Deviation Actions
Description
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New World Identified.
Status: Post-cataclysm; recovery progress stage: 75%. (Cause: supervolcano eruption)
Technology Levels: Stagnated at pre-divergence point; Extensive large-scale implementation of green technologies
“Well, the holiday season has come and gone and many of us have been preparing for a New Years’ celebration. Despite this, we still had to come in and finish the work leftover for the world found and analyzed prior to holiday break. This one is a rather more somber map though also with hopeful undertones. The Enlightened One seem to have a bitter smile when looking at it.”
“In this world, the Yellowstone supervolcano showed seismic activity sometime in the latter half of 2016. Of course, during the tense United States election of the time, it began to dominate the newsfeed and influence the politics and economics. When the news came out the volcano would erupt, predictably, the world went into chaos. The economy began to crash and many people began to horde resources while moving to the eastern seaboard or fleeing abroad, either Mexico or Canada or across the seas.”
“Many US politicians and businessmen, such as presidential candidate Donald Trump ended up leaving office and fleeing with their possessions and resources to safer nations. Donald Trump moving to Russia and welcomed with open arms by Vladimir Putin caused a massive outcry in the populace. Within the week of the chaos, the supervolcano erupted. By the end of the day, a massive chunk of the United States was wiped out and by the end of the month, the smoke covered the world. However, it was not a world-ending scenario. The global temperature dropped by an average of 1 degrees Celsius, bringing the world temperatures to reminiscent to the Earth pre-Industrial Revolution. However, the true problems began to appear.”
“The first few years were filled with turmoil as an interim president tried to maintain order, but resigned during an emergency presidential election, especially with the growing political and religious divides. Bernie Sanders ended up winning, being one of the few politicians who remained and won on the campaign of helping everyone. His solution was to employ as many of the greatest minds in the United States and the world to create and execute solutions to solve the immediate crisises. With the intense workflow and motion as if it was wartime, the United States focused on building indoor farms, water purifiers, greenhouses, windmills, solar panels and other solutions. Former business buildings and parking lots were the sites of these. Within the first year, President Sanders’ plan worked, as the indoor farms brought in plenty of food within rural areas and his implantations of reforms with his daily radio and podcast shows (inspired by FDR’s Fireside Chats), helped keep order and inspire hope in the Americans. Several other nations began using similar tactics, inspired by the Americans and from what observations gained, the world would change forever.”
“It has been ten years since, the maximum period of time a volcanic winter lasts and the world has managed to recovery quite admirably. The world is divided between the old superpowers and the new along with various alliances and rogue states. The largest one being the Global Alliance of Order, a collection of the superpowers before the cataclysm and dedicated to maintaining the well-being of the world. The American Sphere has managed to recover in a miracle even their foes are impressed with. The American Technocracy as it is now temporarily called, is a closer union then prior before. Led by President Sanders, a majority of the offices are held by scientists and other intellects who work to improve and fix the nation. Virtually everyone now live in homes and people work together to survive and rebuild. The population now maintains a largely more progressive and secular attitude, due to the scientists ending up being key problem-solvers and discriminatory attitudes being disregarded and discredited while cooperation and compassion became widespread. Their largest ally is none other than Mexico. Despite the panic as a result of a large influx of immigrants from the North, the economic collapse crippled the cartels and allowed the army to finish them off. Many of the American refugees settled up north and initially, there was an atmosphere of strife. However, matters settled down due to the new President working with them and commissioned for several new cities to be built up north, causing a flux of Mexicans to move up to the northern states. Solar panels helped keep power and indoor farms provided food. The success of the end of the cartels also allowed the new President to pass reforms and protections like the Americans did while also annexing the Central American nations who had fallen into chaos and or military dictatorships. Despite initial tense reactions, everything worked out well and the Mesoamerican Canal has been key to provide funding for the new Mexican Federation.
