First of all, this is Friday, and if you are in the USA, it is a day off for our country's 249th birthday.  How much longer we'll have  a Democracy will be a challenge with Donald Trump as president. Greece is where Democracy was born. However,  Democracy in Athens 2500 years ago  was not quite what it is supposed to be.  First, only males who served in the militia could vote.  With all the ineligible men, women, children and foreigners, only around 15% could participate in the democracy of those days As best as I can determine,  modern Greece did not return to Democracy until 1974!   Joined the European Union in 1981, but elected a socialist government later that year.  The government continues through crises, sometimes with coalitions involving communists, other times just messed up and in scandal.  So is Greece a Democracy today.  I guess yes. San Marino claims to have been a Republic since the year 300, but its current constitut...

  I annually watch the hour and a half  Capital Fourth program  from the Mall, and will again this year.  All for patriotism, freedom, some entertainment  and the fireworks over the district.  Except for a couple of stars, the cast is unknown to me this year.   However, this year CNN does this again, and theirs is an extravaganza of 5 hours beginning at 7PM EDT. Featured will be: AJR, Ava Max, Alessia Cara, Avril Lavigne, the B-52’s,  Def Leppard, the Doobie Brothers, Gloria Estefan, Jason Derulo, Jimmie Allen, Journey, The Lumineers, Machine Gun Kelly, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Pitbull, Santana, Third Eye Blind, T-Pain, Willie Nelson   and more.   Plus fireworks  from:   Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Jacksonville, Nashville, New York City, Pasadena, Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Diego, San Francisco   and   Washington DC. Of course this is an important Federal holiday...