I cannot believe how desperate some democrats can be. To read Tom Friedman admiring the Olympic pyramids and wish we, too, were slaves busy building similar mega structures boggles my mind.

It probably shouldn't. He is not the New York Times columnists to admire Mussolini's punctual trains, Stalin's mega structures and Hitler's Olympics certainly drew plenty of praise. Silly me, I had a stronger core.

So, no, we do not need mega-structures. We do need to end the reign of King Oil by increasing energy supplies of all kind. The rest is gravy.

Alex emails:

Actually, Judith, I think Friedman's got a point. After all, you can get a lot done if you aren't hampered by pesky stuff like free elections, competing interest groups, and a government that is subject to legal and political checks. We could have Washington look every bit as shiny as Beijing except that our government would encounter problems in closing down industries, moving undesirables out of town, and encouraging friendliness rather forcefully. There was a report of a sign that told locals that"the Police Remind You to Smile." By golly, if we had the sort of political system the Some People's Republic has and I was reminded by the police to smile, you'd find me a source of bountiful cheer.

I don't like to show off my classical education, but Beijing during the Olympics reminded me of the Monty Python sketch about Happy Valley, where everyone was cheerful and happy because those who weren't had been put to death.