Challenge: United States of Earth

In the one-world government argument in the Chat session, Hendryk suggested a one-world government could lead to a net gain in American style liberties for the total human population rather than a loss of liberty for Americans.

That got me thinking.

With a POD of no earlier than 1700 (this is why I put it in this forum), have a United States of Earth. :)

More Hamiltonian "strong state" ideas going around might be a start--it could lead to earlier US expansion--but there are problems:

1. Hamilton was more fond of restricting free speech. A Hamiltonian US would be a less free place.

2. Earlier US expansion could lead to a curb-stomping by a European power when the US is weak and vulnerable.

I put the POD in 1700 to allow for things like different British policies towards Quebec, the Caribbean, etc. to provoke those into joining the Revolution.
 

Eurofed

Banned
My own "United States of the Americas and Oceania" TL is a good halfway step towards that goal. It uses PoDs somewhat similar to what you suggested.

It starts with the British Parliament passing a Quebec Act that was as oppressive to the Quebeckers as the other "Intolerable Acts" were to the 13 colonies. Given that George III had a very strong anti-Catholic bigot attitude, he still yielded a great deal of influence over the Parliament at the time, and assuming some random incident occurring between the Franco-Canadians and the colonial administration beforehand, the change is fully plausible. PO Quebeckers eagerly join the other Colonials in rebellion, and their swing makes the Patriot movement win out in Nova Scotia as well. I share the opinion that this is likely the easiest and most plausible PoD to make Canada join the US into a seamless whole.

America fights the ARW successfully with Quebec and Nova Scotia joining the 15 founding states, and gaining Bermuda and Bahamas as well. America and Britain reluctantly agree to a kind of joint ownership about Rupert's Land, even if contrasts over it linger.

The 15 states draft a Constitution much like OTL, with some tweaks (The Quebecois get a "domestic institutions" states' rights' guarantee about their language and Church, and butterflies from that make a stronger Bill of Rights that is enforceable against the States, line item veto for the POTUS, and explicit Congress' power to give economic subsidies to business, create independent agencies and exeuctive departments, acquire and manage territories).

Butterflies make the Iroquois confederation join the Patriots during the ARW (which makes the USA develop a more integrationist attitude towards "civilized" Indians) and Washington gett a third term. The latter change butterflies away the Alien and Sedition Laws, and expands the Quasi-War into a declared Franco-American War which the US win. These changes in turn usher in a 40-year Federalist political hegemony, which the party puts to good use with steadfast dedication to develop US economy, infrastructure and military rather more than OTL. The peace treaty and later Lousiana Purchase give America Hispaniola and the French Caribbean as well.

When the War of 1812 occurs with pretty much the same motivations than IOTL (only substitute Rupert's Land to settled Canada), the USA have a much better strategic position and a very efficient Army and Navy to kick the British out of mainland North America, and invade Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Guyana while the British are busy with the Napoleonic Wars (and they are also rebuilding a colonial empire in southern Latin America). In the meanwhile, America also gives strong support to Simon Bolivar and other Gran Colombian and Peruvian pro-independence fighters in the South American Wars of Independence (greater success in the ARW and the FAW has given the US a bit more manifest destiny attitude), which turns those leaders strongly pro-US.

Another independent PoD at the end of the Napoleonic Wars occurs. Britain, France, and Austria come to blows with Prussia, Russia, and Naples over the Poland-Saxony issue. While they are fighting, Napoleon stages it comeback, and turns the war into a three-way conflict. Napoleon crushes the British at Waterloo, but it is eventually swamped by Prusso-Russian numbers, Austria is steamrolled. British morale crumbles and they sign peace with America and the Prusso-Russians.

America gains Rupert's Land and Northwestern Territory (Pacific Northwest remains a joint ownership but it is ceded to America later), Jamaica, and Guyana. Gran Colombia and Peru become US protectorates, later US territories, and then states (more multicultural and integrationist US has less concerns about assimilating large numbers of Hispanics).

