I’m moving and the police have ended the standoff two blocks north of my house. Needless to say, I have little time for the lofty ideals of a group of select men. Like many semithoughts here, I hope to develop them later. I really mulled over this for a couple days, but in the end I think Khrushcev said it best:

Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.

Nikita Khrushchev