As I wait for repairs to the Blue Monster to be completed; an extra day in Washington. First the monstrous, truly a monstrous pick-up truck, has to be returned.  Virtually brand new it towers over most other vehicles, even most other pick-ups, as it cruises along.  I found the radio tuned to the local Caribbean station so I have been skanking my way around.  It did its job for me.

Then to the Museum of American History, one of the collection of half a dozen, free entry museums, provided by the Smithsonian Institute and distributed along the Mall.  The State is neatly laid out here with Capitol Hill, where both houses of Congress - Senate and Representatives - meets, at one end.  Due west along the Mall all these Museums sit.  Then the Washington Memorial, and at right angles moving north is the lead up to the White House, the line from Capitol Hill continues through the Washington Memorial to the Lincoln Memorial.  You will have seen some pictures if you have been a regular follower of these notes, from 3 weeks ago when I first arrived.

The Museum of American History ended up annoying me.  All museums are, or should be sites of learning and appreciation.  I did learn some more about the American Civil War; in particular the legacy of bitterness it all left.  Understandable when half a million people died.  Britain's (England's) Civil War was, after all 350 years ago and was fought over pre-enlightenment issues.  America's was different.

I had always puzzled why the Confederate symbols still have such a resonance.  They feature in Britain mostly,I guess, through the influence of contemporary American musicians.  Having spent some time in the South these past weeks it was clear that they still have a powerful meaning.  Stickers with the Confederate flag abound, as do flags themselves; outside houses, on cars, and so on.

The museum's display helped me to understand why a resentment had built up over the outcome of the war; essentially because the victors exacted tribute and imposed harsh reparations.  Abraham Lincoln, who had just been re-elected President as the war came to its conclusion, had a clear vision of reconciliation as the route forward to recover from the deep traumas.  Unfortunately, as every skoolboy knoo, he got shot within a few months of re-election.  His Vice-President was not of the same vision or strength of character and allowed 'hawks' to dominate.  Resentment and division have multiplied thereafter.

As far as I can tell, though, this has no resonance in the two party system.  Lincoln was a Republican.  Both parties were divided during the Civil War.

One deeply disconcerting aspect of this outcome was the continued slavery, often by another name, that resulted.  I have seen a three exhibitions now: the Freedom Riders in Nashville, the Race exhibition in New Orleans and exhibits yesterday, which all slightly appal me.  I grew up in a racist enough environment to need to fundamentally address my prejudices in adulthood; but the fact that blacks in America were still legally discriminated against and treated like sub-humans when I was already 12 years old is quite disturbing.

Obviously America is now trying to come to terms with its past.  What is chilling is how recent that past is in respect of race.  There's a mighty long road still to travel.

What annoyed me was the museum's treatment of 'America at War' from the mid-C20th.

I looked here and I looked there but could I find anything about the Russian front in their section on WW2?No I could not.  OK they were not directly involved, although Stu reminded me last night that they were certainly involved in supplying goods from before they were at war themselves.  But this omission makes complete nonsense of the next section: the Cold War.  How can you possibly understand the nature of the post war Soviet Empire without understanding where it came from?  Bonkers; and a really serious scholarly error. Thus is ideological indoctrination created.

Then we had Vietnam; and the slight failure to mention that they lost.  Here I met a sweet interpretation woman on whom I vented my spleen.  She accepted the WW2 point, equivocated on Vietnam and was downright hostile to the suggestion that they were also losing in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Give it 10 years I said and you'll agree.  We then fell into a mutual admiration society for each other's TV.  ANOTHER American whose never seen The Wire!!  (Doc Martin by the way??  Americans, what are they like)

And finally we had the hymn to 9/11.  Girders from the twin towers and bits of glass from Saddam's Palace. Plus an entirely un-commented account of Bin Laden's extra-judicial execution.  Never in my life has the urge to graffiti a museum exhibition been so strong.

Bush is a war criminal, Obama a murderer!  Who says so?  Your own chief prosecutor at the Nuremburg Trials.  That's who.

So the weather has broken back to the mild and sunny, the Blue Monster is back on the road, and its off I go to Cape Cod tomorrow.  Just one whole day there, so Stu tells me whale watching is the best use of it.

He also tells me he has just been listening to public radio, on the school run, where the author, Michael Lewis, was talking about his latest book,'Touring the New Third World'.

A startling vingnette: the average, I'll say that again, the average current salary of a Greek railway worker (of course its a nationalised industry still) is 65,000 Euros a year.  Its a job for life.  OK they may well engage the 'trickle down' theory by spending it in the local economy; but no-one else pays their taxes.  In fact a Greek tax collector Michael quotes says, "If I do my job properly I'll get fired"  No wonder we have a crisis.  Corrupt politicians, irresponsible bankers.  I don't blame the average Greek railway worker here; far from it.  If you can get that whack that easily you're going to take it and 65K, though very pleasant, is not making you super-rich.

But a system that has allowed such mindless indulgence, all to enrich that elite 1%, deserves to be brought crashing to the ground.

I gather the 'Occupy Wall Street' movement is currently gaining some national traction.