What If American Collapsed? Would The Rest Of Us All Fall Too?

Let's say America collapsed before the end of this year (e.g. unknown rapid virus thereby leading to quarantine of the US by the rest of the world; some massive unknown cataclysm etc etc) - in short, the US crashed and burned and most of its population was wiped out.

What I'm asking is, if the United States did collapsed suddenly and dramatically, what would be the implications for all of the rest of us in the rest of the world The economic implications? Would the world economy shortly crash and burn thereafter? Would the rest of the world descend into chaos?

What do you think would happen to the rest of the world in the event of the "disappearance" of the US?

Would the rest of our countries/governments collapse if the US collapsed? Would it be akin to the fall of Rome?

reply to post by HomoSapiensSapiens


China would come get it's money back.

So long as G.R.R.Martin gets to survive and finish off game of thrones and its able to be made into the full 7 series i don't care

But if i was an arms dealer i'd hate the thought of such a large buyer of weaponry to just disappear

reply to post by beautyofperil


Surely that'd meet resistance from America's allies (e.g. Canada, UK etc)?

reply to post by HomoSapiensSapiens


Than who would fill up all the big box retailers with cheap goods for them?!

Perhaps a more peaceful existence for the rest of the world?

America isnt the big world player you're suggesting them to be, go pull out a world map with populations on them, if the USA was wiped off of the map tomorrow, there would still be 6.5 billion people on the planet, enough to keep an economy going.

reply to post by Maxatoria


I highly doubt there'd be a Hollywood (or whatever) or crews available to complete any films or television series in the event of a total and apocalyptic collapse!

All debts the American economy owned or owed, would be wiped out, a new reserve currency would soon be established, lord knows who's, Europe would have to do with 50% less wheat and sweetcorn, and meat, so perhaps it would be a good thing, less debt all round, less fat people, less interference fiscally, politically.

Would the rest of our countries/governments collapse if the US collapsed?

Not in a million years

Originally posted by HomoSapiensSapiens
What If American Collapsed? Would The Rest Of Us All Fall Too?

I don't know about anyone else, but Australia would be cool.

reply to post by pikestaff


Are you kidding?! A good thing?! I can assure you it would not be a good thing. It would be a long exhausting process to establish a new global currency, especially one that catches on with the same value. Their debt would not disappear per se. I can tell you China would be PISSED! They are already licking their lips over establishing their economy in the various sectors in the US and they have not even collapsed yet!

Honourable mentions:

-More international terrorism would arise at unprecedented levels.

-Canada and Mexico would feel a huge influx in crime and illegal immigrants.

-The potential enviromental disasters that could become alot more potentially probable!

-The millions of troops out of jobs would surely make mercs common place all over the globe, maybe even bandits/new terrorist organizations.

-It's allies would surely be facing conflict. S.K., Israel, and who else knows who has an itchy trigger finger that USA stands in the way of.

-The starvation of so many people!

reply to post by SearchLightsInc


I doubt it would be the end of the world for everyone but, you must realize how much food is sent out of the US to places like China.

There are many countries that purchase large volumes of grain from the US. I doubt they would just vanish, but they would be hurting in a bad way.

Canada would likely go down too along with Mexico.....The destabilization of the continent would be assured.
Chia would not jump in that quickly because they would be broke too....
Russia also is struggling to survive,
People dont seem to realise the whole world is already substandard from a decade ago.

The United States government isn't as important as it wants everyone to believe.

The US government failing would just end the -federal- government.

All states would merely become their own countries, some may even band together. They might even form mutual protection treaties like a Norther American NATO.

Originally posted by MichaelPMaccabee
The United States government isn't as important as it wants everyone to believe.

The US government failing would just end the -federal- government.

All states would merely become their own countries, some may even band together. They might even form mutual protection treaties like a Norther American NATO.

I would have to agree. The biggest holder of US debt right now is China at about 7 to 8 percent (Roughly 1.2 Trillion dollars). Seeing that the US debt is at 14 to 16 trillion (At least that's the government figures, IMHO I think it's way higher) it would cause panic across the vast stock exchanges around the world but I honestly don't think it would last long.

China Russia and Europe would be scrambling over the remnants of the American Empire, much in the same Russia and America did when two, nearly successive World Wars bankrupted Britain.

America would basicaly loose its ability to project its power and influence overseas, though I imagine many of the shadow corporations that actualy control America would just relocate overseas and continue to harvest the U.S population on a state level like guinea pigs.

Possibly a good thing to get rid of the big bully.

Down here in New Zealand, we could probably accommodate 20/30 millions of you.

We play rugby, sorry, no pads or helmets.

reply to post by mypan


You'd better hide all those sheep! O.O

I think that if China, Europe or the U.S. were to fall the entire planet would face some hardships in one way or another. Obviously some Countries would hurt more than others. The continent of Africa would suffer the most IMO With all the aid that is shuttled there via the U.S.

In the apocalyptic scenario you paint I'd imagine there would be a scramble to secure the worlds largest nuclear weapons stockpile in among the dead and the dying. They wont just evaporate.

There is no scenario where the USA ceasing to become a functional state is beneficial for the world as a whole.

Although it may be beneficial for lots of local interests who will be unshackled from having the big dog watching them and will strike their neighbours.

Humans butchering humans, war, pestilence, famine, etc.

What If American Collapsed? Would The Rest Of Us All Fall Too?

Well, this all depends on the contextual definition of 'fall'. History has shown that many nations have seen governments fall... but the culture survives to reconstitute itself.

So, if the currently existing version of America were to disappear, there would indeed be worldwide ramifications... kind of like aftershocks to an earthquake. The power vacuum would quickly be filled by many pretenders and contenders, from Asia through Europe and even South America. This would almost undoubtedly lead to wars to see who would fill the greatest space in that emptiness this nation left behind.

Eventually, the former United States would rise again, either as independent segments of the former whole or perhaps once again as that whole. From there, it would be a long slog to find position again.

It's easy to sit back and wish for a day when we could close all those overseas bases and bring home all the soldiers, sailors and flyers but... any such sudden retreat would create that aforementioned vacuum and it would likely get pretty ugly for a spell.