As I expected, the pacifist argument against allowing ROTC to return to the nation's elite college campuses by Colman McCarthy that appeared in The Washington Post yesterday has been the subject of much exasperation and derision (justifiably so, of course). Jonah Goldberg takes some shots, and Victor Davis Hanson exposes the many flaws in the argument.

Nile Gardiner says that President Obama had a very bad year in 2010, and it may very well get worse for him in 2011.

New York City sanitation workers targeted specific neighborhoods in their work slowdown scheme that resulted in miles of city streets remaining unplowed long after the end of the recent snowstorm. There will be a great deal of commentary, vitriolic or not, generated by this controversy. In the end, and I hate to be pessimistic about it but I must, not much will come of all of this. The voters in NYC will continue to elect Democrats (or wishy washy Republicans) to represent them. Those Democrats are beholden to public employee unions. Therefore, while a manager or two might have to play the role of scapegoat, the essential political dynamic will remain the same.

Tea Party darling Michelle Bachman is a Neo-con, according to Bill Kristol. He defines a Neo-con as a former liberal mugged by reality into becoming a conservative.

Scientists are now looking for a 'Solar Max'. Increased solar activity could cause some real problems in a world that increasingly relies on electronics.

The anthropogenic global warming theory continues to come under scrutiny. Not that it matters, of course, as the people of the industrializing world will not be deterred from burning fossil fuels as they climb out of poverty, and China is the best example of the principle.

A newly discovered fossilized bone fragment discovered in Israel reveals that Homo Sapiens existed at least 400,000 years ago and lived in the Middle East.

Arthur Herman is concerned about U.S. military decline, while the Chinese military is preparing for war in every direction.

Victor Davis Hanson says fears of a general American decline are not new, and have always proved to be wrong.

Michael Barone says we are in a culture war truce as economic issues come to the fore.

U.S. Muslims must confront Islamism, according to this former U.S. Naval officer.

Former N.H. congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter is delusional, according to this piece in the Union Leader. Well, whether delusional or not, she at least won't be practicing her delusions in the halls of Congress.

A pacifist makes the case for American universities to continue the practicing of barring ROTC programs. If, like me, you have forgotten that there are still pacifists out there, read the piece. Delusions come in many forms.

Mathew Continetti writes about the way the world looked to readers of The New York Times in the early 1930s. A fascinating piece that captures how most folks live with the delusions that comfort them, and how a few can see through those delusions.

If GOP lawmakers get there way you will no longer need to retreat from an attacker before using deadly force against him to avoid legal consequences.

Dennis Prager has an answer for two questions; what do men want and what do women want?

Carol Shea-Porter says the Chinese wanted her to lose her seat. If so, it marks one of the few times that my interests and those of the PRC are one and the same.

Betting on an optimistic view of our energy future, and winning.

An in-depth look at the Eurozone crisis.

Frank Rich is confused about the 1950s. The reason for his confusion is simple. The 1950s, like every other decade in human history, was filled with the good, the bad, and the ugly. Focus on one at the expense of the others and one gets a distorted view of the decade.

Unsustainable public debt loads have, throughout recorded history, resulted in the collapse of nations, either by internal revolt, civil war, or defeat at the hands of their rivals. Can we possibly believe that we in the West are somehow immune, that we can continue to pile up debt without consequences?

Why is it relatively warm in Greenland and freezing in England? A diversion of the jet stream.

Charles Krauthammer says President Obama has made a stunning comeback.

Jennifer Rubin says he has not.

It could be a white Christmas in Atlanta.

Working class Iranians are upset with the regime.

Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski is now voting with President Obama. After the Tea Party insurgency that cost her the GOP nomination, and her stunning comeback as a write-in candidate, it would not surprise me if she became a Democrat or, like Joe Lieberman, decides to become an Independent.

A glowing review of True Grit.

The new census results show that those states without an income tax, or have a generally lower tax burden, are gaining people (and political representation in the House) while those with higher tax burdens are losing people and representatives. Michael Barone writes about the phenomenon, as do Dick Morris and Eileen McGann. On the other hand, Froma Harrop believes a slower growing population is something to celebrate.

