Someone recently made the analogy between the US economic system and the EU. I’ve added a bit of my own spin. The EU is like a new Volvo. Not really speedy, but gets you from Point A to Point B in comfort and looks pretty good. The US is like a supercharged 68 Mustang. Blazing fast in a straight line, not so great in the curves.

The real problem comes when you come to the wall of a Mesa dead ahead. The Volvo has great brakes and a bazillion air bags, so the damage is minimal and everyone in the car is OK. The US? The result is more like Wile E Coyote going off a cliff, but with real-life consequences.