as you probably know, on the grounds among others that concentrated power is extremely dangerous (more or less history's clearest lesson), with regard to practical politics i push toward a smaller state. my argument has been that republicans beef up the security state, democrats the welfare state, and hence that they dovetail in an ever-growing government. now i begin to think that obama gives us the worst of both worlds. he's as militaristic and as secretive as bush/cheney, and as much a social engineer as lbj, say. partly this is strategic: it's the idea that was first clearly applied in the kerry campaign: we gotta outwar the republicans, steal their thunder. at any rate, american history ain't going so well by my standards. i'd suggest an 8-year ron or rand paul administration to temper the enthusiasm.