I hear your well thought out points. Sure, -we and preceeding generations, both here and elsewhere round the world, -have been thru ruff times before. Often plenty ruffer than what we typically crow, cry, and canterwaul about.

However, -I'm not so much referring to our current list of all round woes per se, -as conventional wisdom now has it. True, -these are a good part of it all. But I am not saying that these are solely what such upcoming Ruff Times are all about.

(NOTE- In the following, -I minimally and neccessarily generally *touch* on political etc causes, -towards "establishing the source". And *not* for the purpose of improperly venturing into this sphere here, itself).

I'm referring "most centrally" to things like America and/or the Western World in general, -suddenly finding itself knocked flat on its back! September 11th times 5, 10, or more plus. True enemies out there gathering and strengthing, forming Alliances and whatnot, -while we suddenly find our technological and other rugs just yanked out from under us!

That very shock and sense of being lost, -of that moment, -would be an additional burden to the full load we'd be then carrying, in itself.

Kinda like when Stalin spent weeks just lost and lollygagging around, in the opening days, weeks, and months of *his* World War 2, -not knowing what to do! Meanwhile, more than a few huge Soviet Armies, -hundreds of thousands strong each, -were just cut off and left behind, -in German encirclement after encirclement. What a tremendous waste!, -of vital and valuable resources! At precisely at the moments when you so sorely, absolutely *Need* them!!! Bet he was sorry that he previously sacked so many valuable, sorely needed, generals too! In his purges, -actually a misidentification of his real, then upcoming, problems. Meanwhile, -he for the longest time, -just sat stunned out on the floor! His far more prepared enemy meanwhile raced all the way to Leningrad, Kursk, the Caucass, Moscow, and his namesake city, Stalingrad. Lucky he had the great Russian and Siberian hinterland, (and Western aid and Fronts), to eventually draw from. What if he wouldn't have had even that?!

I'm talking something of such, -reasonably likely someday happening to us! Yes, -U.S.! While *we* lollygag around with things like Defense Softness, and more than a little "September 11th was so Yesterday!", -worrying more about being "Nice" to hijacker types at Guantanamo, -than preventing them from doing such again, -They and other "Ruff Forces" out there, -could well be "Cooking and Conspiring Up", -for a knockdown blow! *On* and *At* us!

Natural Disasters and things like a bird flu pandemic, -could play great "supporting roles".

We could find ourselves trying to hold too many balls up in the air, at once!

I'm talking our very Technological Base, -being knocked right back to the Stone Age! Thats what I mean, by "Valley Forge type Hardships", once again.

And things that go around, have a funny way of eventually coming around. I don't mean to get improperly political here, -but our leaving of South Vietnam to the wolves in 1975, -during their Moments of Need, -haunts me and causes me to shudder. (I did not personally drop this ball so back then, -as a highschooler, -I was very Alarmed, Uneasy, and Concerned!). Twas easy to look the other way back then, -it wasn't directly us. But *we* could be the ones someday in Saigon's shoes. Uncomfortably so knowing what that feels like. Further, ther'll be no bigger brother than us to turn to, -*we* are it.

Just look at the manifold and continueing, -Tones and Tenors of our Times! Since 9-11, -and actually brewing up, -from long before. The trends here which point to very likely upcoming Ruff Times, -and I mean Flat on our Back upcoming Ruff Times!, -are only legion. (media exaggerances, one side of the story, etc, notwithstanding).

We're like a nice, hot cup of coffee, -set in the freezer, -I'm afraid. I'm afraid that we don't have enough "Oomph of Warmth" in that cup, -to hold our own, *and* overcome the effects of that freezer! -The *Long Term* effects of that surrounding freezer. Nothing Less than the requisite "Oomph" here, -is gonna do! Yet we *still* all too often, lollygag around, -in our own sorts of way!

We're like a hockey team. -playing brilliantly in one or two one minute spurts each period, -yet very much just "drop the puck", -for the rest! *While* our opponent moves to a "Full Court Press Power Play", -throughout. For the duration. What kind of hockey game, -much less Winning one, -is that!? It surely is plenty less than our Best! And nothing less than our Best, -our *sustained* Very Best, -will do! I'm wondering whether we Really have such in us! For more than just a minute or two each period, -for more than just a few days, weeks, or months, -after something serious or significant happens. Like BJ Thomas says in one of his songs, -"For More than just a day!".

I had to touch on some political matters to convey where I'm coming from, -in my speaking of likely upcoming Ruff Times. To further clarify such as real "Flat Out on our Back", of such. Not just today's conventionally understood "this or that". This would seem to be the case, -via your's and some other's replys here. But beyond neccessarily establishing the general source and cause, -I don't mean to be talking political matters here.

Again, -I'm not talking *only* of conventionally well known matters such as Hurricanes, Iraq, etc, as elements of Ruff Times here. Which as you say, -large though they are, -pales next to some real, plenty Ruffer, -stuff as we've been through before! And yet came through and on Top.

But rather some real, Knock Flat Out on our Backs! Sorts of Rough Times, -from any number of more or less, simultaneously occurring, sources and causes. Be such man made or natural.

We *can* avoid such a fall into the saltpit! But not if we play only a "sometimes" game of hockey, -as we all too often play. Proceed at our Best! And we may not have to implement our preparations then. We may not have nearly as many Ruff Times. We may then not find ourselves Flat on our Back so!

Till then, -and/or failing such fully sustained Best of ourselves, -Preparedness is all we can, -and had bettered, -be about and do. For Real, Flat on our Back, Rough Times a coming, -are then all so very much more likely! I once again am afraid!

This being suppossedly over *only* all too well known current matters as Iraq and Katrina?, -Well as Tom Cheney said to Mattie Ross in True Grit, -"That was not my Meaning"!
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