Incompetence of government is an open-and-shut case

WOULD we even notice if the Irish government shut down?

Well, probably, but it might come as a relief to the many people appalled by the rather second-rate nature of our political class.

With extremists in the Tea Party faction of the congressional Republican party playing Russian roulette with the world economy, via their insane stand-off with President Barack Obama over his outrageous idea that poor people should have access to healthcare, the US government is paralysed. That chaos signals the long century of American global dominance is beginning to unravel rapidly.