>I think historic credentials are quite sufficient that England never be put in the column marked "cheese eating surrender monkeys" <g>
>
>I do think we have a great deal to learn from our cousins about running an empire without making too much of a mess.
>

Ahem. Read anything about the partitioning of India? (I'm sure you have).

Whenever I am tempted by the appeal of splitting Iraq up along religious lines, I think of that example.