Russian Professor: United States to Break Up in 2010

[Matt Molnar]

WSJ:

As if Things Weren't Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S.
In Moscow, Igor Panarin's Forecasts Are All the Rage; America 'Disintegrates' in 2010

DECEMBER 29, 2008

By ANDREW OSBORN

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.



[Full Article]

[Derf]

ahahahah is it Tea time yet?

[USAF Pilot 07]

"There's a 55-45% chance right now that disintegration will occur"

So do the odds decrease as time goes along, or is he just being hopefully optimistic by relaying the higher number first?

This guy is a flat out nut job seeking to gain attention by making ludicrous claims. He's nothing more than a puppet for the current Russian administration who thinks he's still the USSR.

He fails to see the fault in likening the fall of the Soviet Union to a disintegration of the U.S.

This is nothing more than anti-American propaganda serving as a curtain to cover Russia's growing economic and political failures.

While all empires do eventually fall, to state that the U.S. will disintegrate in 2010 - in 2 years - is just flat out dumb.

I've got a bridge to sell anyone who takes this guy seriously!

[Derf]

CRAP! I just went out and purchased tea! :lol:

[Matt Molnar]

While all empires do eventually fall, to state that the U.S. will disintegrate in 2010 - in 2 years - is just flat out dumb.

It could happen in our lifetimes, but the split he imagines seems highly unlikely.

First off, unless all the immigrants on the west coast are sleeper Chinese agents, China is not taking control of California. If anything, Mexico would reclaim California. Texas, Arizona and NM residents would probably have enough guns to defend themselves.

Next, some northern border states probably WOULD like to join Canada, but Missouri and Ohio? I think not.

I kinda like the idea of Atlantic America, but I think he includes too many states. I think it would probably be NY and New England. And yes, we would join the EU. So would Canada.

Without defense from the lower 48, Alaska and northwestern Canada would probably be seized by Russia for their oil and natural gas supplies.

</tinfoilhat>

[emshighway]

The end of the world is predicted for 2012 so what's a few years of chaos...

[T-Bird76]

Awesome we are going to be part of the EU! We can all be Eurotrash now!

[bonanzabucks]

Drudge posted an article about this a few months ago.

Don't know about you guys, but have you notice that Russia's become more vitriolic since their economy has started tanking? They were pretty quiet, even at the start of the year when oil was pretty high. Now that their only source of income is evaporating, they're rattling their sabers louder. China is starting to behave the same way since their economy is tanking now too.

[Lezam]

Woot, then every trip would be a eurotrip!

[Midnight Mike]

The article was certainly good for a chuckle :mrgreen:

His theory is not sound & the Professor may not realize that these are the "United States" of America with the emphasis on states, meaning, 50 separate states that enjoy a certain amount of autonomy from each other & the Federal Government.

The states depend on each other, so, if there were to be any split, it would not be as organized as the Professor suggest & why would the EU want the Northern States & for that matter why would Japan & China want Hawaii?

If anything, with the demise of the United States, Japan could take over Guam & Saipan, much closer than Hawaii.

As for Mexico, they can barely take of their own country....