Dominion of Southern America - Updated July 1, 2018

[thekingsguard]

Well, I am trying to decide whether to retcon out so many canals - I would love to keep them, and I think it is possible, with some more fleshing out, to justify (though the consequences would be different), I'm not certain if the plausibility is high enough to make it worth keeping. I will continue looking at it....

Keep them! Make it sort of the Mexican version of Sewards Folly - a seemingly useless and pricey endevour made purely for prestige that over time is revealed to have been wise beyond thier years. If sea traffic is anywhere near what it was OTL, if not higher due to what looks to be a slightly better off world, all three canals would be put into high usage well before, say, the OTL 1950s.

Also, with Japan balkanized and China stabalized, might that effect immigration to the USA? Maybe instead of OTL where the Chinese were the majority and Japanese the minority of asian immigrants, in the DSA-verse, we will see most of the USA's asian immigrants come from Japan with a smaller stream of Chinese immigrants.

In both regards, what do you think?

 

[Croyd Thoth]

Well, I am trying to decide whether to retcon out so many canals - I would love to keep them, and I think it is possible, with some more fleshing out, to justify (though the consequences would be different), I'm not certain if the plausibility is high enough to make it worth keeping. I will continue looking at it....

<delurk>
Have them do the Tehuantepec 4-track ship-railway!

ps, love the TL, subscribed.
</delurk>

 

[Plumber]

I could see one particularly anti-US DSA PM pushing for one canal after the US goes for another. And then one Mexican President with a big ego go for the last one.

 

[jycee]

I'd say keep Nicaragua and Panama. But have Mexico construct a crazy ass rail system through tehuantepec that puts both canals to shame. Salinas could then grow into one of the largest ports in the world. Certainly the largest in the Americas.

 

[Plumber]

I'd say keep Nicaragua and Panama. But have Mexico construct a crazy ass rail system through tehuantepec that puts both canals to shame. Salinas could then grow into one of the largest ports in the world. Certainly the largest in the Americas.

Mmm, that's more plausible.

 

[Emperor-of-New-Zealand]

Can I just ask (and sorry if this irrelevent to recent updates, I'm still catching up), is that a Belgian Ceylon?

 

[stevep]

I'd say keep Nicaragua and Panama. But have Mexico construct a crazy ass rail system through tehuantepec that puts both canals to shame. Salinas could then grow into one of the largest ports in the world. Certainly the largest in the Americas.

jycee

That could work. Mexico and Britain put the Nicaraguan canal together then the US want another route for reasons of national security [aka pride]. However a big railway system through tehuantepec, probably as part of a well developed Mexican system would be a lot more viable than a canal I suspect. from what Wiki says it will still have problems with the swamps on the north coast but they can be handled with some effort.

I think once one canal is in operation, unless its badly run or politics comes heavily into play a 2nd is unlikely to be economically viable, but politics can be a major game changer.

Steve

 

[Glen]

Can I just ask (and sorry if this irrelevent to recent updates, I'm still catching up), is that a Belgian Ceylon?

Why yes, yes it is -though in this timeline, the name is Belgiquan Ceylon.

 

[GeneralInTheShell]

How is the Kingdom of Ava (Burma) doing?

 

[Arachnid]

Why yes, yes it is -though in this timeline, the name is Belgiquan Ceylon.

Ah but is it Walloon or Flemish?

 

[Glen]

How is the Kingdom of Ava (Burma) doing?

Poorly, poorly.

 

[Glen]

Ah but is it Walloon or Flemish?

Both, both...

 

[DuQuense]

I suspect in this case Russia would do nothing for the moment. Its working at the end of a bloody long and fragile supply line and possibly already over-extended but might make a move at a later stage if an opportunity came up.

Russia had just started it's railroad expansion when the Crimean war intervened. With no Crimean War - ?How is Russia's Railroad building going.

 

[Ridwan Asher]

Why yes, yes it is -though in this timeline, the name is Belgiquan Ceylon.

Why not "Belgican" ?

 

[stevep]

Russia had just started it's railroad expansion when the Crimean war intervened. With no Crimean War - ?How is Russia's Railroad building going.

DuQuense

OTl while the Crimean war may have disrupted railway expansion it also acted as a huge stimuli to it. When the Russian government realised the western forces could far more easily reinforce and supply their forces in the Crimean than the Russians could themselves they knew they had to develop a railway network.

Possibly more to the point in TTL is what factors are motivating railway construction and in what directions. Presuming they realise the need for railways about the same time and that the prime impulse is military rather than economic then their current view of threats/opportunities would direct where they put the main direction of investment. Given the involvement in Japan a Trans-Siberian might be completed earlier than OTL but possibly at the expense of other routes.

Steve

 

[Glen]

Russia had just started it's railroad expansion when the Crimean war intervened. With no Crimean War - ?How is Russia's Railroad building going.

DuQuense

OTl while the Crimean war may have disrupted railway expansion it also acted as a huge stimuli to it. When the Russian government realised the western forces could far more easily reinforce and supply their forces in the Crimean than the Russians could themselves they knew they had to develop a railway network.

Possibly more to the point in TTL is what factors are motivating railway construction and in what directions. Presuming they realise the need for railways about the same time and that the prime impulse is military rather than economic then their current view of threats/opportunities would direct where they put the main direction of investment. Given the involvement in Japan a Trans-Siberian might be completed earlier than OTL but possibly at the expense of other routes.

Steve

Trans-Siberian Railroad not there yet, but will be built earlier than OTL, I suspect....

 

[Glen]

Why not "Belgican" ?

Because I'm not as cool as you, and didn't think of it - it will be now!

 

[Lord Grattan]

Because I'm not as cool as you, and didn't think of it - it will be now!

I too like Belgican, or perhaps Belgic or Belgaen.

 

[My Username is Inigo Montoya]

I too like Belgican, or perhaps Belgic or Belgaen.

The Dutch Republic sometimes styled itself as "Belgic Federation"...

 

[thekingsguard]

Keep them! Make it sort of the Mexican version of Sewards Folly - a seemingly useless and pricey endevour made purely for prestige that over time is revealed to have been wise beyond thier years. If sea traffic is anywhere near what it was OTL, if not higher due to what looks to be a slightly better off world, all three canals would be put into high usage well before, say, the OTL 1950s.

Also, with Japan balkanized and China stabalized, might that effect immigration to the USA? Maybe instead of OTL where the Chinese were the majority and Japanese the minority of asian immigrants, in the DSA-verse, we will see most of the USA's asian immigrants come from Japan with a smaller stream of Chinese immigrants.

In both regards, what do you think?

Glen, any opinions on this?