September 10 2015. Distraction Nation. This story does not seem likely to have a happy ending.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF GOOD-NEWS STORIES EMANATING FROM THE U.S. HOWEVER, SAYING THAT MISSES THE POINT THAT THE STRUCTURE IS FLAWED.

BY ALL MEANS, LET’S CELEBRATE THE GOOD—We all love a party—BUT  LET’S ALSO  START FIXING THE STRUCTURE (It is what keeps the whole edifice functional—so it’s kind of important).

WE’RE GOING TO FEEL DECIDEDLY CRUSHED (a combination of dead and foolish) IF THE PLACE COLLAPSES IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR FESTIVITIES.

NO STRUCTURE—NO VIABLE NATION

In truth, my timing may well be off—and we may be able to have a whole series of parties before the structure collapses, but the underlying point is that we are being given every warning that the very fundamentals of the economy are deficient—and we are ignoring the lot.

Regardless, the cracks widen and deepen—because such is the nature of such flaws—and unless extensive repairs are made, the little trouble-makers (the cracks) do this around the clock and become ever bigger.

Cracks love to be ignored. It gives them a chance to really show what they can do—which is to bring the whole structure down.

How cool is that! Who would think a few tiny cracks would lead to such devastating consequences.

Entropy is at work here—and it is inexorable.

Let me illustrate a structural issue—just one (a part of one):

Meanwhile those dastardly Europeans—who learn things like logic (well, the French do), and who are mostly multilingual (which improves your cognitive abilities, by the way) work shorter hours, take longer vacations (not hard), pay themselves more, save more, experience less stress, are financially more secure, spend less on healthcare, are healthier, live longer lives by over two years, and out-compete the U.S. in most international markets!

And they are all socialists—by American standards (whatever socialism is)!

The U.S. is, militarily, the most powerful country the world has ever seen—and the wealthiest—but it near consistently fails to win its wars, and the economic wellbeing of most Americans is in decline.

It’s not fair.

But, it is entirely predictable.

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