OK, so according to the wiki, the Harvester aliens in Independence Day caused - directly or indirectly - the deaths of about 50% of humanity. It cites 3 billion deaths due to direct blowing up of cities or downstream starvation and disease. The four horsemen ride supreme for a while.
But using that, what would the world look like? I don’t buy that the second movie is the logical successor at all. I think maintaining an advanced, technological civilization would prove too difficult when the largest first world cities remaining are Sydney, Taipei, Munich, Stockholm and similar. At a minimum, instant global catastrophic recession is caused. Supply chains and distribution networks are gone. How does someplace like Osaka - also on the non-destroyed list - even maintain its 10 million+ people. Hell, how does JAPAN maintain it’s population when it’s a net importer of food?
I’m thinking a period of deprivation followed by a return to an agrarian culture of about 1800 while humanity collects itself. A new industrial revolution will be coming, but not until a coherent economy again asserts itself. Once that’s done we start replacing muscle power with steam and coal again pretty quickly.
On the other hand, the air will clear up in a hurry. But maybe too much. Debris and particulates from destroying the top 100 or so cities probably doesn’t help the climate that much.
So what happens?
What happens in the US?
What happens in Russia with Moscow, Vladivostok, STP and Volgograd gone?
To the pacific rim and China with Manila, Beijing, Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Hanoi and others gone?
In the middle east with Jerusalem, Riyadh, Tel Aviv, Baghdad, Damascus and Tehran gone?
Australia loses Perth but apparently keeps Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Do we see the redevelopment begin down under? New Zealand appears to be wholly untouched by the Harvesters. But Indonesia takes it on the chin in Jakarta and Medan.
What do you fine people think?