U.S. to split by 2010? Russian analyst thinks so!

[Guest GaySacGuy]

This is a story from Yahoo news, from Washington Post.com. For the complete article go to:

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28477607/

 

For seriously predicting that the United States will break into six parts in June or July of 2010, Igor Panarin has suddenly become a Russian state-media celebrity. Hardly a day goes by without another interview or two for the KGB-trained, Kremlin-backed senior analyst. The clamor in Russia for his ideas is growing, he says.

 

Panarin's disintegration divination comes complete with a map. In it, Alaska goes to Russia. Hawaii goes to Japan or China. "The California Republic" — the West from Utah and Arizona to the Pacific — goes to China. "The Texas Republic" — the South from New Mexico to Florida — goes to Mexico. "Atlantic America" — the Northeast from Tennessee and South Carolina up to Maine — joins the European Union. And "The Central North-American Republic" — the Plains from Ohio to Montana — goes to Canada.

 

Few Americans paid any attention to his novel views until this week, when the Wall Street Journal trumpeted them on Page 1. Within hours, the U.S. media began the counterattack.

 

This is preposterous, Time magazine said in a blog.

 

"The man knows nothing at all about American regional differences," wrote Justin Fox, Time's business and economics columnist. South Carolina is like Massachusetts? Tennessee will join with France? Idaho will find something to love about California? Wyoming will snuggle up to Ottawa? Alabama will happily report to Mexico City? "Yeah, right!" Fox wrote. "Has this man ever been to the United States? Has he never even heard of 'The Nine Nations of North America'? . . . Igor, do your homework!"

 

Ahem, yes, that 1981 "Nine Nations" book I myself wrote. Well, I was young. I needed the money.

 

The regional bloggers who find it useful to view the continent functioning as if it were nine separate economies or distinct cultures that pay little regard to state or national boundaries have been loudly a-chirp about Panarin for a while.

 

[Bob]

I suppose it's only fair that this guy gets any attention in Russia given the National Enquirer is still one of the highest sold "newspapers" here in the US. We all have our idiots.

[KhorTose]

I suppose it's only fair that this guy gets any attention in Russia given the National Enquirer is still one of the highest sold "newspapers" here in the US. We all have our idiots.

 

Come on he is Russian. He has a lot of experience with a country spitting into many parts.