The region currently occupied by Georgia was a well-beaten path for invading in armies in later centuries -- with Arab, Persian, Turkish and Mongol forces leaving their marks.
In Britain, there is a well-worn path between drug giants such as SmithKline Beecham and Glaxo Wellcome, and executive and non-executive slots on biotech boards.
In short, the current path is unsustainable and the only course to prevent the U.S. from following down the well-worn path of the PIIGS debacles is to cut spending, dial back the social guarantee escalations, reduce the tax burden on businesses, flatten the burden on individuals, and live within our means.