Just came in to say how much I appreciate this comment.

I've read a lot of thought experiments regarding the breakup of the United States, and all of them assume that the world will simply trundle along as it always did while the US splits into the Divine Republic of Gilead, the Pacific States, the Atlantic States, and the various permutations and combinations thereof.

But that's not the case. Such a breakup would be a Godsend to American adversaries like China and Russia, who will step into the vacuum created with the departure of the United States from the world stage.

And, as they mop up one former ally after another, it will only be a matter of time before they turn to the former United States, making damned sure that it will never rise again to challenge their newfound hegemony.

I think Americans need to ask themselves if this is what they really want to happen because it's the most likely outcome of such a breakup. If they still want to go ahead with it, the question then becomes how to manage this breakup to minimise the fallout.