Why I believe the US may be on the brink of collapse

The US has seen its share of hard times. I think of the Civil War, when the country was torn apart at the seems. I think of the Stock Market Crash and the ensuing great depression, when unemployement was at 25% and many Americans lost their savings. I think of WWII and the constant threat of attack on US Soil. And I think of the Vietnam war- an internationally unpopular war which drained American military and financial resources.

My friends, regardless of who wins the November election (and you all know my biases), the US is showing ALL of these signs, and as far as I know, this is unprecedented.

Like in the years prior to the civil war, the US is undergoing a regionalistic culture war. In 2004, we all saw the Red State- Blue State map, and had a few laughs over it, but it has only gotten worse. Not since the Civil war has this country been so culturally polarised, to the point where there appears to be little room for compromise. We have people on the left who say they will move to Canada if the Republicans win, and people on the right who find the concept of supporting a liberal to be heretic. This is unsustainable. The closest in history we have ever come to this is in the 1850s, when people in two different parts of the country had fundamental differences as to the ideology and the future of the United States. And taht culminated in the bloodiest war in the country's history. Now, I don't believe the US is on the brink of physical civil war, but it is looking more and more like there may be a complete cultural meltdown.

Secondly, Wall Street is crumpling in a way we have rarely seen since the 20s and 30s. In fact, most experts would agree that we are in the worst econominc crisis since then. Despite the passing of a 700$ Billion "bailout", the markets are down massively today. Many people consider a depression "likely".

Thirdly, we face the constant (perceived) threat of attack on US Soil. Only twice since the early 20th century has the US been attacked in a major way: in 1941, and in 2001. After both cases, the US entered a war, and continued to face the possible threat of an attack. To this day, the individiausl who perpetrated the 2001 attacks are still present, and the threat of terrorist action still exists.

Fourthly, the US continues to be involved in a war which is tapping away militaristic and financail resources- a war which has (or had originally) little or no relevance to any real threat to the US.

Basically, if we consider these four things, the US is, right now, reliving 4 of its worst crises... simultaneously. This gives me reason to be scared.

The only thing I can conclude? I don't even know why Obama and McCain want to be president anymore. Whoever wins the election will inherit a giant mess, from which we may not emerge-or at the very least, we will surely not emerge unscathed.