Igor Panarin has been predicting the “moral and economic collapse” of the US for about a decade now; he set the Endtime for the American Empire at the year 2010, and the recent arrival of the credit crunch lends some credence to his outlandish forecast - at least as far as the Russian (state) media is concerned. Panarin, formerly a KGB analyst and now an academic, gets about two interview requests a day. The break-up predicted by Panarin would be the result of mass immigration, economic decline and moral degradation, all of which would trigger a second American civil war, and the collapse of the dollar. This would then lead to the break-up of the United States, by mid-2010, into half a dozen regional sub-entities. These would be dominated or absorbed outright by foreign powers. - grant fox from Bookmarklet

there is no way VA, NC, & SC would join the northeast, or Tenn for that matter, and WVA, well thats just best left alone, like TX - chaz2b

Haven't heard from him lately. - John E. Bredehoft

I dunno about this guy, but another Russian-American who has been predicting the same thing is worth listening to: Dmitry Orlov: http://cluborlov.blogspot.com Very pragmatic writer. - Ahsan Ali aka. Slick

From just looking at the map I can't take this guy to seriously. How will the entire mid-west fall under Canadian influence? Canada doesn't even try to influence anyone; and, while I am not sure I like the insinuation of "leaving WVA alone" I agree that there is no way WV or would willingly become part of the EU. I don't really feel like the author of the study did much studying of the reality on the ground in most of the states he lumped together. - Bill Rawlinson

I'll say the same thing I said when the story came out a couple months ago - the guy may be wrong about the details but I don't think the general idea is beyond consideration (as so many Americans like to pretend it is.) - Anthony Citrano

true. history dictates that all empires fail--whether or not you believe that the US can sustain, there is precedent. - grant fox

South Canada, FTW - Jim Hearts FF

Wolverines! - AJ Kohn

I don't doubt that someday the US will dissolve, however I don't think it will happen within the next 2 years. I don't think, if anyone is truly honest with themselves, that they could possibly believe the US will be around forever (unless they truly believe the Armageddon is near) and thus forever really isn't all that much longer. - Bill Rawlinson

All this to get Alaska and Sarah Palin - Kiran Patchigolla

Palin would see them coming. :) Anyone who's studied the Civil War realizes that if America breaks up, more than likely it will be Americans running the bits and pieces. Texas in particular will run its own show. - John E. Bredehoft

If the U.S. is indeed an empire ,as the guy there seems to believe .Actually the role of the U.S in geo-politics seems highly exaggerated. - jagannath rao

This has been around forever. The only reason this is getting play now is because Republicans are having a hard time dealing with the worm turning. The wing-nuts that want to seceded are at most 15-20% of the republican party. Not going to happen - Bluesun 2600