It seems I was pretty much spot on on the sentencing of Z---- Moo-Sow-Oui. I predicted that he would not disappear, but would be made into a political prisoner.

Before the ink was even dry on his sentencing, he attempted to retract his guilty plea. You can't do that once you have been sentenced, though. Now, we have Osama bin Laden maintaining that Moo-Sow-Oui was not among his picks for the 9/11 hijackers. Now that the tape's been authenticated, it should take little time for protestors to begin protesting for Z's release. "Free Z--" shirts will probably become the fashion statement for the Hollywood elite (and I will be sitting behind my computer lamenting the fact that I didn't trademark the damn things).

All this makes me reaffirm my belief that his sentence, while not perfect, was probably preferable to a death sentence (my proposal, for those who remember, was that he be exiled to some gulag somewhere, with no contact whatsoever with the outside world, a sentence that would, undoubtedly and unfortunately, be wiped out as "cruel and unusual"). A death sentence would have created an artificial sense of urgency among his supporters, as they would have felt their time to press for his freedom would be limited. It would also have given him greater access to the greatest lawyers in the world, who would rush to defend him for the publicity, while thousands of much more worthy cases linger silently in their cells. With a life sentence, the urgency is somehow removed, as his supporters won't be led to feel they are working against the clock.

The sad truth of the matter is, Z--- Moo-sow-oui will probably end his days as a free man, unless he dies prematurely, and as the image of two iconic skyscrapers crumbling into dust fades into our collective unconsciousnesses. Unless we reverse the direction in which our country is fast headed, his imprisonment will one day be equated with that of Mandela and other activists, and I would venture that his name will one day be listed among those of nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Don't believe me? I've got two words for you: Yassir Arafat.