Achilles had his heel, and it's been said that we all have one. Mine is a little farther up the leg, but part of the same appendage. After nursing a worn-out knee for several years, I've decided to have the original joint replaced with a metal one. As part of my preparation for the knife, I've had to give up my daily aspirin. In the process, I've become much more aware of the aches and pains that seem to accompany my aging machinery. If I continued to ignore the warning signs, and became a cripple, few would be affected beyond myself and my wife, who would find it even harder to enjoy life. On a national scale, it would not cause a ripple. The same cannot be said for many of the ailing limbs of our society. The warning signs have been around for some time now, but our current leadership has continued blithely on its way, as have others before it, and the piper is about to demand his payment.

I am currently reading Kevin Phillips' American Theocracy. It should be required reading for all members of government. It's very well researched, and it pinpoints several trends in our society that will bring us down if we fail to make changes. So far, I have only ingested the section on oil dependence. If that were his only topic, it would still be enough to put this book on the required reading list, but that's only the beginning. Making the changes he suggests, like giving up aspirin, will make life a little less enjoyable, but some pain just has to be endured. We can make the changes, as tough as it may be, and continue as the dominant power in the world. Or, we can ignore the signs and symptoms and follow England, and others before them, into the dependent status they now enjoy.

As the title suggests, there are other factors we must also deal with. I recommend this book for all realists, those willing to face the problems of our nation and to look for solutions to them, because, staying the course is no longer an option.

Posted by Wes Randolph   |   Tuesday, April 18, 2006