The bombing outside the White House was like fuel on the fire, instantly escalating and radicalizing the situation. Luo Xia had been right: China was far from the only nation hoping to see the United States descend into chaos. America had made far too many enemies over the years.
In the past, the U.S. dollar had been the center of the global economy, binding the world's economies to itself so that all prospered or suffered together. Therefore, no matter how much many countries hated the United States, they could only swallow their anger.
But once Earth entered the space age, Wildfire Mars brought terrifying opportunities for interstellar trade. This shift had a revolutionary impact on the global economy.
In the past, the U.S. military could have used force to ensure that the lifeblood of the world economy remained in its hands. Those tens of trillions of dollars in military spending were meant to come into play at critical moments like this.
Yet America's carrier fleets discovered that they could still only flounder in the ocean. They had no way to cross space and time to fight Wildfire Mars.
And trying to use force to stop other countries from engaging in space trade was equally impossible. With teleportation technology becoming widespread, Americans could not stop portals hidden in unknown locations.
They were being eroded step by step, until America finally descended completely into chaos and realized that the situation had become irreversible. It had already lost any possibility of resistance.
Then, to make matters worse, this severe crisis of government credibility erupted, throwing the entire country into turmoil.
California was the first to declare independence.
This seemingly insane move did not surprise people too much. One after another, many states declared independence as well. Though they nominally maintained communication and exchanges