Anyways, after reading Threats 2 (aka, how to screw over players Mk. II), I gots to thinking.

(Dangerous, I know)

Anyways, who would be likely to reunite? I was thinking CAS and UCAS, if the UCAS is willing to cut welfare programs. Maybe the Manitoo seperatists with the UCAS to get support against the Algonquins. And the PCC for military aid.

The Ute would never, since they are psycotically racists. The Sioux are also an no, since they effectively exist as an anti-UCAS nation. And Tsimshan since Mitsuhama wouldn't like it and the UCAS might enforce some sort of enviromental regulation

The others I can see going either way.

Every time the 60s come around, a war divides the nation...

Don't forget the 29s for market crashes, either.

And every time you masturbate, god kills a kitten.

Anyhoo. After reading through Shadows of NA, I was actually surprised to see that the CAS seems better put together than the UCAS. Sure its seems the UCAS technically has all the old offices and structures (pentagon, DC, various intelligence hqs) but it seems all corrupted and chaotic. The Shadows of NA painted the CAS is relatively stable strokes. I wouldnt be surprised if the CAS slowly gobbles up a bit more space of UCAS. Seems like some of the UCAS states might even welcome it.

Indeed, as odd as it sounds, the CAS looks like one of the most stable and most similar to the old style democratic republics before everything went down the swisher; and thats on a global comparison, just not North America.

What's so shocking? Us Southern boys aren't all uncoothed rednecks and cowboys line dancing you know...

The Abstruse One

This had better not be in comparison to Germany. Germany's strong but not that stable. What can you say about a "country" made up of 19 little countries, of which 1 is a Mercenary monarchy, 1 is a troll monarchy - king, 1 is a theocracy, and 4 are free cities. And that's just the tip o' the iceberg.

Don

I somehow doubt Belgian nationalists have a strong interest in what happens to Belgium in Shadowrun.

If the CAS catches up in terms of technology, they've also got one of the best militaries on the continent. I don't know if they would ever reunite (being from the south, I can conclusively say that Southern pride is not often overstated). If the UCAS were to want to join the CAS, that might happen, but I can't see it happening the other way around.

You're more likely to see a strong alliance with free trade agreements and possibly more lax borders.

From what I remember from SoNA, I think part of the CAS's technology lag is also ideological. They have a brown water navy and their gear isn't as good. Why? 'Cause that's how they do things.

I agree. The CAS Navy is supposed to have a strong submarines force (including those new sub carrying aircraft) and two med-sized air carriers (one less than 15 years old). That's enough to make a blue-water navy. So for the CAS to have a brown-water navy, it must be a matter of method and use, rather than of equipment.

Two carriers? You could do a blue water navy, I guess, but you can bet at least one battlegroup will be sitting and waiting for Aztlaner aggression.

That leaves only one... Not really effective projection of force.

Submarines are good at 1) denying the use of the ocean 2) nukes and 3) covert insertions. None of those will really help you use the ocean, just stop others.

In other words, it's partially ideological and partially equipment based.

Carrier battlegroups are expensive to maintain. Also, why bother to project power across the Atlantic when your major enemy lies on the other side of the Gulf of Mexico? While controlling the Atlantic might be a nice ego stroke for the UCAS, the more important priority for the CAS is being able to control the Caribbean.

The middleweight carrier groups the CAS maintains really aren't power projection capital ships, but rather auxiliary options. After all when it comes to achieving air supremacy over the Caribbean, the CAS already has a dozen or so unsinkable carrier platforms: Pensacola NAS, Eglin AFB, Maxwell AFB, MacDill AFB, and lots of others along the Gulf Coast. The Confederation carriers are there mostly to give the CAS the option of conducting an attack from the seaward side of the Carib.

You sound a little bitter there Centurion.

It seems like it would go the other way. Increased balkanizaion rather than reunification.
Try this: Texas demanding that CAS declare war on Aztlan, then seceeding when they don't. Then allying with CFS and Amazonia, and forcing Aztlan to withdraw from Columbia, San Diego and Austin, or face a 3 front war.

I mean seriuosly, talk about southern pride. Texans are more proud of being Texans than anyone else I've ever met from anywhere. What are the odds of Aztlan taking the capitol and holding it for what, 10 years now? That's probably the most unbelievable thing in a list of improbable things they've put in the story.

Dax: is it a good or bad thing that I was actually pretty happy when I wrote that?

Bearclaw: Don't even get me started. I actually think the whole Atlzan uber police state was such an incredible waste, story wise. They could have kept Mexico exactly the way it is and it'd be perfect for Shadowrun.

Centurion, you have my complete agreement. In fact, it really is a shame. A third world country full of drug runners and little law enforcement and political instability really would've been a lot more interesting than Aztlan.

Are, well, unlike the NAN, which is so hardcoded into the SR plotline it's dang near impossible to modify muchly, Atzlan is easier to modify and still keep the canon coherent. Just keep the shadowy rich cartel doing all the blood magic wackiness and keep all the wonderful little El Mariachi/Desperado/From Duck 'till Dawn goodness. And if you want to have them win the Texas war, just make it because they could unleash force 300 blood spirits or something along the line to rampage through the middle of El Paso, San Antonio, etc. Personally, in my SR verse, I had them take south Texas but it's currently a rather nasty Chechnya style tit-for-tat. Sure it's flat and open country and not really suited to guerilla operations, but I'm sure guerillas can get creative when they have the backing of CAS, the Texas state gov't, and Ares.

(And flipping through this copy of NAGTNA and looking at the pic of Texan forces...no wonder we lost, we had BARNEY FRICKEN' FIFE on our side.)

A lot of similar elements are still there, but they're now much more official. What Aztlan really does, unfortunately, is kill the potential to have something like Once Upon A Time In Mexico. Not just plot elements, but motifs and atmosphere. It's just not the same. Sniff.

I really don't see reunification happening. The south is THE SOUTH. In addition, it's becoming one of the most integrated places in america. The white guys and black guys are all proud of being southern. We're building our own Rap genre. Something that is surprisingly popular among even oldstyle rednecks.

In my personal opinion, I've always pictured the south as being highly militarized(paranoia about the UCAS, and dealign with Aztlan), with regular troops being supported by the "militias"(aka nat'l gaurd units) of most states. The reason for paranoia is simple: most of the strategic air and missile portions of the old US went to the UCAS. So the CAS maintains a heavy, highly mobilized(mostly motorized) military. I also like the idea of Penal units...