Monday Morning Philosophy

With the impending inauguration of Barack Obama, there's a lot of comparisons being drawn with previous presidents. Nothing wrong with that-- but it might be worthwhile to keep iin mind the words of Niccola Machiavelli:

"Men ever praise the olden time, and find fault
with the present, though often without reason...
Having grown old, they also laud all they remember
to have seen in their youth.
Their opinion is generally erroneous...
we never know the whole truth about the past."