The U.S. Standing alone

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

My uncle proposed this last night - nothing goes in and nothing goes out.  The U.S. simply separates itself from the world and acts completely on its own.

I say No/No.  It would only work if EVERYONE cooperated - and to do that--the gov't would need immense (too much) control.

[Alcon]

What an immensely stupid idea.

[memphis]

Should the US become like North Korea? I vote no as strongly as possible.

[Gabu]

How exactly would it even be possible for the United States to separate itself from the entire world?

[Alcon]

How exactly would it even be possible for the United States to separate itself from the entire world?

Flood Canada and Mexico.  Duh.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

How exactly would it even be possible for the United States to separate itself from the entire world?

Simply cut off everything.  We're probably the only country remotely close to pulling it off, but I think it'd start WWIII

[Deano963]

My uncle proposed this last night - nothing goes in and nothing goes out. 

As in no imports? As in no foreign beers? Uh......that idea dosen't get my vote and it never will, unless we start to brew Blue Moon, Smithwick's and Dos Equis in the U.S.

[Gabu]

How exactly would it even be possible for the United States to separate itself from the entire world?

Simply cut off everything.  We're probably the only country remotely close to pulling it off, but I think it'd start WWIII

Do you have any conception of how immensely reliant the United States is on cheap labor and imports?

This is not even addressing the issue of how you could actually "cut off everything".  And would you not find anything at all disturbing about a country that does not let its citizens leave?

[KEmperor]

Do you have any concept of how foreign trade relates to our economy?

[bullmoose88]

My uncle proposed this last night - nothing goes in and nothing goes out. 

As in no imports? As in no foreign beers? Uh......that idea dosen't get my vote and it never will, unless we start to brew Blue Moon, Smithwick's and Dos Equis in the U.S.

Isn't Blue Moon now owned and brewed by Coors?

[Ban my account ffs!]

I can see something like this happening if there is a great crisis on the planet.  I wouldn't support it by principle, but I could see a situation where it might save the country to completely close the borders, say in a worldwide pandemic or some other crisis.

[Deano963]

My uncle proposed this last night - nothing goes in and nothing goes out. 

As in no imports? As in no foreign beers? Uh......that idea dosen't get my vote and it never will, unless we start to brew Blue Moon, Smithwick's and Dos Equis in the U.S.

Isn't Blue Moon now owned and brewed by Coors?

Probably.

[2952-0-0]

We're probably the only country remotely close to pulling it off, but I think it'd start WWIII

I'm not aware of any big society in the modern world that's even close to that, and least of all the US, which is the most advanced nation today thanks to its openness to the world. Though I know that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea pretends to promote Juche while actually leeching off aid from other countries. Oh well, at least obesity isn't a problem in North Korea. As for Cuba, not even they can stop millions from building rafts and rowing northwards.

Though at least in the ancient world, societies were more successful. Ever heard of the isolation China and Japan imposed on themselves? And under what circumstances did they open? Yeah, that sure went well.

So, either your uncle was being tongue-in-cheek, or he's mentally insane. Just my two cents.

[bullmoose88]

My uncle proposed this last night - nothing goes in and nothing goes out. 

As in no imports? As in no foreign beers? Uh......that idea dosen't get my vote and it never will, unless we start to brew Blue Moon, Smithwick's and Dos Equis in the U.S.

Isn't Blue Moon now owned and brewed by Coors?

Probably.

Its a great beer.


You may also like Hoegaarden. Another belgian white ale/hefewizen. Harpoon (Vermont) makes a great UFO that is like Bluemoon and Hoegaarden.

[Boris]

Ask your uncle if he's ever taken a macroeconomics class. What he proposes simply is not possible.

[Middle-aged Europe]

LOL...

[Tender Branson]

Good joke ...

[ag]

Reminds me of an old Lithuanian joke:

"Vitautas, did you here it? Russians are in space!"
"What, all of them?!!"

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

No. But the west/first world DOES need to cut off ALL immigration from the middle east, africa and India. I'm talking about first world nations adopting stricter nationality rules and forbidding anyone whose Black/Indian/Arab from ever getting citizenship. Basically the US would grandfather in the (non muslim) black population but deport all the muslims on US soil. Also anyone opposing energy efficiency should be treated as a filthy subversive and executed by the CIA

[MODU]

No/No.  I had proposed a year ago shutting the US off from the rest of the world for 2 years, just to show everyone the need that most of the other countries have that are satisfied by the US.  However, that would end up hurting us more than it would teach the world, so no, I'm not for it.

[Colin]

Is your Uncle by any chance retarded or was he just trying to make a stupid statement to make you laugh?

We're probably the only country remotely close to pulling it off, but I think it'd start WWIII

No, not in any way. I doubt any country could actually pull it off. No country could. There are not enough people in any country nor enough resources in any country to supply the demand of the inhabitants unless every inhabitant of that country is at the level of subsistance farming and can basically produce any foodstuffs that they and their family need to survive. That of course is a horrible existance. Even prior to the modern era trade was everpresent. Silk garments have been found in Rome and English cloth in the Middle East. How else except through meeting via trade have the cultures of the world in premodern times diffuse so rapidly around the world? Also if you have seen our trade deficit lately I don't think that's any evidence that a self-sufficient America would actually be able to sustain its inhabitants in more than a state of subsistence. So, yes, either your uncle was saying this very tongue in cheek or he is a complete dolt and needs to take a correspondence course in economics.

[2952-0-0]

Reminds me of an old Lithuanian joke:

"Vitautas, did you here it? Russians are in space!"
"What, all of them?!!"

I thought that was a Ukrainian joke.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Have any of you seen "Children of Men"?

That portrays a situation in which for whatever reason, women can no longer bear children and pretty much every country in the world collapses except England, which adopted very strict immigration laws and closed the borders and the society is obsessed with rooting out immigrants and putting them in refugee camps (more like concentration camps) because of a mass migration to come into the country because it is the last remaining "civilized" country on the planet.  It is rather bizarre to see old German women being deported and begging for food.  (At one point you hear an old woman on hte bus saying "Haben Sie etwas zu essen?  Ich bin sehr sehr hungrig.)  (do you have something to eat?  I am very very hungry).. it really creeped me out.

It's not a world I would want to live in.  The U.S could never be isolated by choice, but I could see in a major crisis where massive migrations begin to occur the U.S. shutting the borders and isolating itself at a great cost to preserve the union.  There comes a point when that could be necessary.  I think in some sort of emergency mode the U.S is very well equipped to become totally isolated and still survive rather comfortably.

Quality of life would still drop drastically, though, and we should never attempt to do this by choice. (though being protectionist in some trade policies is hardly relevant to this topic).