Arthur Herman is concerned about the national security implications of the growing economic, military and political power of China, especially the fact that China owns so much American debt. Unless China's ascension is derailed by internal demographic, social and political factors, which is entirely possible, our inability to handle our financial problems will eventually cause us to begin dismantling our military. That is what happened to Spain, the Netherlands and Great Britain. Each nation created a global empire, each grew rich, each built an impressive military machine (especially on the oceans), and each slowly declined as their expenditures exceeded their income, leaving them prey for the newcomers. The U.S. took over the responsibility of global power from Great Britain in the early 20th Century. Will China take it from us in the 21st?

Evan Thomas is concerned about the deficit and has some advice for the President.

Robert J. Samuelson provides the depressing facts and figures about the scope of our debt problem, and the depressing lack of candor from the President and other political leaders in Washington concerning the issue.

Paul Krugman believes the 'nihilistic' Republicans are the problem.

Jay Cost says the President is the problem, not that America has somehow become 'ungovernable'.

Could the GOP go the way of the Whigs? Only if the Tea Party movement, or some other movement, can bring together disparate elements around a central idea, which is what happened in the 1850s with the issue of slavery. Without a unifying idea, there can be no new party strong enough to take on the Republicans and Democrats.