Here's an interesting accounting summary of the THEMES highlighted and ignored at the RNC.

See the article's footer for a link to a similar accounting for the DNC.

I am continually astonished at how Orwellian phrases like "war on terror" simply float through the daily pages and over the screens of what passes for political analysis in today's news outlets.

Doublespeak on steroids, to put it mildly.

If one goes beyond rhetorical gamesmanship and the sort of "who's speech was better than whose" sort of commentary that often passes for political analysis, one might discover that, not only are Bush and McCain's positions not much different (as the linked article concludes - no surprise here), but that the Republicans and Democrats' positions on most major issues of the day are not much different, at the end of the day.

Where is the candidate who will champion decentralization, relocalzation and related matters?

The answer: it doesn't really matter. We must do the good work in our states and locales to prepare for a 21st century that is emerging as very different from the 20th.

The Empire will defend itself to its dying breath.

The bigger question is: can we citizens of said Empire re-invent our communities for the unique 21st century challenges we face moving forward?