Europe is already on the ropes. Greece, of course, is a basket case, and the European central banks are already buying up Italian and Spanish bonds, to try to hold down the interest. But how long will they be able to continue is anyone's guess.

China, of course, has a boatload of our debt. But they, too, have their own problems--including sectarian strife and a looming "housing bubble" of their own. The long-term outlook, despite what you may hear from China's many admirers, is not good. When the dollar goes down, China will likely follow.

I'm a disabled, retired veteran. I have about as much to lose as anyone. But I never really figured on keeping that monthly check, and I always figured Social Security was a lost cause, too. Either my pension will go, or inflation will make it worthless. Either way, I figure it's going.

Onward and upward,
airforce