# The 50 states after the dissolution of the USA. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 21, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-states-after-the-dissolution-of-the-usa/464592 "2008-09-21T22:10:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-states-after-the-dissolution-of-the-usa/464592/61 "2008-11-11T15:17:38Z")
The Floridian Empire will be very kind and benevolent to its beloved and loyal vassal states. Well, except for Georgia, of course. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-states-after-the-dissolution-of-the-usa/464592/62 "2008-11-11T17:05:27Z")
> [@Oy](#): > > Why would they? Aside from being a _casus belli_, SoCal is an enormous market for NoCal’s agriculture. It’s to NoCal’s advantage to keep those tunnels open, perhaps charging municipal governments (maybe provincial governments?) through the nose for the use of that water. This would motivate SoCal to conserve water and find other sources, which can only be good. If they develop a cheap source of power, de-salination would be an inexpensive source of water, and California just happens to be a coastal state. They could become a net exporter of water to the desert-ish states of AZ, NM, NV, and UT. You hear a lot about Silicon Valley tech, but the LA area has one heck of a lot of tech development going on too. > > I could see Northern California terrorists/fanatics doing it, whether or not California was an independent nation. But it would be an inordinately stupid thing for NoCal to do to SoCal as policy. Producers are as dependent on markets as markets are on producers, and alienating your biggest customer is just not wise. :dubious: Because, oh I dont know … it is hard to grow crops without water, and most nocals I have spoken with in agricultural areas are peeved that socal is sucking water out of the farming areas of nocal … and there used to be a de sal plant in socal, but as I remember it was sent overseas somewhere. Id have to ask mrAru abotu that, he is the one of us from california. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-states-after-the-dissolution-of-the-usa/464592/63 "2008-11-11T17:55:47Z")
I have long dreamed of establishing… The Mid-Atlantic Republic. The MAR would be a nation comprised of the former states of Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia. On a good day we might include North Carolina. That would, in my opinion, be a viable nation-state with good population base, viable cities with solid professional classes. Toss in the Naval base at Norfolk and we’re there. It would be a solid matter of setting up transport fees with central Pennsylvania over the Susquehanna and the Bay. Not unlike Louisiana. Dirt poor, likely, but able to thrive and make bucks through their utter control of access to the gulf through the Mississippi. Any of the states in the midwest or plains who want to ship goods through the river would have to pony up. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-states-after-the-dissolution-of-the-usa/464592/64 "2008-11-11T18:07:08Z")
> [@Oy](#): > > Is that where the silos are? [Here’s a “Target List” that was valid during the Cold War](http://www.ki4u.com/nuclearsurvival/list.htm), scroll to the bottom and click your state to see where the nukes would have been targeted [North Dakota target map](http://www.ki4u.com/nuclearsurvival/states/nd.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-states-after-the-dissolution-of-the-usa/464592/65 "2008-11-11T20:04:39Z")
The question is, what do the shitty parts of the US (economically speaking) have to offer to these new potential smaller republics. Who’ll take Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands, or even Mississippi? ---
**Author:** ![Asylum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@Asylum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asylum)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-states-after-the-dissolution-of-the-usa/464592/66 "2008-11-12T00:01:59Z")
> [@Oy](#): > > It was there in my first listing; you just didn’t notice it. Actually, it is a rather important state, certainly disproportionate to its geographic size. I’m sure we Goddam Libruls are proud and glad to have it. You forgot Maryland. I assume we’re with the Goddamn Libruls. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-states-after-the-dissolution-of-the-usa/464592/67 "2008-11-15T15:03:42Z")
> [@Asylum](#): > > You forgot Maryland. I assume we’re with the Goddamn Libruls. You’re right; I got my M state abbreviations confused. I apologize. Maryland, while once it would have belonged with Dixie, does indeed belong with the Goddam Libruls these days, unless a little of the western bit goes with Appalachia? I don’t have a feel for that. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-states-after-the-dissolution-of-the-usa/464592/68 "2008-11-16T00:38:41Z")
re: maryland I was too late. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-states-after-the-dissolution-of-the-usa/464592/69 "2008-11-16T01:14:25Z")
Would some states like Arizona try to fight to get the Great Lakes water? Soon enough ,a lot of places are going to want our fresh water. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-states-after-the-dissolution-of-the-usa/464592/70 "2008-11-16T21:21:03Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Would some states like Arizona try to fight to get the Great Lakes water? Soon enough ,a lot of places are going to want our fresh water. Well, what does north-western Mexico do for water? I think regions would have to trade resources of all kinds (as they do now), or learn to support smaller populations. The difference between now and then would be that they wouldn’t have the federal government to broker trades. But remember, Michigan doesn’t own the Great Lakes, or even access to them. They can control their land, and they can negotiate about the water, but the water is not by any means the sole possession of Michigan. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, not to mention Canada all have shoreline on one or more of the Great Lakes. I don’t know what the international treaties between the US and Canada regarding the Great Lakes say, but they’re probably a good guideline for starters. But even then, I’m not at all sure you want to assign sole ownership of the Great Lakes to the states/nations surrounding them. That’s kind of a dangerous precedent, and you could argue that feeder rivers to the lakes come from other places (I assume - actually I have no idea; are there any feeder rivers to these meltwater lakes?). ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-states-after-the-dissolution-of-the-usa/464592/71 "2008-11-17T01:53:09Z")
Look up The Great Lakes Basin Compact. The Great Lakes comprise one of the largest sources of freshwater in the world, and the states (and provinces) that surround them are well aware of it. The compact pretty much puts the kibosh on any non-member states or countries diverting basin water. The compact is currently binational, so I don’t see why it couldn’t just as easily become trinational, quadrinational, pentanational, or another equally contrived adjective. Anything to keep those contemptible New Mexicans off our drink. Cheers, Seodoa [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-states-after-the-dissolution-of-the-usa/464592.md?page=3)