Guest Blog-Post By An All American Patriot (Proper) ...

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For the first time, we're delighted to say we've gotten you a genuinely great American guy (and friend), as a guest blogger. He's Michael Scott. And right here at the outset we want to make it plain how much we appreciate Mike's contribution.

My name is Michael Scott, and I'm a California attorney. Richard of This Old Brit and I have "conversed" online for several years, and I think we're largely simpatico on issues of human rights and war and peace (both roughly "for - against - for" if I'm not mistaken).

I certainly appreciate reading the opinion of someone a little older, more experienced -- an Englishman, a European -- on the issues of the day.

Anyway, yesterday I watched a good portion of the British Parliament's Question Time, with your new PM Gordon Brown replacing Tony B-Liar for the first time.

Then, I thought to myself, how is it that the British managed to get rid of the administration that lied them into the Iraq War, a feat we haven't been able to do here in the States?

Why did we fight a Revolutionary War, again?

Wasn't the object to come away with even more rights, and more democracy, than we started out with?

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I hate to "load up" my post with two videos, but the following melancholy song best sums up how I've felt "celebrating" this particular Fourth of July.

It's from Paul Simon (first broadcast in 1975 on the BBC, appropriately enough), and it's entitled, "American Tune":

I don't know a soul who's not been battered

I don't have a friend who feels at ease

I don't know a dream that's not been shattered

or driven to its knees

but it's alright, it's alright

for we lived so well so long

Still, when I think of the

road we're traveling on

I wonder what's gone wrong

I can't help it, I wonder what's gone wrong

Yep, that about sums it up. G'night, all. Michael Scott.

Michael, mate, you're far from being alone. The truth is that the whole wide world wonders with you - indeed, what did go wrong - and when?


Finally, for those who may have forgotten it (or perhaps never even knew), here you can see for yourself 'some little old (long lost?) thing' -- called THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION.

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