One of the supreme ironies of our time is that a religiously-motivated US president went to war in the name of God to set up a non-religious state in Iraq to protect Americans against a highly religious movement known as Al Qaeda.

The recent, less-than-informed coverage of the death of Benazir Bhutto reminds us of Neville Chamberlain's infamous comment about Czechsolovakia as " a faraway country about which we know nothing."

Of course Mr. Musharraf doesn't want to share power. Who does? Does The Times want to share power and influence with the LA Times or with the Washington Post? Of course not.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Church of England, stirred up a storm when he spoke of the Nativity as a "myth." The Pope didn't have that problem. Perhaps the Pope has a stronger brand identity than does the Church of England?

The Omaha mall incident adds 9 more victims onto this year's tally of innocents who died because of gun control.

Armed citizens make it a bit harder to do evil.

The secret of safety was and is crime prevention, not crime investigation.

A nation has to be unified enough that people want to share a government.

Never ascribe to hostility what can be explained by stupidity.

Leaders know that there's nothing as disruptive as information.