Mueller is concerned about the disastrous impact of social control regulations on the highest priority programs of the United States--energy, inflation control, employment, and ability to invest in the future. The U.S. government rigorously enforces social control regulations that threaten to turn these crises into national disasters. He looks at each of these national crises to illustrate the pernicious effects of unchecked social control regulation. The U.S. must choose between conflicting goals that cannot all be met. Mueller thinks that investing in the future is critical.