Re: [FH] americas

> This brings something to mind you may be able to help me with. A
theatre
> that I thought may be interesting to play out in the early GZGverse is
the
> americas - as the upheavals there go about. I know many people do not
> consider this aspect of the GZGverse plausible, but this could be a
way of
> seeing how it could happen (i.e. play it out...). With this in mind,
what
> extra circumstances do I need to put into the background to increase
the
> plausibility? Should I have an oil crisis, civil strife, natural
resource
> problems or a series of destabilising attacks (from rogue bodies or
> something)? My knowledge of social issues that can set the scene
aren't
> grand and I'd appreciate any help you could give me. I had been toying
with
> an oceania campaign, but apart from clashes with the IC I didn't think
it'd
> be as interesting in a "what-if" sense.

Actually, why not extrapolaite from the current situation.  The U.S.
continues to pursue Homeland Defense.  The costs drain the U.S. economy
both
short term (reducing efficiancy for increased security) and long term
(running large budget deficiets).  The terrorist war grinds on with
successes and failures on both sides, but with always increasing cost
(ever
larger deficiet spending).  Then one day, something completely
un-related
happens.  A small rock from space in a very long period orbit collides
with
earth, break in three, and impacts in the north east (Baltimore
Maryland),
mid west (St. Louis), and south west (Los Angeles).  Each fragment is
rather
small, only as destructive as the rock that impacted Siberia in the
early
1900's.  Note that if that rock had landed a bit further west, St.
Petersburg and the entire surrounding area would have been completely
blown
away.

The results are a massive disruption in U.S. distribution network,
massive
loss of life, (say 5 to 8% of the population), near total property
destruction in affected regions (and loss of life in those regions), and
20%
reduction in the U.S. economy and a 40% redcution in U.S. tax revenues.
This means that the U.S. is unable to pay for both the most neccessary
services and service the natianal debt.  This results in the U.S.
defaulting
on the national deby, skyrocketing interest rates, runaway inflation,
and
general economic collapse.

ias