Quote of the Day

...It's a pageantry of transportation about to unfold: the 747 on the runway, the hearse, the motorcade procession of flag-fluttering limos with police escorts, the march of the honor guard...a long strip of stately visuals under which the anchors and guests will pad the dead air with gabby sidenotes and pertinent factoids. This is how we do it in America, the coverage will say: big, bright, and beautifully orchestrated. It's as if we're trying to soothe ourselves into believing that we're still the country we used to be, that's there's a higher seamlessness to American life undisturbed by the staccato rhythms of bad news. What happens in Iraq stays in Iraq. A flag-draped coffin is acceptable viewing only if a dead president is inside.  
James Wolcott