Crazy Countries

The first sentence of Anna Karenina is one of the best-known openings of any novel: “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Somewhat similarly, finance professor Juan Fernandez seems to think that all countries are crazy, but each country is crazy in its own way.
The crazy country he has in mind in this video is the US, where he has been living for the last 20 years. As you know, from October 1 through 16, 2013, the United States federal government went into shutdown and curtailed most routine operations after Congress failed to enact legislation appropriating funds for fiscal year 2014. Regular government operations resumed on October 17, after an interim appropriations bill was signed into law the day before this video was shot in Washington D.C.
Prof. Fernandez concludes that this is a historical moment for the US that will have knock-on effects around the world.