Over in Europe, virtually every nation in the continent joined the European Union to better cooperate and communicate with one another, with a humbled Britain promptly rejoining. Switzerland initially joined reluctantly, but everyone was surprised, including them, when the EU heads offered the Swiss the head position of the EU because of their neutrality. Despite the shock, the Swiss proved more than capable in maintaining the EU while observations have shown they have grown closer to their neighbors. Switzerland has also grown in influence and prestige in the world for managing to unite the European Union in spirit to further help the peoples there. The European Union used several tactics the Americans did so food would not be short and empty buildings and homes were turned into shelters. The British also utilized their Commonwealth to help maintain connections and communications around the world. American refugees made their way here though while some managed to settle in nations like France, Britain or Germany, most were redirected to Eastern European nations like Ukraine and Moldovia. Despite this, most have settled well and even some have revitalized the nations they were in. Other American refugees were sent to various Commonwealth nations in Africa as part of extensive programs by the British to help maintain order in some of the African members of the Commonwealth. Namely done with military members along with those with combat experience, the plan did bring out favorable conclusions.
The third member meanwhile is China… or rather the new China. With the collapse of the economy, China became crippled and the situation escalated into Civil War quickly. With most of the Communist party have been disposed of, the two sides fought for months before the potential for famine and other disasters forced them into an armistice. The Social Republic of China is recognized as the successor state, having merged with Taiwan. A social republic, China has managed to recover in a similar rate to the Americans have though they maintain a strong military due to their belligerent neighbor. Green technology has become massively implemented along with plenty of funds into technology for air purifications and growing crops. The people have more civil and political freedoms yet are still have plenty of safety nets and precautions. Beyond maintaining themselves, they have also undergone a Chinese Renaissance to counter the damage done by the Culture Revolution years ago and Chinese culture has become one of the new big things. They also helped shaped Indonesia into the Nusantara Confederation when nationalist groups threatened to tear the country apart as a result of American refugees and the strife caused by the economic collapse. The various islands now have more autonomy and support from the Chinese keeps things stable. The people have also been getting used to American refugees and have even begun promoting assimilation to further promote cultures within. Down south, the Oceanic Federation has also been doing the same with American refugees. However, the fact that several politicians and businessmen fled from the US here, there was a level of suspicion, only mitigated by massive donations in exchange for anonymity. Said donations were used to build green cities and solar panel farms in the heart of Australia, to deal with the refugees.
While the Alliance does its best to maintain world order and cooperation, its competitor has been enjoying the new opportunity brought in by this. The League of New Great Powers was formed by several rising nations who have become strong and powerful in the vacuum left and thus have banded together to ensure peaceful growth and to match up with the Alliance. While not against it, the League does have own ambitions and concerned more for their own growth. Despite this, they still have provided their fair share in relief with refugees and activity in the United Nations. Perhaps the biggest success is the United States of Africa. Considered to be the next United States of America, it was formed by American refugees and the native Africans after a revolutionary war in the Congo. Afterwards, it spread across the other nations and joined together to form a new nation with a new identity. A goal for pan-Africanism and to lead the continent into the African Century. In many ways, it does resemble the United States in its younger years though with modern sensibilities. The nation has been building farms, mines and taking advantage of its plentiful resources for a better tomorrow. Thanks to a charismatic president, competent leadership and ironically enough, the global strife to unite them all, a miracle was born from the chaos. As of now, the United States of Africa are planning to annex their southern neighbor, though by which approach depends on how bad things get.
Meanwhile, Brazil has made most of South America essentially theirs. Having risen up to try and fill the void of the US, they have made their claim in the surrounding nations and by rebuilding them up, have made them all quite loyal and slightly dependent on them. Brazil has captured the hearts of many South American peoples and they have been enjoying plenty of favorable trade deals with the United States of Africa. Despite their quick growth, they have also been careful to protect the Amazon Rainforest as a national treasure and due to many scientists fear regarding it. They maintain their close relations to Japan and have been a large help in providing food and medicine to the Americans. The last member of the league is the Indian Empire. India went through its own crisis before a new leader stepped in and crowned himself Emperor, during India into a constitutional monarchy. Despite the widespread skepticism, his combination of appealing to tradition while also doing cultural reforms have made him somewhat popular. Furthermore, his step was to spread the influence around their neighbors. After his success in warring against Pakistan, he began making the various neighboring nations into associated states of the Indian Empire. Beyond growing influence, he has begun funding several programs to deal with population problems by having them move toward some of the other areas in order to promote business while implementing various political and social reforms on the new subject nations. Several observations indicate that the general attitude was surprisingly positive, though given that the standard of living began increasing ever since becoming part of the Indian Empire, fewer people are complaining per year. Widescale construction and renovations projects all across the nations have also been implemented by the Emperor to modernize the Empire.
