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.

[TLI]

Texas part of Mexico?

I guess he does not keep up with the news.

More like we don't have DC to force us to keep the illegals here (and the illegals would know it) so there probably would be a parade of pickups headed south for the river.

[B-Chan]

Texas plus New Mexico and parts of Colorado... just like in the old days.

[Jim Noble]

I recall during the seventies the Soviet Union had its people convinced Americans were starving in the streets and gangs would soon rule America.

Yes, and they put Andrei Amalrik in prison for suggesting the USSR would fall by 1984.

We are much, much closer to a true regime crisis that most people realize.

I don't think a breakup is the most probable scenario, though. Armed rebellion by tax-eaters with restoration of the Republic as a result and dispersal of the useless Congress by a competent and uncorrupt dictatorship are both more likely.

[TLI]

Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado, Missouri.

Nice!

[MSF BU]

The country purged itself of about ten percent of the population after the Revolutionary War.

[Paige]

In my home state, they could not get the Feds involved (shocker eh?) nor would the state pass laws to stop the illegals. The Locals were in a quagmire because the people wanted the illegal immigration problem dealt with....so each city and county started passing a law.... no license no insurance the vehicles were immediately impounded.

At first, the thought was, oh lovely more laws, but honestly this is working. If they do not have vehicles to get to their low paying jobs they can't work, thus no money. Either they are going to the safe harbors the left wingers have setup for them or they are returning to Messico... spelled that way for a reason.

In other words, focus on electing the local officials and state officials. They are the ones getting the job done. In fact, this was how the Founding Fathers expected this to work in the first place.

[Nea Wood]

I know you’re hearing this a lot, but...great post.

[balls]

"What was once inconceivable is now becoming a reality. Comments like yours just shows how far astray we really are."

To clarify, I meant it was the author's wishful thinking.

[TLI]

Since they’re populated by metrosexual wimps, we can simply walk through to the coasts whenever we have the need.

Actually we would have our own coast. The Gulf of Texas.

[MSF BU]

They want to break away? Do they want to continue on food stamps and AFDC?

[Tax-chick]

Big country, plenty of natural resources, industry, tourism ... what’s not to love?

[USNBandit]

Yes, but is the "breakaway" of an Indian tribe really going to threaten the United States?

No. Especially if the U.S. stops maintaining the roads to the Indian run casinos.

This Russian idiot sees a split like the breakup of the Soviet Republics, or Yugoslavia. Both those breakups happened due to long held ethnic separations that were held in check by strong dictatorships.

[Star Traveler]

Well, apparently not, from what I’ve read of it. They want a complete break, and they say you won’t have any taxes in that country. They’re inviting white people (i.e., non-Indians) to live there, and/or continue living there. So, they’re not making it exclusive to just Indians...

I figure that those (on Free Republic) who want to have their state secede from the Union might want to give this particular “Indian nation” support — in order to set up the precedent for their *own state* seceding from the Union... LOL..

[Star Traveler]

You said — “Yes, but is the “breakaway” of an Indian tribe really going to threaten the United States? No. Especially if the U.S. stops maintaining the roads to the Indian run casinos.”

Heck..., around in Oklahoma, the Indians pay for the improved roads, out of their own money, in order to get “freeways” going to their casinos.

But, I figure that FReepers who are interesting in having their own states “breakaway” from the United States (which I do see being posted here...) would give *support* to this Indian movement and help them break away from the United States — in order to give their own states a good precedent for breaking away from the United States (like they say they want to do...)...

[TennMountains]

Tennessee just voted a Republican majority to its House and Senate for the first time in more than 100 years. Any politician that utters the words “Income Tax” is voted out of office. No way we’re going with the Northeast and the EU!

We are part of the SEC (football), along with S.C. and KY. The map would make more sense if it divided the states up by the major college football conferences. That would just extend something already being fought about! And worth fighting over!

[backhoe]

Recall this graphic?

Sad to say, I can't rule a splitup- I'll be damned if I want to support the parasite class even as much as we already do- to say nothing of the idea of more of it...

[mimaw]

I’m willing to sell my place and move to the south if we ever split. I don’t want to live under the tyranny of the left any longer.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

That map is just plain silly. Red China influence would extend over metro areas on the coastal states - Seattle, Portland, SF/Berkeley, Sacramento and LA/Hollywood. That’s a very small chunk of the 7 states shown in the western region.

[TypeZoNegative]

You’re right, he is projecting and making assumptions about our country based on experiences in his own and in surrounding countries. We’re the United States of America. Which means we’re united individual states and not a monolithic, centralized government like most other countries. We were actually founded as a union of semi-autonomous nations and we still somewhat operate as such. We simply can’t break apart because most of us have been raised to see each other as different based on our regional differences, yet we learned since youth to get along with eachother quite well.

Our founding fathers saw what the ugliness of having a monolithic nation would bring so they instituted a federalized collection of democratic republics and not a single state. Nice try thinking we will though.

[anniegetyourgun]

Couple your thoughts with the fact that the GOP is dead, and we really have one party that will dominate for many years to come. One might think that would hold things together, but the nation (as a people) is equally divided. Therefore we face grave challenges ahead in terms of civil unrest.

Beyond that, I don't think Obama really cares about this country. I believe him when he said he is "a citizen of the world." With that attitude, he will certainly not defend our interests, but instead will negotiate (read: appease) with others using our wealth and resources as leverage. Once that is depleted and we are sufficiently weakened, it's likely we will see Russia and China flex their muscles. But before we see that, I think we'll see this new US administration "negotiate" a "peace" agreement in the middle east. In doing so, the world will praise Obama and his popularity will allow him to ride into a second term. After that, things will start to really fall apart.