A New York Republican says the Empire State needs to radically alter its tax and business policies to reverse the population outflow that the cause of their loss of two House seats. New Yorkers just elected Andrew Cuomo as their governor, so I do not believe they will do much to reverse their liberal tax-and-spend policies (although those policies will probably be constrained by their economic and fiscal realities).

Another good article in The New York Times today (that is two in a row for the Old Grey Lady). This one is about how a small Alabama city failed to find their public employee pension plans, which ran out of money in 2009. The doleful consequences for the city and their retired employees stands as a stark warning for all the municipalities and states across the country that have over-promised and will soon start to under-deliver or face bankruptcy.

Jay Cost takes on the folks who still believe in the 'emerging Democratic majority'. Cost believes the false assumption they make (and I agree with him) is that Hispanic voters can be automatically assigned to the Democratic camp. Wrong. Hispanics are not African-Americans (a bloc that is 90% for the Democrats). In fact, as Cost points out, Hispanics in New York and other Northeastern urban areas vote quite differently than do Hispanics in Texas or Florida. Although Cost does not write about this aspect of the story, the reason for the differences is quite simple. Hispanics are incredibly diverse, sharing a language, but with variations in history and culture that can be quite dramatic. A Mexican-American in Texas from a family that has lived in the region for two centuries is quite different from a Puerto Rican recently arrived in New York City from his island home, for instance. Failure to take these differences into account is one reason why political analysts make improper conclusions about how Hispanics will vote.

George Will writes about 'the FICA scream'.

E.J. Dionne celebrates the progressive accomplishments of the recent Congress and the performance of those Democrats who gave their seats for the cause.

Finally, teenage girls with guns.

AFSCME responds to the 60 Minutes report about the fiscal crisis in the states. While they are correct to point out that many states have failed to fully contribute to their pension plans, they refuse (of course) to admit that their pension plans are far more generous than many private sector plans, and that these plans constitute a $1 trillion liability (follow that link to a report from the Pew Center on the States...the head of AFSCME can slam Governor Christie all he wants, but the Pew Center is non-partisan, so I suspect he won't mention them or their report).

Charlie Gasparino says some Obama advisers took time out to listen to some CEOs and bankers. I doubt it did any good.

The New York Times publishes this article about the scientist whose carbon dioxide measurements of the atmosphere got the ball rolling on the global warming theory.

John Bolton says the U.S. should not bail out Europe should the Euro crisis continue.

The FCC is poised to pass so-called 'Net Neutrality' rules.

Check out this 60 Minutes report on the fiscal day of reckoning that has arrived for the 50 states.

The Mayor of London, battling the snow and severe cold that has gripped his city, writes about a friend of his who is predicting a new ice age. Until the scientific community provides some sort of consensus on how and why the previous ice ages happened, I'm open to any theory, and to the idea that anthropogenic global warming, while it may be happening, could be overwhelmed by countervailing natural forces.

Belarus falls back into old patterns of dictatorship.

Jay Cost writes about the new census and how it will improve the position of the Republican Party for 2012 and beyond.

Once again the North Koreans, after much bluster, retreat from their rhetoric. The historic pattern continues, although some are still worried that it might not. I believe the Kim Family Regime that rules North Korea is not composed of stupid people. They know how to milk the system. Threats and provocative acts lead to bribes being paid.

Former NH Senator John E. Sununu writes about the Democrats who give the lie to fiscal horror stories.

Michael Barone writes about how Pelosi and Reid got mugged by public opinion. Elections have consequences.

Robert J. Samuelson writes about how public employee pensions and health care costs, a corrupt bargain between politicians and public employee unions, are poised to bankrupt the states.

Ed Driscoll writes about the changing demographics in the U.S. that will see more congressional seats allocated to Red States and fewer to Blue States.

The bones of Amelia Earhart, or a turtle? DNA analysis may provide the answer. If the bones are shown to be those of the famous aviatrix, then one of the 20th Century's great mysteries will have been solved.

America's debt default may happen sooner than we think, according to this piece.

Jon Stewart interviews the Muppet version of RNC Chairman Michael Steele (who I hope will soon be former RNC Chairman).

Fergus Cullen writes this column about the new Speaker of the New Hampshire House, Bill O'Brien, who rose quickly from backbencher to Speaker.

