Economics is a tool of nations, not the wealth of nations.

Many have lost track of civilized behavior by concluding the business of the nation equals the nation itself. This daft misconception has grown like a cancer, leading to much of the dishonesty and graft that we now see in America. The grime of corruption, mismanagement, and societal divisions run so deep, that patching up of the corrosion seems to overwhelm us. Pundits hint at a misplaced understanding of national maturity, which declares that we have no choice but to endure the decay we see around us and to move forward through a banana-republic framework. This false sense of maturity falls far short of the worst issue. Acknowledging corruption and not combating it is defeat for a nation, an endgame lost.