The Iraq war entering its sixth year as the U.S. troops that have brought some stability to Anbar and Baghdad start home. An Afghan war in its seventh year, where the NATO allies balk at combat, the Taliban and al Qaeda have found sanctuary in a Pakistan whose leading figure was assassinated yesterday, the poppy traffickers are back, and Kabul's writ does not extend beyond city limits.
At home, with housing prices sinking, foreclosures soaring and the Fed pumping out money to prevent the economy from seizing up, the nation could be entering a recession. Yet, with the dollar sinking abroad, we could also be facing a recurrence of inflation.
We are bitterly divided over immigration, legal and illegal, and the issue grips every state. As the world is not going to stop coming here, this is not going away, ever. Meanwhile, the culture war, rooted as it is in conflicting concepts of morality and patriotism, rages on. Even the staid old Episcopal Church cannot remain united.
Though we boast about our diversity, it appears that the more diverse we become as a nation, the less united we are as a people. Imus, Jena and the Duke rape case testify to it. As one wag puts it, the only thing melting now is the pot. Two-thirds of the nation think America is headed in the wrong direction.
The America the next president will lead is no longer able to win or end her wars, defend her borders, enforce her immigration laws, balance her budget, eliminate a chronic trade deficit that now runs to 6 percent of GDP, or maintain the value of the dollar. We save nothing.
Though addicted to oil, we refuse to drill off our coast or in our own territory. Meanwhile, Arabs and Asians, choking on dollars, are buying up our corporate and strategic assets and taking over our toll roads.
There is a great deal of ruin in a nation, said Adam Smith. Looks like we are going to find out.
Happy New Year.