i am somewhat amused at how, at the same time that there's all this hand wringing over the possibility of a theocracy developing in iraq, the leaders of the free world are swarming to the planet's only true theocracy to attend the funeral of one of the few remaining absolute monarchs.
i realize that, as both a country and a religion, the vatican always has a unique and special status. but the country really is an oddity. if any other country were structured like the vatican--a theocratic dictatorship where females are legally prohibited from holding positions of authority--it would be a pariah nation. president bush and other elected leaders wouldn't want to be seen anywhere near a funeral like this.
