As if Things Weren't Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S.

WSJ ^ | DECEMBER 29, 2008 | By ANDREW OSBORN

[balls]

MOSCOW -- For a decade, Russian academic Igor Panarin has been predicting the U.S. will fall apart in 2010. For most of that time, he admits, few took his argument -- that an economic and moral collapse will trigger a civil war and the eventual breakup of the U.S. -- very seriously. Now he's found an eager audience: Russian state media.

Igor Panarin In recent weeks, he's been interviewed as much as twice a day about his predictions. "It's a record," says Prof. Panarin. "But I think the attention is going to grow even stronger."

Prof. Panarin, 50 years old, is not a fringe figure. A former KGB analyst, he is dean of the Russian Foreign Ministry's academy for future diplomats. He is invited to Kremlin receptions, lectures students, publishes books, and appears in the media as an expert on U.S.-Russia relations.

[willyd]

Just think, Texas and OU could play for the National Championship every year!

[east1234]

Um, the Carolinas and gool ol` Virginia aint going with the Northeast. Furthermore, the USA’s not very likely to break up. Go broke? yes, Break up? not likely.

[mimaw]

Not too sure about Virginia and North Carolina anymore.

[TLI]

Well, we were trying a few years back. When DC figured out we were serious they threw a bunch of spoilers and spies in and managed to get McClaren to make a stupid move. If it was a bit more regional (Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado, Missouri) we could have a bit larger pool of folks to head things up.

[qwertypie]

The only trend that the US has going for itself right now is that its potential adversaries are doing more dumb things, not that the US itself is turning things around. I don’t trust the present makeup of the US citizenry; its value system - especially the virtue of self-reliance - has seriously degraded since the 1930s and 1940s. People now demand comfort as a right, and there’s nothing on the horizon saying that they’re in the mood to change their minds. We’re not Europe quite yet, but the psychological dike has already been breached.

[RedMonqey]

Texas part of Mexico?

Actually it's Mexico becomes part of Texas.

Texans finally finish that "Alamo" thingy and take over the rest of Mexico.

Which they accomplished over the Labour Day weekend...

[Fishrrman]

“His predicted split looks reasonable, except I don’t think Sarah will cede to Russia!”

Although I think this guy is onto something with his perception that the United States could be susceptible to a Soviet-style breakup, that fact that he is Russian (and lacking in perspective from those of Americans) prevent him from seeing just how a “split” could go.

For starters, I don’t think Canada could survive as an intact nation after a breakup of the United States below it.

My take on how this might go is here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2138021/posts?page=38#38

Let me pose a question to all those who would dismiss the notion that the U.S.A. could never “break apart”:
Less than twenty years ago - say, in 1988 - who would have predicted not only the collapse of the Soviet government of the U.S.S.R., but the breakup of THAT nation into the Commonwealth of Independent States?

- John

[b4its2late]

To make matters worse most republicans think Bush was a good president.

I don't know about that. Deep down, they know the truth, but it is hard to admit, even though he was better than Gore or Kerry could ever be, so that might have something to do with it. He started out promising, did several good things, but went to left fairly quickly. I had hopes for him and the second term, but was disappointed. He caved in to the left and the media. Maybe after the next 4 years, he will look good.

[Iron Munro]

He is making the same prediction many FREEPERS, conservatives, and other patriots have been (and are) making yet he is ridiculed and laughed at.

[demshateGod]

I’m sorry, I should have been more clear. I could only join with Texas if Norman was excluded in the new republic. Norman would become a nation called Barry Switzerland. The Sooner fans could finally be happy because they’d win the national championship every year, beating the scout team of course.

[SoftwareEngineer]

Yeah! Utah will be part of China.

Last time I went to SLC, it was full of Chinese with their churches. Or was it Mormons.

I can never tell and I guess neither can this “analyst”

[RedMonqey]

“Um, the Carolinas and gool ol` Virginia aint going with the Northeast. “

Yeah. Like they would never vote gor a socialist, anti military Democrat over a pro America military vet.

Ole Virginnie is dead.(so I have heard)

[Pit1]

Wendy,

Totally agree. I think the break up would occur building Republics of like minded people. Moral/Political = Morapol. Raiding parties would go to each coast to take what they want and return to their Morapol.

The breakup would not be decided by proximity IMHO.

[Travis McGee]

That’s one of my favorite Oleg Volk compositions!

[willyd]

I like that...kind of like a buffer state.

[Tax-chick]

DC’s going to be distracted by the Obama Show for a while :-).

[Tax-chick]

Norman would become a nation called Barry Switzerland.

LOL!

[DuncanWaring]

Isn’t “Domestic Enemies” the more appropriate book?

[Travis McGee]

I highly recommend this book. It's not about civil war, but about the actual regions of America, and how we might just drift apart. It was written in 1981, and it reads for the most part like it was written last week. Four Stars in my book. Get a used copy from Amazon Marketplace for peanutes, or get it out of your library. But try to read it.

The link takes you to the Amazon page.

[Travis McGee]

It’s all really one book, in that sense. DE was just the intermediate breakaway of the Southwest phase.