admin Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 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.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.But it's his bleak forecast for the U.S. that is music to the ears of the Kremlin, which in recent years has blamed Washington for everything from instability in the Middle East to the global financial crisis. Mr. Panarin's views also fit neatly with the Kremlin's narrative that Russia is returning to its rightful place on the world stage after the weakness of the 1990s, when many feared that the country would go economically and politically bankrupt and break into separate territories.Wall Street JournalIs he right? At this point with all this crap going on and things happening beyond my wildest imagination with the economy, anything is possible. But this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasen Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 bahah.. yeah, right.Many things could happen, but that is not one. The Russians would love that though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denita Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 So....I wonder if we will need a passport to get to the various republics?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthewscott Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 I've been trying to avoid posting. lolThis is just crazy. The comments on their website are pretty funny though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustaTexan Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 I know I'm one of the residents wackos but I say it could totally happen. Texas is already kind of its own little country. Hopefully if it did it would be more of a political thing and not an all out war. Kinda scares me a little bit though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthewscott Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 I know I'm one of the residents wackos but I say it could totally happen. Texas is already kind of its own little country. Hopefully if it did it would be more of a political thing and not an all out war. Kinda scares me a little bit though.... Ok, possibly... anything is possible. However, look at the map."The Texas Republic" - Will be part of Mexico or under Mexican influence. Yeah, I doubt it. I'm in Arkansas. I think we'll join Tennessee and become part of the EU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustaTexan Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 "The Texas Republic" - Will be part of Mexico or under Mexican influence. Yeah, I doubt it. Ah, but look closely! Alot of those states in "The Texas Republic," or atleast the southern-most areas of them are already heavily influnced by the Mexican culture. These are some of the most highly Mexican populated areas. Not too sure about Arkansas though. Only been there a few times. Once for some big outlet mall right on the border and another for a really really stinky plant job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zfire Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 I don't see it happening either, but if it does, I'm going to the North East.What kind of stinky plant job Deanna? A paper mill? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cap1kid Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 Looks like old fashioned propaganda- like during the 'cold war' Russia use to plant false stories and create rumors.... like Kennedy assassinated by CIA- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustaTexan Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 You know Z I don't even remember. It was back in 2003. I do think it might have been a papermill though. It was in Pine Bluff. All I remember about the town is the Walmart, some really good home cooking resturant, and of course-the plant. Sooooo smelly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthewscott Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 Ah, but look closely! Alot of those states in "The Texas Republic," or atleast the southern-most areas of them are already heavily influnced by the Mexican culture. These are some of the most highly Mexican populated areas. Not too sure about Arkansas though. Only been there a few times. Once for some big outlet mall right on the border and another for a really really stinky plant job.Ok. You win. You know Z I don't even remember. It was back in 2003. I do think it might have been a papermill though. It was in Pine Bluff. All I remember about the town is the Walmart, some really good home cooking resturant, and of course-the plant. Sooooo smelly. I'm not surprised. Not sure how to word it but I guess each state has it's areas that are nicer than others. It just seems that the central and northwestern parts of the state are so much different than the rest. (for a variety of reasons, so don't take it the wrong way.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustaTexan Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 Ok. You win. I never win! I'm not surprised. Not sure how to word it but I guess each state has it's areas that are nicer than others. It just seems that the central and northwestern parts of the state are so much different than the rest. (for a variety of reasons, so don't take it the wrong way.) Arkansas is a beautiful state! I have really only seen Pine Bluff so I haven't really seen much except a stinky mill town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almost_there Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 To answer the question "is this even possible" I would say of course it is and the U.S. wouldn't be the first "super power", obviously, to fall. History provides us with the examples. I'd like to think more positively though that while it is possible hopefully it will be unlikely. I honestly don't know what to think! If someone had said to me just a few short months ago, before we discovered the mortgage servicing fraud that was happening to our family, I would not have believed the amount of corruption, greed, and manipulation that has been occuring was real. When I uncovered what was going on, I felt overwhelmed by the magnitude of what I felt might be in store, not only for the U.S. but for the entire world if the deception I had just discovered happening to me was indeed happening to so many others as well.I'm not ready to believe that the U.S. could be destroyed, but I can see the possibility that this could get bad. Very, very bad. I know for sure I think the U.S. is as vulnerable as I've ever seen it and I don't like that feeling. Earlier today, I was explaining to my retarded daughter - ok, so it was hard to do becuase the economy is WAY over her head - why we might not want to take alot of trips to see her friends living an hour away, because we want to save more and spend less, things are uncertain for the future, yada, yada, yada and as I tried to explain this, in my mind I kept thinking about how bad things could actually get. Conditions like, or worse than, the Great Depression for example. Again, I hope not, but I consider myself a "hope for the best, prepare for the worst" kinda gal. So my mind is thinking "what if we loose our home again, or our jobs, or all of our cash!?" Then it occured to me that millions of other people on this planet still confront these realities daily and how do they prepare their children? Or how did the Jewish parents of Nazi Germany prepare their children for what they feared was coming?All these questions struck me before I read this Russian guy's "theory" today and I definitely wouldn't know how to tell my kids about that! So yeah, I just really don't know what to think... