Dmitry Orlov 

Dmitry Orlov, good on you for calling me out on my vague and useless threat. I can certainly offer up dozens of excuses, but in the end they amount to passive acceptance of the demise of American power. IOW, I need do nothing. The system is destroying itself.

IMHO American Criminal Capitalism will crash on the shoals of "Socialism with Chinese Characteristics". Where that leaves the USA, and what happens to the rest of the world has too many vague futures to clearly see.

I've been eyeing the "Moscow Connect" web site. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Wife won't go though. No snorkeling.

John Zwiebel,
Hello John I support what you said about Brian B and Aaron G.
you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink the water.
just as people have adopted democracy in many countries a century ago, the writing is in the wall for market economy. Economies unable to compete against the socialist market economy, of China /Vietnam.
iran might just displace American trump card of the reserve currency which is more important than there military coz that's how they can afford to spend a trillion plus.