<em>"This is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper."</em>
<strong>-- T.S. ELIOT</strong>

When historians write the story of the Decline and Fall of the American Empire, it will be amazing how many parallels there will be between the present and what happened to the Roman Empire in ancient times. The bread and circuses, the mediocre leaders, the loss of national purpose -- all these things and more were true both then and now. From just 60 years ago, when we strode the Earth like the proverbial Colossus after winning World War II and rebuilding Europe, we have slipped to a position where we're broke, deeply in debt and we don't even make anything anymore.

[caption id="attachment_1184" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Once we made things"]<a href="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/trenton-makes-the-world-takes.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1184" title="trenton makes the world takes" src="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/trenton-makes-the-world-takes-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>[/caption]

As recently as 2000, according to the International Monetary Fund, 32 percent of the world's gross domestic product was made in the USA. By 2010, that had slipped to 24 percent, the largest drop any country ever suffered in 10 years.

Actually, I found myself having to think for a moment or two about what it was we still made.

Of course, it's food.

We still feed a good portion of the world, but if they want the plates to serve it on or the refrigerators to store it in, most of that stuff is made elsewhere now.

What do we create?

Fat.

Over the last 25-30 years, we have become the fattest nation in history, with two out of every three adults overweight and half of those qualifying as obese. And let's not even get started on fat kids.

[caption id="attachment_1185" align="alignleft" width="294" caption="America the beautiful"]<a href="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/america-decline2.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1185" title="america-decline2" src="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/america-decline2-294x300.jpg" alt="" width="294" height="300" /></a>[/caption]

During the times in my life I have struggled with my own weight, I learned one thing about eating too much. We don't overeat to fill a hole in our stomachs, we overeat to fill a hole in our hearts. Millions of Americans are so disgusted -- or depressed -- about their own lives that all they can do is eat, eat and eat.

The thing is, it's tough to blame them. So much has happened in the working world in the last 30 years that millions of people either hate their jobs or are scared to death they'll lose their jobs.

Add to that the fact that two-thirds of all jobs in this country are now in what's classified as the service sector -- "Would you like fries with that?" -- and self-esteem is sinking faster than the housing market.

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