I invite our readers to celebrate today, Sunday, December 26, 2004, as Boxing Day, and not as just another Sunday. In the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada people will be celebrating Boxing Day. Check here for an explanation. Since this year Boxing Day falls on a Sunday, tomorrow (Monday) is a bank holiday. And since Christmas Day fell on a Saturday, Tuesday is another bank holiday. (You might think that Monday's holiday would be in lieu of Sunday, and Tuesday's in lieu of Saturday, but they aren't.)

If the United States hadn't left the British Empire, Americans might well be celebrating Boxing Day. That said, the United States could apply to rejoin the British Empire (as envisaged by George Bernard Shaw in his play The Applecart) except there is now no empire, not even the British Commonwealth, just the Commonwealth, and I'm not clear that such a humble name would suit the hubris of the current American administration.

Of course, there's nothing to prevent independent-minded readers of Liberty & Power celebrating today and the next two days as holidays, irrespective of the absence of an edict from the federal government. I invite you all to do so.