An idea.

[Canid117]

What about the trillions of dollars in foreign-owned debt? Or the climatic changes brought about by reducing the planet's landmass?

the landmass gets replaced by Ocean.

Which will would alter the climate, no?

Not our problem anymore.

And that's exactly the attitude which gives Americans a (not entirely deservedly) bad name around the world.

As to your original point, I think the fact that you have to keep adding rules and complaining about our involvement with "minor points" (on both sides of the portal, no less) suggests that the scenario wasn't particularly well thought-out to begin with. Kudos for trying, though - it makes a change from HalfLife hate threads and platform flamewars.

And it's no less plausible than many ill-conceived film and game plots.

The reason I want to ignore the little details is because I am more interested in the political and economic ramifications of the sudden disappearance of the United States. I want to know exactly what what non Americans would think if one day we were there one day and just plain gone the next. Instead I get three dozen replies of "Well that wouldn't work! We would just follow you/you would collapse/that technology is impossible. I am well aware of that. I am not actually suggesting that the United States try to teleport away. I am asking what would people outside of America think if America wasn't there anymore.

Yeah. I don't think America in and of itself can perfect interstellar and teleporting travel like that. Even if so, I don't think that the US can keep this kind of technological advancements from ALL non-americans. Someone'll pick it up, either after or before your grand teleportation. So your fabled Alpha Centauri won't be just reachable by any US citizens.

Reread the OP. The theoretical technology is from a theoretical alien artifact that can not be replicated with modern technology.

Oh and as a Canadian dibs on ur front lawn!

We take the front lawn with us.

 

[Tulks]

The reason I want to ignore the little details is because I am more interested in the political and economic ramifications of the sudden disappearance of the United States. I want to know exactly what what non Americans would think if one day we were there one day and just plain gone the next. Instead I get three dozen replies of "Well that wouldn't work! We would just follow you/you would collapse/that technology is impossible. I am well aware of that. I am not actually suggesting that the United States try to teleport away. I am asking what would people outside of America think if America wasn't there anymore.

I can see what you're getting at, but my issue is that you can't properly discuss the political, economic and cultural ramifications without taking into account the physical changes that would also occur.

 

[teebeeohh]

i am pretty sure that without outside influence your new US would collapse into smaller states that then would go to war with each other while the people who are left on earth go to work in sweat shops for the Chinese.

btw do you intend to settle your debts first? i mean your are pretty much stealing billions of dollars from various countries and corporations, do they get their money back? or does everything that is on us soil but technically owned by someone else but the US government stay on earth? maybe there are american citizens who would like to stay on earth, would force them to leave their homes with the promise of a better place in a far away world? now THAT would be un-american of you

 

[Mr Companion]

But the empty landmass of America would spurn greed and war for the earth dwelling nations, and the same could well be for the new American planet. These thing might not happen, but the future is always unforeseeable and if human history is anything to go by a more cynical man might say that as long as there are any two people left on the planet and something to fight over, they will.

 

[WanderingFool]

Well, as an American... I would revoke my citizenship, for the time atleast... Making a move to another planet seems really fucking massive, and Im not sure if I would be willing to make such a move right away.

 

[Arrogancy]

Relocating would take some getting used to, but I think Planet America would muddle through. After a short economic collapse the economy would begin rebuilding out of necessity, we would begin utilizing the resources of our new world to empower ourselves. There probably would be some consideration of dissolving the old United States and establishing separate countries on our new world, but that idea would be killed quickly by the fact that the government kept all its nukes. As for me, I'd go to Alpha Centauri and laugh at the expense of every nation on earth getting stuck with WW III. We win.

 

[iLikeHippos]

Well... I'd watch the news the next day about the inevitable cheer and/or outrage by some.

U.S.A had an 11 trillion debt; How is that supposed to be paid back? I can imagine U.N pointing their fingers at America for debt evasion.
But, as always, they'll stop giving a shit and do nothing. So it's cool America. Just leave without any repercussion.

Secondly, I'd grow bored. Americans as a whole are a jolly bunch of people that speak Íngles. Can't say the same for Europeans, however.
Have you ever played on an EU server of any game? You are going to find - daily - people who insist on speaking their native tongue as a priority on-line. Sometimes, they don't even know English and can go through an entire game without uttering a single word, nor understanding one.
It makes for TERRIBLE teamwork and socialization.

