A couple columns in the current issue of Newsweek cause me concern. The first is the column of Fareed Zakaria World View. I remember Zakaria on the ABC Sunday morning show and was impressed then with his intelligence. Today's column is a little unsettling to say the least. I certainly won't say I understand all of it, but I do get the gist of it, enough to worry.

It explains that American profits are growing extremely slow in the USA, but surging by 15 to 20 percent abroad. Markets in China, India, Brazil continue to grow. These countries do not want us to fail so they lend us money. Our dollar keeps falling and our goods can sell for cheaper prices in other countries.

The oil rich countries are getting richer and more independent of the US. Bush went hat in hand to Saudi Arabia and asked them to lower the price of oil. He was brushed off by the oil minister.
Zakaria makes the blunt statement: The United States is in the beginning of a period of relative decline. This is not defeatism, it's math.

All of our presidents and candidates throw the bull in their speeches that we must become energy independent, but never do anything about it. Perhaps the time is now to see what our candidates really have up their sleeve in the way of a plan, before it's too late for us.

ALSO, in the Anna Quindlen column THE LAST WORD, she is asking the question, How Old is too Old? referring to John McCain. It's a valid question. But she makes a statement that McCain on the campaign trail answering a boys question about perhaps he was too old to run for president this way: "Thanks for the question you little jerk".

Ouch.