>Still, despite our anachrobistic Federalism, states are largely
>admistrative regions.
Some patriot you are! The federal system is so essentially American - part of the stupid separation of powers - that to dismiss it so makes me wonder just what you love about the U.S. Most patriots love the Constitution, and since that document is all about the separation of powers, it's kind of weird to dimiss this essential feature as an anachronism, and the states as merely administrative regions. The whole Constitution is an anachronism, but I'm guessing you don't think so. So what do you like? Not the tune of the SSB, which is pretty awful, or the lyrics, which are too. Jazz? You don't have to love the rest of the package to love that. The Declaration? The Interstate Highway System? I'm confused.
Doug