“This Memorial Day is not a good one for the country that was once the world’s most brilliant beacon of freedom and justice,” writes Bob Herbert on today’s New York Times op/ed page.

Sorry to spoil the ending, but in case you don’t get around to reading the whole column, here’s the point:

“In much of the world, the image of the U.S. under Mr. Bush has morphed from an idealized champion of liberty to a heavily armed thug in camouflage fatigues. America is increasingly being seen as a dangerously arrogant military power that is due for a comeuppance. It will take a lot more than Karen Hughes to turn that around.”

Amen.

JACKSON, Miss., - A Mississippi National Guard soldier from Alabama has died from injuries he received when a roadside bomb ripped through his vehicle in Iraq. Four others were injured in the April 19th blast, the AP is reporting.

Staff Sergeant Tommy Little of Aliceville, Alabama, died Monday at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. Critically injured in the same attack was Sergeant First Class Grayson “Norris” Galatas of Meridian, Mississippi. He’s at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. Three other Mississippi National Guard troops were also injured.