WHERE THERE'S SMOKE, THERE'S FIRE

Sometimes while watching the news on tv, listening to the various radio programs, or reading the papers and blogs, I can't believe the challenges our Nation faces from both inside and outside our borders. Have you ever made a list of many threats we face?

Often I challenge friends to list all the major things in our Nation that are going well, then list all the major things that are not going well. Try it. Trust me, if you're honest, the list of things "not going well" is lengthy, while the "going well" list might have a few items on it, if that.

There has never been a nation on earth as great as this one. We all know this. Our ability to do great things while enjoying a high standard of living is a function of one thing: a strong economic machine. Today, however, our economic machine is in such bad shape that people don't talk about it, especially politicians. Ever notice that? I could go on and on, but I won't. I'll let someone else do the talking about this subject.

David Walker, the man who heads the GAO, issued a rather sobering report about our Nation's economic outlook. Brace yourself. Here's a snip:

David Walker, comptroller general of the US, issued the unusually downbeat assessment of his country’s future in a report that lays out what he called “chilling long-term simulations”.

These include “dramatic” tax rises, slashed government services and the large-scale dumping by foreign governments of holdings of US debt.

Drawing parallels with the end of the Roman empire, Mr Walker warned there were “striking similarities” between America’s current situation and the factors that brought down Rome, including “declining moral values and political civility at home, an over-confident and over-extended military in foreign lands and fiscal irresponsibility by the central government”.

“Sound familiar?” Mr Walker said. “In my view, it’s time to learn from history and take steps to ensure the American Republic is the first to stand the test of time.”

I can hear you asking: How in God's name did we get into this mess? I think you know the answer to that one. Now, what are we going to do about it? Read the entire article.

Read Mr. Walker's presentation here. (you'll need to enlarge the font)