omg drea's sister is right

Lucky for me, I'm learning Russian...so I can defect! HA!

How many ways do you think it will splinter? Both the east and west coasts could still form pretty powerful blocs. The bits up north with funny accents can join Canada.

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actualy [sic] I have quite a blessed life if I'm honest. I have many people to love, hate few and have few money problem's [sic].... What more does a person need? Oh yeah and I have some kind of humbleness unlike you of course ^_^ ~ CarefulCarpenter

I don't think it's much of a threat, not with GWB watching the border.

this was the funniest part:

"He predicted that the U.S. will break up into six parts - the Pacific coast, with its growing Chinese population; the South, with its Hispanics; Texas, where independence movements are on the rise; the Atlantic coast, with its distinct and separate mentality; five of the poorer central states with their large Native American populations; and the northern states, where the influence from Canada is strong."

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I'm really interested in what would happen in international sports. It's quite an exciting prospect really.

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actualy [sic] I have quite a blessed life if I'm honest. I have many people to love, hate few and have few money problem's [sic].... What more does a person need? Oh yeah and I have some kind of humbleness unlike you of course ^_^ ~ CarefulCarpenter

seceding to Canada where the national sport is beer-drinking

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I am in one of those states and most people here actually don't like Canada very much. I'm curious as to just what kind of influence from Canada this analyst is seeing?

But joining Canada could be rad. Seriously.

I think it would help even up the 4x400m relays. This matters to me. Which bit would attempt to keep calling itself the USA?

__________________
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I escaped somehow. Let's go

actualy [sic] I have quite a blessed life if I'm honest. I have many people to love, hate few and have few money problem's [sic].... What more does a person need? Oh yeah and I have some kind of humbleness unlike you of course ^_^ ~ CarefulCarpenter

'The Atlantic coast' - like from Maine to Florida? Even if you only went as far south as Georgia, I don't see that happening.

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that's right. dirty Canucks. we secretly <3 to hate you no part? maybe we'll go back to the days of the Louisiana Purchase:



Canada has sprinters too.
i wonder where the demographics would really divide. people still hang confederate flags on their porches in the south. realistically, the metropolitan areas along the coasts would probably break from the rural midwest. and California is already like a separate country.

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i agree

I've always dreamed of the days I'd be under Tribal jurisdiction instead of Federal Lakota for the win!

<<realistically, the metropolitan areas along the coasts would probably break from the rural midwest. and California is already like a separate country.>>

The Midwest isn't nearly as rural as you think. Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, KC, Omaha and other cities harbor the majority of their respective state's population and are villified by the remaining folk in each state.

I forsee a Rural Flight of sorts in the Midwest, though, with land prices between the Rockies and the Missouri River still low, which would in turn potentially agitate those that already live there. Bleeding Kansas, Act II perhaps?

been to all those cities before, and maybe there is a contrast between the cities and truck-stop towns in between, but they aren't quite like the wealthier, larger, socially-liberal cities along the coasts. Chicago may be more of an exception,

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I only use Canucks when I am making fun of someone else for saying weird things about Canada. And I really liked Winnipeg. It was like, sheer alcoholism with a healthy dose of optimism thrown in.

I was there right after that huge urban tactics thing the police did too, so all the folks were all charged up...AND DRUNK! My friend is still on probation for some Critical Mass type of thing that happened there.

<<been to all those cities before, and maybe there is a contrast between the cities and truck-stop towns in between, but they aren't quite like the wealthier, larger, socially-liberal cities along the coasts. Chicago may be more of an exception,>>

No they aren't like the coastal cities but they aren't like the rural areas either. You've been to these places--did you actually live in any of them? If so, for how long? And also to the rural parts of each state? The difference is large enough for there to cause some chaos between the two.

Visiting someplace and living someplace are not the same thing. I cannot make sweeping statements on how California will be post-collapse just because I was in San Diego for 2 weeks, for example.

