And Let Fall the World

The following scenario is not my own, nor is it probable, but, to quote the CIA consultant of the research team that constructed it, "History repeats itself. From today to the day the invasion starts... if you combine everything, the odds are very very slim this becomes true. But when you look at the [time]line step by step, every step is a coin flip but a plausible step. So once you get there, it's plausible. And from there the next step is plausible as well. Even though the whole thing is fictional, it comes with plausible baby steps."

• 2011: North Korea faces another UN sanction over its latest nuclear test.
• 2012: Kim Jong-il passes away, he is succeeded by his son Kim Jong-un.
• 2013: Kim Jong-un is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and featured on the cover of Time Magazine for his accomplishment of Korean reunification.
• 2014: American military withdraws from the Korean Peninsula. General Motors declares bankruptcy for the second time.
• 2015: The effects of peak oil are felt as gas prices reach up to 20 dollars a gallon due to a war between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Russia cuts off all oil trade with Europe. Survivalist literature becomes best selling in America. China's influences diminish.
• 2016: America withdraws its military from Japan and other countries overseas, focusing on its instability back home. Texas splits from the United States, border bloodshed takes place as refugees from other states attempt to enter Texas.
• 2017: Martial law is declared in the United States as its infrastructure crumbles due to lack of taxation.
• 2018: Japan surrenders to the Greater Korean Republic and is capitalized into a vassal state.
• 2019: The UN is dissolved.
• 2020: Canada closes its borders to Americans.
• 2021: Korean forces succeed in annexing many countries in East Asia. A new pandemic known as the Knoxville Cough begins to spread in the United States.
• 2022: Mexico closes its borders to Americans.
• 2023: The Knoxville Cough ravages the American public. The Korean People's Army reaches 20 million total personnel.
• 2024: The Greater Korean Republic starts launching their own satellites, claiming to bring a message of peace to the world.
• 2025: An EMP Burst is emitted by a Korean satellite, it completely destabilizes the United States infrastructure. This is followed by the Korean seizure of Hawaii and landings in San Francisco. Korean paratroopers are dropped into central United States.
• 2026: The United States is split into two as Korean occupiers irradiate the entire Mississippi River and occupy the Western side.
• 2027: The United States Armed Forces are completely scattered.

There are no guarantees, my friends. Imagine how the world might change in 5 short years. Find what is important. Cherish those you hold dear. And never, never, assume you will have your own tomorrow.