Is it finally time to use the dreaded D-word?

[petros]

The Russian Psychics are predicting Martial Law for the US this year.

CTV.ca | Russian scholar says U.S. will collapse next year

Russian scholar says U.S. will collapse next year

Updated Wed. Mar. 4 2009 6:30 AM ET
The Associated Press
MOSCOW -- If you're inclined to believe Igor Panarin, and the Kremlin wouldn't mind if you did, then President Barack Obama will order martial law this year, the U.S. will split into six rump-states before 2011, and Russia and China will become the backbones of a new world order.
Panarin might be easy to ignore but for the fact that he is a dean at the Foreign Ministry's school for future diplomats and a regular on Russia's state-guided TV channels. And his predictions fit into the anti-American story line of the Kremlin leadership.
"There is a high probability that the collapse of the United States will occur by 2010," Panarin told dozens of students, professors and diplomats Tuesday at the Diplomatic Academy -- a lecture the ministry pointedly invited The Associated Press and other foreign media to attend.
The prediction from Panarin, a former spokesman for Russia's Federal Space Agency and reportedly an ex-KGB analyst, meshes with the negative view of the U.S. that has been flowing from the Kremlin in recent years, in particular from Vladimir Putin.
Putin, the former president who is now prime minister, has likened the United States to Nazi Germany's Third Reich and blames Washington for the global financial crisis that has pounded the Russian economy.

This guy isn't too far off the mark. I'm expecting it too.

 

[Cannuck]

...and you have a problem with the defence industry? I guess you rank soldiers as "slimeballs"

Nope, the term defense industry was used to refer to defense contractors. As we all know, soldiers don't really make money. Like any working stiff, most live paycheck to paycheck.

btw - I'm not limited to "the Defence Industry".

My comment was not directed at you. I didn't know what you did, nor did I particularly care....but I guess, if the shoe fits...

 

[Francis2004]

Russian scholar says U.S. will collapse next year

Quote: Updated Wed. Mar. 4 2009 6:30 AM ET
The Associated Press
MOSCOW -- If you're inclined to believe Igor Panarin, and the Kremlin wouldn't mind if you did, then President Barack Obama will order martial law this year, the U.S. will split into six rump-states before 2011, and Russia and China will become the backbones of a new world order.
Panarin might be easy to ignore but for the fact that he is a dean at the Foreign Ministry's school for future diplomats and a regular on Russia's state-guided TV channels. And his predictions fit into the anti-American story line of the Kremlin leadership.
"There is a high probability that the collapse of the United States will occur by 2010," Panarin told dozens of students, professors and diplomats Tuesday at the Diplomatic Academy -- a lecture the ministry pointedly invited The Associated Press and other foreign media to attend.
The prediction from Panarin, a former spokesman for Russia's Federal Space Agency and reportedly an ex-KGB analyst, meshes with the negative view of the U.S. that has been flowing from the Kremlin in recent years, in particular from Vladimir Putin.
Putin, the former president who is now prime minister, has likened the United States to Nazi Germany's Third Reich and blames Washington for the global financial crisis that has pounded the Russian economy.

This guy isn't too far off the mark. I'm expecting it too.

Petros, comments like this are fuel for those like Obama and Wall Street to ensure it doesn't happen..

Under what precedent is this to follow and what facts is this based on ?

Less then 8 months ago you were saying that by 2010 we would have NAU and all be one big country.. Now we will see the US all broken up in split into six rump-states ?

Can't have it all..

 

[JLM]

Personally I would avoid Canadian financial stocks.
Probably no safer than utilities with virtually no upside.
Most banks share value is expected to wallow comparatively speaking for the foreseeable future.
My own banker thinks banks are probably going to be lame performer.

Trex, nobody knows for sure what will happen in the future, but here is my take on Canadian banks.

Currently all the Canadian banks have a very sound balance sheet, they all are making handsome profits, they have put away cushions to absorb any future credit losses.

Will banks go up in value the next few years, or will they be ‘lame performers’ as you put it? I don’t know. However, I do know that banks are paying substantial dividends, ranging from 7% to 10% (that 10% is Bank of Montreal). In terms of interest income, that translates into an annual return of 10% to 13%.

I don’t care if bank stocks go up in value, as long as they keep paying me a substantial dividend. Since all the banks are firmly in the black at present, the economic situation will have to deteriorate substantially (will have to approach depression) for the banks to curt dividend. Even if they cut the dividend by half, they will still give attractive returns (5% to 6.5% annually), much better than can be obtained with money market funds or GICs.

The Canadian bank stocks have come down substantially (for no other reason than the fact that American banks are in trouble). So forget about share values going up, I will be quite happy with a return of 10 to 13% annually for the next few years.

Equities are a good buy most of the time, BUT you want a 3-5 year time horizon and enough invested in fixed income to cover your time horizon.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Less then 8 months ago you were saying that by 2010 we would have NAU and all be one big country.. Now we will see the US all broken up in split into six rump-states ?

Sir Francis, maybe USA will break up into six rump states AND we will have one big federation (including the rump states). And we will have NAU. Of course, all this by 2010.

Russia is sore at USA, because its economy has collapsed big time due to the recent economic turmoil (I think they are affected worse that USA). Russia blames USA for that. So it is reasonable that Russia would predict the breakup of USA.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Equities are a good buy most of the time, BUT you want a 3-5 year time horizon and enough invested in fixed income to cover your time horizon.

I agree, JLM. However, in these economic times, I would say that you need a horizon of 8 to 10 years. If you are going to need the money in next 8 to 10 years, you may not want to put it in stocks.

 

[JLM]

I agree, JLM. However, in these economic times, I would say that you need a horizon of 8 to 10 years. If you are going to need the money in next 8 to 10 years, you may not want to put it in stocks.

Boy you really are pessimistic, Sir Rupe. If you contribute monthly to equities to take advantage of cost averaging five years is probably good, but maybe at time like this you may want to contribute 40% to equities, 60% to fixed income, but that could be another problem- fixed income barely keeps you ahead of income tax and inflation. BTW what the hell are "rump states"? The only thing I can think of is states that raise beef and export rump steaks...........:lol::lol::lol:

 

[petros]

Less then 8 months ago you were saying that by 2010 we would have NAU and all be one big country.. Now we will see the US all broken up in split into six rump-states ?

Can't have it all..

....and 4 Canadian "rump-states" . Most of it has already happened....soon we'll see the rest all fall in place.