Greg, this was a great and fascinating read! It made me think of Paul Kennedy's The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, which I read around when it came out, and it got me excited about economics. It talked about the different areas a state could invest in (or not) for its future success. It painted a vivid image of the U.S. atop an "artificial" bubble of wealth after WW2 and how since then our national purpose became eating off the gravy train, fighting over the spoils of our good fortune. IIRC, Kennedy identified three areas: military, social programs, and future-oriented savings/investment. It suggested we've frittered away our wealth, we're frustrated, we hate our opposing constituencies, and don't have a serious strategy going forward. I saw these themes in the issues you explored, and your irrefutable imperative for the survival of civilization.