I haven't seen CNN for many years, but just caught a glimpse in the helot's lounge: WOW, talk about heavy-duty propaganda! Noticed the question for discussion today was 'should NATO send in ground troops?' As if the answer wasn't scripted weeks ago. Can you say 'escalation?' Anyhow, happened across this quote by that good old guy, Sallustius, who died 2,034 years ago. It struck a chord for me regarding contemporary American imperial hubris, and the moral fibre of our leaders: "Before the destructionof Carthage the Roman people and senate together governed the commonwealth peacefully and moderately, nor was there rivalry among citizens for glory and power; fear of the enemy kept the state on the path of justice. But when the minds were freed from that fear, immorality and arrogance, which are encouraged by prosperity, entered them. Thus the peace which they had desired proved all the more cruel and harsh after they got it. For the nobles began to turn their dignity, and the people their liberty, into license, and every man took, robbed, and pillaged for himself."

-- Spidey (in@jam.com), March 29, 1999