This commentary — by a member of Parliament, no less — from The Guardian, a British newspaper, says nothing we haven’t seen before, but it does say it all at once, and very clearly. Why journalists on this side of the pond aren’t also saying this is beyond me, especially since the PNAC documents are widely avaiable, and the events of the last two years match PNAC’s goals awfully closely. Even if you don’t agree with his points, at least consider his comments.

Salon is running a piece on Ashcroft’s summer pro-PATRIOT roadshow that includes a bit of data I hadn’t heard before: apparently, one potential successor to PATRIOT is called the “VICTORY Act.”

Up next, Victory Gin, Victory Chocolates, and Victory Cigarettes. Apparently, the literary blind spot at the Ashcroft DOJ extends from our own Constitution and Bill of Rights (PDF link) all the way to disturbingly prescient works of literature.

The RIAA has settled its file-swapping lawsuit against a 12-year-old girl for $2,000. Way to go, guys.