Ashcroft thinks himself a philosopher king

As more than a casual observer of Attorney General John Ashcroft since he took office a year ago, I believe the man fancies himself the embodiment of Plato's Philosopher King. Ashcroft sees himself as blessed with the insight to know better than anyone what is best for society and therefore believes it appropriate to bestow upon himself absolute power.
Especially since Sept. 11, Ashcroft's unilateralist fingerprints can be found all over national policy. From his insistence that the Taliban and al-Qaida prisoners at Guantanamo not be subject to international law to his suggestion before Congress that anyone who questions his amassing of unchecked investigative authority is assisting terrorists, Ashcroft has used this national emergency to consolidate power in the executive branch and his office in particular.