Outta money/outta power, same bankrupt policies, collapsing Union, corruption of college sports

How will the U.S. affect change without the money to buy or the arms to enforce its will?

The latest US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks indicated that the United Nations offered Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe a retirement package and safe haven overseas if he agreed to stand down.
The offer was made by Kofi Annan, the UN secretary general at the time in 2000, said the memo, which was drawn up by US officials and cited the then-opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
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Missile defense and Start Treaty more of the same--Obama mirroring a Bush boondoggle

Just before Saturday's vote, the White House released a letter from Obama to top lawmakers reaffirming his plan to deploy US missile defense systems and rejecting Russia's claim that doing so would justify withdrawing from START.
"Regardless of Russia's actions in this regard, as long as I am president, and as long as the Congress provides the necessary funding, the United States will continue to develop and deploy effective missile defenses to protect the United States, our deployed forces, and our allies and partners," he said.

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The State of the collapsing Union

The list, with Illinois leading the pack, comes from website TopRetirements.com. According to John Brady, president of TopRetirements.com, the 10 states earn this dubious distinction largely because of three factors: fiscal health, taxation, climate.
As for fiscal health, six of the 10 worst states for retirees on TopRetirements.com's list were among those just identified by a Pew Center for States report as being in "fiscal peril."
The report, "Beyond California: States in Fiscal Peril," showed that "some of the same pressures that have pushed California toward economic disaster are wreaking havoc in a number of other states, with potentially damaging consequences for the entire country."

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When good enough is not good enough

Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen will accept a buyout and not return for the 2011 season, according to multiple reports.
Friedgen was named the 2010 ACC Coach of the Year after leading Maryland to an 8-4 record.
Friedgen is slated to be paid $2 million next season.