A Tale of Two Countries in Times of Crisis

Politicians suck- that's a given.  But some suck more than others.  Faced with daunting challenges earlier this year in the aftermath of one of the country's worst natural disasters, Japanese politicians set aside their differences for a time to concentrate on the reconstruction of the country. Switch scenes to the US during the current debt limit impasse, every bit as serious for the country as 3/11 was for Japan.  America's so-called "leaders" refuse to compromise for ideological reasons on the depth of cuts to social programs (apparently the only way to reach an agreement is on the backs of the most vulnerable- the parties differ on how many people to allow to slip through what remains of the safety net). President Obama, monsieurs Cantor and Boehner- hell, the entire Republican Party, the Tea Partyists, all but one or two Democrats- Washington D.C. is teeming with assholes.