Hibernating Bear

Interviewed by "Christian Century," Walter Russell Mead reminds idealistic U.S. policy makers that some nations are better equipped for political modernization than others -- and he's not talking about Iraq:

[O]ne can't be deterministic about who is and who isn't able to change. Look at Russia: In some ways it is still struggling with the basic issues about liberal democratic capitalism that it was struggling with 100 years ago, before the Soviet takeover.

Memo To Fellow Clergy: Go For Undecideds!

In the March 24 issue of "Christian Century," which credits "Junior Achievement and Deloitte," we learn that when teens are asked to identify their role models, 54% say family, 13% friends, six percent teachers or coaches, five percent siblings, and (gulp) three percent clergy. We're not holding up our end! Good news: 11% are still up for grabs; they say, "No role models."