"If facts mattered in American politics, the Bush-Cheney ticket would not be basing its re-election campaign on the fear-mongering contention that the surest defense against future terrorist attacks lies in the badly discredited doctrine of preventive war."
-NYTimes editorial

Crime rate hits a 30-year low. No, not a typo.

Canada looks to fix its health care system.

MONDAY MONDAY:
* Outgoing general opposed disastrous April assault on Fallujah.
* How many American deaths in Iraq is too many? Let's compare with Vietnam.
* David S. Broder looks at the real questions for Middle East policy, questions neither candidate is answering.
* Islamic Americans face tough new realities.
* BBC finds Americans are still worried about the economy.
* Fraud cases involving absentee ballots, nice.
* Great read: in economics, more choice isn't always better.
* Sebastian Mallaby takes the candidates to task over free trade and China.
* Famous and tiny Pitcairn Island faces a sex abuse scandal.
* Ooh, look: this is where hurricanes come from.
* Britain gambles on the Advert Channel.

Pondering the concept of a direct-to-DVD television series.

The Pet Shop Boys release their new soundtrack, to, uh, The Battleship Potemkin.

Ten things we didn't know this time last week.
(Bonus: ten things about Michelangelo's David.)