The secular states of modern Europe do not understand the fundamentalism of the American electorate. It is not what they had experienced from this country in the past. In fact, we now resemble those nations less than we do our putative enemies.

--Garry Wills in today's New York Times

God bless our country.

Hello, old friends.

--first two sentences of Peggy Noonan's column in today's Wall Street Journal

Wills is right. In Noonan's first column after a leave of absence, she utters a benediction even before she says "Hello." What's the difference between that and leading off with "In the name of Allah, most merciful and beneficent"?