The compromise tax package has passed the House after earlier passing the Senate. This means, among other things, that we will not see a tax increase next year. Charles Krauthammer is amazed at how quickly President Obama has come back from defeat. If he keeps it up, he will have a far easier time getting re-elected in 2012 than most anyone thinks right now.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was forced to retreat on a massive $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill after losing several Republicans he thought might vote with him. In a nice piece of Senate theatrics, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed replacing the bill with a one-page piece of legislation. This is all about avoiding a shutdown of government operations, of course. The GOP learned from its experiences in the mid-1990s that forcing a shutdown is bad politics, but they also seem to understand that the public hates the idea of these big, catch-all bills that spend huge sums of money. McConnell's suggestion, which is to do just the minimum to keep the government running for a couple of months until lawmakers can properly construct another bill, is a political winner.

Here is a cool story about how back in 1969 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stopped the water flowing over the American side of the Niagara Falls. Cool pictures, too.

Caroline Glick writes about how Western feminists are blind to the repression of women in Muslim societies.

Victor Davis Hanson writes about the parts of California that look like the Third World.

Paul Krugman thinks a commission appointed to look into the reasons for the financial collapse in 2008 has hopelessly missed the bus on the reasons for the collapse, because their GOP members are the evil minions of the evil bankers.

As European leaders gather for yet another summit they face questions about the survival of the Euro and, by extension, the European Project itself. While the bond markets have stabilized for the moment, political unrest continues as Italy sees riots in Rome, while protests continue to erupt in Greece over their austerity policies. It seems to me that there are a couple of possible flash points down the road. The most immediate is whether or not Germany will agree to some form of permanent bailout mechanism. The more long-term problem is the eventual political reaction to austerity. Will governments in places like Greece and Ireland fall? Will extremists come to the fore? The longer this Great Recession lasts (and its effects will continue to be felt even if, technically speaking, we are not in negative growth, but continue with very sluggish growth), the greater the chances for political and social upheaval.

Nicholas Kristof has this story about a heroic Muslim woman in Somalia who forced a local Islamist militia to back down. In the end the struggle with Islamists will be won or lost by Muslims.

George Will wonders if we will see a replay of the Tet Offensive in Afghanistan. If you don't understand the analogy, just remember that the Tet Offensive in Vietnam at the beginning of 1968 turned public opinion here in American against the war (despite the fact that it was a tactical defeat for the Communists which resulted in the near destruction of the Viet Cong as a fighting force in South Vietnam). Tet confirmed for the American people that there could be no traditional victory in Vietnam. I think that more Americans every day are concluding that we can never win in Afghanistan. The only reason there is not an enormous groundswell of opposition to the war is because it is being fought by such a small segment of our population, all of whom voluntarily signed up to put on a uniform.

The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll shows continuing discontent across the land, and the President's job approval rating back down to 49 percent.

Some speculation as to what Justice Kennedy might say about the health insurance mandate in Obamacare. If the writer is correct, then the court will strike it down. They should, of course, as it is a perverse notion to believe that the government can force you to buy something. Alas, many people believe the government should have almost limitless power.

New data shows the richest area in the country is the area surrounding Washington, DC. It is a revealing story, because it shows just how large and powerful our Federal Government has become. The suburban counties surrounding the Capitol, filled as they are with highly paid government employees and the even more highly paid lawyers and lobbyists whose job it is to shape the power of that government to the needs of their clients, are prospering while the rest of the country continues to struggle.

Richard Holbrooke, dead at 69. I always got the impression that, so far as diplomacy goes, he was the "A" team.

Prime Minister Berlusconi of Italy faces a no-confidence vote. If he fails, that could mean another shock wave through the Eurozone.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, blasts the Europhiles who ridiculed people, like Johnson, who believed the common currency was a recipe for disaster. I share that opinion, as I believe it is impossible to share a common monetary policy without a common fiscal policy.

Tim Pawlenty writes about one of our most pressing problems as we close out the first decade of the 21st Century, which is the fact that government employee unions are bankrupting the states.

There has been much written over the last few days about the case of a Columbia professor who is being charged with incest for having a sexual relationship with a close female relative. Some of the more libertarian-leaning writers are discussing the issue of whether or not a consensual sexual relationship between adults ought to be prohibited by law. This excellent piece, which I found via Instapundit, examines the issue of morality and ethics without God.

