The Great Rehash, Part One: The Best and the Brightest

July seems to be a good time for explosions, and not just in Fourth of July fireworks displays in the US.  Already this month, a bomb blew up a controversial monument in rural Georgia, while on the other side of the world in Sri Lanka an angry mob stormed the presidential palace and drove the president into exile.  These two events have more in common than a first glance might suggest.  A dull book in a dull blue cover sitting on the endtable next to my sofa will help explain the link between th...