JB, think of an international version of the post-Florida 2000 ”rule or ruin” faction of the Dems. The eight years of over-the-top rhetoric, conspiracy-mongering, fraudulent legal attack (Libby), active measures to lose OIF, continual filling of comms channel with demoralizing content –what is the meta-message? It’s “Let us rule, or we will ruin” –isn’t it? Well the international version would be “let them rule, or we too will ruin”. In a fiendish sort of way, it would be just power politics, pushed out to the limit.