Crises upon crises!

In addition to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, confrontations loom on the Korean peninsula and with Iran. Yet the U.S. military is already stretched to the breaking point, and could not undertake another major conflict without the mobilization of healthy young Americans as soldiers. In our age of self-indulgence, local authorities would be hard-pressed to control the riots that would inevitably break out when unwilling youths found themselves conscripted to fight in yet another overseas conflict.

Even without a new war, economic turmoil is wreaking havoc on America. The price of oil has risen from $25 to more than $100 per barrel in just four years. Gasoline is expected to cost $4 per gallon this summer. Mass transit lines are seeing ridership increase as commuters abandon their sedans and sport utility vehicles.

But while individual travelers can adjust their transportation habits, what about the airlines and truckers that must pass along their increased fuel costs to stay in business? Four airlines have already gone bankrupt this year, and many others are reporting huge first quarter losses. Several large airlines are in merger talks, in a desperate attempt to keep flying.

An American trade war with Europe is in the making. Both economies are struggling to protect domestic industries and expand overseas markets. Competition is widespread, from Boeing and Airbus, to biodiesel and foodstuffs. A collision is coming, as both the European Union and the U.S. fight to stave off a recession – or even a depression.

As the price of food increases, watch for an increasingly desperate electorate. A hungry voter will support whatever candidate best promises to feed him. A starving man may not wait for a vote, choosing instead to steal to feed himself and his family. But what if there is very little food to steal, as a result of floods, droughts and crop diseases? If you are old enough to remember the generally law-abiding atmosphere during the Great Depression 70 plus years ago, you have seen enough changes to realize that another depression will surely see far greater violence.

America's infrastructure is crumbling. The failed levees in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, and the collapse of Minnesota's I-35 bridge are just the tip of a shattering iceberg. New York City's aging waterworks are in danger of collapse. Thousands of miles of American highways are falling apart. More than 150,000 of the nation's bridges have received failing safety grades from the federal government. Experts predict that unless the nation spends $1.6 trillion in the next five years to repair its aging infrastructure, disasters will ensue.

The American economy is so sick that if the government told citizens just how broke the nation really is, the inevitable economic panic would bring the country to its knees. If just one other nation's central bank decided to sell off all its dollar holdings, the U.S. economy would be ruined, but the U.S. would take most of the rest of the world economy down with it. This is why everyone keeps "playing along" with the U.S. in its time of economic turmoil.

Only an irrational actor would risk ruining the world economy just to bring the U.S. down. But we know we live in a world filled with irrational actors – so how long will it be before one of America's enemies decides that the planet would be better off without the U.S.? The economic time-bomb is ticking.

However bleak it all sounds, Bible prophecy explains that there will be a happy outcome after a time of great suffering. To find out how this will all end, read our booklet, Prophecy Fulfilled: God's Hand in World Affairs.