http://beforeitsnews.com/obama/2012/12/moscow-times-predicts-u-s-collapse-2446102.html

When I first read this story years ago I was amused…

Now, with the state of affairs in the US this had make me stop and pause enough to at least think: Are we heading this way?

What say you Pines and Curggr?

I don’t think we’re at risk of the US breaking up and having states secede. I do think we’re at risk of more social unrest. We have continually exploding debt and no real appetite at the leadership level to address that. Additionally, we have been divided in this country as to whose “fault” it is all while allowing things to drift along and continue. At some point, the debt gets to be too much and something has to happen, and the longer it goes, the worse that will be. When it does, those that feel like they are owed will see it as another example of an oppressive system taking advantage of them and those on the other side will feel resentful that it was pushed that far and that it was done at their expense. It’s not a good recipe.

Everything you just pointed out is a recipe for civil war…

I doubt the union will fall apart, but it does appear some degree of serious civil unrest is on the horizon if those that are stoking the flames are not dealt with.

And people think I’m crazy for actually looking at land/property outside of the US.  I’m serious.  I’d love not to, but there may come a point in time where it’s the best option.  With connectivity and technology these days this stuff could spread like wildfire where as years and decades ago it would take just as long to get it going full swing.  So while we may not be close to it, when and if it does happen it could go up incredibly fast.

And just saying, SC would never be in that “Atlantic America” group.  Texas Republic or bust.

What a joke.  Never going to happen.  This is some conservative/commie bullshit which disturbingly has become a recent paring trend.  Any state that succeed would instantly collapse and come back begging in no time.  Succession would likely mean that all retired citizens of that state would lose their social security/medicare benefits instantly, so that age group would never vote for such a move (this is an extremely large group of people).  Then you have everyone already on other social programs and everyone who works for the feds/government that is paid by federal money (again, a lot of people) who would lose their jobs/benefits. 

So yea if a bunch of grumpy 40-55 year olds are the majority then it might happen, for a month.

Ancient Orange - 09 August 2016 07:32 PM

What a joke.  Never going to happen.  This is some conservative/commie bullshit which disturbingly has become a recent paring trend.  Any state that succeed would instantly collapse and come back begging in no time.  Succession would likely mean that all retired citizens of that state would lose their social security/medicare benefits instantly, so that age group would never vote for such a move (this is an extremely large group of people).  Then you have everyone already on other social programs and everyone who works for the feds/government that is paid by federal money (again, a lot of people) who would lose their jobs/benefits. 

So yea if a bunch of grumpy 40-55 year olds are the majority then it might happen, for a month.

Crushing debt has a way of destroying nations….What do you think will happen if there is no money to fund these entitlements?..Friend not too long ago there was a place where either the EBT, WIC or Food Stamps went offline for a while and people went freaking nuts.

Crushing debt?  I’m no financial expert but how I see it is the severity of debt is relative to its % of GDP.  Compared to the rest of the world our debt isn’t that much of a concern.  The UK, Hong Kong, Spain, German, and France just to name a few have a significantly higher debt as a percentage of GDP. 

For instance, Donald Trump probably has millions of dollars in debt but he makes so much money it’s negligible.  If you or I were millions in debt we would never pay if off and go bankrupt. 

All you doom and gloomers love to listen to the chicken little prophecy that we are under record debt and about to be crushed but pay absolutely no attention to the fact that we also have a record high GDP. 

Clem, I’m curious what your strategy is.  If the US economy collapsed the rest of the world would come down with it.  Do you not remember everyone freaking out about tiny ass Greece?  And if this collapse happens do you really think airlines are going to be running smoothly?  You’re probably better off touching up your survival skills, getting some gear, and finding a place you can get to on one tank of gas. 

