i am going to have to memorize this statement -- very powerful and true!
i suggest that climate had more to do with the sudden downfall of the egyptians than anything else. government spending problems are a lot like the frog in boiling water analogy. when the temperature increases slowly to the boiling point, the frog does not notice the problem until it is dead.
taking this to a different direction, climatic changes occur naturally and run in cycles. in fact, there are multiple cycles in play all the time. trying to keep the climate stable, like our environmentalist friends do, is futile. it is another example of gross government spending that causes civilizations to be less productive than they otherwise would. and with that, we need to go to the top and remind ourselves of your excellent quote about the pyramids!