The Roman Empire became so large that it is a commonly accepted belief that it did not fall from without (by external conquest), it fell from within. An example of falling from within would be (as did happen) having more people on the government dole than were putting into the government system-- just as we have now with Social Insecurity....

"We the People" pay taxes and that money flows up the food chain via the state-level governments to the Federal Government at the top before it trickles back down to us at the bottom. This is the cycle that we have now.....

I believe that the pebble on the railroad tracks that will cause the train (our nation) to derail will be when one or two of the state governors realize that-- financially speaking-- they suddenly have two and only two choices:

1. Continue paying their state-level financial obligations up to the Federal Government and face utter fiscal collapse (financial suicide).

2. Withhold those payments from the Federal Government and fiscally (if not politically and militarily) "secede from the Union".

In other words, choice number one is certain death politically. Although not much better, choice number two could possibly work as a political option. Those men will so no other viable solution to their problem-- and rightly so.

When, why, how, and because of whom the US Dollar will become worthless are irrelevant right now.... The important thing is to figure out what ACTION(s) we can take to prepare ourselves and mitigate our suffering because of someone else's bullshit.....

Part III: Rebuilding a World....