Britain builds up its new colonial empire in South America, which ensures long-standing imperialistic rivalry with America. All the way, it maintains a rather stronger military, economically develops and settles North America somewhat faster than OTL thanks to Federalist policies (which eventually become bipartisan) and integrationist attitude to Indians. Britain remains alienated, but dares not interfere with the development of a stronger US, having to face a strong great powers bloc in Europe of a successful Prussia (which soon unifies Greater Germany), Naples (which soon unifies Greater Italy), and Russia (which gobbles most of the Balkans).

The Mexican-American War occurs earlier and with California and Rio Grande breaking away and joining the US like Texas, but just as successful for America. It annexes northern Mexico down to Tampico and turns the rest into a protectorate.

By 1842, this is the world map (courtesy of Helios-Ra):

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Hendryk

Banned
There's an interesting example of counterfactual history that throws plausibility out the window and comes close to achieving a world government by the end of the 20th century--The Probability Broach. It's a complete author tract with more strawman politicals than you can point a gun at, and to continue with the tvtropes jargon, an unabashed Mary Suetopia.

The story is set in 1987 and by that time, even though countries still nominally exist, the world is pretty much on the verge of being unified by its dominant ideology--which is a hardcore brand of libertarianism.

The POD is that just after the American revolution, George Washington is deposed by an anti-tax insurgency, and the next president becomes Albert Gallatin, who sets up a utopian libertarian system in which unicorns shoot rainbows out of their arses, and said system spreads throughout the world in the following decades. It's actually a funny read.
 
Is this required to be an America controllong all of Earth, or just an American-style republic in control? It seems like it might be difficult to get the US to take control everywhere, at least not until circa now or later.


By 1842, this is the world map (courtesy of Helios-Ra):

In fairness, that map is probably going to change alot (at least in India, wiht minor changes in borders to fix minor errors). I've been going through earlier parts. I have everything highlighted on a printed copy too.
 

Eurofed

Banned
Is this required to be an America controllong all of Earth, or just an American-style republic in control? It seems like it might be difficult to get the US to take control everywhere, at least not until circa now or later.

True. However, I could see a TL like ours evolving towards a loose world government directory in the near-future. When four governments call the allegiance of 80% of the world population and 90% of its economy, and the world economy and culture is globalized, the step to some form of world government, at least as some form of loose confederation, is not too far.

In fairness, that map is probably going to change alot (at least in India, wiht minor changes in borders to fix minor errors). I've been going through earlier parts. I have everything highlighted on a printed copy too.

Vary true, and I commend the job you have been doing of late to revise the previous maps and build them step by step, but even the previous one you posted is more than good enough to give an idea of where we have been going.
 
There's an interesting example of counterfactual history that throws plausibility out the window and comes close to achieving a world government by the end of the 20th century--The Probability Broach. It's a complete author tract with more strawman politicals than you can point a gun at, and to continue with the tvtropes jargon, an unabashed Mary Suetopia.

The story is set in 1987 and by that time, even though countries still nominally exist, the world is pretty much on the verge of being unified by its dominant ideology--which is a hardcore brand of libertarianism.

The POD is that just after the American revolution, George Washington is deposed by an anti-tax insurgency, and the next president becomes Albert Gallatin, who sets up a utopian libertarian system in which unicorns shoot rainbows out of their arses, and said system spreads throughout the world in the following decades. It's actually a funny read.

Hendryk

I remember reading that, probably a couple of decades back. Total rubbish and blind ideology.:(:(

The problem with the OP here I believe is Acton's Law. Can not see any way you can get a universal state, or anything approaching it resisting the decay into some form of autocratic system.:(:eek:

Sounds from your being mentioned in the OP that you think otherwise? How would you get around that problem?

Steve
 
True. However, I could see a TL like ours evolving towards a loose world government directory in the near-future. When four governments call the allegiance of 80% of the world population and 90% of its economy, and the world economy and culture is globalized, the step to some form of world government, at least as some form of loose confederation, is not too far.

Actually, I believe it is far away. When there are four guys who are more powerful than anyone else, it isn't going to be easy for those four guys to get along. As Cultural Sphere's integrate the differences between "supernations" will become even more intractable.


I firmly believe that planetary unions are impossible until there is an external threat.
 
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