend and also not the only country they import weapons from. I'd feel a lot less safe in such a world.

You mean the 2500 ultra-modern tanks and 5th generation air forces in Europe aren't enough?

Besides that, Russia is not Europe's enemy!

 

[Pangur Bán]

Originally posted by stormbind

Besides that, Russia is not Europe's enemy!

Of course, which is why the nice old Russians would proceed to unify and protect it.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Originally posted by calgacus
Of course, which is why the nice old Russians would proceed to unify and protect it.

To protect it from the Chinese

 

[addiv]

Originally posted by stormbind
You mean the 2500 ultra-modern tanks and 5th generation air forces in Europe aren't enough?

I wouldn't think so, besides they don't all belong to one country yet...

Besides that, Russia is not Europe's enemy!

I like the Russians but I wouldn't trust them completely yet, seeing the state their democracy is in.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Who would become the worlds new default superpower? China? Russia? Japan? Britain? Israel?

 

[Hamlet]

Well, the global economy would collapse for starters.

 

[Pirate]

Originally posted by stormbind
The building may be gone but the treaties remain. It can moved to another building

True, but I'm assuming that Kofi Annan and all other diplomats that were sleeping in the U.S. at the time would be gone too, as would any records stored in the building, etc... Everything would have to be recreated or reassembled and diplomats would have to be reassigned. They would pull it all together quickly and I threw out Geneva as a possible location. I never said treaties would be null, but now that you mention it the ones with the US signature on them would be in limbo.

And I don't think there is anything naive about predicting that people would move in and start squatting on former US land. If it's unclaimed wilderness, it's up for the taking. Canada, Mexico, Cuba and Russia are nearby and would probably get people here first. <edit> (I'm not talking national policy here, I'm talking about the average Joe Canadian trying to take advantage of a golden opportunity) </edit> Uncontrolled settlment would cause many conflicts so I think any international peacekeeping body (the reconstituted UN for example) would probably try to restrict it until a plan of action could be formulated.

Troops would be left with no support and no communication between each other. If they wanted to survive in a hostile place like Iraq, they would have to make deals pretty darn quick. In peaceful places like Germany, they would be citizens without a country with no place to go. They also would have to come to some agreement with some country to stay there. Again, what is naive about that line of reasoning?