We must recognize that as the dominant power in the world we have a special responsibility. In addition to protecting our national interests we must take the leadership in protecting the common interests of humanity.

The cardinal responsibility of leadership is to identify the dominant contradiction at each point of the historical process and to work out a central line to resolve it.

What's missing is leadership in the White House. And the story that Barack Obama does tell forever shifting blame to the last administration is getting old. The man assumed office almost four years ago - isn't it about time he assumed responsibility?

It is after all the responsibility of the expert to operate the familiar and that of the leader to transcend it.

Leadership - leadership is about taking responsibility not making excuses.

To deal with the stark reality of having hit or hurt a woman or child to deal with the initial responsibility you have not to do that and the knowledge you did do it can be incredibly hard.

Others think it the responsibility of scientists to coerce the rest of society because they have the power that derives from special knowledge.

It is not government's job to mandate responsibility on our behalf. We have the intelligence and good sense to make wise consumption choices for ourselves and our children. It is up to us to do what is best for our health and our children's health.

Here's the teaching point if you're teaching kids about intelligence and policy: Intelligence does not absolve policymakers of responsibility to ask tough questions and it doesn't absolve them of having curiosity about the consequences of their actions.

In Spain we should have enough intelligence enough sense of individual and collective responsibility to do for ourselves that which would be imposed upon us by a dictatorship.