military, homeland security, aviation safety, and virtually all other essential government operations. ,ccording to most experts taking so much money out of the u.s. economy so soon without strategy, rationality, or prioritization could send the country back into a recession that is only worse than the government's current fiscal situation. to maintain current institutions of national defence, the united states must get its government finances in order. doing so requires -- requires our country pose a political class demonstrate leadership to strengthen the country for the long haul. so far, there appears to be little evidence that this is taking place. american politics has always been a shrill and ugly business the way back to the founding fathers. as a result of several polarizing trends, we have lost the ability to execute the most basic functions of government, much less the most difficult and resistance problems facing this country. there are a variety of reasons, some structural, some historical, some outside the control of government. first, the gerrymandered system of drawing congressio