And the promise of continuing to provide any essential services within the structures of the American Empire is an empty promise, since there is no question of the American Empire lasting: the question from inside the metropole is whether we here in the US start dismantling it before it collapses, and the question from inside Europe is how to prepare for riding out the shock waves that will result in either case.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.