Will's Good Idea for the Week of 6-19-19

Two disasters for the 2543 universe.

Natural: The great Cascade Quake levels the Pacific Northwest, 22nd century.

Unnatural: Horrific Chinese nuclear accident iradiates most of Manchuria, 21st century.

2543

So we've been researching and outlining Mars and have a rough history together.

In the 21st century Mars was explored by NASA, later the Chinese space agency, but settled in the ltaer half of the century by private organizations, except for the Chinese colony. 

Fifty or so years after the settlement began the Chinese colony revolted, prompting Beijing to send a fleet. This forces all the other colonies to come to the aid of the Chinese colony and together they defeat the Chinese navy. There follows a three year  Chinese blockade of Mars which ends when the colonies cobble a fleet together and defeat the Chinese fleet in battle.

The Mars Federal Republic is born.

2543-Mars

So we spent all day at Hershey Park.

As we are want to do when we come out for these things, we thought....about Mars.

[Yeah sure, you were on MILF patrol-Ed]

Were we ever. There was this one blonde woman, high cheek bones, big brown eyes,  body a of a swimmer, tank top, shiny tights...

[Oh  my god...Ed]

Anyway, we thought about Mars in 2543.

A planet of 200 million. Mars is not terra-formed. 

There are only a few major cities on Mars and the population is scattered throughout. Most people live in small dome communities of a few thousand people, or isolated family homesteads - also under domes. There are large mining communes. 

Great aqueducts bring water from the poles.

After four centuries of immigration, ethnically Martians are completely polyglot and more or less bronze colored.  They like to say Mars' red soil made them so. Snide Earthers call them Bronzies. Don't ever call a Martian a Bronzie. They look down at the more ethnically homogenous Earthers, 'inbred' they like to call them.

Religion does not play a huge role in Martian life. They're sort of like 20th century American Protestants.

Martians, or Marsmen are hyper-nationalists. 

Aesthetically they're neo-Spartan. They build a lot of big amphitheaters, stadiums and such, with lots of granite. See the work of Albert Speer.

Military service is compulsory. A middle-aged Martian is called a 5 and 10: five years active duty, ten years reserve. Mars has a small army as they could never match Earth in a war of attrition. Everything goes into the navy to keep Earth off the planet. They don't trust large armies anyway.

Mars is a Federal Republic with a bicameral legislature composed of an upper and lower house. The executive is run by a president elected to a single 6 year term. There are three political parties, one that hates Earth (the urban Nationals), one that really hates Earth (the rural Marsland Party), and one that is isolationist (the Conservatives).

2543-USA

So as things stand in 2543 the US actually expands a bit, eventually annexing Mexico's northern border states, has some secessionist and nullification problems of its own, but by the end of the 21st century is still a superpower.

We're toying with the idea of Canada breaking up and Western Canada joining the US, something thought plausible 20 years ago.

What else happens?

Anyone want to throw in a one off disaster? Great Earthquake in California? We'll definitely have a few 'where were you when...' events. What are they?

2543

As noted before we're working on what the US will look like in 2100.

Here's what we see happening in the next few decades. Secessionist trouble in California, state nullification of Federal law in Portland, and the eventual breakup of California into three states.

Puerto Rico is admitted to the Union.

There will be serious Narco-Terror problems on the southern border.

That last bit will lead to a US border war with the Narcos, occupation of the Mexico's northern borders states, a quick war with Mexico - back to the Halls of Montezuma- and eventually annexation of those states.

That all happens by say, 2040. 

Intriguing idea: Canada breaks up, western provinces join US, something predicted during the Quebec secessionist vote of 1995.