Without our realizing it, television has become the place for high quality, intellectually stimulating entertainment. I agree. Shows like The Wire, Mad Men, The Sopranos, Battlestar Galactica (the new one) and mini-series like Band of Brothers are the reason to watch television these days, and are all better than most of the movies being made recently.

Congressman Ron Paul gets a front-page article in The New York Times. They treat him rather well, actually. Certainly it may get a few more people to learn about the Austrian School of economic thought.

Michael Barone writes about the New Deal Democrats, and why New Deal-type programs no longer work.

Robert J. Samuelson writes about how the Great Recession has made Americans averse to risk, with potentially debilitating consequences for the economy. The Great Depression cemented itself into the American psyche for decades. This latest downturn is not as severe (not yet, at least), so I do not expect its effects will last as long.

George Will celebrates the Bush v. Gore decision.

Jay Cost reminds Republicans that they should not underestimate the President when it comes to considering the 2012 election.

Victor Davis Hanson wonders where we go from here.

It is oftentimes difficult to assess a political situation from afar, which is why so many of us, me included, rely on opinion molders to help provide insight. This is the reason I read so many opinion columns each day. Over the years I have learned to trust the perspective of certain experienced political observers. I can get a sense of what people are thinking on the far left by reading some writers, the far right by reading others. Every now and then, however, we get a situation that is so muddled it is almost impossible to make a sound judgment. The recent deal on the Bush tax cuts is one of those moments. Did Obama make a good deal, or a lousy judgment? Did the Republicans get what they wanted? Most importantly, what is best for the country?

Well, how do the pundits read the deal, and the President's demeanor in his press conference?

Paul Krugman thinks it sets up a situation that will create a sputtering economy just in time for the 2012 election, making it almost impossible for Obama to win reelection.

Yet Charles Krauthammer thinks the Republicans got rolled by the President who managed to get a bigger stimulus from this plan than his much reviled earlier stimulus package.

Peggy Noonan thinks that after spending his first year losing the center, President Obama has now spent his second year losing his base.

Meanwhile, David Brooks thinks the President has had a very good week.

Looking at recent poll numbers, Nile Gardner thinks the President is in real trouble.

So, what to make of all of this? Even the most experienced and highly educated people can trap themselves within the confines of their ideological tendencies. We all look at the world, not through rose colored glasses, but through the lens of our life experiences and ideational conclusions about how the world works. Paul Krugman is convinced the morally corrupt Republican leadership, in their ongoing efforts to protect the plutocracy, are using their cunning tricks to roll the President. Krauthammer sees a cunning President combined with a bumbling Republican leadership, too focused on the narrow task of scoring political points, combining to enact terrible policy. David Brooks sees Obama as a man still searching for the holy grail of bipartisan, middle-of-the-road, politics of moderation. We all see what we want to see.

Walter Russell Mead warns about the coming financial meltdown of some big blue states, like California, New York and Illinois.

Karl Rove writes about the Democratic revolt against Obama's tax cut compromise with the Republicans. There is a very real possibility that the compromise will not pass.

James Taranto writes about the reaction to the plan from the left.

E.J. Dionne wonders if the President is capable of winning battles against the right.

Jay Cost thinks the left is full of bluster now, but will loyally and enthusiastically line up with Obama in 2012.

President Obama seems to be losing his cool. Yesterday, he went out and met the press to answer questions about the tax cut deal and ended up ranting about those ungrateful liberals who are bashing him because he had to give in to those hostage-taking Republicans. I am more convinced than ever that this man is a narcissist, and may very well go down in history as one of the weakest and most dangerous men ever to be elected President.

Speaking of losing one's cool, go to the National Review website and scroll down to the Kieth Olbermann video. Olbermann's anti-Obama rant (he compares him to Neville Chamberlain, of all people) is epic, and I think it accurately expresses the nearly apoplectic anger on the left against Obama.

Michael Barone believes Obama is now on the verge of becoming Jimmy Carter. Carter, you will recall, ended up angering the left in his own party so much that Ted Kennedy took a run at him in the primaries. If Kennedy had not done such a disastrous job in the Howard Mudd interview he might have won the nomination. In any event, Carter was annihilated by Reagan in the general. Will we see a repetition in 2012? There is no one of Kennedy's stature that the left can rally around, but I would not be surprised to see someone give it a go. Of course, there is no one of Reagan's stature on the Republican side, either, but they will have to nominate someone.

