Adam,
Since you invited me to semi hijack your thread (can you hijack your own thread?) I'll put in my two cents on the politics is fun thing.
I agree, it's a hoot. Which is why I couldn't resist shooting of my fingers. The one thing I dislike with many political threads is they get very black and white, and I find myself defending positions, that while I hold them, doesn't give the full picture of what I believe. I think other people tend to do the same. Then it just falls apart into a name calling session until the "nazi rule" gets invoked.
As much as I sometimes dislike many of those that practice it, (Kissenger comes to mind) and the results that come about from it (bombing of Cambodia) I think the only way politics on the international stage can be conducted is via realpolitik. Idological stances almost always turn around and bite you in the bum. It's one of the main issues I have with the Bush adminstration. They took an idoglogical stance, and sort of took this "sole remaining superpower" thing a little too much to heart. They could probably have gotten what they wanted with much less grief if they didn't go around irritating their natural allies for no good reason. And mostly when people are discussing politics, it's from an idological standpoint, which probably doesn't map to what really happens that well.