Scenario: Culture Wars

Old America is declining and fracturing. China and Korea are on the rise. Europe is a wild card. New trends in music, film, and literature have risen since the 2010s as the world becomes ever more connected. The internet has continued to evolve. But someday, it will all be too much. The culture wars have begun.

World Politics

 * After the Korean revolution of 2015-2017, Korea became a reunited country. Former Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un abdicated, and the first free elections were held in 2017 for the United Korean Republic. The UKR secured strong alliances with both the United States and China.
 * In 2016, Republicans returned to power in the United States with the election of President Marco Rubio. America loosened its immigration policy and finished withdrawing all troops from Afghanistan.
 * In 2018, a nine-month civil war in Belgium resulted in the establishment of two countries, the Dutch-speaking Kingdom of Flanders and the French-speaking Republic of Wallonia.
 * China surpassed the United States in nominal GDP by 2026.
 * In 2032, The European Union voted to dissolve its political boundaries entirely and become the European Federation. They demanded that the UK accept the euro as currency and end its monarchy. British Prime Minister Stephen Namford refused, and the UK withdrew from the European federation.
 * The North American war took place from 2090 to 2092 between the United States and Canada over the New England states. The European Federation sent troops to support the Canadians, who managed a narrow victory, capturing Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Both countries' economies were ruined. The United States became increasingly dependent on China, and Korea. Britain remained neutral throughout the war.
 * Left ravaged by the Canadian War, the American government could no longer manage control over much of its population. In 2094, California seceded from the United States by mutual agreement at the Treaty of Stanford. Dan Ying becomes the first President of the Republic of California.

Music

 * The Set Fire movement began in Britain but quickly spread to America and Europe in the mid-2010s. Named after Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain," this new musical genre took after British pop singers Adele and Florence Welch and reached global popularity in 2020. Musicologists say that Set Fire is a unique blend of pop, techno, and American Gospel music, and represents the pinnacle of music since the Rolling Stones. New singers joined the movement in the 2020s, including French artist Monique LaFoix and American singer Carol Winters. The Set Fire singers eclipsed the popularity of American country music, which had all but died out by 2025. Eventually, by 2050, Set Fire began to decline, but not before reaching China, North Africa, and Latin America.
 * The Stamp movement was the principal American rival of Set Fire during the 2020s and 2030s.