Beyond the two of them, one power is just trying to maintain their own order. The Middle East Coalition was formed as a necessary alliance and growing to a more amicable and friendly relationship between the nations. While considered for joining the League, they have turned down the offer for now. With the collapse, tensions reached critical there. One of the largest incident was the Hanukkah War, in which Egypt and several other states tried to attack Israel with the US gone. Israel defended themselves and fought back aggressively. The mounting tensions forced them to address the issue with Palestine. With influence from President Sanders, the new Isralite head created a Palestinian state and the result was the Dual Republic of Israel-Palestine. The Dual Republic then went over to Syria and crushed ISIS before rebuilding the nation and created the Levantine Pact, in order to protect themselves and each from potential threats, such as the fascist Sultanate. Meanwhile, Iran began taking parts of their neighbors up north in an expansive rate before the new leader put an end to it. After a short revolution, he reformed Iran into a secular democratic state and began influencing the areas around them. In the meanwhile, Iran also began an alliance with the Levantine Pact, especially with pact leader, the Dual Republic. Both accepted and acknowledged each other’s land gains and was mainly about protections, but over time, both populations have increasing positive opinions of one another. Iran is now focused on nuclear and green power while also preparing for potential trouble with Russia.
Despite the world being largely safe and recovering, several rogue nations have appeared to cause trouble for many nations. The first was the New Russian Tsardom. After Trump’s arrival in Russia, the backlash among some groups in Russia was massive and eventually, Putin was kicked out of office and incarcerated after one too many actions. The new person though used his charisma to declare Tsar, wanting to Russia to a golden age of the past and began procedures to burying the Soviet Union in the past while reestablishing many old thoughts, a bastion of reactionary thought though some reforms were maintained and placed in. The dream of Pan-Slavism was reborn and while some reforms came about it like LGBTQ protections, the Pan-Slavism was intense in making or forcing the identity, leading to conflict with its neighbors. Meanwhile, northern China also changed, becoming a synarchy of sorts, or rather a fascist state. Having gone back to the Qing-style of doing things, it combines the communist ideals with the idealized past of the Qing with fascist implementations. Having a rigid system, the government claims to be of the people and more of the people though some of the societal control systems the old China used remains and they still want plenty of their old territory back under their thrall.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Federation has become more and more totalitarian as the president has grown more parallels with Hitler. They have been causing problems for Malaysia, Singapore and the Chinese Sphere, resulting in increasing security and potential plans for eventual war against them. Back west, the Arabian Sultanate is the big threat, having been the cause for the Levantine Pact and Iran to join up. With the economy collapsed, the royal family was killed before a charismatic general took place and to restore glory to them, a pan-Arab nation. However, many parallels to Hitler were seen and the nation mobilized into military forces and absorbed nearly most of the peninsula. The only reason they have not attacked yet their neighbors was due to focusing on infrastructure, but the skirmishes seem like the prelude to a war in the Middle East. Lastly, the Christian Republic of Texas is the new North Korea. Having been found by ‘alt-right’ members along with Christian fundamentals and conservatives, they took over Texas and formed a theocratic Christian state. While virtually the inhabitants believe themselves to be the greatest culture, the rest of the world views them as deluded and ruled by a group of madmen. Having a cherry-picked interpretation of the Bible, many have compared local rule to be glorified feudal states, all under one party rule and has served as plenty of trouble for the Americans and Mexicans, especially with their desire to expand into the Ashlands. Their presence ironically enough served to deter conservative and reactionary though, as no one wanted to be associated at all with Texas.
Economic policies of the world is a combination of capitalist and socialist principles, being focused on benefitting everyone and for local levels though some form of globalism exist. Technology has begun to move forward once more, namely to deal with environmental management and green power. Culturally, progressive attitudes are the dominant along with cooperation and survival. However, there is a level of cautious fear due to the rogue states.
Surprisingly nice given the circumstances.