Praktike shoots slings and arrows at my doubts about the spellbinding power of globalization. I'll try for a better answer later on, though I should say I'm hardly of one mind on this. At times I've thought very seriously that the best solution to Iran would be to integrate them tightly into the global economy, regardless of whether they go nuclear or not. But that brings up a very wide difference between economic interdependence and economic integration. The latter would probably achieve all the rosy Tom Friedman-esque peaceful effects of globalization; but the former is what we've had for some time and will continue to get, and which, I think, does not necessarily prevent chaos or resentment. For every anecdote about global communication bringing the world together, there's another about rather passionate nationalism reacting strongly against it. It's a big debate; I just don't know, so I'll dutifully read the books suggested. And I should get on reading that RAND book. So much for my little promissory note of late!

Anyway, praktike's critique is interesting and well-learned, as usual. But the truly important question—and one which was the subject of a recent private dispute among unnamed bloggers—is this: Is his name pronounced "praktike" rhyming with "bike" or "praktike" rhyming with "beak." It's very mysterious.