Watching the debt ceiling negotiations between the Democrats and Republicans in Washington is agony. The lack of compromise between both parties is a reflection of the decline of the US. The fall of the giant super power is especially obvious while many countries around the world are rising.

Imagine if the US government is forced into bankruptcy. It will join the “club” of countries such as Greece, Spain, and Portugal. A few months before the presidential elections, each party is playing for a political gain. The truth is that the failure of a debt ceiling compromise will be a national humiliation for not only President Obama, but also the whole nation.

Clearly America is a hostage of its excessive spending. Federal bankruptcy means also more trouble in the world economy. What is the point of being ranked the number one economy in the world while being strangled by high debt? As the Bedouin of Egypt say, “Better to be a free dog than a caged lion.”