"BUILDING BRUSSELS ON THE POTAMAC"

From the Economist.  Both European and American leaders have failed.

1. All politicians are doing is to "patch" things up and not really move toward solutions.
2. Narrow interest groups are preventing solutions.
3. Politicians have failed to be honest with voters.

The saddest thing about this week’s deal is how unaware Messrs Obama and Boehner seem to be of the wider damage their petty partisanship is doing to their country. National security is not just about the number of tanks or rockets you have. As it has failed to deal with the single currency, Europe’s standing has crumbled in the world. Why should developing countries trust American leadership, when it seems incapable of solving anything at home? And while the West’s foremost democracy stays paralysed, China is making decisions and forging ahead.