Oh don’t worry about me I’m set.  Not a prepper but I am prepared short term.  Also have skills to be ok.  Travel would be a limiting factor longer term or longer distances yes, but if you saw it coming soon enough it shouldn’t be that much of an issue.  If we are talking full on people in the streets, up in arms marching on the city then it’s to late.  You’d have to make the jump a day before or sooner.  Buying property outside of the US is not a pack up the car and let’s go solution, it’s get support you before that kind of solution is needed.  And might serve as a good vacation spot until then.  But that is like full on doomsday type of situation.  If things truly get that bad we are talking about a true barter society, there is a lot of stuff to trade to get you places.

Never going to happen.

Then the US would be the first nation in the history of humanity for that to occur….Every great nation finds a way to destroy itself.  If we are to fall, it will occur from within.  I don’t see the US falling apart in our lifetime but to be a sunshine pumper and assume everything is hunky dory is equally foolish.

CU_Tigers4life - 10 August 2016 07:37 AM

Never going to happen.

Then the US would be the first nation in the history of humanity for that to occur….Every great nation finds a way to destroy itself.  If we are to fall, it will occur from within.  I don’t see the US falling apart in our lifetime but to be a sunshine pumper and assume everything is hunky dory is equally foolish.

I think he is voting Hilary so….makes sense.

I think he is voting Hilary so….makes sense.

You think?....LOL

I am really wanting Pines to chime in on this.  He is a libertarian which makes him a Mob Rules Anarchist and I would think this topic would be totally in his wheelhouse. Ha Ha

No I am not a mob rules anarchist, and if you think so you misread me. You guys need some perspective. The Republican Party and conservative talk radio have become masters at whipping up a frenzy of white males, who no longer get to run everything and get every job and every advantage, into thinking everything is terrible. Do we have serious problems? Sure we do. Insurmountable? Absolutely no if we can get over this gridlock but both sides have to be willing to work with each other and the fact they can’t is why I want to see a third player.

The debt is an issue but you guys also need to realize there is no alternative to the US right now either. It is absolute nonsense what this Russian thinks. Man you conservatives sure do love you some Russians don’t you. What would Saint Reagan think of you guys? In fact things are actually pretty good in the US now, as crime rates are at historic lows, the economy is the best in the world, and we are actually at historic low points of world war. Seems terrible to me.

Once you guys realize that it is in the party out of power’s interest to tell you how awful everything is (despite owning congress, the majority of governors and legislatures and a majority on the Supreme Court but yet it is all that Black Kenyan Muslim Socialist’s fault) and multiplied by the fact that the Republican Party is in danger of turning into a regional nationalist party over time due to demographics and strategy, you guys might realize how good you have it.

No I am not a mob rules anarchist, and if you think so you misread me. You guys need some perspective.

Lord it is easy to get you spun it…Did you see where I said “Ha Ha”?...It was a Joke at the Libertarian Part…In the immortal words of Sgt Hulka “Lighten Up Francis”

I got you off topic from the word go…What do you think about the Prediction?

SoPinesHeel - 11 August 2016 08:37 AM

No I am not a mob rules anarchist, and if you think so you misread me. You guys need some perspective. The Republican Party and conservative talk radio have become masters at whipping up a frenzy of white males, who no longer get to run everything and get every job and every advantage, into thinking everything is terrible. Do we have serious problems? Sure we do. Insurmountable? Absolutely no if we can get over this gridlock but both sides have to be willing to work with each other and the fact they can’t is why I want to see a third player.

The debt is an issue but you guys also need to realize there is no alternative to the US right now either. It is absolute nonsense what this Russian thinks. Man you conservatives sure do love you some Russians don’t you. What would Saint Reagan think of you guys? In fact things are actually pretty good in the US now, as crime rates are at historic lows, the economy is the best in the world, and we are actually at historic low points of world war. Seems terrible to me.

Once you guys realize that it is in the party out of power’s interest to tell you how awful everything is (despite owning congress, the majority of governors and legislatures and a majority on the Supreme Court but yet it is all that Black Kenyan Muslim Socialist’s fault) and multiplied by the fact that the Republican Party is in danger of turning into a regional nationalist party over time due to demographics and strategy, you guys might realize how good you have it.

