Ethically, the United States government has been moribund for some time now. Under the aegis of the Bush administration, the death-rattle is almost deafening.

As the "moral leader of the world," methinks that title has long since moved elsewhere. To be a "moral leader" requires that one have a moral or two. And to lead, one need remember that people are like a strand of spaghetti. It's far more effective to lead it than it is to push it.

Don Firth