American's ignorance of basic historical facts is well documented.
In fact, the results from some polls is downright alarming.

It’s been 15 years since an unelected administration put us on the permanent war footing we inhabit today, and transformed our nation utterly.

I wish I could say a terrible beauty is born, but unlike the Irish revolution, the post-9-11 American state can claim no beauty to accompany its terrors.

If a war resulting in tens of millions of casualties can be described as such, over the years World War II came to be known as the "Good War" for much of the Western world. It is often said that the victors of a war, any war, write its history. This is almost always true with perhaps one major exception.

10 April 1932: Paul von Hindenburg is re-elected President of Germany as a lesser of evils, the greater evil being Adolf Hitler of the NSDAP ("Nazi Party"). Germany was thus indefinitely saved from Nazi rule. No, wait -- that's not what happened at all, so:

Part I: Boy, I Hope This Doesn't Suck

I made a comment last weekend that Joe, gulfgal, and JtC asked me to turn into an essay. The gist of the comment is that arguing about whether we should be focused on electoral politics or not misses the point of where we are, politically, right now. It's been a hell of a slog trying to make it into an essay, because I'm trying to sum up where I think we are politically without writing a 6-book series and boring you all to tears! So, I hope this doesn't suck--and I beg your indulgence.