Today, I think of wars: the obviously worthwhile war our nation fought before signing the Declaration of Independence in 1776; and the war our nation started some 227 years later, based on unquestioned claims that turned out to be untrue.
Most of our leaders didn't fully read the intelligence reports before voting for this war and likely regret that 3,500+ young Americans died and thousands more have come home severely wounded. As a reminder, I re-posted the Mile-Long Memorial photo). 
Then there's the new war that some leaders are itching to start. Today, as in 2003, I hear accusations against their target-nation reported in the media without question, giving me a most unsettling case of dejas vu.
Naturally, I think about our Founding Fathers, though not the fascinating aspects discussed in today's Washington Post. Rather, I think about how they might react to the current state of their nation.
After giving Ben Franklin a week's furlough on model-populated South Beach, the original patriots would congregate for a serious sit-down. Thomas Paine would volunteer for deployment to the White House and Supreme Court -- glove in hand -- to commit serial bitch-slappings over the erosion of his cherished separation of church and state (and other First Amendment tenets).
George Washington would brief the intelligence and military agencies, appealing to their sense of duty. After firing them up as only the father of our country could, he'd lead a raid on the Justice Department and oust all the politicos. They'd do the same at the FEC, FCC and FDA before hitting Georgetown for steaks and Martinis, where they would carefully avoid foods imported from China. After a good night's sleep, they'd visit the White House.
Ever the diplomat, Franklin would meet with both houses of Congress to brief elected officials on unfolding events and advise them on how to save themselves. For starters, he'd tactfully urge them to clean up the campaign-finance system, so they could rise unfettered and begin crafting public policy that serves the public.
Meanwhile, Thomas Jefferson would infiltrate the media, re-training journalists to investigate the deeds and challenge the words of all government officials. Next, he'd bring the blogosphere and mainstream media together to figure out how to redirect the public's attention toward real matters of public importance. Once that was accomplished, the massive team would strive to get every eligible voter registered, informed, and ready to raise hell if their leaders show signs of even contemplating betrayal.
That's what I've been thinking about today. Happy Fourth of July!
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