It's a commonplace that we are in transition from national sovereignty to international capitalist sovereignty. This transition is a zone of blurred identification. Who are "we" anyway? (1) When asked to fight the War on Terror, Americans are asked to defend "their country," and think nationally. (2) When told to tolerate job outsourcing, less free time, harsher working conditions, etc., Americans are told to understand "the realities of the global marketplace," and think globally. "Are we "defending our nation" so that our government can hand over yet more power to corporate entities with no national affiliation? Is it a case of "When they need us, it's national defense; when they screw us over, it's global economics." There's a deep disconnect there. The political paradox seems to be a sort of hostage situation, in which citizens, through patriotic appeals, are asked to defend institutions that are indifferent to them and to their country. But citizens and the government do defend these largely indifferent institutions because the economic might of these international institutions has taken the country hostage. Refutations and enhancements always welcome. Eric ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html