Help me out. Is the U.S. one country or 50 countries?

me ^ | me

[tacticalogic]

One cannot exisit without the other. I believe the founding fathers intended the federal government to play a minor roll in the lives of Americans, and would be shocked at the $1.2 Trillion budget we currently have....

They also intended for the individual states to be "laboratories of democracy". We ended up with 50 control groups, with the emphasis on control.

[anniegetyourgun]

UNITED WE STAND

[BADJOE]

Except for Texas, yes it did.

[al_possum39]

Yeh but, countries can unite in common efforts and still be countries.

[texson66]

Just let me get out of MD first!

[PatrickHenry]

However, if the Federal Government breaks the written agreement known as the Constitution, then the contract is null and void, and the states are not bound by any document to remain part of the whole. We are actually an anarchy at the moment, held together by force of arms.

An argument could be made that if the Constitution breaks down, we default to the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. Articles of Confederation .

[al_possum39]

Good answer.

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

To further throw confusion and non-sequiters around, when we say E.U. here in the states, we think of the European Union, however if you mention E.U. south of the border, they think of the United States (Estados Unidos).  So much for non-essential trivia and other knowledge we can live without.

[wny]

let California go. good riddance. And let's hope they take Massachusetts with them.

[basil]

You got that right, BadJoe--Texas is a "whole 'nuther country"! LOL

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

[Looks like the founding fathers are classified as domestic terrorists.]

III.

The said States hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defense, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist each other, against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretense whatever.

[MosesKnows]

is the U.S. one country or 50 countries?

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands; one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Does that answer your query?