The Winter of Two Thousand and Twelve is a fictional look into the future of the United States. Can the United States, or anyone else, borrow and borrow to spend and spend forever with no consequence? As history suggests there are eventual and unavoidable consequences for anyone who lives beyond one's means as a matter of perpetual policy. Those that are financially foolish will sometimes pay a dear price for their foolishness, and when financially foolish decisions are made by leaders, oftentimes many more will pay an even dearer price.