The Hard difficulty gives a 40% penalty combined with the 75% peace penalty means the USA starts with an effective IC of 0.
Looks about right. Research Advanced Machine Tools right away. Start selling your army/navy/air force and all of your resources to get a small surplus of supplies and money. Keep the money to make sure the tech teams get funded. Fortunately the way the sliders work, you don't get dissent unless your 'consumer goods' slider is at the left of the screen, despite the fact there's no IC being used for consumer goods and it takes no money away. You will not go into negative money, and in fact a small ghost surplus seems to exist at first which will partly fund some technology research. I don't know about that.
If you can't sell divisions, just disband them. Except most of your navy. which you can probably use at some point.
Eventually you'll get Advanced Machine Tools, which will actually give you some IC to use. Start building and preparing, only "gearing up for war" events will save you.
Alternatively, lower your consumer goods slider, let dissent go out of control, and go communist/fascist? :O