The other day, a friend asked, “Is it just me, or are the wheels coming off the world?” It’s not him – the wheels are coming off. And that was true before reports of an assassination attempt against Vice President Dick Cheney in Afghanistan.

The drumbeat of disaster is getting louder. Events in Iran and Iraq only grow worse. Pakistan and Afghanistan would apparently rather fight each other than al-Qaida. We seem on the verge of a new Cold War with Russia. China is mad at us because Cheney expressed concern about its growing military strength. I’m no fan of Cheney’s, but I share his China worries.

The attempt on his life, which killed more than 20 people, including two Americans, came despite an information blackout about his trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan. That the terrorists reportedly knew he was at the Bagram base, even though American news organizations were sworn to secrecy, is a chilling reminder of the nature of this war. We don’t know who the enemy is, but they know where our leaders are.

So much for the bad news.

The good news is … well, there isn’t any good news.

Unless you feel better knowing that Congress is still debating whether to debate Iraq. Or perhaps you’re one of those people who feels smug for keeping your money under the mattress instead of in the stock market. Many on Wall Street are convinced that Tuesday’s plunge is the start of a serious downturn in global markets, and maybe the economy.

If the pessimists are right, we’re headed for the dismal combo of fighting World War III and facing an economic crisis – at the same time.

And who will rise up and lead us out of this mess? Certainly not George Bush, who every day drives us deeper into the muck. The White House repeatedly denies it plans to attack Iran, but I don’t believe it. The constant ratcheting up of pressure appears aimed at forcing a confrontation. Even the new “summit” in Iraq smells like an attempt to make the case for war.

Better that Bush listen to the counsel of caution from Fouad Ajami, the Mideast scholar and author who says, “Iran is a radical player in the world of states, to be sure, but we should not overstate its power.” Writing in U.S. News & World Report, Ajami warns that “we should not fall for the Persian bluff. It is important that we do all we can to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions and to checkmate it in arenas that count, but we should always remember that this is a society swimming against the tide of history and confronting the limits of its capabilities. There is an Iranian role in Iraq, but it should not be exaggerated.”

That’s the sort of smart, strategic thinking we have a right to expect from the baker’s dozen of candidates pining for Bush’s job. But we’re not getting it. We’re getting small talk and tactical political maneuvers. One reason is that Bush’s failed presidency has stilted all debate into a knee-jerk response: You’re either for or against whatever Bush is doing at the moment. It’s a bind that inhibits independent approaches and creative thinking, not to mention bipartisan cooperation.

We’re going to need all those things to work and fight our way out of this global crisis. We can start by realizing that a divided America is a weakened America. The rest of the world already knows as much. That’s why there is a growing list of those against us instead of those with us.