Whenever I ponder the balkanization of the US, I wonder who will gain control of the nuclear arsenal.

the mega-texas would gain control of it.

only melaninated-americans have sufficiently distinct cultures to create a balkanized landscape of culturally distinct countries, but they’re only approximately 1/3 of the population and are almost entirely centered within metropolises; texas and california are the only exceptions to this with its evangelical leaning latines.

this means that balkanization would have to happen across political divisions and, when you look at a county-by-county red vs blue election maps, you’ll see a entire sea of red with blue bubbles of varying sizes within it.

the current day texas is a miniature version of this and balkanization split by political affiliation like this would mirror texas’ situation; thus creating a mega-texas that would reach from coast to coast if it weren’t for the largest blue bubbles occupying the actual coasts.

the entirety of the american nuclear arsenal would be within the red area and all of the blue bubbles would be economically dependent on it except for the largest blue bubbles on the coasts; meaning that mega-texas would be able to bully all of the smaller blue bubbles like the united states does to the global south today.