A sign of Russia's woes
Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 1:20AM ARTICLE: "As If Things Weren't Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S.: In Moscow, Igor Panarin's Forecasts Are All the Rage; America 'Disintegrates' in 2010," by Andrew Osborn, Wall Street Journal, 29 December 2008.
Crackpot prof has peddled this prediction for roughly a decade. Suddenly he gets big treatment from state-run media.
Why?
In reflecting Russia's deep-seated fears about itself right now, Moscow's media push deflects popular anxiety outward against Putin's preferred demon--the U.S.
This is what the KGB-trained Putin knows to do.
I predict a bold run of 20 months for this guy.
Sad thing is, he's the dean of the Foreign Ministry's academy for diplomats.
The goofiest bits come in map on jump page: Maine down to SC, plus WV, TN and KY joining EU!
MT down to CO and over to OH and then up to MI come under Canadian influence (possibly annexed!).
Below that comes under Mexico's umbrella. HI to Japan and AL back to Russia--natch.
Left Coast and one column in go to China.
Too funny for words.
Sadder to say, I've yet to meet a Russian "expert" on US who really warrants the title--save Sergei Rogov (who calls the predictions nonsense).
What Russians have never gotten about us: we're 50 awfully independent states already. They simply can't imagine true federalism.
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