John Podhoretz has this reaction to Obama's press conference.

Tony Blankley says White House strategists are debating whether the President ought to use the Harry Truman strategy of 1946-48 or the Bill Clinton strategy of 1994-96. Both men faced a devastating repudiation of their party during the mid-term. Clinton moved to the center, while Truman fought the GOP by ferociously defending the FDR legacy. This, of course, is a different era. I would argue that the reason Truman won by going left while Clinton won by going right is that a majority of the vast middle and working class constituency of the country was still in favor of the New Deal approach in the late 1940s (and all the way into the late 1960s), but had drifted away from that viewpoint by the 1990s. Future historians will see Obama's election as a fluke, especially after he is repudiated in 2012.

President Obama makes a deal with the Republicans on extending the Bush tax cuts for all taxpayers, including the wealthy, for two years. It is a complex deal that includes temporarily lowering payroll taxes and extending unemployment benefits, among other things. It still needs to pass the lame duck Congress, so enough Democrats will need to join the Republicans to get it through.

Jennifer Rubin believes that the President sold out the left to make the deal, which she sees as a clear victory for the GOP. I believe she is absolutely correct in that assessment.

Katrina vanden Heuvel is almost ready to abandon the President, asserting that he has abandoned the left. I think she is right, which is why I expect someone from the left will challenge Obama in the Democratic primaries in 2012.

Jay Cost writes about that possibility, and concludes that there is no one that he can see who has the stature to beat Obama for the nomination, but that does not preclude the possibility that he will be challenged by someone who can weaken him during the process, as Pat Buchanan did to George H.W. Bush in 1992.

John Bolton says Barack Obama is a bigger danger than anything leaked by WikiLeaks.

Michael J. Totten says the leaked documents show that Arab leaders want the U.S. to act against Iran.

There are certain jobs Barack Obama does not want to see come back from the recession.

Paul Krugman hopes the President will not make a deal to extend the Bush tax cuts.

Ross Douthat is concerned about working class attitudes toward marriage and family.

Glenn Harlan Reynolds believes President Obama has turned government up to 11.

Robert Samuelson says the debt commission missed the crucial debate that is needed if we are ever to reign in deficits.

I will be on WBZ-AM in Boston tonight from 10 PM to Midnight substituting for Bradley Jay. Among the items I am thinking about for discussion...

Should Congress extend the Bush tax cuts for everyone, including people making over $250,000 a year? Last night the Senate, as expected, shot down the President's first proposal which had earlier passed the House, and now negotiations have begun in earnest about some compromise. If they strike a deal, it will likely involve extending unemployment benefits as well.

How should Congress deal with deficits? Cut spending, raise taxes, or both? The report of the bipartisan deficit commission did not get enough votes to trigger an automatic vote in Congress, but it has sparked a plethora of alternative plans which should provide the basis for further debate. Still, the choices are so difficult it will, in my estimation, require enormous public pressure to get Congress to realistically debate the issue.

Should gays be allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military? The most opposition to the proposal comes from the branches most heavily involved in combat...the Army and Marines. Here is one example of that opposition. There are also a host of unanswered questions about how allowing open homosexuals to serve would work in practice.

Do full body scans and pat downs go too far in airline security?

Should Congress pass the DREAM act (which would essentially give amnesty to the children of illegal immigrants to attend school)?

What, if anything, should be done about the WikiLeaks problem?

It is only a two-hour show, so I will probably pick one and run with it, but I like to have lots of options. You can listen over the air at 1030 AM, or online.

South Korea's new defense chief vows to retaliate directly against the North should they launch another attack like the recent artillery barrage. Is there a better way to deal with North Korea?

Paul Krugman has at last concluded what some of us have known for a long time, that President Obama is an empty suit. David Brooks creates a fantasy Obama who boldly leads us to serious tax reform. Don't hold your breath, David.

Meanwhile, the President is trying to make a deal with Congress on the extension of some of the Bush tax cuts. The House passed some legislation on the matter, but it is unlikely to pass the Senate. If nothing is done about the increase in the capital gains tax, we might see a stock market crash as investors decide to take their gains before January 1.

