Russian Professor Predicts Future of US

[Kramer]

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

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1230511 ... lenews_wsj

[Arlos]

I can actually see balkanization of the US, though not on his timetable or in the areas he lays out.

I mean, wtf, California in a group with Utah?? Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia agreeing to be part of anything Massachusetts and suchlike are part of? Florida, Louisiana, etc joining Mexico?? Alaska voluntarily rejoining Russia?? Uh, no.

If anything, California will line up with Oregon and Washington, plus maybe Nevada, maybe Hawaii, and REALLY maybe Arizona. (and if we did grab Arizona, New Mexico might well come along too). As for whether California would be owned by anyone, I rather highly doubt that, given that California's GDP is such that if it were an independent country alone, it would rank anywhere from 7th to 10th in that stat. Throw in Oregon & Washington too, and forget it.

All in all, I think the guy's full of it.

-Arlos

[Harrison]

It's amazing how dumb you can be that high up on the ladder of influence.

[ClakarEQ]

I dunno Arlos, I realize all things come and go and no person or country can avoid that but, seriously, even if shit hits the fan hard core over the next 15-20 or 50 years, I really don't see the US throwing our hands up and saying, fuck it, sure we'll sell off Alaska, Hawaii, etc. While we are not the super power we once were, we are the great consumer of this planet and when we hit a wall, the globe stops, just as it is now. The strain we'll place will slow the growth of all nations expected to "take over the top spot" that we're teetering off of. Not to say we'll never be in slot 5 of the top nations or some shit but 20 years, in our lifetime, umm, that isn't remotely realistic in my mind.

I hear you though and again it's not that it "can't" happen but our country has made it through worse, I don't see a bunch of Americans, a majority in any region, that would be remotely ok with piecemealing our country, 20 or 100 years from now. Frankly we are too fucking proud, even if there is nothing to be proud of.

[Arlos]

Well, IF it happens, it wouldn't be selling off parts of the country to other powers. It would be more along the lines of California or New York finally getting sick of policy decision being so heavily influenced by "Red States", especially southern economically depressed ones, which take more out of the federal system than they give back, which is exactly the opposite of most of the "Blue States".

So, rather than selling stuff off, it would be more a case of the rich kid states taking their toys and going home than anything else. This could result in some states being taken over by foreign entities, but again, it would be likely the ones that have really shitty economies (think Alabama, Mississippi, etc.) who would collapse without outside intervention if left on their own.

So yeah, I can see splits, but they're not going to be like that guy laid out, they're going to be splits based on economies and political inclinations more than anything else, if they should ever happen.

-Arlos

[Kramer]

in that scenario i could see texas west to califronia creating a strong alliance, while everyone set LowsyanaMississippiAlabama on fire

[Tikker]

sounds like Jericho

There's been talk in Canada for many many years of various provinces splitting off, forming countries, etc etc

I have to admit, I'd join the army so I could bomb quebec (specifically snero, that dirty frenchman)

[ClakarEQ]

Yeah but even Cali and NY, while a good chunk of folks are "blue" I don't think any state could say it's 100% any color. I would say most states are more a 75-25 ratio or even less. You'd have a pretty hard sell to get any one state to secede, break off, etc. IMO we are a union the private sector just can't bust LOL.

[Arlos]

What, Tikker, your first target wouldn't be Saldor, the crazy Quebecois enchanter?

I loved how the easiest way to piss him off into near english incoherency was to call him a Canadian, instead of a Quebecois.... rofl.

-Arlos

[vonkaar]

I would hope that a guy from a >former< super-power which has catastrophically collapsed TWICE in the last century would know a *lot* about this shit.

