Where to begin?
This is not in of itself a bad idea. However there is no plausible way that slavery could exist today if the Confederacy existed. In 1860 the American South was already isolated, not just from the north but the rest of the world. Immigrants were reluctant to settle in the south. Of the top ten US cities in 1860, only one, New Orleans, was in the south. The next southern city was Louisville at 12, and then Charleston at 22. Old southern cities like Richmond and Atlanta were surpassed by new cities like Detroit and Milwaukee.
The economics of this idea wouldn't work either. In 1860 the north outstripped the south in factories, miles of rail, etc. etc, by 10-1 and they had no way to get the capitol to expand. Simply put, even before the war European investors were reluctant to put money into slave states.The Confederates assumed cotton was king, but as soon as the war began the Brits simply got their cotton from Egypt and India and one supposes they were relieved that the war gave them the excuse to end trade with the slave south altogether.
The economics of slavery are awful.
Now imagine if the Confederacy had slavery in say...1950. At some point the rest of the world is going to embargo the Confederacy, as it did with Rhodesia and South Africa, and frankly its not hard to imagine some sort of global expedition to liberate the slaves.
So there's no way your going to have slaves in 2017.
Frankly we're wondering if the GoT guys just want to make a parable and use the show for modern commentary. Look! In this alternate history Trayvon Martin is a Florida slave! Michael Brown works a field in Missouri! Implausible? We're talking about the same industry that just remade Ghost Busters into an all-chick feminist flick.
Hollywood can screw up anything,
We'll be delving further into this Confederate topic as the week drags on.
(Flag pic courtesy of Mr. Christopher Cobb, Monterrey, MA)
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