A parable is a simple story used to illustrate a lesson for a bigger issue. Oftentimes, a big issue appears so complex and of such a longtime duration that we ignore it or fail to fully comprehend it despite what may be its basic simplicity. A parable can enable a big issue to be understood with a plain, simple story. This parable is based upon three diverse families marooned together on a deserted island. Will they be rescued? If not and it slowly becomes apparent to them, will they be able to sustain and survive indefinitely by adequately sacrificing today and living for both today and tomorrow? As you will see, many isolated civilizations have not been able to do so, indefinitely resorting to suicide, cannibalism, and self-destruction. Even many civilizations not isolated have collapsed when unable to adjust to the simplest problems as seen with these three families. Will they find meaning to live on this deserted island? Will these three families live together cooperatively and unselfishly to obtain and maintain their resources for their survival today and plan for a sustainable tomorrow? Will Darwin's survival of the fittest dominate? Will they resort to population control, employing voluntary contraception (abstinence), castration, induced abortion, delaying marriage beyond fertility, or infanticide? Do they maintain monogamy? Importantly for us, does this parable of limited resources portend a dire future for our country if we live for today while using what we can borrow from our future resources while knowing that the debt must be repaid tomorrow? Will a pervasive spending today of what we borrow from our future create rampant inflation that is disproportionately harming middle- and lower-income classes? Unfortunately, many of those who govern our country find this very difficult not to do so. Yet we, Americans, must constrain our spending today, or we may be on a path of self-destruction like our islanders could be. Will there be a happy ending? You decide.

--Michael O'Sheasy

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