Thus The Economist in its current edition. “Economic woes at home are testing Angela Merkel’s understanding of how best to use her power,” elaborates the newspaper. Nicely put, but what else would one expect from Frau Europa? Not leadership, to be sure. Whatever holds for Germany, holds for Europe as a whole. Pudgy, fumbling, forever dodging a clear answer, flabby, crafty… In this respect, Merkel remains the best emblem of the subcontinent. It is thus unlikely that criticism, no matter how crafty or witty, can do much to change her. Or Europe, for that matter. Sedating rather than leading is the only game left. And it is a game still worthy of the name. With so much wilting culture at ready disposal, both Merkel and Europe can bamboozle many an American, Asian, or African for the foreseeable future. And we are all dead in the long run, anyhow. In the meanwhile, enjoy Mozart and Leonardo and Proust and Hume and Cervantes and Bergman and Marco Polo and Kafka and so many others!