Medvedev is waxing Khrushchevian, and the nouveaux Soviet intelligentsia is now getting its kicks in

He also cited the “vulnerable political setup”, “lack of unified national laws”, and “divisions among the elite, which have become clear in these crisis conditions.”

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.

He even suggested that “we could claim Alaska - it was only granted on lease, after all.” Panarin, 60, is a professor at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has authored several books on information warfare.

Where does one begin … I didn’t even paste the quote where he suggests that China and Russia can regulate the world’s financial markets. That’s like putting Helen Keller in charge of the Concorde.

However, I have to give this rascally old Russian professor his due. He did prompt me to go read the treaty that ceded Alaska from Russia to the United States. No lease. Lots of gold, but no lease, and still quite the bargain, no matter how loud-mouthed Horace Greeley has been about it.

We at least must take the Russians quasi-seriously. I hope the new president is up to the challenge (I really do), because the Russians have a long history of international thuggery. The entire government has been one massive nuclear armed RICO operation since 1949.  They aren’t going to regulate much of anything any time soon - they can’t even manage their own plat - but their stranglehold on European energy and tendency to side with the unsavory could result in bigger problems in the near term. We must be wary, and no one needs to look into Medvedev’s eyes and see his soul.