Where is the US of A going? What is the next step?

Balkanization

The Texit won’t happen, neither will a real civil war. There will be strife, maybe even some minor insurrections, and lots of rioting and general chaos as economic turmoil and food shortages lead to unrest, but the government will survive. An external conflict will unite the people against a common enemy enough to hold the country together long enough to get through the bad economic times and begin rebounding. These shared struggles will result in a more prosperous and peaceful nation as a new “era of good feelings” erupts thanks to American victory abroad and economic progress at home (likely caused, in part, by a smaller population sharing a larger pool of resources unlocked by technology).

People will complain, administrations will come and go, economies will bubble and burst, but America will keep going.

Your 2024 Ticket:

Humungus/Wez

Sadly I don't see much hope for the future in this country.

With great irony at the start of the US Civil War Americans were pretty similar: very few owned slaves (less than 3% owned all the slaves), most were Evangelical Christians, most did not have strong view points on slavery one way or another. The predominant American dream was subsistence farming. And 2% of the homogeneous county died at each other’s hands.

Fast forward 160 years—this country is far from homogeneous—there exists such a divide between conservatives and progressives there is no compromise or middle ground. Our governing body of the nation only agrees on matters of self interest (elimination of Outsider Trump or Outsider Bernie, money launder in the name of Ukraine, etc.)

There exists such a divide of half the country—it may well be time for a divorce.

I hoped I would not see this kind of lunacy in my lifetime. I hate war. Too many of my budies cam back from Viet Nam with broken bodies, tormented minds, and rotting livers. At least a couple came home in caskets.

Having said that, the dismantling of the traditional values that has guided this country for near 250 years leads me to believe we're reached the point of no return.

America is a bloody mess.