Stephan:   This is so reminiscent of the behavior of the final epoch of the Roman Empire it gives me chills. And it is worth mentioning that I am travelling from Whidbey to San Francisco, writing this from a motel room, after seven hours of driving. It has made me acutely aware of how shoddy our infrastructure has become. We have endless billions for war, but nothing for our own needs. It is really quite insane.