Zombie banks are insolvent financial institutions with liabilities exceeding their assets, kept alive by government support to prevent systemic financial panic. Common during economic crises, such as in 1990s Japan and post-2008 Europe, they survive by using regulatory forbearance to postpone recognizing losses. While preventing short-term panic, these banks hinder economic recovery by trapping capital and fostering "zombie companies.

You are a leader of a small state bordering a hostile regional hegemon ruled by a dictatorship. Your only major alternative for protection is the U.S.

Uncertainty avoidance - measures the extent to which different cultures socialise their members into accepting ambiguous situations and tolerating uncertainty. So, in a culture that ranks high on uncertainty avoidance, people place a premium on job security, retirement benefits, and so on, while in a low uncertainty culture, people are more willing to take risks, and are less resistant to change.