Yesterday I read this disturbing article in the Financial Times.

The US government is on a ‘burning platform’ of unsustainable policies and practices with fiscal deficits, chronic healthcare underfunding, immigration and overseas military commitments threatening a crisis if action is not taken soon, the country’s top government inspector has warned.

David Walker, comptroller general of the US, issued the unusually downbeat assessment of his country’s future in a report that lays out what he called “chilling long-term simulations”.

These include “dramatic” tax rises, slashed government services and the large-scale dumping by foreign governments of holdings of US debt.

Drawing parallels with the end of the Roman empire, Mr Walker warned there were “striking similarities” between America’s current situation and the factors that brought down Rome, including “declining moral values and political civility at home, an over-confident and over-extended military in foreign lands and fiscal irresponsibility by the central government”.

“Sound familiar?” Mr Walker said. “In my view, it’s time to learn from history and take steps to ensure the American Republic is the first to stand the test of time.”

This assessment is from the man who is in charge of the GSA and does investigations on behalf of Congress, but also orders about 10% of all governmental investigations to be done on his word.

History has shown the great empires in the world have lasted about 200 years before their collapse from political and/or military infighting, a military stretched too far, a collapse of our monetary system and various other reasons. In other words we get too comfortable with ourselves and cause our own demise if we are to believe his report.

All one has to do is take a good look around at all the disgust of the common man and woman in this country with our leaders in Congress and some with our president.

In my lifetime I have seen the office of President of the United States go from respecting the office and the man who holds it to one that some have publicly wished the holder of that office dead.

I’ve thought about the Roman Empire comparison several times before, but this is the first time I have seen anyone of any consequence say what I was thinking.