Russian Analyst Predicts Collapse and Break-Up of the U.S.

Interestingly, this Russian analyst is predicting that the U.S. will collapse and split up:

http://www.drudgereport.com/flashrur.htm

RUSSIAN ANALYST PREDICTS DECLINE AND BREAKUP OF USATue Nov 25 2008 09:04:22
ETA leading Russian political analyst has said the economic turmoil in the
United States has confirmed his long-held view that the country is heading for
collapse, and will divide into separate parts. Professor Igor Panarin said in an
interview with the respected daily IZVESTIA published on Monday: "The dollar is
not secured by anything. The country's foreign debt has grown like an avalanche,
even though in the early 1980s there was no debt. By 1998, when I first made my
prediction, it had exceeded $2 trillion. Now it is more than 11 trillion. This
is a pyramid that can only collapse." The paper said Panarin's dire predictions
for the U.S. economy, initially made at an international conference in Australia
10 years ago at a time when the economy appeared strong, have been given more
credence by this year's events. When asked when the U.S. economy would collapse,
Panarin said: "It is already collapsing. Due to the financial crisis, three of
the largest and oldest five banks on Wall Street have already ceased to exist,
and two are barely surviving. Their losses are the biggest in history. Now what
we will see is a change in the regulatory system on a global financial scale:
America will no longer be the world's financial regulator." When asked who would
replace the U.S. in regulating world markets, he said: "Two countries could
assume this role: China, with its vast reserves, and Russia, which could play
the role of a regulator in Eurasia." Asked why he expected the U.S. to break up
into separate parts, he said: "A whole range of reasons. Firstly, the financial
problems in the U.S. will get worse. Millions of citizens there have lost their
savings. Prices and unemployment are on the rise. General Motors and Ford are on
the verge of collapse, and this means that whole cities will be left without
work. Governors are already insistently demanding money from the federal center.
Dissatisfaction is growing, and at the moment it is only being held back by the
elections and the hope that Obama can work miracles. But by spring, it will be
clear that there are no miracles." He also cited the "vulnerable political
setup", "lack of unified national laws", and "divisions among the elite, which
have become clear in these crisis conditions." He predicted that the U.S. will
break up into six parts - the Pacific coast, with its growing Chinese
population; the South, with its Hispanics; Texas, where independence movements
are on the rise; the Atlantic coast, with its distinct and separate mentality;
five of the poorer central states with their large Native American populations;
and the northern states, where the influence from Canada is strong. He even
suggested that "we could claim Alaska - it was only granted on lease, after
all." Panarin, 60, is a professor at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has authored several books on information
warfare.

However, a warning to the Russians: Stay out of Alaska, you'll never be able to control it (think Afghanistan invasion), and I doubt the Canadians (with whom you have been playing games with in their Arctic territory) would take kindly to you invading either.