Your comments reveal a bit of optimism, and it is not necessarily naive.
This country has been able to overcome other crises than this, and there is a great reservoir of strength and wisdom here that has neverr been fully tapped. Perhaps this will be our finest hour after all. Perhaps not.

The new world order is already here, and it is ironic that the American imperialism the world fears so much may choose us as its final victim. The global economy that is so desired by the economic interests of our society may be the best for the world in the long run, but it may be a disaster for us in the short term. It might be easier to bear if those in charge had some plan or vision beyond next quarter's financial statement.

Nixon opened China to the west, something no Democrat could have done, but a capitalist China is much more of a threat to us than a communist one ever was. In the meantime, our own businessmen are scrambling over themselves to buy from and sell to and employ the very people who are determined to destroy us. England did the same with her Empire, she may have shamelessly exploited the billions who lived there, but at the same time went bankrupt maintaining the whole edifice. It never payed for itself, the costs of having an empire were never balanced against the benefits. America is now exporting its last remaining natural resource: jobs, both by sending them overseas and by inviting foreigners to come here and take them. What is happening to all this money we're supposed to be saving?

The truly frightening thought is that there is more to history than just the clash of great ideas and civilizations, there are also pathogens loose out there, the middle east has shown us that, the planet's future may be determined by a madman or religious fanatic just as likely as by corporate interests or political chessplaying.