Russian Professor predicts end of USA in 2010. Where's the right wing outrage?

I am a bit late to this story but it seems I'm not the only one. The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Russian professor, Igor Panarin, has been predicting for years that the USA will collapse in 2010. Now apparently, the Russian state media are taking great interest in his theory.

He predicts that Alaska will become part of Russia, Hawaii will go to China or Japan, and the mainland will split into 4 separate republics. He predicts a Texas republic, which stretches from New Mexico to Florida will become part of Mexico, The California Republic, stretching from Arizona up to Washington, will become part of China, Atlantic America, stretching from Maine to the Carolinas, will become part of the European Union, and the rest of the states will come under Canadian influence.

Now in some ways, what this professor suggests is laughable, but not entirely. Alaska had at one time been part of Russia. Texas, New Mexico and a number of other southwest states were part of Mexico at one time. Indeed, at one time Texas was a separate republic of its own, albeit only for 9 years.

There are plenty of other examples of states that existed in the geography of what we now know as The United States of America. And this would not be the first time someone correctly predicted a major superpower breaking up. French political scientist Emmanuel Todd predicted the break up of the Soviet Union in 1976. 15 years later, the previously unthinkable actually happened.

Crooks & Liars have the story too, but they don't give it much credibility. They rightly point out many people have predicted the end of the world before now, and they've been wrong. But how many people even in 1989 as the Berlin Wall came tumbling down, predicted the collapse of the USSR? Not many that I can remember.

My question is though, with the left seemingly laughing it off, where is the expected right wing outrage at this Russian professor who dares to suugest the implosion of their beloved USA could even happen? Could it be that they would secretly like something like this to happen? I hardly think so. Could it be that they are so worried about the upcoming Barack Obama presidency that they haven't even noticed this? It's quite possible. There's already been talk of an "Obama recession" under way and he hasn't even taken office yet.

Maybe we all need to consider what this professor says in a different context. Whilst his predictions do seem to be a bit off base, the idea of Republican states in the MidWest forming a breakaway republic of their own in order so that the Republicans could claim a permanent power base of their own, might not be so far fetched. And whilst there is no evidence that there is any support for such a movement now, I have learned in the years since 1989, to never say never when it comes to unthinkable and unbelievable events.

The Berlin Wall falls, the Iron Curtain collapses, the Soviet Union disintegrates, all within the space of 2 years. In 1988, I wouldn't have believed it possible. A stable government exists in Northern Ireland, something else that I didn't believe was possible. The USA just elected a black president, something else many belived wouldn't happen for a long time yet. Never say "never" in this world, for you may end up being proved wrong.

Karl Rove Subpoenaed!

Crooks and Liars is reporting that House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers has issued a Subpoena to former White House Deputy Chief Of Staff and current Fox News Channel contributor and analyst Karl Rove.

Rove seems very happy to talk in the public arena of cable news and in the print media, but he is unwilling to discuss it with the people who really matter.  He can always plead the fifth amendment, but that will convict him in the public arena as surely as his words will.

Keith Olbermann Special Comment: Mr Bush, this war isn't about you.

Keith Olbermann has done one of his most emotional, heartfelt and loudest Special Comments yet on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann. 

 

 

I think at the end of the piece, he was a split second away from releasing an F bomb that would have truly exploded very loudly and been heard around the world. 

Crooks and Liars and MSNBC of course have the transcript.

Daily Telegraph lists the most influential Political Pundits, mostly conservatives.

The Daily Telegraph in the UK has listed the 50 most influential political pundits in the US. Crooks and Liars looks at the list with some degree of dismay. Nicole Belle who wrote the post probably didn't know that the Daily Telegraph is the UK equivalent of the Washington Times in political stance.

The full list runs like this, with political viewpoint added...

50 - Rachel Maddow (Lib)
49 - Mary Matalin (Con)
48 - Paul Krugman (Lib)
47 - J. C. Watts (Con)
46 - Mark Levin (Con)
45 - Fred Barnes (Con)
44 - Jeffrey Toobin (Ind)
43 - Paul Begala (Lib)
42 - Bill Bennett (Con)
41 - Mark Shields (Lib)
40 - Tony Snow (Con)
39 - Dee Dee Myers (Lib)
38 - Michael Barone (Con)
37 - Eugene Robinson (Lib)
36 - Newt Gingrich (Con)
35 - Joe Trippi (Lib)
34 - Howard Kurtz (Ind)
33 - Roland Martin (Lib)
32 - William Kristol (Con)
31 - Juan Williams (Ind)
30 - Peggy Noonan (Con)
29 - Ron Fournier (Ind)
28 - James Carville (Lib)
27 - Pat Buchanan (Con)
26 - Arriana Huffington (Lib)
25 - Michael Savage (Con)
24 - Laura Ingraham (Con)
23 - Mike Allen (Ind)
22 - Dick Morris (Con)
21 - David Gergen (Con)
20 - Joe Klein (Lib)
19 - Donna Brazille (Lib)
18 - Frank Luntz (Con)
17 - Andrew Sullivan (Con)
16 - Glenn Beck (Con)
15 - Bill Maher (Lib)
14 - Chuck Todd (Ind)
13 - Keith Olbermann (Lib)
12 - Bill O'Reilly (Con)
11 - Stephen Colbert (Lib - portrays a conservative)
10 - Mark Halperin (Ind)
09 - David Brooks (Con)
08 - Jon Stewart (Lib)
07 - Tim Russert (Ind)
06 - Matt Drudge (Con)
05 - John Harris & Jim Vandehei (Ind)
04 - Rush Limbaugh (Con)
03 - Sean Hannitty (Con)
02 - Chris Matthews (Lib)
01 - Karl Rove (Con)

Can't say I agree with this list. Rove could hardly be described as influential, he's only been a pundit for a few months. Both Olbermann and O'Reilly should rate higher, but that's just my opinion.

One for the BillO fans and Olby haters

Crooks and Liars reports that on Tuesday night's Countdown with Keith Olbermann, on his Worst Person In The World, Keith Olbermann awarded the bronze to...

...Keith Olbermann!

Somehow, I can't see Bill O'Reilly ever calling himself a pinhead in his Pinheads and Patriots segment.

Fox News = Al Qaeda!!!

Daily Kos and Crooks and Liars both have this story, but Daily Kos has the funnier angle!

Since, Fox News is the official Republican party/Bush administration news channel, and since Fox News = Al Qaeda, does that mean the Bush administration is fighting itself???

Presdient Bush gets bombed in the Rose Garden...by a sparrow!

No, this is not some late April Fools Joke, this really happened, at a News Conference in the Whitehouse Rose Garden.

You can insert your own joke tagline here, I have rather too many to choose from!!! :-)

Crooks and Liars has the details.