President Bush addressed the United Nations this morning. As the Sudanese delegation looked on, Bush plainly called what's occuring in that country a "genocide." He condemned cloning, and other such Frankensteinish science. "No human life should be produced or destroyed for the benefit of another," Bush maintained. Delivering his speech from the island that served as the focal point of 9/11, Bush outlined terrorism's global reach by invoking horrific events in Spain, Turkey, Israel, Russia, and points beyond. Bush naively confused Western values for universal values, claiming: "When it comes to the desire for liberty and justice, there is no clash of civilizations." (If anything Samuel Huntington's book by that name--buy it here--has been vindicated by events of recent years.) Whether these remarks represent lofty rhetoric typical of all politicians or the true sentiments of President Bush is unclear, but what is clear is that they ignore reality. Bush's best moment may have been welcoming the UN delegates to the United States, reminding them--tempered applause to the contrary--that he was at home. His lapel-pin American flag, too, was a classic touch for the UN crowd--sort of like wearing a Jesse Helms button to a gay pride parade. Bush concluded his remarks by predicting that "this young century, will be liberty's century."