But it is also the case that industrial countries, when they fall on hard times tend to fall back on an authoritarian "bread and circuses" approach to governing. Fascism in 1930's Germany was one such govenment. The current government was unable to deal with the financial and social problems and so reactionary elements were able to seize control of the government and impose their own brand of totalitarianism.
Few note how much the world has changed since the 1930s, however. In order to be able to pay its secret police and welfare clients, the US government has to borrow about $12 Billion a *day* (averaging National Debt financing over time). In addition, the economy is depedent on quite a bit of domestic and foreign investment. A totalitarian takeover here would make financing this debt very difficult and cause capital outflows on a scale never before seen in human history. As James Carvil (sp?) (Slick Willie's campaign manager) says - "When I die, I want to be reincarnated as the Bond Market so everyone would be afraid of me." DCF Hillary to Bill: "Why don't you play a game of solitaire?"