>>The U.S. economy is doing a little better. Unemployment is still too high, even though it is not as bad as it was. But everyone is still scared, businesses and consumers alike. Over the past three or four years we got a vivid lesson that unfettered capitalism has a dark side.
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>Told you so, years ago.

I didn't say I have turned into a Communist ;-)

For all the problems we face today I am still glad to be an American. People don't pour out of this country, they pour in, from every point of the globe. If you are cynical about the freedom of opportunity, I'm not.

I have orated many times about immigration and how it is the history of this country. Other than native americans we all came here from somewhere else. It is our strength, not our weakness. Here is an example. The other night I cooked Indian chicken curry for my daughters and me. 20 minutes from it being done I realized I had messed up and bought parsley instead of cilantro for the last ingredient and had to dash out to the nearest grocery store, which is a supermercado catering mainly to hispanic americans. I grabbed a bunch of cilantro and was on my way to the register when two little girls came my way from the opposite direction. I would guess they were about 5 and 2 and appeared to be sisters. They were holding hands and both of them were smiling. "Hello," the older one said. She didn't say hola, she said hello. I had no idea whether they are here legally or illegally and don't care. It's a big country. Come on in.