Matthew Yglesias has a really good article at the American Prospect on what he calls the “Green Lantern” theory of politics. This is the idea that the only thing standing between us and achieving our objectives is a lack of will power. Just like Green Lantern’s power ring can do pretty much anything if the wearer uses sufficient willpower, American power is conceived to be, for all practical purposes, unlimited, if only we would “take off the gloves” and show sufficient resolve (insert Churchill analogy here).