Thaksin knows this.

Asia, of course, is different.

To be sure, the impression is deceptive.

This is, to be sure, a special case.

The Muslim threat is, of course, not a fantasy.

Of course, it takes two to tango.

Revolutionary Islamism is undoubtedly dangerous and bloody.

Of course, America is not Imperial Germany.

Of course, Russia knows this.

America certainly does not have a savings glut.

True, Germany has its share of problems.

Of course, extremists will hate it.

Of course, the differences between Russia and Iran are enormous.

That won t be easy.

This is, to be sure, easier said than done.

To be sure, there could be glitches.

To be sure, this is not much of a consolation.

Of course, Blair does not think of himself as a new imperialist.

Progress has certainly been made.

Of course, soft power is no panacea.

To be sure, Solidarity achieved a stunning political success.

There is no dispute that Duch violated the rights of thousands of Khmers.

Of course, investing in stocks is not a bad thing.

Subsidies, of course, interfere with free trade.

Such measures are, of course, an unfortunate detour.

But there is a cure for me.

Of course, modern technology alone cannot bring about a revolution.

There are obvious pitfalls, to be sure.

To be sure, the exchange rate has an impact on investment and trade.

Of course, such norms are helpful.

China will undoubtedly find the EU a tough negotiating partner.

Of course, Afghanistan does not bear sole responsibility for its plight.

Of course, parliamentary political systems are far from perfect.

Secrecy is, of course, necessary in national security affairs.

Of course, that issue is completely outside Israel s control.

Hong Kong s leaders to do not want to end up on that infamous list.

But of course, my grandmother was right to equate defeat with liberation.

To be sure, the US trade figures have improved somewhat.

To be sure, there is a lot of blame to go around.

Of course, comic entertainment in politics is not just a modern phenomenon.

Of course, there will be many powerful losers as we make these changes.

Surely, today s low volatility is partly cyclical.

Heat kills. A heat wave in France in 2003 caused an estimated 35,000 deaths, and a hot spell similar to the one Britain had last month caused more than 2,000 deaths, according to official estimates.

Undoubtedly, a shift in policy styles is occurring in many parts of the world.

What it means is that Russia is back on its historical path of development, back at the point where things started to go wrong. The domestic situation, the global environment, and the historical memory of its people all militate against Russia being bound to relive its own tragic history.