Diabolis Abscondis; A Reality Quake

[Astromancer]

This thread is about a single large change in the modern world and what it would mean politically....to other countries.

Here's the senario. Again stealing from TORG, by accident and luck I defeat REALITY RAIDERS. I gain superpowers (use this thread for the types and levels). In order to prevent the return of the raiders and protect the Earth I must change my nation/homeland. So I use my powers to terraform a planet in a trianary star-system and transport the USA's people and all their goods there. The USA is returned to a pristine/pre-human state, and mystic barriars prevent anyone from going on, or staying on, US soil without full premission. All US bases are also returned to a pristine state.

Just to keep the focus on the Earth, planet Sally (named for Sally Franklin, Ben's daughter) is temperate with most of its land in Australia sized islands in the temperate zone. The US population is living at TL9 (think Transhuman Space about 2080) and robots and cheap fusion mean life is good.

I maintain some Nexial Gates at Toronto, Vancouver, Auckland, Wellington, Sydney, Melbourn, London, Edinburgh, Dublin, and Cardif. Maybe other places too. I make it clear I'm not able to sustain the gates if the trafic is too large, but I will allow emigration each way. (I'm really hoping to cherry-pick the working classes of other lands).

Now here's the question. What happens on Earth? People know something freaky happened and an American saved them. They know the USA was taken to another planet to keep everybody save, and they know the US can't come back, but some of them may emigrate there. Other than that, no one is in the loop but me, and I'm keeping mum.

[sjard]

Moved to Roleplaying in General as that seems a more appropriate place for this.

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

The USA is returned to a pristine/pre-human state, and mystic barriars prevent anyone from going on, or staying on, US soil without full premission.

Why? I mean, who cares? The people are all gone, and those who remain on earth could use the real estate to provide the same sort of social safety-valve as North America offered in the 19th Century.

There's nothing "sacred" about this territory, and the only special thing about it (to the extent it is special) is the people who live here.

Originally Posted by Astromancer

I maintain some Nexial Gates at Toronto, Vancouver, Auckland, Wellington, Sydney, Melbourn, London, Edinburgh, Dublin, and Cardif. Maybe other places too.

Aaaand, you did it again. Are you not even aware that it smacks of profound bigotry to put gates only in countries primarily inhabited by caucasians of predominantly Northern European heritage? Why would you not have gates in Tokyo, or Seoul, or Taipei, or Singapore? Or Indonesia, or New Dehli or Kenya or Turkey or Jordan? Why not Mexico City, or Rio de Janeiro or Buenos Aires?

Tell me, did you even take the American Indian Nations? Did you ask them if they wanted to go? What status do they have in the new world, if so? Do they remain stuck on reservations, or do they have their own continents, to which they can control immigration, and restrict access from the rest of the U.S. citizenry (most of whom they genuinely don't like)?

[Xenarthral]

Originally Posted by tshiggins

countries primarily inhabited by caucasians of predominantly Northern European heritage?

Not to mention only English-speaking ones.

[Pomphis]

Originally Posted by tshiggins

Did you ask them if they wanted to go?

He did not ask any of his fellow citizens. I don´t know what is so fascinating about becoming the biggest kidnapper / slave raider in human history.

[Xenarthral]

Not fascinating but absolutely necessary. Because it's dangerous out there. People - real people from the United States - might get inconvenienced, even hurt. Not everybody notAmerican loves the United States unconditionally and at some point the United States might not be the most powerful country any longer. In other words it is better and safer for the people that matters if they are put in a padded box and kept safe, happy and out of reach of the notAmericans.

Or something like that.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by tshiggins

Why? I mean, who cares? The people are all gone, and those who remain on earth could use the real estate to provide the same sort of social safety-valve as North America offered in the 19th Century.

There's nothing "sacred" about this territory, and the only special thing about it (to the extent it is special) is the people who live here.

To soak up the excess CO2 of course, and to prevent any war directly for the land in question.

