Well, thespians, you sound the gong of mellerdrammer beautifully, enough to send the audience home in tears.

But let us not roll over quite too soon. Peter T, the difference between America and Rome is that we have a documented intial vision, and a Constitution which sooner or later will not support any more hackery.

You will recall why Yamamoto had to be forced into war with the United States -- he feared his hot headed colleagues wouold awaken a sleeping giant. And slowly but surely, they did. We wake up even more slowly when the enemy is within. But wake, sooner or later, we shall.

The only imperial influence I am interested in having on the world, if possible, is one of stabilizing the worst swings in order to maximize the possibility for some kind of growth and re-design of better ways in the future.

Bobert: The reason we have so many people syaing they never supported the Vietnam war is that most of them were born after it was over.

A