A recent Newsweek cover cites a number of current calamities and asks, “What the @#%! next?

Maybe we’re next. I believe the onus of being “a superpower” is undoing us. It undid the Soviet Union 20 years ago.

As we police and attempt to “shape” the Middle East — the sheer audacity and futility of this misguided quest has become abundantly clear. While other countries’ economies mature and grow, we launch another dubious offensive against another insane dictator.

Haven’t we seen this movie before? Having “set them back on their heels,” now we’re expected to arm leaderless “rebels” driving dilapidated Toyotas while firing weapons haphazardly into thin air — presumably for the adrenaline rush.

Conservative columnist Pat Buchanan recently cited George McGovern’s campaign slogan of 40 years ago: “Come home, America.” This was a time when we only fought one war at a time. Now we franchise them.

McGovern lost dramatically in 1972, and a few years later we dramatically lost that war. In Buchanan’s view, and mine, we should take heed of this admonition to come home, and resolve to fix a fractured and broken America — if we’re even capable anymore.

Spend that $2 billion per week repairing our roads, bridges and crumbling schools. Maybe rest and rejuvenate our beleaguered, exhausted military. They’ve suffered way too much in a war we won’t win. Wars measured not by gains — but by losses, and we’re on the verge of losing everything.

I have no idea what the @#*! is next. My hunch is another long and protracted mess. I suggest we send Maine’s now-infamous labor murals to China, where those jobs are. Those who want to do us harm — to destroy us and ruin our country — they’re running our country, folks.

Come home, America.

Buddy Doyle

Gardiner