Three essays published the last couple days nicely summarize the United States' policy failures under Republican Party government and ideology over the last 30 to 40 years:

Michael Klare, The Pentagon as Energy Insecurity Inc.; Garrisoning the Global Gas Station: Challenging the Militarization of U.S. Energy Policy, TomDispatch.com, 12 June 2008.
(In fairness to the Republicans, one must acknowledge that the Democratic Party is also responsible for the United States' failing energy policies, but the Republicans have been far more eager and overtly militaristic in persuing the policies now failing.)

Glenn Greenwald, Conservatism vs. authoritarianism: The British vs. the U.S. right, Salon.com, 13 June 2008.

Paul Krugman, Bad Cow Disease, The New York Times, 13 June 2008.


Some additional related essays:

Michael Lind, Relax, liberals. You've already won, Salon.com, 10 June 2008.
"No matter who prevails at the ballot box in November, John McCain or Barack Obama, the four-decade-long conservative counterrevolution is over."

Glenn Greenwald, Supreme Court restores habeas corpus, strikes down key part of Military Commissions Act, Salon.com, 12 June 2008.

Corey Robins, Out of Place, The Nation, 23 June 2008.

Eric Alterman, Silence of the (MSM) Lambs, The Nation, 30 June 2008.