They're rushing to get this done because Greece seems likely to implode whoever wins the 17 June election, and because a Spanish sovereign debt crisis would be massive: the capital flight of 100bn in January to March this year would look puny compared to the three trillion euros that could potentially leave the bond and stock markets of Italy and Spain.

BBC: Spain: Simmering anger in Seville

Does this mean that Congo must be left to implode?

ECONOMIST: Congo erupts, again

And while all this forecasting assumes the eurozone doesn't implode, and that the US avoids falling off a fiscal cliff, the fear of more shocks to the system are expected to continue weighing on consumer confidence at least until 2014.

BBC: Making up lost ground

If nothing resolves soon this glorious experiment in free markets known as America could implode.

FORBES: Cut Spending By Returning To Founding Principles Of Federalism

Do they represent the next major challenge for the U.S. and a new corporate form that poses a major threat to the survival of U.S. corporations or, as in the case of Japan, is this a flash in the pan that will in due course also implode with devastating consequences for the Chinese economy?

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