Down the Barrel of a Gun — Lawrence Frederick

The Tortoise and the Hare is an ancient story told by Aesop. When a hare loses a race by taking a nap, it is not such a big deal. But when a nation goes to sleep and loses its advantage, it is. What happens when a nation loses its competitive edge? Some other nation will take its place and then the fallen power finds itself looking down the barrel of a gun.