Majoring in the minors
A friendly reminder for those who are still following the war: Georgia started it. Russia's response has been grossly disproportionate, sure, but don't kid yourself about poor innocent Georgia. What saddens me about US-Russian relations today is that they didn't have to be this way. There is nothing intrinsic in either the Russian or US character that destines us to always be enemies. Our current rivalry is the result of the foreseen and avoidable consequences of many bad decisions since the end of the Cold War. I'm convinced a lot of it is just pure anti-Russian (or anti-slav) animus. McCain's hatred of Russia is white hot and uncompromising. If you're convinced Russia will be our eternal enemy until the Second Coming, then McCain's your man.

Many people get hung up on the form of government while avoiding altogether questions of its essence. From whence does the government derive its civil authority? If the source of the government's authority is rationalistic principles based on the unrestricted will of man - whether it's one dictator or an elected legislator - then we are not truly free, regardless of whether that government has the form of democracy or not.

Solzhenitsyn had the right idea: it does no good to change the form of government if the essence remains unchanged.

We were recently entertained by a naïve fable of the happy arrival at the “end of history,” of the overflowing triumph of an all-democratic bliss; the ultimate global arrangement had supposedly been attained. But we all see and sense that something very different is coming, something new, and perhaps quite stern. No, tranquility does not promise to descend on our planet, and will not be granted us so easily.