Lastly, I'd be pissed, for all of the major games developers are located in America. I can live without games, granted, but I really, REALLY want to execute, stomp, slice, explode, shoot and incinerate people up in Gears 3. Such a fun game that will be... *Sigh*

 

[StellarViking]

Oh man, I'd definitely go. It would be awesome. I'd be able to look up at night and see NEW stars! I've always wondered what our Sun looks like from another solar system, and I've always wanted to see if we make a constellation.

Our economy relies on a lot of foreign nations, though a lot of foreign nations also rely on us. It'd be interesting to see what happens then, not only because of the loss of the market, but because of the loss of the dollar.

 

[Zykon TheLich]

yg

 

[Kurokami]

As it stands the United States has a less than stellar reputation around the world and a lot of people would like it if we just stopped. And we are a little too integrated with the global community to just say "Fuck off rest of the world" and become completely isolationist. So instead imagine this. You turn on the TV tomorrow morning and there is breaking news. President Obama is making a speech and you can not believe what he is saying. According to your TV the president just told the world that the United States has found a perfect earth like world in the Alpha Centauri system. And not only that but the United States has perfected teleportation technology and that in 24 hours the United States, all of its citizens, all of its resource wealth, all of its assets and property, and all of the money and assets of its citizens will forever leave the earth and move to this new planet. Anyone who became a citizen after the age of 14 will be allowed to stay on earth if they choose but everything else goes. The only thing that will be left is a small embassy in Geneva that offers one service. You can apply for citizenship and come over to Alpha Centauri but the move is permanent. In short America disappears tomorrow and there will be no contact with the United States afterwords short of moving there forever. What would your opinions be? What would the effects be?

And for us Americans what would we do to celebrate our new little planet?

EDIT: I shouldn't have to point this out but it is entirely theoretical. America is gone tomorrow. What would you do?

EDIT #2: Ok so people seem to be getting more involved with the minor details than the main point of the thread. So I decided to make a little information packet for the two groups who would be involved in this discussion. If you are a member of one group then please do not comment on the situation of the other group. Also for the sake of preventing people from saying "We would just develop portal technology too" lets say the technology uses an alien artifact that can not be replicated with modern technology and we took it with us when we left in order to maintain the two way portal in Geneva. (It needs to be two way so that embassy officials can get back and forth to handle citizenship requests.) American citizens who don't wish to leave may apply for foreign citizenship and will be allowed to stay on earth until that citizenship is granted.

Spoiler: for Americans

We get there and the planet has the exact same atmosphere as earth and almost the same amount of Water and landmass some of the ocean was traded with earth in the transfer which gives earth some free alien fish and the United States is now located in the middle of an ocean with the climate about the same as it was on earth. There is an economic collapse early on in the colonization effort due to an absence of international trade. Though there is still a large amount of resource wealth in the United States and now we have an entire planet to ourselves. This means that economic recovery is virtually guaranteed and now we don't have to pay the debt because good luck collecting suckers! Also you have to go (we are ignoring the legal ramifications for the sake of argument) if you are an American citizen who was either born in the United States or were under the age of 14 when you became a citizen of the United States. Anyone who was 14 years of age or older when they became American citizens can choose to have their Citizenship revoked and move to a different country. They can reapply at the Geneva embassy if they change their minds but the move would be permanent. Those who became citizens after the age of 14 but are still legal minors would require permission from their legal guardian to stay on earth.

Spoiler: for non-Americans

The United States and its territories, all of its infrastructure and property and the land itself is gone. Though you did get some free water with tasty alien fish to replace it. You have no idea what is happening to America and you get no word from there apart what rumors you can get from the Embassy officials. If you so chose you could potentially move to the United States on Planet America (working title) but once again you have no idea what it is like there and you aren't going to know because the United States has basically said "Piss off world! You don't appreciate us so we are going to leave!" Whether you disagree with that statement or not is irrelevant to the Americans because they are all gone. what now?

Well, it'd suck since I plan to move to America and would be, according to you, unable to contact family/friends in other countries.