I do agree on the gridlock of partisan politics and the need for someone to be an alternative and break that.

Things may not be as bad as people say for political purposes, but they aren’t as good either. As for perspective, I know we should listen to government officials because they know more than us, but this is today’s example of government manipulation of the facts to paint a rosy picture:
From CBS:
“intelligence generated by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) was manipulated to paint a rosier picture of the U.S. effort to combat ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

The report finds that, beginning in mid-2014, final intelligence reports issued by CENTCOM contradicted the initial internal assessments made by its own analysts, reports CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod.

“The facts on the ground didn’t match what the intelligence was saying out of the United States Central Command,” said Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., a member of the task force.

The military CENTCOM is responsible for American security interests in 20 nations, stretching from Egypt through the Arabian Gulf region and into central Asia.

The task force stemmed from a whistleblower complaint from a senior analyst at CENTCOM alleging that intel had been manipulated. The complaint is under active investigation by the Defense Department inspector general.

“There’s enormous evidence about how this information from talented career professionals inside the analytic arm at CENTCOM did their job and accurately depicted what was going on on the ground, but when it got to very senior levels, that information was changed,” Pompeo said.

But it wasn’t just classified intelligence. The task force also found that CENTCOM’s public statements were far more positive than events on the ground warranted—such as in March 2015 when CENTCOM Commander Gen. Lloyd Austin testified to Congress.”

On the strong economy that we’re supposed to appreciate, Obama will be the only President in history to not have a single year of at least 3% growth in GDP and will end up averaging under 2%.

As for the Republican party breaking apart, I don’t see that happening any more than in the Democrat party with their significant number of disillusioned voters, but I think it would be best for the country if both parties were broken up some for the same reason I think we need someone that’s outside that power structure.

CU did you read my post past the first line? I said it was complete BS…Lord I guess it is easy to get you distracted.

Curggr, As to the war bit, as a veteran of both I can tell you first hand there is no “win” in either of them on the terms of a world war 2 style victory unless we wanted to colonize those two places. Plenty of sensible people were advising against them from the start from both parties. Bush wouldn’t listen to those people and instead listened to neoconservative ideologues who have been wrong at every turn. Obama was left with several crap sandwiches to much on. Funny you guys love to knock him for not completely swallowing them despite taking bites out of the whole.
It is inarguable that the United States is not in a better place today than it was in 2008. If Mitt Romney had won the last election you guys would be here trying to tell me how great the economy is. Weird how you flip sides when it isn’t your guy. Imagine what you would be saying about trump if he had a D beside his name.

SoPinesHeel - 11 August 2016 12:39 PM

Cursor, As to the war bit, as a veteran of both I can tell you first hand there is no “win” in either of them on the terms of a world war 2 style victory unless we wanted to colonize those two places. Plenty of sensible people were advising against them from the start from both parties. Bush wouldn’t listen to those people and instead listened to neoconservative ideologues who have been wrong at every turn. Obama was left with several crap sandwiches to much on. Funny you guys love to knock him for not completely swallowing them despite taking bites out of the whole.
It is inarguable that the United States is not in a better place today than it was in 2008. If Mitt Romney had won the last election you guys would be here trying to tell me how great the economy is. Weird how you flip sides when it isn’t your guy. Imagine what you would be saying about trump if he had a D beside his name.

I made no claim about the war other than to say top level people are altering the information that gets put out to the people and aren’t always great sources in considering how things actually stand. You talked about whether we could win, how it started, President Bush, neocons etc. and never touched the point that was made.

Things are better in some ways than in 2008 and worse in others. The economy has moved out of the recession which it would have naturally. The recovery has been the weakest recovery ever, and we’ve continued to have anemic economic growth. Mr. Obama did preside over a recovery but has hampered a more robust recovery.

If you can show me where I’ve flipped sides for a D or R, go ahead. If not, you’re just spouting off because you don’t like what I said, which was to pass along a story from CBS, not Fox, and to state GDP numbers.