Waiting for the end of the world

We've reassembled once again at Blog Simple after a trip to the old country.

Italy continues to do what it does so well, muddle from one disaster to the next. Naples and its garbage was the crisis du jour, emergency powers have finally been given and the army called on to give the impression that action is being taken. It's a given that the problem will return in months or years, the underlying problems (camorra, politicians) remain.

Still, the Italians will endure, what else can they do? Here in the good ol' USA the situation continues to shows signs that no one is yet willing to face, a camorra style of government has become the new standard. Governors are imprisoned on political grounds, whistle blowers are ignored by the press and Congress (note that not one US media outlet has picked up on the Times story to date), the Fed is printing money in a desperate attempt to paper over a howling void of bad debt, and Feckless Leader is touring the Middle East while Pakistan and Afghanistan evidence the unraveling of seven years of foreign policy.

No one in the political establishment shows any realization that major changes are going to be needed, and soon, to prevent drastic institutional breakdowns. The continuous moronic chatter about the upcoming elections keeps everyone with their eyes on the prize, but the prize is falling into pieces and no one notices. Unlike the Italians, the Americans may not endure, their roots are shallow, and strong winds are coming.