Well, I have seen estimates of a 90% mortality within the first year. The survivors probably wouldn't be capable of putting the full system back together nor could they properly control or protect the vast reaches of a depopulated America sans transportation, communication, and technology. Darkest Africa would be an improvement by comparison.
No doubt the Chinese and Russians would be happy to move in, carve the empty territories and vast natural resources up to their own liking, fix some of the infrastructure, and establish their own colonies without the original inhabitants - or their few pesky and poorly armed survivors.
But... let's talk about something more important - like a "fair wage" for women, "free" medical care, Gay "rights," and amnesty for tens of millions of uneducated and parasitic immigrants most of whom don't speak English or give a tinker's damn about the Constitution except how they can milk the system for a free pay check.
In other words, don't worry about the elephant in the room. Instead, concentrate on those little glittery things way over there in the other direction...
I would like to see the farmers weigh in.
After 18 months of them just trying to stay alive, what would be the situation for them to start shipping out grains and vegetables and meat and eggs again.
Would that take an additional year or three years, 5 years, what would it look like with abandoned farms, abandoned supply and distribution systems, and trucking companies, deferred maintenance and little or no fuel or parts for trucks and farm equipment, no seed or fertilizers, no retailers in the cities, only farmer’s markets.
I wonder if the government has a plan to help defend large farms and ranches and such to keep the ability to restart, and replant, and to replace animals, from being totally used up?