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Gonna try to remove my own partisanship and give an unbiased answer.
In many respects, we are already broken up. Communities seem to be becoming more and more homogeneous, like is attracting like. I am a pretty conservative guy from TN living in Indiana - culturally, I couldn't be more dissimilar from San Francisco liberals. We don't share a common language. In some areas, English is not the first language of a plurality of the population.
We don't share a common culture. People have Balkanized themselves. We don't cross the aisle and talk to the other side. One of my college professors was a liberal Democrat, but he was much older than the rest of the faculty and had an old school attitude. You could be completely opposite of him politically and he'd still give you a fair shake or have a smoke and beer with you. The other faculty members, not so much. In fairness, many conservatives (especially the religious right) won't talk to a liberal. Even when I was growing up as a kid and among the Silents I grew up with, such partisanship was just not as common. It got bad under Bush and the partisanship has ratcheted up even more under Obama. We are becoming more divided, not less.
Gonna try to remove my own partisanship and give an unbiased answer.
In many respects, we are already broken up. Communities seem to be becoming more and more homogeneous, like is attracting like. I am a pretty conservative guy from TN living in Indiana - culturally, I couldn't be more dissimilar from San Francisco liberals. We don't share a common language. In some areas, English is not the first language of a plurality of the population.
We don't share a common culture. People have Balkanized themselves. We don't cross the aisle and talk to the other side. One of my college professors was a liberal Democrat, but he was much older than the rest of the faculty and had an old school attitude. You could be completely opposite of him politically and he'd still give you a fair shake or have a smoke and beer with you. The other faculty members, not so much. In fairness, many conservatives (especially the religious right) won't talk to a liberal. Even when I was growing up as a kid and among the Silents I grew up with, such partisanship was just not as common. It got bad under Bush and the partisanship has ratcheted up even more under Obama. We are becoming more divided, not less.
After reading books (Garreau, Woodard) detailing legitimate cultural differences between different regions of the country, I'm beginning to wonder if we might really be better off splitting up into numerous smaller countries that could be more reflective of residents' ideals and more responsive to resident needs. I think that this is something that is probably going to happen eventually in the future if we continue on our current path, though I think that if we plan it and do it within the next decade or so perhaps it can play out more peacefully than if it happens by force decades from now.
For reference, here's a general idea of how the split might possibly look:
It is time. The liberals advocate importation of illegal immigrants, welfare recipients who will not work, oppose energy exploration, and advancing the nation on the fast track to third world status with NAFTA, China trade policies, high taxes, and Obamacare.
Let the libs pay for all the policies they "support" for a generation or two and they will either look like Somalia or will no longer be liberals.
I would offer that "The Midlands" and "The Far West" share the same political, cultural, and economic goals and would make a good nation.
After reading books (Garreau, Woodard) detailing legitimate cultural differences between different regions of the country, I'm beginning to wonder if we might really be better off splitting up into numerous smaller countries that could be more reflective of residents' ideals and more responsive to resident needs. I think that this is something that is probably going to happen eventually in the future if we continue on our current path, though I think that if we plan it and do it within the next decade or so perhaps it can play out more peacefully than if it happens by force decades from now.
For reference, here's a general idea of how the split might possibly look:
Once Obama leaves office and the new president has an appearance more to "some people's" liking, all this breakup talk will end.
Typical lib- everything that opposes their world view is "racist"! It is an easy refuge that allows one a retort without any introspection or thoughtful examination of the question at hand. It is similar to the "Saturday Night Live" retort of "It must be Satan"; a reflex response to any question or issue to which one does not have a rational answer.
My favorite candidate currently is Ben Carson. I guess that makes me a "racist" as he is not the black that liberals adore- an idiot democrat incapable of rational thought.
Why will the Balkanization happen? It will happen out of necessity to avoid the accumulating debt and its consequences. Governors will not allow states to descend into anarchy and will seek regional alliances of like mind to form new nations. It will be a "win-win" for libs and conservatives- neither will have to live and suffer from the decisions of the other group.
Yup. Almost all the red states would end up resorting to banditry to survive. Especially those in the south and west, where they all receive more from the federal government than they contribute, and have, for many decades.
The great fallacy in the OP is the belief any breakup would be peaceful. It would not, by all the evidence from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Civil War provide us.
United We Stand is the complete truth. If we ever fall, we will all become residents of American Bosnias, forever crippled by animosities that come from the past, unable to meet the future.
It would be incredibly awful for all of us, no matter how tempting the notion seems at the moment. And would be even worse for our descendants. As some of the world is salivating at the thought, it's most likely that some of may be ruled by another nation if it was ever to happen. Our mutual destiny would not be ours to decide any longer.
Bill Clinton did a lot of dumb things, but I never questioned whether he wanted to reconstitute the country. I can disagree with Bill Clinton, but I think he is an American who loves his country. Obama and ilk are outsiders wanting to reshape the country into something it is not nor has it ever been.
It would be very interesting how those red states would survive without all the government help. Probably more polarized population and crazy income equality. They receive more than that give. Despite them giving more, we are one nation and I would like to keep it that way.
Bill Clinton did a lot of dumb things, but I never questioned whether he wanted to reconstitute the country. I can disagree with Bill Clinton, but I think he is an American who loves his country. Obama and ilk are outsiders wanting to reshape the country into something it is not nor has it ever been.
I agree. Bill Clinton never said he wanted to fundamentally change America.
It would be very interesting how those red states would survive without all the government help. Probably more polarized population and crazy income equality. They receive more than that give. Despite them giving more, we are one nation and I would like to keep it that way.
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It is an easy refuge that allows one a retort without any introspection or thoughtful examination of the question at hand. It is similar to the "Saturday Night Live" retort of "It must be Satan"; a reflex response to any question or issue to which one does not have a rational answer.