Edited to say:

I do agree that the Midwest and East Coast would split in this instance. I also agree the the cultures of the urban Midwest differ from the cultures of the urban East. What I'm trying to say is, it's not going to be so simple as "rural" Midwest and "urban" East Coast. There will be a split between the Midwestern cities and the rural areas themselves. I'm going to wager a guess, and anyone can correct me if this is indeed a wrong guess, that the rural East Coast might split from its urban areas too. I've heard that rural Upstate New Yorkers don't care for The City much. The fact is, country folk typically are weary of city folk and I think this will be magnified during Collapse, no matter what part of the country.

One more thing. What's left of the rural parts of the Midwest are largely Agribusiness or private hunting properties that span for dozens of acres owned by rich fucks from any part of the country except the Midwest. They're driving people off the farms they've had since the 1800s and also trying to wrestle Tribal properties from their rightful owners. The WalMarts moving in are by and large killing the remaining small towns. Hopefully as everything collapses their properties will go back to whom they belong In fact, as things collapse, it may become possible for the rural people and Indians to take everything back from them, unless Blackwater's still around of course.

I agree ENTIRELY with his analysis of the financial repercussions. I'll leave his prophecies about US social breakdown to sociologists and historians.

If you look at the situation analytically and scientifically, in fact the Long Run events that he presupposes and predicts are in fact even more dire than he is announcing.

The cumulative level of US Public Debt which consists of accrued current liabilities carrying immediate interest payments is $12-14 Trillion dollars. That is a manageable number considering that US GDP runs about 18 Trillion a year and that debt could be wiped off in 30+ years with draconian limits on government spending. However, the real sticker shock moment comes when the unfunded obligations in social services to "baby boomer" elders comes into play. It has been estimated that the capital required to finance not only their health care but their social security would run in the range of $90-99 Trillion This is not my estimate it is the consensus of the Federal Reserve Governors (and they don't want it said too loudly). This presents two horrific alternatives in financing. The borrowing of money at backbreaking terms from nations with emerging economies finally reaching the expansive growth stage or the printing of money to underwrite the intrinsic value of the debt, a strategy already modestly in play and one that can ONLY lead to hyperinflation which will evaporate the value of the US currency just as it has in Zimbabwe and post WWII Hungary. Unavoidable increases in population in other countries will lead to increasing scarcity of resources which will drive price inflation. This price inflation when coupled with the devaluation of the dollar by inflation (to say nothing of market speculators) will create an ever widening gap between the price of goods and services and the ability of US Citizens to purchase them.

The main culprits in this silent crime against not just the American people but truly economic and investment participants worldwide were the Reagan and Bush Sr/Jr Administrations. Their outrageous and logically infeasible plan to exponentially increase spending while decreasing government tax revenues to "hyperprivatize" the entire US Population and Economy (what I call rubber band economics), has left literally MILLIONS of investors (sovereign and private alike) worldwide holding debt instruments that carry a level of default risk that is entirely out of balance (too high) with its stated interest payment. The 30 Year US Treasury Bond is worthless paper (that happens to be held by investors all over the world). The 40 Year Bond...need I say more. If markets do in fact eventually self correct in the same way nature revitalizes itself in geologic time, then the long term financial outlook for the US is more grim than any warning of Revelations. If the markets are not deterministic and can in fact support delusions and indefensible premises on a 100-200 year or longer time horizon...then what to say? the charade will continue until it stops.

At the end of the day, if you are person who can accept scientific reality and logic, then you recognize that the price of oil will go ever higher and its "lost in the tailpipe" ravages on personal wealth accumulation will corrode the economy indefinitely as will cigarettes and that as the world population increases so will the price of all goods and services fashioned from the limited resources which nature is capable of providing. Thus a truly "sustainable" economy, one based on complete automotive independence from oil and wise allocation of it to air and ship transports, and sustainable agriculture and land use as well solar et al energy will ONLY be a half measure against the threat of population increase.

The Human Race whether its on Wall Street, Main Street, or your street CANNOT continue to live under the freewheeling premises it has lived under up to this point. Those ideologies are financially unsustainable, environmentally, unsustainable, mentally unsustainable and ultimately will lead to the non sustainability of US as a species...ALL OF US.