And at Russia and China regulating commerce

[Gaazy]

Oh hell those russions are idiots. They cant even keep a country name. Russia Federation, USSR, Soviet Union, fuck you fags

[Drem]

Wow sounds about the same as England/UK/Britain/whatever. It's called Rossiya (Ra-SEE-ya) and during the most unfortunate part of its incredibly detailed and beautiful history it was called the Soyuz Sovietskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik (the SSSR, or "CCCP"), or Sovietsky Soyuz

I can't understand talking down and calling a country a bunch of fags because they have an uncontrollable, completely unwanted government that has oppressed and ruined almost everything they've ever known over the course of the last 90 years. And don't tell me it all stopped when the union crumbled apart because Putin still controls quite a bit of that country and jails the oligarchs that fund his political opposition.

And I can see what Vonkaar's trying to implicate, but that country only fell apart once, in 1991. In 1917 it was a violent take-over of Tsar Nicholas the II's government by lunatics akin to Al-Qaeda, led by Vladimir Lenin.

If I were Russian I'd give y'all a big hearty "fuck you guys"

[Harrison]

I like them *shrug* always have.

I just don't buy into this country falling apart in 2 years thing. I do see it happening, just not in 2 years. And certainly not as he's predicting it to do so...

[Drem]

Ya I'm not talkin about that. I have no opinion on that. But, I don't understand why Gaazy had to take the time to call them a bunch of fags. Seems like it'd be easier to not say anything at all instead of piss people off who have a lot of sympathy for modern-day Russians, who are about as happy in their country as we would be here if Bush kept leading for another 9 or 10 years. You have to think about everything and not just a couple things before you say something that broad and out-right mean

[Sithos]

The scenario is far fetched timewise. It's about as likely as the Flying Spaghetti Monster returning from the Marinara dimension and reclaiming his rightful spot as Supreme Overlord of Earth!

Eventually yes, as with all countries/civilizations throughout history, U.S.A,Canada,Russia etc will all crumble and be historical footnotes. But I believe that will be a couple hundred years yet.

[Yamori]

Eventual disintegration of the US into separate countries isn't totally impossible (not likely at all though), but it's a laughable notion that US territories would EVER fall under foreign influence, even in a worst case scenario, with the possible exception of Canada (due to practically identical culture and economic stability).

Way too many people with way too many guns to ever have foreign powers swoop in to absorb territories.

[Tikker]

Alaska is isolated, I could see it being absorbed into canada, or perhaps back to russia

[Kramer]

when i hear/read this stuff i just imagine what people would have said of the British empire at the height of their influence and strength.... I imagine that Brits thought their territories were a lock, though they are very different than sharing land with your territory, but even they were so influential it was hard for them to imagine that those pesky Indian/african/south asian countries would ever have control of their countries again

[vonkaar]

Well, the brits were a tiny island country with a giant navy, trying to control a bunch of indigenent countrymen who didn't want to be ruled. We, for the most part, 'want' to be ruled.

There are a *lot* of imperialistic similarities but that is a chief difference in justifying a comparable collapse.

[Gaazy]

Ya I'm not talkin about that. I have no opinion on that. But, I don't understand why Gaazy had to take the time to call them a bunch of fags. Seems like it'd be easier to not say anything at all instead of piss people off who have a lot of sympathy for modern-day Russians, who are about as happy in their country as we would be here if Bush kept leading for another 9 or 10 years. You have to think about everything and not just a couple things before you say something that broad and out-right mean

Lol it was a joke tough guy. I was fucking around saying random shit. Lets all go over in the corner and cry about it because someone called Drem's dream comrades a bunch of fags. Boohoo, someone called my beautiful historical happy friendly butt buddies fags! God, dont you have more important stuff to whine about? I write one sentence in a pretty obvious dumbshit fucking around manner and you write a short story about how you have so much sympathy for them? Wtf, who cares. Sticks and stones. Still wouldnt be any different if I was even serious in saying that. Go suck some Russian cock a little more eh comrade? Oh no, their oppressed and have an unwanted government. I think we are almost in that situation too. Blah blah blah, you know I never say anything serious around here hardly, especially in CA threads. God, do you want some drawn out faked apology now for calling your friends fags?

[Drem]

whaaaaaaaaaaaatever puss