Why Elliott Schuchardt’s ‘America’s Achilles Heel’ Deserves Close Attention
Every once in a while, a book arrives that feels less like a publication and more like a public service. Elliott Schuchardt’s America’s Achilles Heel is exactly that kind of book – clear, urgent, hopeful, and impossible to ignore.
At a time when grocery bills climb, global alliances shift, and Americans quietly wonder what’s coming next, Schuchardt offers a steady, informed voice explaining why the U.S. dollar may be heading toward a significant decline and what we should do about it.
What sets this book apart is Schuchardt himself. Schuchardt spent nearly thirty years practicing law, where he engaged in a series of high-profile political cases, that ruffled feathers in both state and federal government. He has now a candidate for the Tennessee General Assembly in the August 2026 primary. Schuchardt’s concern is the dollar. Schuchardt approaches the issue with a blend of expertise and genuine concern for everyday Americans.
You can catch it in the writing. He isn’t trying to scare readers – he’s trying to prepare them.
A Clear Warning: The BRICS Alliance Might Reshape Global Power
In America’s Achilles Heel, Schuchardt lays out a compelling case that the BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – are moving forward to issuing a rival reserve currency. While that may sound distant or abstract, he explains in a way that feels surprisingly personal.
In his book, Schuchardt cites the warning of economist, Robert Triffin. Triffin was a Yale Professor, who previously worked at the Federal Reserve, in New York.
In the early 1960s, Triffin famously predicted that the dollar would collapse in value, if the United States used the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. Triffin said that a reserve currency needed to printed in large quantities, to keep the planet running efficiently. However, this poses a double-edged sword. If the United States prints too many dollars, the planet would eventually lose faith in the currency, causing the value of the dollar to fall. This became known as the “Triffin dilemma.” Too much supply causes value to fall.
In his book, Schuchardt looks at how Britain dealt with the loss of the reserve currency, in the 1960s. By 1960, British leaders knew that their days in the sun were numbered. More and more, the planet was doing business in U.S. dollars. This meant that their ability to print British pounds with abandon was coming to an end.
Britain actively worked with the world community to avoid a collapse in the pound sterling. They negotiated emergency lines of credit with other industrial nations. They leaned on their current and former colonies to keep their national reserves in British pounds, rather than U.S. dollars. When the oil markets finally rejected the British pound in 1974, Britain was ready. The currency fell, but there was no complete collapse.
Schuchardt says that the United States needs to take similar measures now, to avoid a collapse in the dollar. He reminds us that efforts are already underway to replace the U.S. currency. China and Russia are putting together an alliance for the sole purpose of replacing the dollar in world trade. According to Schuchardt, China’s new alliance – known as BRICS – represents 25% of the globe’s landmass. More importantly, BRICS controls 43% of the world’s oil production and 44% of the planet’s production of grains.
Schuchardt says that BRICS could easily price its commodities in a currency, other than the dollar. If this were to happen, the world’s resources would flow to the issuer of the new currency – i.e. China and partners – rather than to North America. The United States would be cut out of the world’s oil trade overnight, wreaking havoc with America’s supply chains. Goods that formerly flowed to the United States would be redirected to the Global South, as the new issuer of the reserve currency.
Schuchardt’s message is simple but sobering: we cannot afford to assume the dollar will remain king forever. History rewards nations that anticipate change, not those who deny it.
Why Tennessee Should Care
Schuchardt’s home state, Tennessee, needs to be aware of the risk posed by the BRICS alliance. In his book, Schuchardt points out that Tennessee – like the rest of America – is dependent upon imported goods financed by the petrodollar. The United States imports about 30% of its oil consumption, using printed dollars. If those dollars were to fall in value, Tennessee could find itself without fuel to get to work. Even worse, Tennessee would have difficulty importing basic goods, such as clothing, auto parts, computers, and cell phones.
Tennessee needs a leader with a forward-thinking mindset, and Elliott Schuchardt is exactly that kind. Running for the Tennessee General Assembly, he plans to advocate for long-term economic resilience, and state-level planning that doesn’t wait for Washington to wake up.
America’s Achilles Heel is timely, as it not only points out a problem, but it also offers direction. The book presents a clear plan for what leaders should be doing to protect citizens if the BRICS nations launch a competing reserve currency.
Now that many avoid difficult conversations, it’s refreshing to see a candidate willing to confront uncomfortable truths head-on.
A Book That Sparks Conversation – And Action
America’s Achilles Heel shines with its engaging tone. Schuchardt never talks down to the reader. He writes as if he’s sitting across the table, calmly explaining something he believes every American deserves to understand. The book feels like a conversation we should have had years ago – but thankfully, one we can still act on today.
Worried about inflation? Curious about international economics? Or simply want leaders who strategize ahead instead of reacting too late? This book delivers clarity and direction.
For Tennesseans and any conscious citizen who wants to know what’s at stake, learning about Schuchardt’s campaign can give even more clues.
In a world changing faster than most people realize, America’s Achilles Heel is more than a warning. It’s an invitation to think smarter, prepare better, and protect our financial future before global forces make the decisions for us.