SRS, you got there before me. If certain politicos had bothered to read or even listen to the material around them, such as Uncle Remus, and perhaps had thought, they might not have been so quick to get angry over not getting the answer they wanted. In essence, Saddam is Bush's Tar Baby.

The nature of parable is as a teaching tool. As has been mentioned, the Brer Rabbit tales are meant to be used, as are the Jack Tales, as are the Coyote and Fox and all the other tales.

The important thing is not the language that is used for the tale. It is the fact that the tale is heard and retained. It is important that the material should be available for later thought and retelling.