Astronomers, by taking the bold step in de-certifying Pluto as a planet, have shown politicians the way to world peace. De-certify small countries, duchies, principalities and miscellaneous states.

So we could de-certify Israel, Kuwait and nascent Palestine; that ought to alleviate 98.5% of world tension!

Let's see, Andorra, Monaco, Luxembourg and Vatican City would have to go...way to small. Vatican City only has a population of maybe 10, and they don't even reproduce. Yet I see problems here. These 'countries' produce some of the world's most beautiful postage stamps...beware rioting philatelists.

Moving west, Rhode Island and Delaware would have to merge with Connecticut to make one real state.

And in the Pacific all those little dots of land should be compressed into larger litte dots of land to make real countries.

You'll have to carry this on for me as I have a telescope to look through so I can say good-bye to Pluto. Hasta la vista, Pluto.