How do you know the country would be screwed? You state it as fact, yet it's never happened and most likely never will. If you said "I think we would be screwed" or "IMHO we'd be screwed" then it's acceptable. The liberty of stating things as fact when indeed they are you opinion- does that work in general for you? I think that's one reason I tend to disagree with some folks so often- they assume opinions are facts. I'm not trying to get snotty- just an observation which might lead both of us to better ground.