Ah i should have been a bit more clear. I didn't mean to imply that the USSR was held together solely through the idea of sovietness, mearly that they created the idea of the Soviet Citizen, who could be russian, kazakhstani, or ukrainian, but was first and formost a soviet. Whether or not they fully achieved that is debateable, but this sort of pan-nationalist socialist identity, working in sync with more varied local identities is what i was suggesting be a strong factor in the USAR.

The problem that the USSR had in this respect is that while it was in theory a union of equal states, Russia's immense size and influence relative to the rest of the Union made this sort of goal feel like backdoor russification. In the USAR, there are 67 SARs, none of which are big enough to dominate the union. As such, I think that a federative socialist system could work, and that encouraging local government and cultural diversification, in contest with strengthening overall group "American" identity would help more fully ingrain democratic socialism in the population.

I feel that the propaganda under this system would work as follows: Each SAR would work to cultivate an identity unique from the rest. This would take the form of new/revived traditions and holidays, cuisine, and neologisms. Ingrained in this identity from the start would be the ideals of socialism - cooperation, equality, community, so that to be an Arizonan, for instance is to be a good socialist.

But, these unique identities are all included in the USAR and so federal propaganda would show each SAR as a necessary cog in a vast array of machinery, or a single tile in a beautiful mosaic. Each SAR is different from those neighboring it, and the USAR would be represented as less of a melting pot and more of a salad bowl. We should strive for multiculturalism, not homogeneity, to avoid any feelings of imposition or colonial intent. Old american myths could be co-oped in the creation of these new identities, but since the USAR includes Canada as well, this new identity (which I am hesitent to even call "American" must include uniquely canadian elements as well.)

Far from weakening the union, I feel that this may strengthen it. By strengthening SAR identity, one weakens regional identity, which could prevent or inhibit the formation of large blocs of rebellious SARs (such as the Southern, former CSA SARs). If each SAR is fundamentally

I think that