Here is a call to roll back Obama's spending.

Charles Krauthammer says we should prosecute the founder of WikiLeaks.

Victor Davis Hanson sees recent events as a tragic lesson in reality for Liberals, here and in Europe.

This story tells the tale of what happens when state governments, in this case Arizona, cut Medicaid. People in need of life-saving transplant procedures are taken off the waiting list, and die as a result. I hope people read the story and then spend some serious time thinking about it. When government runs health care, government officials decide who gets treated and who does not, based on whether or not they will pay for the procedures. They do this within budgeting constraints set by elected representatives. In the Arizona story, the people impacted by this are unable to pay for the procedures themselves, or afford insurance that can pay for it. In a universal government-run health system, everyone will be in the same boat. Which do you prefer? A system where people of means (through private insurance) can pay for life-saving procedures, but people who do not have the means cannot, or a system where government officials, acting within budgets created by elected representatives, make those decisions? Don't hold your breath waiting for the debate to be framed in those terms.

The deficit commission unveils its proposal to deal with the problem. The commissioners will vote on Friday and the package will go to Congress to die. Some more on the proposal here.

Stu Rothenberg writes about the GOP sweep in Ohio.

There are reports that the Federal Reserve is poised to give additional aid to the IMF to help bail out the Eurozone. The Fed stepped in to help European banks during the financial crisis, so this does not seem like a stretch.

Benny Avni writes about the assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist. It certainly seems like a Mossad operation. Certainly the Israelis have the means and the motive to mount such an operation, and Avni believes they may have had help from the U.S., some Arab countries in the region, and Iranian dissidents.

Arthur Herman says the leaked State Department documents show an agency still mired in old-fashioned ways of thinking and doing.

Victor Davis Hanson says the next few years will be Jerry Brown's last hurrah as the 72-year-old liberal icon takes on the thankless job of Governor of California.

The head of South Korea's intelligence agency believes the North Koreans will attack his country again.

David Ignatius wonders if killing terrorists, rather than capturing and interrogating them, is the best way to fight them. He is right to wonder about this, as it seems to me it would be better to capture them, get them to talk, seize their papers, cell phones, etc., and learn what we can. But President Obama created this mess with his pandering to his anti-war base by claiming he could shut down the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and by forcing the CIA to close their "black" facilities. Now, instead of holding them and gaining valuable intelligence from them, we are reduced to killing them by remote control. Politically clean, but operationally problematic.

A much anticipated report from the Pentagon says the Congress should repeal the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy regarding gays in the military. Essentially, they took a survey of the troops. In the reporting about this story I expect you will see different interpretations of the results. People who are inclined to believe that gays should be allowed to serve openly will emphasize the fact that when you add up the percentages of service members who say they are OK with it (saying it would have a positive impact, mixed impact or no impact) you get to 70 percent. People who are opposed will point out that actual combat troops are opposed to it by higher percentages than support personnel. As for me, my understanding of the military (including my own three years of service in the U.S. Army) leads me to believe that it is not a democracy. The civilians at the top, starting with the President, make policy decisions based in part on the recommendations of the senior officers who command the forces. They, in turn, make judgements based on their experience, and the advice and recommendations that come up through the ranks via more junior officers and NCOs. When in doubt, the guiding principle should always remain the same...what helps us achieve our mission goals? If keeping open homosexuals out of the military improves our ability to fight and win, then they should be excluded. If keeping them out hurts our ability to fight and win, then let them in. Rather than just take a survey, officers, NCOs, and enlisted personnel should all be part of the fact-finding process. But, of course, that will not happen, in part because the issue will be decided by a judge, unless the Congress repeals the policy, which is why the Pentagon is moving so fast on this in the first place.

A new poll shows a majority of Americans prefer program cuts to tax increases as a way to balance budgets. Of course, when they start getting into the details we find that majorities or significant minorities are opposed to cutting the big entitlement programs.

The bipartisan deficit panel has delayed a vote on their final recommendation package as they lack the votes to pass it on to Congress. Of course, I am not surprised.

European leaders continue to deal with nervous bond investors. If those investors start to stampede toward the exits the Eurozone could collapse.