only 2 years left untill the new world order kicks in

[Poophy]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090304/ap_on_...the_end_is_near

MOSCOW – If you're inclined to believe Igor Panarin, and the Kremlin wouldn't mind if you did, then President Barack Obama will order martial law this year, the U.S. will split into six rump-states before 2011, and Russia and China will become the backbones of a new world order.

Panarin might be easy to ignore but for the fact that he is a dean at the Foreign Ministry's school for future diplomats and a regular on Russia's state-guided TV channels. And his predictions fit into the anti-American story line of the Kremlin leadership.

"There is a high probability that the collapse of the United States will occur by 2010," Panarin told dozens of students, professors and diplomats Tuesday at the Diplomatic Academy — a lecture the ministry pointedly invited The Associated Press and other foreign media to attend.

The prediction from Panarin, a former spokesman for Russia's Federal Space Agency and reportedly an ex-KGB analyst, meshes with the negative view of the U.S. that has been flowing from the Kremlin in recent years, in particular from Vladimir Putin.

Putin, the former president who is now prime minister, has likened the United States to Nazi Germany's Third Reich and blames Washington for the global financial crisis that has pounded the Russian economy.

Panarin didn't give many specifics on what underlies his analysis, mostly citing newspapers, magazines and other open sources.

He also noted he had been predicting the demise of the world's wealthiest country for more than a decade now.

But he said the recent economic turmoil in the U.S. and other "social and cultural phenomena" led him to nail down a specific timeframe for "The End" — when the United States will break up into six autonomous regions and Alaska will revert to Russian control.

Panarin argued that Americans are in moral decline, saying their great psychological stress is evident from school shootings, the size of the prison population and the number of gay men.

Turning to economic woes, he cited the slide in major stock indexes, the decline in U.S. gross domestic product and Washington's bailout of banking giant Citigroup as evidence that American dominance of global markets has collapsed.

"I was there recently and things are far from good," he said. "What's happened is the collapse of the American dream."

Panarin insisted he didn't wish for a U.S. collapse, but he predicted Russia and China would emerge from the economic turmoil stronger and said the two nations should work together, even to create a new currency to replace the U.S. dollar.

Asked for comment on how the Foreign Ministry views Panarin's theories, a spokesman said all questions had to be submitted in writing and no answers were likely before Wednesday.

It wasn't clear how persuasive the 20-minute lecture was. One instructor asked Panarin whether his predictions more accurately describe Russia, which is undergoing its worst economic crisis in a decade as well as a demographic collapse that has led some scholars to predict the country's demise.

Panarin dismissed that idea: "The collapse of Russia will not occur."

But Alexei Malashenko, a scholar-in-residence at the Carnegie Moscow Center who did not attend the lecture, sided with the skeptical instructor, saying Russia is the country that is on the verge of disintegration.

"I can't imagine at all how the United States could ever fall apart," Malashenko told the AP.

[Nega-Brent]

You know what would be awesome? If someone brought back journalism.

[Belial]

You know what would be awesome? If someone brought back journalism.

Uhh... thats from an AP source. You know, The Associated Press, the gold standard of American Journalism for the past... oh, 150 YEARS OR SO.

Brent needs to brush up on his bitching. Its been lacking that certain bite as of late.

[Nega-Brent]

Uhh... thats from an AP source. You know, The Associated Press, the gold standard of American Journalism for the past... oh, 150 YEARS OR SO.

Brent needs to brush up on his bitching. Its been lacking that certain bite as of late.

Journalism hasn't existed in the past 20 years or so.

[Belial]

Journalism hasn't existed in the past 20 years or so.

Where do you come up with this shit? You can't just make wild claims like this and expect anyone to believe you.

[GummyBearOfDoom]

Where do you come up with this shit? You can't just make wild claims like this and expect anyone to believe you.

I believe he means credibility wise.

[Nega-Brent]

Where do you come up with this shit? You can't just make wild claims like this and expect anyone to believe you.

I could if I called myself a journalist.

[Natsu]

yeah I read this article on my phone the other day I was shocked.

[LeadingMan]

I believe he means credibility wise.

Exactly. Real investigative journalism has been tainted by panic journalism for years. Lots of stories get spread around with no accredited research or actual investigation.

See the whole beer pong gives you herpes thing from a week ago for example.

Taking a bunch of quotes of what some guy who's off his rocker said to scare the crap out of people with no real evidence isn't journalism. It's blogging.

[ROCKSTEADY]

hahaha Too many gays? That doesn't even make sense.

Shit if anything, the government is going to get more oppressive so that there is no dissolution of the states. Hell, we can be out of this economic depression, if the fed would just print more money. ALL HAIL CENTRAL BANKING

[Belial]

See the whole beer pong gives you herpes thing from a week ago for example.

The what?

Boys and girls need to be able to separate gossip and rumor from Journalism me thinks.

[Nega-Brent]

The what?

Boys and girls need to be able to separate gossip and rumor from Journalism me thinks.

You're giving modern "journalism" far too much credit than it deserves.

[Gundampilotspaz]

Uhh... thats from an AP source. You know, The Associated Press, the gold standard of American Journalism for the past... oh, 150 YEARS OR SO.

Brent needs to brush up on his bitching. Its been lacking that certain bite as of late.

You just called an organization that just published a story that sounds like an outline I wrote for a Science Fiction novel as a gold standard in journalism. I suppose since most journalism is 20% content 80% garbage... this makes sense.

Taking a bunch of quotes of what some guy who's off his rocker said to scare the crap out of people with no real evidence isn't journalism. It's blogging.

Blogging is just a publishing platform. It doesn't matter if this story was written on joe-assholes-blog or the AP. It's still, at best, wild speculation.

