[Billthedrill]

Sorry - last sentence should read "a U.S. restrained by those rules is a U.S. more vulnerable." Dang fingers...

[Cyber Liberty]

Thanks. I was about to cut 'n' paste that. I thought maybe you'd turned to the dark side in the middle of a post.

[Nip]

Tom Clancy has said it the best.

In his novel, Executive Orders, two of his characters are talking about the United States and why everyone makes serious mistakes when dealing with us:

"America often suffers from a lack of political direction. That is not the same as incompetence.

"You know what they are like? A vicious dog held on a short leash - and because he cannot break the leash, people delude themselves that they need not fear him.

"But, within the arc of that leash he is invincible.

"And a leash, Comrade Chairman, is a temporary thing."

And to quote the Bard:

Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war......