Op-Ed Columnist: Third Party Rising from The New York Times by By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

A friend in the U.S. military sent me an e-mail last week with a quote from the historian Lewis Mumford’s book, “The Condition of Man,” about the development of civilization. Mumford was describing Rome’s decline: “Everyone aimed at security: no one accepted responsibility. What was plainly lacking, long before the barbarian invasions had done their work, long before economic dislocations became serious, was an inner go. Rome’s life was now an imitation of life: a mere holding on. Security was the watchword — as if life knew any other stability than through constant change, or any form of security except through a constant willingness to take risks.”

Of course we need a third party, FRIEDMAN; it's been brewing for a while; we'd just better hope it isn't the Baggers, 'cause they're downright nutty. See also: Tea Party

Tea time for the center from The Seattle Times: Home

The nation's political system is dysfunctional with partisan gridlock, writes Thomas L. Friedman. That's why he wants his own tea party — a tea party without the nutjobs, a tea party of the radical center.

It's a good Seattle Times story, and the mentioned author has an NYT profile page. See also: Hot, Flat, and Crowded 2.0: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America, Longitudes and Attitudes: The World in the Age of Terrorism, From Beirut to Jerusalem: Revised Edition