Usually when I hear talk of justice being served, I am not convinced that the concept is being used in the way that I think of it—In the way that it should be. Most often, it seems to me, “justice” is exercised as a practicality, as a tool, a public policy. Did Martha Stewart get justice? No, she got ego-“justice.” The nation-state pays lip service to “justice,” but what it is really doing is taking practical measures to keep challenges to its authority and preeminence in check. Justice is the principle that everyone gets what they deserve. No exceptions. No mercy. Harsh, but in a world where justice really existed, it would be a whole lot easier to separate the good from the bad. My wife dragged me out to see the new Denzel Washington film, Man on Fire, last evening. It’s the story of an ex-soldier, Creasy (played by Denzel), who drinks too much but is nonetheless hired to protect a prominent family in Mexico City against a rash of kidnappings. Creasy becomes attached to Pita (played by Dakota Fanning), the 10-yr old girl he is charged to protect. She adores him too, and the bond becomes more important...