Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The Divided States of America

The divisiveness in America these days is just plain depressing. It feels like no one will ever put aside selfishness to try to hammer out their differences with the other side. One has to wonder about anyone who goes into politics -- they must be insane, stupid, or power hungry.

This leads to one of my recurring daydream fantasies, in which the fed up citizens of the country decide enough is enough and split the country in two. It could be just like the old Risk game, with the Western U.S. and the Eastern U.S. Everyone gets ten years to move, if necessary. The conservatives get one half (I'd give them the west, since Utah is already there and we all know how much the Republicans would love to get their paws on California, but then again they have such a disdain for our friends coming to visit us from south of the border, I think they would be better off with the east) and the liberals the other. Ooooh, I can just see all the trade agreements collapsing within the first decade!

Neither side is perfect, of course, but I simply cannot imagine that life would be anything other than utterly horrific in a country populated by nothing but conservatives. A real bowl of laughs there. At least the liberal side would have most of the artistic types and scientists.

Ah, well. I can dream, can't I?

11 comments:

  1. I admit I share your fantasy. I've gone so far as to say (not write until now) that we should let the conservatives and libertarians have their tax free, corporate-run, completely privatized, you're on your own, social Darwinistic fantasy with all the guns they want. It'll be like white Somalia.

    I know, horribly judgmental.

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  2. Lisa, but it's a fun fantasy, isn't it?

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  3. I hear you about the Mountain States, but I'm not so sure the far right would ever work out in Cali, Oregon or Washington. Those places are very blue. Still, there is no way Massachusetts would ever go fully red either. It would probably have to be the south and the mountains red, and the west coast and eastern seaboard blue.

    It's fun to think about.

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  4. I think it is funny that the constition gives the states enough power that each state can be completely individual and cater to whatever needs. The country could be split, but not have to divide.

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  5. It's fun to think about, as Matthew said, but it's even more fun to write about, in my opinion. Ah, the what if? game comes alive again...

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  6. I have to wonder about the minds of politicians. I guess I think, no matter how you slice it, you'd always have some power hungry jerks who'd screw everything up. You're idea reminds me of a book we read in HS "The Nine Nations of North America." It was in lieu of doing the traditional United Nations project most HS do.

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  7. My only protest is about the west. I think really it ought to be divided north to south--far fewer people would have to move. The only purple state in the southern half of the US is New Mexico (and then California and Hawaii are liberal--Califorinia with it's scary quirks). The west coast though, including Oregon and Washington, is probably the most ACTUALLY liberal part of the country (as opposed to just partisan liberal or liberal on this or that issue)

    I read a book in college called "Utopia" where those three western states succeded because the rest of the US was unwilling to embrace environmental, sustainable life... interesting that such a book was required reading in 1985... prophetic even...

    Totally with you and Lisa though, on the rest of this... split it. move people. and lets SEE if government drags down the one or lack of government drags down the other. (pretty sure the civilized world isn't wrong on this, but I suppose they might be)

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  8. I think Canada should get Alaska. And Hawaii.

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  9. It would be interesting. I guess I'd be a big artistic fish in the conservative pond.

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  10. Hart, you are right that it would be easier to divide north and south, though that would make for a much funnier-looking pair of countries than by doing it east and west!

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