[Belial]

You guys are missing the point. This is news, and important news at that, because while this guy might come off as a ranting madman to most, there are enough people who think he's legit, and they might start taking actions so as to evolve these predictions into truths.

[J-Stop]

[Ceraziefish]

This article is such bullshit.

Like GPS said, it sounds like the premise for a sci-fi novel, but not even a terribly good sci-fi novel (well, okay, it could be a good sci-fi novel but it sure wouldn't be a plausible one).

Look at this country. Do you really think that gay people are going to cause it to split into six countries in two years? No! Think of all the nationalist douchebags, the businesses with an interest in keeping this one nation, the politicians who would never let that happen. Two years is just not enough time for a nation to go from "Strongest country on earth" --> "Dystopic hellhole."

Unless there's some kind of nuclear war.

But look at the Great Depression. This economic crisis isn't nearly that bad yet, and I'm hoping (with good reason) it won't get that bad at all. Did that cause the country to split up? No.

However, this crisis may, hopefully, cause the country to dismantle its empire. That's less likely, but it would mean something good came out of the whole thing.

Besides, all throughout the Cold War Soviet "analysts" were predicting that the U.S. would collapse all the time -- just like we were. This is nothing new. The only reason it's news is because he said it, not because there's any chance it will actually happen.

[LeadingMan]

Blogging is just a publishing platform. It doesn't matter if this story was written on joe-assholes-blog or the AP. It's still, at best, wild speculation.

I'd argue with you over the difference between blogging and web publication, but really it doesn't matter since we're essentially saying the same thing and at that point the nitpicking would have nothing to do with the topic. Yes it's just at best wild speculation, well put. :headbang:

[Gundampilotspaz]

I'd argue with you over the difference between blogging and web publication, but really it doesn't matter since we're essentially saying the same thing and at that point the nitpicking would have nothing to do with the topic. Yes it's just at best wild speculation, well put.

You're missing the point. There is no difference. It's a way to get content published. It's like you're saying all news papers are full of lies because you picked up the "National Inquirer" one day. It's as if you said all Magazines are rubbish based on a copy of "People".

Like GPS said, it sounds like the premise for a sci-fi novel, but not even a terribly good sci-fi novel (well, okay, it could be a good sci-fi novel but it sure wouldn't be a plausible one).

Mine had Mechs.

But even if we claim that this is possible at some point in the future. Let's even call it a good idea, the Federal Government is too powerful anyway. He gives absolutely no evidence as to why and how this will happen! No evidence at all! He just states it as fact. And he goes as far to claim that this could NEVER happen to Russia! I'm sure he predicted the same for the USSR in 1990.

You guys are missing the point. This is news, and important news at that, because while this guy might come off as a ranting madman to most, there are enough people who think he's legit, and they might start taking actions so as to evolve these predictions into truths.

No it is not! Did you read to the end of the bloody article?

"It wasn't clear how persuasive the 20-minute lecture was. One instructor asked Panarin whether his predictions more accurately describe Russia, which is undergoing its worst economic crisis in a decade as well as a demographic collapse that has led some scholars to predict the country's demise.

Panarin dismissed that idea: "The collapse of Russia will not occur."

But Alexei Malashenko, a scholar-in-residence at the Carnegie Moscow Center who did not attend the lecture, sided with the skeptical instructor, saying Russia is the country that is on the verge of disintegration.

"I can't imagine at all how the United States could ever fall apart," Malashenko told the AP."

EVEN HIS PEERS THINK HE IS INSANE! It's like some nationalistic wacko, like a modern day Nero, running around and making things up in some kind of desperate attempt to make his country look good. He is talking out of his ass and so are you. And why are you taking his "predictions" as a good thing!

This is the same as if I went around and started giving lectures on how Canada would buy the United States from Obama in 2011. If I did that and someone reported on it.... would that make it news? Should anyone pay any attention to me?

[Ceraziefish]

Anyone seen his totally sweet map?

[Gundampilotspaz]

Anyone seen his totally sweet map?

That is insane. Texas will never allow themselves to be ruled by Mexicans.

On another note, this is almost the exact same map I made up as part of the previously mentioned story.

This man is writing a science fiction novel. WHY WOULD THESE SECTIONS JOIN FOREIGN POWERS! IT MAKES NO SENSE!

Edit: Actually, he just copied the Fortress America game board. Right down to the invading powers.

[GummyBearOfDoom]

You guys are missing the point. This is news, and important news at that, because while this guy might come off as a ranting madman to most, there are enough people who think he's legit, and they might start taking actions so as to evolve these predictions into truths.

So you support propaganda?

[Ceraziefish]

This man is writing a science fiction novel. WHY WOULD THESE SECTIONS JOIN FOREIGN POWERS! IT MAKES NO SENSE!

Yeah. His thesis seems to be "America will break up because of social/economic differences" but then why would states like Utah join states like California under Chinese rule? Seriously? Why would Mexico go for the poorest/most racist/most nationalistic parts of the country?

WHY THE HELL WOULD CANADA INVADE THE MIDWEST. If there's one thing Canada doesn't need more of, it's empty space with not very many people living in it.

Also lol @ him copying that boardgame

[troN]

texas would kick mexico's ass

[Poophy]

how did you get a picture of our secret meeting?

[darkon]

The new world order will be led by India I believe. This guy isn't too great with how he assembles his speculation, from a purely academic standpoint he completely ignores so many factors that would play into an American break-up. Especially one that happens so quickly (granted, it took about 2 years for fascism to go from not even being in the lexicon to being the dominant political force in Italy, so things can change rapidly). I like how he is basically debunked by a fellow academic at the end as well.

But anyway, you guys sound like a high school classroom with how you argue. It's been a riot to read.