When the American empire collapses, and it's coming even sooner than I had previously thought, people will wonder in awe why we kept to our outlandish military budgets, needless wars, and kept taking foreign policy and economic/fiscal advice from the same people who brought on these problems and not from people like PCR. And oh yeah, the studied indifference of most Americans as they went about their daily lives where Octomoms, March madness etc. were occupying their time as all about them collapsed.

Paul wrote a book some time ago - Meltdown: Inside the Soviet Economy. A long time ago I sent him a comment proposing that he write another book - Meltdown: Inside the US Economy. He answered me that it might be a good idea.
The time has come, Paul, to write the book.

Mr. nola - you're right about the potential collapse of the "empire". Simply put, imperialism has historically resulted in the collapse of the 'colonist'. But I would give the American people more credit ... it is not that they aren't interested in the economy, world affairs, etc. It is that they don't have time. Both husband and wife must now work more than 50 hrs/wk and mostly during wknds too. There's not much time to relax ... and whatever time they have, they would rather literally relax their minds rather than continue the stimulitive thinking associated with absorption of world news, etc. Its just human nature. I just wished Americans had more time to appreciate the world and/or become active in making a change.