Aaaand, you did it again. Are you not even aware that it smacks of profound bigotry to put gates only in countries primarily inhabited by caucasians of predominantly Northern European heritage? Why would you not have gates in Tokyo, or Seoul, or Taipei, or Singapore? Or Indonesia, or New Dehli or Kenya or Turkey or Jordan? Why not Mexico City, or Rio de Janeiro or Buenos Aires?

First off, it's not like those places are isolated from the rest of the planet. Refugees will beat a path to the door/nexial gate. Having stable democratic countries between the flood of refugees and the gate is a good thing. It slows down the traffic and makes sorting easier.

After all, why would anyone want the USA totally swamped and buried under a flood of desperate refugees unless they harboured ill-will toward the USA?

Tell me, did you even take the American Indian Nations?

Yes, and made the new lands they went too look like their old ones.

Did you ask them if they wanted to go?

The senario is "I change the USA drastically or everyone on the Earth pays a inhumanly horrible price." So just as a Firefighter doesn't ask if some wants to leave a burning building, I ask no one.

What status do they have in the new world, if so? Do they remain stuck on reservations, or do they have their own continents, to which they can control immigration, and restrict access from the rest of the U.S. citizenry (most of whom they genuinely don't like)?

They are US citizens now. In the Reality shifts adjusting everybody to Tech Level Nine, they gain TL9 technical skills too and are living a comfortable middle-class or better lifestyle like everybody else.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Xenarthral

Not fascinating ... (snip)
Or something like that.

I notice that you completely ignore the question, "what happens on the Earth?" Why?

After all, the question only tangetially relates to the USA, it's really about everybody who isn't in the USA. Why does the whole of the rest of the world escape your notice?

[Xenarthral]

I had an answer in the first draft of my second post, but decided to leave it out to decrease the amount of snark.

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Having stable democratic countries between the flood of refugees and the gate is a good thing.

And those stable democratic countries all just happen to be English-speaking.
Not to mention: All the countries and cities tshiggins mentioned are non-democratic and unstable?

Originally Posted by Astromancer

After all, why would anyone want the USA totally swamped and buried under a flood of desperate refugees unless they harboured ill-will toward the USA?

Well, the godwizardemperor of the Americans just moved the population of the United States to another planet, and since they are presumed to not object to this, they presumably don't care what happens to the area between Mexico and Canada.The Great and Powerful Wizard of US also turned the place into unspoiled wilderness.
There is no USA any more.

And that flood of desperate refugees would have trouble getting to the region even if they could go there directly instead of going to Canada, Australia or New Zealand first.

Since there is no USA anymore and the transferred population are assumed to not mind, so the answer to your question is something along the lines of "Because they are not the omnipotent superbeing who just removed the people of the United States to another planet, but can't stand to see the
sacred soil of the United States of America being sullied by the wretched refuse".

Originally Posted by Astromancer

I notice that you completely ignore the question, "what happens on the Earth?" Why?

Because your fascination with creating a wickedawesomecool unassailable and eternal utopia For Americans is much more fun to talk about.

Besides, it's all too easy to assume that the wanted answer is "The rest of the world is mired in war, famine, pestilence and Chinese until it has learned its place and humbly begs the Americans to come back". While the actual question should be more of "How long would it take for the rest of the world to recover from the sudden and total disappearance of the United States?".
(By the way, what about all non-citizens? Are they repatriated or are they left to fend for themselves in the pristine wilderness inside the magic barrier?)

[Xenarthral]

I forgot this bit:

Originally Posted by Astromancer

After all, the question only tangetially relates to the USA, it's really about everybody who isn't in the USA. Why does the whole of the rest of the world escape your notice?

Possibly because the question comes almost as an afterthought following the
"I get superpowers and move the US to another planet but all Americans are totally safe see they get a technology boost and everybody lives comfortably where the USA used to be is now wilderness and I also set up magical barriers so that nobody can get there without my permission"-bit.

The question would have a better chance of getting proper replies if it was simply asked instead of preceded by a paragraphs to assure us that the citizens of the United States are not only safe but better off.