• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Is the USA too big?

Graham

Graduate Poster
G
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,453
Once more I feel the need to preface an OP with the disclaimer This is not a US-bashing thread.

I'm just interested in the opinions of Americans and non-Americans as to whether the US would be better or worse off as a number of entirely independent sovereign states or perhaps as a loosely affiliated collection of states.

From what I read and hear, a lot of Americans seem to be nervous of federal authority - it's almost a "them & us" attitude. Do you think you would be better off without the federal government and ruled entirely at a local level?

In your opinion, what makes the entity that is the United States of America, greater than the sum of its parts?

Graham
 
The USA is definitely too big. It should be cut down to size.

About this size:



USA
 
Heh heh!

What makes you think that it isn't ALREADY a bunch of squabbling sovereign states with a common disdain for their federal government?
 
Zep said:
Heh heh!

What makes you think that it isn't ALREADY a bunch of squabbling sovereign states with a common disdain for their federal government?
Click to expand...

In that case it should be called United Squabbling Sovereign States of America, or USSSA
 
Get your digs in while you can - the Americans will be getting up soon and they're not going to be happy!

:D
 
El Greco said:

In that case it should be called United Squabbling Sovereign States of America, or USSSA
Click to expand...
:D Good! Very good! I'll bookmark that...
 
The United Squabbling States Republic (USSR)? Is that acronym in use currently...?
 
Zep said:
Heh heh!

What makes you think that it isn't ALREADY a bunch of squabbling sovereign states with a common disdain for their federal government?
Click to expand...

To some extent this is true and not a bad thing either.

Nevertheless, I think it's good to have a Federal government.

Some examples. Without the Federal government:

1) There would be shooting wars between the southwestern states over water rights.

2) There would be theocratic rule in several southeastern states plus Utah.

3) There would be Communist dictatorships in the northeast and on the west coast.

4) There would be slavery in California and elsewhere.

That's just off the top of my head. I'm sure I can come up with more.

Consider that in terms of mineral wealth and agricultural potential, Africa should be richer than the United States.
 
Abdul Alhazred said:


To some extent this is true and not a bad thing either.

Nevertheless, I think it's good to have a Federal government.

Some examples. Without the Federal government:


3) There would be Communist dictatorships in the northeast and on the west coast.
Click to expand...

So so so so so so so so so so spurious

do you have any evidence at all for your assertions ?

As for the slavery thing. Pah !
 
The Don said:


So so so so so so so so so so spurious

do you have any evidence at all for your assertions ?

As for the slavery thing. Pah !
Click to expand...

Of course I don't know what would happen if the USA went the way of the Soviet Union. Think of my list as being in descending order of probability.

Numbers one and two are sure bets, in my opinion.
 
Yes the US should be split in to about 5-10 different nations. Look at California. By itself that state, as a nation, would be one of the most powerful in the world.

All this power leads to acts of aggression, as we are witnessing.
 
I can't think of any good reasons why a country divides itself up into states.
Opps, I can think of one, there will be more politicians.:(
 
Always Free said:
I can't think of any good reasons why a country divides itself up into states.
Opps, I can think of one, there will be more politicians.:(
Click to expand...

We can try different things locally without there being a national disaster if it turns out to be wrong. Even municipalities have quite a bit more autonomy from the States, let alone the Feds, than would be in other countries.

How is it in Australia? To what extent are e.g. New South Wales or Victoria something other than mere adminstrative subdivisions?

The number of politicians is the same, the question is how they operate.
 
Graham said:
Once more I feel the need to preface an OP with the disclaimer This is not a US-bashing thread.

I'm just interested in the opinions of Americans and non-Americans as to whether the US would be better or worse off as a number of entirely independent sovereign states or perhaps as a loosely affiliated collection of states.

From what I read and hear, a lot of Americans seem to be nervous of federal authority - it's almost a "them & us" attitude. Do you think you would be better off without the federal government and ruled entirely at a local level?

In your opinion, what makes the entity that is the United States of America, greater than the sum of its parts?

Graham
Click to expand...

The US is successful precesely because of its fedeeral system, and thats why Europe is now trying to emulate it with the EU.

The US broken up into its separate states would stuck ass. We need to be moving towards a one government world, not away from it. No boundaries no restictions, just one free unified world. For anyone can claim that is a bad idea is idiotic.

If the US would have just been its separate states as nations, we wouldn't be here today, we wouldn't have the technology we have, we would probaly be fighting all the time, our economies would suck, etc.
 
a_unique_person said:
The Gore Vidal novel "Burr" addresses just this issue. Way back when the US was young, just this issue was on many people's minds.
Click to expand...

I'm assuimg that is a book about the Burr Conspiracy, when Arron Burr had devised a plan to brake the western terrtories away from the US and make himself king of all the territory west of the Mississippi.
 
Abdul Alhazred said:


We can try different things locally without there being a national disaster if it turns out to be wrong. Even municipalities have quite a bit more autonomy from the States, let alone the Feds, than would be in other countries.

How is it in Australia? To what extent are e.g. New South Wales or Victoria something other than mere adminstrative subdivisions?

The number of politicians is the same, the question is how they operate.
Click to expand...

A country can try different things any time. Just throw a dart at the map and go there. You don't need states to try new things.

There are many ways the states are different. Usually in a lot of small ways. eg Different licence plates for vehicles, different ways of holding annual exams for schools, different road laws. I could go on forever. It's entirely unnecessary. What good does it do anyone. We are all the one nation.
 
Filthy Animal said:
Yes the US should be split in to about 5-10 different nations. Look at California. By itself that state, as a nation, would be one of the most powerful in the world.

All this power leads to acts of aggression, as we are witnessing.
Click to expand...

I say keep the United States system, but break up California. :p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom