Written by Arthur Bell   

This is Parts III & IV of Civil War 2.0 (The "Civil" Civil War)

Part I can be seen at ReaderSupportedNews.org

http://readersupportednews.org/pm-section/21-21/10722-civil-war-20-or-the-qcivilq-civil-war-part-i-was-lincoln-wrong

Part I argues for the partition of the U.S. into two nations -- Red and Blue America.

Part II can be seen at ReaderSupportedNews.org

http://readersupportednews.org/pm-section/21-21/10801-civil-war-20-the-qcivilq-civil-war-part-ii-the-united-states-of-red-america

Part II imagines what a "Red" United States would look like.

THE UNITED STATES OF BLUE AMERICA

(Hawaii, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine)

The tropes are not easily defined for Blue America either, not because of the many different states setting their own agendas but because by its very nature the Left is more diverse. But one would certainly expect a Blue nation of 27 or so states with a strong federal government and somewhat limited states’ rights, in many ways similar to our current system with federal institutions in place from Progressives FDR and LBJ.

Assuming they kept the Constitution as is, Blue America would treat it as a living document that is interpreted through a lens of current opinion. Freedom of speech would not extend to campaign contributions from corporations as they would no longer be considered “persons.” Elections would be financed publicly anyway, making the matter moot. Gun and weapon possession would be strictly regulated with a narrow reading of the 2nd Amendment. It’s possible the Senate might be abolished or transformed into something more like Brittan’s House of Lords so that power is more equally distributed by population.

One could expect that Blue America would regulate business even more than our Federal government now does. Certainly, environmental regulation would become much stricter. Coal plants, green house gas emissions, fuel efficiency standards would all be more tightly regulated while renewable energy sources would be subsidized and encouraged.

Banking and Finance would also be under strict regulation regarding cash reserves and leverage and policed so as to avoid the fraud and risky behaviors that have brought about periodic financial collapses throughout our history. Prosecutions and punishments for financial transgression would be severe. The average banking customer would be protected from predatory lending practices and misleading offers, onerous fees and the like. Taxes on investment and business would be high as corporations would be expected to contribute to the society that not only charters them their existence and supplies their market and labor force but also supplies a stable political and social climate for them to operate in. Workers would get even stricter health and safety protections along with a living minimum wage and employee benefits like a generous maternity leave. Unions would of course be allowed but might not be necessary or powerful because the government regulation would provide much of the worker protections. The closest model might be Sweden where labor unions represent the “blue collar” workers in a generally non-antagonistic way or Japan where labor unions generally work closely with the company to try and achieve what’s best for labor and the company’s bottom line. Germany, with one of the world’s strongest economies, has very strong labor unions and excellent work benefits. The Blue work force would be paid enough to buy the products they produce and thereby drive the economy. CEO’s would be forbidden to take stock as compensation and somehow their pay would be restricted as well, perhaps culturally, as it is in Japan.

Blue America’s education model would be to increase investment in public education K-college. Teaching quality would improve as higher wages and greater respect attracts better candidates and creates more competition as it is in most developed countries that have successful public education systems. It would likely feature a national curriculum (but not standardized tests) as called for by the top progressive thinkers in education today. Private schools would still exist but the highly funded public schools – and the high taxes that fund them – would encourage most to use the public schools. Public universities would also receive increased funding with an associate’s, or even bachelor’s, degree available for free just as a high school diploma is today. These public institutions would ensure a highly educated work force and citizenry. Quality public schools would exploit the talents and abilities of the very best, not just those able to afford good schools, leading to greater innovation. Private universities would exist but would compete for fewer students because of the quality of public options. Lowering the cost of college and terminal degrees to the student would take a huge burden off the economy in the form of decreased student loan debt.

Health care would be universally provided as it is in most Western nations. This would be paid for by increased taxes, but savings from efficiency would drastically lower costs overall. The huge burden of health care to employers, especially state and local governments, would be lifted, freeing dollars for new jobs and innovation. Further, the long term hidden costs of the uninsured sick would also be realized by the economy at large, further helping to underwrite the cost of public health insurance. Doctors’ fees would be regulated so that the doctor can make a decent living. Without huge medical school loans (a free/low cost public university), no accounting costs to run a practice (single payer), physicians would probably end up ahead financially compared to the current system. The government plan would negotiate expensive tests, therapies and pharmaceuticals bringing all these costs down as well.

Government in Blue America would be strictly separated from religion. Here we would see either all religions displayed at the county court house or no religions displayed. God would be dropped from the pledge of allegiance and stricken from the currency. Religious tolerance and relativism would be the rule of the land. Students would still learn English, but cultural schools would be encouraged for the preservation of native tongues and customs. Abortion would be legal by Federal law, birth control would be taught in schools and provided free of charge to teenagers.

With the government providing so much, taxes would necessarily be high. Truly progressive income taxes would increase the percentage as income goes up. The more you make the higher percentage you pay. State and local taxes would be higher as well to pay for quality toll-free roads and bridges, public schools, police and fire departments and clean (free) water supplies. As people are not paying out of pocket for so many things – health care, education, tolls – the taxes will seem less burdensome. Those paying more in taxes would recognize that they are paying to support the quality of society that they live in. By re-distributing wealth via heavy taxation, Blue America would also save vast amounts of tax dollars in social ills. Greater fiscal inequality in a society leads to higher crime rates hence prison populations, greater health problems and the need for social services. People would have less money in their wallet – but would need far less for a high quality standard of living.

A strong Federal government makes Blue America easier to picture as states would not have vastly different laws one to the next. Federal regulation on air and water quality, food processing standards, working conditions, fair housing, education curriculum – all kinds of things – would make for a more uniform nation. Certainly Social Security would remain in place. There would be no need for Medicaid or Medicare they are replaced by universal coverage. Welfare and food stamps would take on a new form as basic necessities like a roof overhead and food on the table would be guaranteed by government-funded jobs programs and relief. All this would be possible because of huge cost savings in other areas of government. Illegal drugs would be de-criminalized (as in Holland and Portugal) saving the government in enforcement, prosecution and incarceration. A non-aggressive military policy would also save vast sums. (Up to half U.S. current spending is on the military.) While people would still need to take personal responsibility in their lives no one would feel that they were on their own. This vast number of government employees would contribute to high employment in non-exportable jobs and consequentially high consumer demand, further aiding the economy.

Finally, a Blue America would be a realization of the egalitarian American dream; a place where anyone truly can become anything. With quality public education, good health and nutrition, child care and a social safety net, citizens would be free to rise to the height of their talents and not restricted by the status of their birth. Prisons would be few and far between with rehabilitation the goal of the penal system. Greater opportunity and a guaranteed standard of living would lessen the need for police and prisons as well. All people, regardless of religion, sexual orientation, race, social status, would be part of a collective endeavor. In times of natural disaster a well-funded government response would help people put their lives back together. Charities might still exist but in greatly reduced numbers and their roles would shift as higher taxes allows government to provide instead. Blue America would have a liberal immigration policy in the belief that immigrants bring a fresh and vibrant new population to a society. Hate speech, discrimination and violations of civil rights would be not be tolerated and aggressively prosecuted. Foods would be free of GMO’s, pesticides and rigorously inspected for pathogens. Blue America would be the land of solar energy, electric cars and wind turbines. Blue America would be a lot like Sweden – with the national anthem “This Land Is Your Land.”

PART IV - THE CHOICE

So, the choice would be up to the American people. Which America do they want to live in? A majority referendum state by state could finally bring closure to our century old civil war. Once the votes were settled there could be a grace period where those unhappy with the way their state had gone could freely emigrate to one side or the other. Of course this is inconvenient but compared to bloodied corpses piled from coast to coast it seems preferable. After the grace period the borders would still be open but citizenship or a green card would be required to be employed or receive services in either country. Families that chose different nations to live in would be free to visit, companies would be free to do business, of course, obeying respective regulations.

Red America might complain that the biggest cities are going Blue. (New York, Los Angeles) Blue America might complain that the booming sunbelt is going Red. (Atlanta, Houston) Like a divorce, there will be some nasty squabbles over who gets the warm ocean beaches or the ski slopes -- like the silverware or the Cuisinart. This suggests the need for a judge. Most likely in the form of another country overseeing the process. Who would both sides of America trust to do this? England? The Germans? The Australians? Canada? The EU? Maybe the World Court or the United Nations? Every divorce is nasty but they eventually get settled without bloodshed.

Red and Blue America would live side-by-side in mutual harmony – or at least mutual contempt. But that is certainly preferable to living together in contempt. Both nations would benefit from smaller, more ideologically homogeneous populations. This would allow for positive movement in government to accomplish things rather than the amount of political energy we now waste fighting each other. Which side would “succeed?” Both would – on their own terms. There doesn’t seem to be a reason why one side would flourish and the other founder. It’s not a zero sum game, anyway. Finally, it comes down to what does each individual believe about society and the way society should work and what kind of society they want to live in. If the world has room for a China and a Sweden, for a Russia and a Japan, why not a Red and a Blue America?