We all know poverty and oppression lead to stronger faith in one thing or another as people turn to God or some other ideal to save them from their blight.
Oil prices keep on rising; America's Economy keeps on deteriorating. More and more people in America adopt the Catholic faith and more and more people take it to the extremes. The government, not wanting to lose its support, waves a "God" banner as they did with their last election.
The situation in the middle east deteriorates further and America can no longer financially support to have their troops in Iraq, so they abandon it leaving the country in civil war. America's popularity sinks to an all time low. Their economy further worsens and goes into crises. America demands that they be able to breach certain trading regulations in order to up their economy. The other countries involved refuse to allow America to break the trading restrictions. America does it anyway, thus making economic enemies of many of the other wealthy parties of the world.
America insists it have priority over Canadian and south American Oil over other countries. Canada refuses to prioritize America as they are now on bad terms with them over the things Mentioned above.
Meanwhile China's Economy is booming and so is their military. They start replacing America in much of the world as far as exports and other businesses are concerned. America demands that these other countries stop switching to China for their goods, but money talks and since it is Cheaper to work with China then America, they are ignored.
America tries to Meddle with Canadian politics in order to regain approval there and thus the vast amount of imports they want from them. Canada by this point is trading more of it's goods to China and the rest of the world then it is to America. The Canadian government is outraged by America's antics and make it known what America was up to. The Canadian public along with much of the rest of the world are disgusted and Canada decides it no longer needs America as a trading economic partner. Along with Much of Europe, and several countries in the rest of the world which were on bad terms with America, they impose a Boycott on America, and turn to China as their main trading partner.
A few years go by and most of the western worlds Economy has improved, China is now the Richest and most powerful country in the world, they've pretty much become the Capitalists America used to be, dismissing most of their old Communist ideals for vast wealth and prosperity.
By this point America is, as a majority, a Christian state and a rather religious one at that. Through Religious propaganda to keep Morals high the government in favor within it's own people, they decide to approve Government assassinations on those countries they see as a threat.
The Canadian and French PM's are assassinated as they were the loudest and most prominent speakers against the American government. The world goes into uproar over it and many countries threaten strong military retaliations if America should dare and assassinate any of their political figures. However most of the countries in questions don't have the Military means, economy or courage to really dare to wage war against America, despite America being in a weakened state, and America knows it.
Canada and France Appoint new PM's; ones who speak even louder against the American government. America becomes the new North Korea in the eyes of the majority and is overwhelmingly unpopular around the world. Those last countries that did not go along with the Boycott now join those who did and America is completely Isolated.
America decides it's time to take matters into their own hands and stop caring what anybody else thought (not that they did before) and invade Canada in order go utilize their resources. Canada puts up a fight but is quickly defeated.
China, Russia and several other countries form a Coalition and threaten to Attack America if they do not retreat back into their own soil. America refuses. As the Chinese lead coalition heads towards the North American Continent, America Launches the first Nukes, at China. China responds instantly, so does the UK, Russia and France. America reciprocates and Launches nukes at all it's enemies.
Nuclear war.
The North American continent, most of Europe and large parts of Asia are now nothing by radioactive holes. The rest of the world is now suffering under nuclear winter. Most of the world population starves to death.
New Zealand and parts of Australia along with a few other places in the world come out of the nuclear holocaust alive, but in bad condition. The people are poor and sick and the countries have turned into police states. So afraid are the people of a repeat of what happened before, they impose military rule over all. Gone are the ways of democracy. Religion is abolished, as it was in China during the peak of it's communism and all bibles, torahs and Koran's found are destroyed along with any other religious memorabilia.
Earth 2030.
But hey, god's on our side.
