Libertarians have long warned that interventionism in foreign affairs inexorably leads to interventionism in domestic policy.

The hallmark of worldwide liberal-blessed Neocon-beloved empire-building is the quaint little idea of preemptive war.

They came, one by one, emerging from unseen offices and workspaces, making their way quietly along the back streets and alleyways of the American enclave known variously as Oz or Wonderland or Washington, DC.

They were the gray, boring, unimposing men and women who inhabit the capital city of the most powerful empire on earth, barely noticed and effectively forgotten. They were known only by their titles: PenPusher, PaperShuffler, Agencycrat, and LowLevel CivilServant.

But they were also the friction-reducing life-prolonging anti-wear multi-viscosity grease that makes the millstone of government grind. They were, in short, the most powerful people on the planet.

"There was once an ancient city. The ancient city fell." - Virgil, The Aeneid.

Increasingly, parallels are being drawn between the Roman Empire and the current American Empire. Yet while some may look to Rome as an inspiration, others believe it casts a dark shadow over us and our supposedly imperial aspirations.

When City Hall dispatched LeClaire Park into the hands of casino hotel developers, the discussion was held in the third floor conference room of the Kahl Building-the only public notice, tacked up on a City Hall kiosk that afternoon.