Is the economic crisis a kaleidoscope or a snow globe?

This is not a trivial question. Consider the metaphorical difference between the two toys. A twist of the kaleidoscope shatters one image and produces an entirely — and manifestly­ — new one from the old components. A shake of the snow globe, on the other hand, creates a flurry that momentarily obscures the view, but eventually leaves things looking almost exactly as they did before.