Slate's "Choose Your Own Apocalypse" lets you map out the death of the United States.

[rrneck]

http://www.slate.com/id/2223285/

You are a bloodthirsty misanthrope. You believe mankind is stupid and fallible and that America will destroy itself in a bloody mess. You'll know you're right when: The United States succumbs to a torrent of Russian nukes; we clone ourselves, get bum genes, and die.

Heh. Let's not get too optimistic now...

[whoneedstickets]

1. Invaded by Canada!

That's my hope! I'd be a happy collaborator.

[willing dwarf]

2. Oh, ha, ha, ha, ha.

I laugh bitterly. Grim stuff that our children's children might not be laughing about.

[juno jones]

3. I prefer one of the Phil Dick demises.

Much of the earth gets blown to hell and we, the lucky few, will all migrate to Marin county and live a bucolic rural, yet middle-class existence. More or less.

[Selatius]

4. Decline of Civic Pride, except with a twist. Then, Vermont Independence/Texas Secession/Nine Nations

"As happened in Rome, excessive taxation leads citizens to lose respect for the state. The all-volunteer Army shrinks as no one cares to assume the risks of fighting for the country."

We aren't taxed excessively, I'd say. If anything, people are losing respect for the state because it keeps killing the kids in imperial wars.

Then, the mounting debts and decaying infrastructure caused by spending on awful wars and excessive pork barrel spending will lead people to start pointing fingers at other people in other regions of the country. "If it weren't for those fucking yankees up north..." etc. etc. Then, secessionist movements and regionalism flare up inside the United States once again. "With our own government, we could run it better than the goddamn federal government can!" etc. etc.

"A house divided against itself cannot stand." - Abraham Lincoln.

[FranMonet]

5. zombie apocalypse

I vote for zombie apocalypse, might as well have fun and take the whole world down with us.

[provis99]

6. alien invasion sounds pretty good to me

To paraphrase Kent Brockman, "I for one, welcome our insect overlords"

[newfie11]

7. It is the what's in it for me attitude

Our government has many people fighting against the betterment of this country only because they are getting paid to do so (lobbyists). Why isn't it illegal to bride an elected official, oh wait its called a campaign donation. Call it the real name a bribe.

This country cannot continue with crooked politicians and news medial slanted to the right due to being owned by them.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. I don't think Slate interpreted my choices correctly.

Unitary executive, theocracy, privatization, military overreach, and Wall Street cleverness.

You are a humanitarian internationalist. You're convinced mankind will terminate America—but at least we won't off ourselves in the process. You'll know you're right when: Everyone on Earth pledges allegiance to a world government; the feds default on the national debt.

[MrScorpio]

9. I'm going with Gray Goo n/t

[Hugabear]

10. I had fun with this one

I picked Rapture, Halliburton, Corporate Takeover, Vermont Independence, and Supercollider.

You are an anthropocentric pragmatist. You think the American citizenry controls its fate, and we won't screw up enough to destroy the human race. You'll know you're right when: Vigilantes along the Mexican border start a war over immigration; the United States has a socialist revolution.