The shooting in Newtown is but another symbol of the malaise pervading the US.

The right to bear arms; the inalienable right to pursue personal maximisation above national well-being; the sink or swim culture that pervades everywhere; and the effective bankruptcy of the US; are a toxic and heady brew.

I suspect that a movement of only a few degrees in each of these attributes will inevitably lead to a  level of combustability never seen  before in the US. All it needs is a small spark to ignite the nation into a morass of lawlessness and anarchy that will make the Arab Spring seem like a child's birthday party.