Thank you for weaving these pieces together. You may want to add excessive secrecy to the list. Based on what I've read so far of Code Names, I think that the DoD press backgrounder to which you linked last night (I'm guessing it was given by Cambone and Boykin) was likely an exercise in obfuscation and misdirection. It read to me more like "who's on first" than a candid discussion. One thing I have yet to determine is whether there are special access programs that the Pentagon would officially have to deny exist at all. I'm going to email Arkin about that. Moving on... I think that this theme that you and I keep returning to about the best aspect of conservative philosophy--that humans are not necessarily by their nature good and simply in need of "freance" or whatever--is what publius was trying to get at here to a certain extent, although I think he got tripped up in places. It's also important for modern-day liberals to remember not to go too far in embracing Burke. There are many aspects of conservatism that I find distasteful and small-minded. Some sort of pragmatic middle ground is needed. Finally, last night I thought about my generation and some of MY's past remarks on its authoritarian leanings (can't seem to find in the archives--he's move around a lot). My sense, though I can't prove it, is that the people born after 1978 or thereabouts are less enthused by true democratic principles than past generations; somehow, and I have no idea why, belief in the vital importance of the rule of law seems less inculcated in us--and I include myself here to some extent--in favor of expediency. That's why I don't think that we're hearing about much of a conversation on college campuses about where America is headed, votes for Kerry notwithstanding. But the MC can correct me if I'm wrong. (I also agree, by the way, that to filibuster would be futile.)