I have taught political science to hundreds of undergraduates over the years (don't I sound old?) One of the things that I have most enjoyed talking about is both the challenge and beauty of the public policy process. One of the most common misunderstandings about public policy is the assumption that problems will inevitably have solutions that are one hundred percent effective. The reality, of course, is that every potential solution will generate new problems that they themselves must be responded to. Thus, the public policy process is better viewed as cyclical rather than linear. This has always been the problem of some of the dialecticians that I have met. Perhaps indicative of the circles that I have frequented, they are often, although not always, of the Marxian variety. Last night, I was presented with one such example. The photograph above demonstrates both the success and failure of a response to a problem. Problem Heavily pregnant mother is tired and sore. Solution Hot ba...