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommy32 Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 Well I am moving to the Texas republic...I know I can carry a gun there...LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momof5 Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 Could not and would never happen.....especially with Obama in office. Could you imagine the legacy.....US collapes under the "leadership" of the first black president!?!?!The midwest is not self sustaining. Not ONE segment would ever reunite with European control! Face it.....we are all a bunch of "cowboys" and like our freedom way too much!Besides I remember stuff like.....88 reasons why the rapture will happen in 1988.....now either we were ALL left behind or it didn't happen! LOL Then there is the prediction that in 2012 the world is coming to an end......To predict we would completely disintegrate like that shows a serious lack of knowledge of American History and American Culture. The guy is an idiot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbaboo Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 It will never happen. I remember reading something similar about Canada splitting up about 10 yeears ago. The guy had the maps and showed where each province would go and why. He wrote about it like it was a done deal. This is just wishful thinking by some Russian. When the former Soviet Union broke apart not too long ago, it was different. Most of those who broke away had been countries in the not too distant past and had their own national identity. Our country is totally different.I could see California splitting into two or three states. And I would support Louisiana and Arkansas forming their own country. But other than that, no changes are in our future.This reminds me of an old Candid Camera stunt. They took over a very large abandoned gas station/restaurant on the California-Nevada border and changed it into a border crossing. They had folks dressed in Canadian Mountie uniforms who stoped everyone entering California and claimed that the US had sold California to the Canadians and that it was on all the news. It was amazing how many people believed it. Some people will believe anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadynRed Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 I'm sorry, that's a load of Russian wishful-thinking CRAP! Putin would just love to see that happen to the US. Maybe this guy was watching too many episodes of Jericho ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasen Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 You SoCal people ready to join China yet?:giggle:This Russian really knows nothing about the people living here, or else he would understand that most all of those states would never submit to foreign rule, especially not faraway powers like Europe or China. It would be a cold day in hell before GA, LA, or MS would willingly let the Mexican government control them. FL too--if anything the southern end might join up with Cuba or something.If we broke up at all, I could see the two coasts joining into their own country, and the central bible belt being the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_Snow Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 Like Canada, Mexico, Russia, China or the EU would even have any of us! None of them particularly like us! Seriously.. just like the house down the block-nobody's buying!But just in case though, this validates my plan to learn Spanish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reverserguru Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 That "professor" is way off. Alaska and Colorado will go to Cali along with me, and we'll party down since most of the nukes will belong to us and we will be legalizing anyhthing we F'n want to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almost_there Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 now either we were ALL left behind or it didn't happen! LOLAfter sleeping on it, I feel much better. I think I watched too much news over the last couple of days. My husband, along with some dude I heard today on NPR, said it pretty well - this is just a throw back to Cold War era type tactics. Although, I didn't mind the idea too much of becoming part of Canada, I'm dang near there already...today my front yard looks like the tundra! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
admin Posted December 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 Yeah, I think this is way off base. For one thing, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado would never part ways. We're the wild west, baby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
someonesomewhere Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 As bad as things may be here, anecdotally things appear much worse in other countries. U.S. economic falls mean much worse falls abroad.I daresay a U.S. breakup, if it were to happen, would look more like the breakup of the old Soviet Union. Sure some states would bond together to create new nations, but hand themselves over to Russia, China, the EU and Mexico? Puh-leez.Mostly, the various new nations would be fighting over who gets what share of military hardware and nukes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reverserguru Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 Yeah, I think this is way off base. For one thing, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado would never part ways. We're the wild west, baby. Lets just go with Nevada and send Utah and their magic spectacles somewhere far, far away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mariner Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 This is very unlikely. Typically when a country 'separates', like the Soviet Union, it is along cultural/ideological lines. Despite how different we think we are in different areas of the country, we are not that culturally or ideologically different.I can see some changes occurring, but not a separation and never absorbed into Mexico or Canada (is this guy such an idiot not to realize that??).Times may be tough, but they probably seem tougher to folks 35 and under then to older folks. They have never seen anything like this and have had it pretty good socially and economically all their lives. They don't remember the 60's, 70's and 80's when there were some very bad economic and social crises and the real threat of nuclear destruction. And they may not have grown up with parents who lived through the Depression and the War and heard their stories all their young lives. I had never thought about that until I heard an interview with some British folks on NPR. He said he was 30 and had never experienced anything like this in his lifetime. It must feel like the end of the world for folks who have not been through something like this before. Yes things suck right now, but some of us have seen as bad or worse and we will survive it....again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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