Mr. Washington said, "Government is like fire - an uncertain servant and a fearful master," but he missed the essence. At its core, governance boils down to two questions: "Who says?" and "Who pays?"

Virtually everyone who is anyone in American politics and media has roundly condemned any thought that Iran's President Ahmadinejad should be allowed to desecrate Ground Zero with his noisome presence. They are making a mistake.

Is American citizenship of such little concern that we don't mind it being awarded as the result of a crime?

If you buy something, that ought to mean you can do whatever you like with it - but big companies want to end that right.

Americans can show good judgment, and do have a conscience, and are willing to be reasonable - if the other side is being reasonable too.

Brazil serves as an object lesson in how government incompetence - not greed, not really bribery even, certainly not totalitarianism, just simple incompetence - can make life difficult on an otherwise free and vibrant economy.