This is one subject I really have an interest in what people think. How we work our economy and to who we trade with or not trade with. I am by no means an economist or Trade expert. What messages do we send our trade partners and what message do we send to those we refuse to trade with? For the economy, ban unions? Right to work laws that give one a choice to join or not? If you can work you will work or receive no help or get kicked out of Tri-States? Some or all of this is answered by reading the Ashes series but if there ever is a chance that a Tri-States type goverment would come into existence we need to get new ideas and add to things not already there that would not compromise the morals and values of the Tri-States and its people. Any opinions or ideas?

Ogi, the first thing to do is establish where the Tri-States would be located. Then an inventory of the natural resources has to be taken. After that a determination of the products which can be manufactured from those resources.

Once that is established, then the ecconomic side can take shape. In other words, we have to know what we have first before we can set up who we trade with and with what and who we do not.

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"...if they are angry, perturb them..." Sun Tzu - The Art of War

Of course you are right Kolus. I like to think big, so let's just say something happens and a Tri States type of government is now the government for the United States. What people survived agree and vote for a Tri-State type of leadership and recieve a 97% at the ballot box. The people are of like mind and come together. Is this likely? No, but just for the sake of this discussion, let this be the scenario.

I think Bill was nearly right on in starting the Tri States up in the NW and in Montana. Montana is big enough to be it's own nation. We have minerals ( but we won't mention the environMENTALists in this discussion! ) and many other resources just here, that could help make a new start. Our growing season is admittadly short as com[ared to the southern states, but still very liveable. Perhaps the addition of parts of Washington state, for fruits. Montana has the best Cherry crops along the east shore of Flathead Lake.

Plus... our lands up here... aren't quite as crowded as some of the other states back east and in the south. Granted... eastern Montana has lots of wheat.. but less per acre than just in my western valley, alone, where we have some of the most fertile black dirt in the state.

I think a tri states economy would stand pretty good chances of survival alone, but there'd definitely be a need for manufacturing plants, eventually, which we don't have a lot of, as compared to back east. Of course.. those places were hard hit when the balloon went up.

You make an interesting subject with this posting. I've actually been thinking much about this area, as I read, and compare it to where they are now... in the eastern areas with base One.

I think that gold and silver would eventually become a part of the method of buying and selling eventually. But the tri states, if truly alone for the most part, would have to come up with some kind of monetary system ... seeing as how that's the way it's always been. Even if that monetary system only consisted of bartering and trading work for goods.

I think that even a handicapped person, such as myself... physically disabled for hard physical work, could survive in the Tri States system of fairness to all. Sort of rings of a communal type existence... without a monetary system, anyway... but if everyone wanted it and worked like the people in the series do... heck... I'd think it would have to work.

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Dale

I did read in "Good Magazine" that a huge lake of oil was discovered in Montana and there is a oil drilling boom going on up there right now. Problem is getting the people to Montana to drill it.

I agree with alot of the economic philosophy that is embodied in the "Ashes" series. However, I would make one suggestion. I see that the SUSA government is funded by a 20% Flat Income Tax. I used to be a support of the Flat Tax or a combination of a Flat Tax and a consumption tax with annual tax credits so that the poor don't have any tax burden. However, I am now a supporter of the FairTax plan because the fairest form of taxation you can possibly come up with is a progressive consumption tax.

There is one question I have about the health care system of the Tr-States and the SUSA? I know there is a "national health care system" in the SUSA, but I am confused about what it is like. Is it a system where all the health care professionals and providers are public employees like in Europe or a Canadian "single-payer" system or a different system alltogether?

Another thing I wonder about is how "the pace of life has been slowered". How can a government slow down the pace of life in a country when businesses can operate as they see fit? How do you do that and still have the most prosperous nation on the face of the Earth?

Okay, I picked up and re-read "Out of the Ashes" today and I looked at the Tri-State health care system. It appears the state pays 75% of all medical expenses while the citizen pays the remaining 25%. The citizen can also pay that remaining 25% in installment payments or recieve a loan from the state to pay the remaining 25%.