The European Banking System is Finally on the Verge of Collapse

I hate to sound alarmist, but it looks as though the European banking system - and consequently the global banking system - is edging its way towards another epic collapse. That means in just a few short months, stocks could be back at their 2009 lows while gold prices travel north of $2,500 an ounce. This is the worst-case scenario that's been bandied about ever since Europe's debt problems first came to light. How do we know that this is what's happening?