--version?

[gry at ll.mit.edu]

I agree.   The "--version" option has become quite a de-facto standard
in the linux world.  In my sys-admin role, I can blithely run
  initiate_global_thermonuclear_war --version
to find what version we have, even if I don't know what it does...

python --version

would be a very helpful addition. (Keep the "-V" too, if you like it
:-)

-- George