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UPDATE: The founders of the nation envisioned Enlightenment principles put into practice in a federated nation, which, in their wisdom, they likely did not foresee as miring itself for no clear reason in a never ending war, and not with a tangible enemy, but with "TERROR." Intangible is better because of its flexibility; and we were told not flexibility, but necessity. By someone delivering a speech written by a Michael Gerson, who now flaks for WaPo, and touts involvement [per sidebar here] in an organization ostensibly aimed at ending distress and suffering on the African continent. Vaguely so, posting on the Internet. Not terror as the enemy this go round, but human suffering. On an anniversary date we may ask about the actual and the smokescreen. Are we evolved from Enlightenment principles to a nation of Michael Gersons? Isn't it about time we got better in terms of goals and directions? And substance vs. words?
FURTHER UPDATE: A short discourse on "terrorism," and the wisdom and effectiveness of warring against it; in general okay, but short on emphasis that standing armies needing a fight lest they be asked to sit down, etc.
FURTHER UPDATE: As to foreign policy re Iraq making sense if a premise is a policy goal was to destabilize the Levant and set Sunni and Shia into civil war, each linked to a theocratic approach reminiscent of post-Reformation European disjunctions. Keep oil prices from being too low by crimping a supply area, while NoDak awaits climbing prices so that a band of stability might exist while we transition to wind and solar, keeping petro resources for petrochem usage, e.g., the wind turbine blades need carbon fiber and expoxy resin as fabrication inputs. Those items come from petrochem processing, so the substitute for burning fossil fuel entirely is to burn a little in the chemical plants that have been outsourced from Europe and here to China and India.
As to "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" re income and wealth disparity being domestic policy of too many of U.S. politicians past and present, and an experience for those on the short end of the disparity, including Tea Partiers who think, a range of YouTube econ postings of interest via direct content as well as sidebar suggestions, if starting e.g. here, here or here.
FURTHER UPDATE: A google. From the date clustering some may wrongly conclude Piketty has ebbed to little beyond yesterday's news. Yes, if you do not follow the links, or better read the book. No, if you at least surf the links in that google. Those who can read should.