It still seems unthinkable to most Europeans, but a growing number of outside analysts and investors believe the eurozone is headed toward a breakup as fast-moving market turmoil and a looming recession threaten to overwhelm the slow-motion response of European leaders.
Legislators in Washington who are tempted to punt yet again this fall and not take the painful medicine needed to tame the government's spiraling debt might want to consider the fates of European political leaders who did the same thing in years past.
Just as the outlook for the U.S. economy finally brightened in recent weeks, the darkening clouds in Europe threaten to overshadow budding signs of growth.
