A guy I listen to on the radio in the morning focuses on the issues you've brought up. The only problem I have with his statements is about unions. I've had to deal several times with union contractors and it was never pretty. Because of all the rules, forcing you to deal with 4 or 5 people, when 1 could easily have completed the job.

So I do feel unions themselves played a part in their downfall. But I don't see how anyone could disagree with the rest, although they do. It would seem to me to make common sense that if there's a hugh, massive gap between the half's/half not's, it can't be good for society.

>SNIP
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>>The government should concern itself with security. It should be the #1 priority, because without it there is no country to bitch about.
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>I've cut the other stuff that we have discussed before.
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>But the remaining statement above is totally absurd! But it does serve to show how 'selling the nightmare' is working beautifully in the heads of many.
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>A country that doesn't have "projecting power" and 'remaining the world's only super-power' and 'protecting economic interests by military means' doesn't really have too many worries about "security". At least not so much that they support a hugely expensive military for the purpose of fighting 'terrorism' (which, for the record, they fight in the proper way, using standard and sub-standard 'police methods'.).
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>The purpose of a government has "security" as a minor incidental, the major purpose of governments being to make life better for the people who elected them. This includes things like police and law enforcement, ensuring good infrastructure for the use/benefit of the people who elected them, ensuring that the people are educated, ensuring that there is a 'level playing field' for EVERY citizen.
>
>That your media and government and corporations have convinced you and countless others of things like:
>- socialized medicine is bad;
>- unions are bad;
>- people can't be greedy but corporations must be greedy;
>- military might is necessary because everyone is jealous of us;
>- global warming is a figment of the imagination;
>- drugs must be high priced to support research into new drugs;
>- being rich is everyone's ultimate goal and anyone thinking differently is a mis-fit;
>- working longer hours for less pay/benefits is good for "productivity";
>- charity, and not government, is wholly responsible for assisting the disadvantaged;
>... and a whole lot of other BUNK only makes me feel sad for my southerly neighbours.