this post was submitted on 03 Jan 2026
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So now we can add “directly capturing a sovereign leader” to the list of crap the US has done. So what do you think will actually be “the straw that broke the camels back” for world leaders to actually do something? Think it’ll be significant or something mundane?

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[–] seshcobar@sh.itjust.works 37 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I think it has to be a major financial crash and/or a big war

[–] TehBamski@lemmy.world 17 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I'm genuinely curious what would happen if the US lost nearly all of their foreign investors and all/nearly all of their major trading partners. (I understand that this is highly unlikely, but so was the thought that another world war would happen and happen in less than 50 years. I'm also tired of holding my breath on these things...)

[–] Limerance@piefed.social 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The US as a country has vast natural resources, a lot of space, and a large educated population. There are two very long coasts, enabling trade by sea across the globe.

Investors fleeing and trade collapsing would lead to a major crisis and necessitate restructuring the economy. It’s important to remember that money leaving the country, doesn’t mean the physical assets like buildings, machines, trained workforce, and infrastructure leave as well. Production of goods for export would lead to too much supply of some things, with a lack of imported goods.

Lots of international trade could be replaced by domestic production. The US might actually be able to pull off an economy closed off to much of the world better than any other country. The reindustrialization and transformation of the economy would take a couple of years to a decade, with lots of hardship.

Still the US produces so much food and has an overproduction of pretty much all agricultural goods, that widespread hunger is unlikely. The agricultural sector already depends on subsidies snd regulation. So the bureaucracy and infrastructure is already in place to keep it going and steer it.

Culturally Americans are used to dynamic markets, adapting to change, and entrepreneurial spirit. That’s a further asset for being able to transform and economy.

Finally because of the easy access to the oceans and a powerful navy to protect their trade, the US can be very flexible regarding who they trade with. New tradingpartners will show up quickly.

Of course this discussion is a bit moot without talking about the world political stage this happens in.

tl;dr there would a shortage of goods, economic turmoil, no famine, stable energy production, likely a swift recovery

[–] edible_funk@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

This reads like chatgpt. And is wildly unrealistically optimistic. And is wrong about American culture in a fundamental way and is ignoring bird flu, screw worm, and the upcoming dust bowl from mono culture industrial farming practices. Millions would die and it would take well over a decade just to ramp up manufacturing to make up for loss of imported goods. The country would ostensibly survive but it would look and act a lot more like Russia than it already does.

[–] DylanMc6@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 4 days ago (1 children)

But mostly a major financial crash

[–] halferect@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago

And usually after/during a financial crash the US goes to war