>Political definitions seem to change with time.

Well, certainly the 'labeling' does, even if the dictionary hasn't.

>I think that the Democratic and Republican parties and members have a problem. One problem is the so-called “platform”. You either buy it hook, line, and sinker or change parties. This may be why we are acquiring more parties like Independents, Green, etc.

I'm interested in the results others have gotten from proportional representation as deeper development of democracy. Indys & Greens have to swim against a 2-party rip-tide in the U.S.

>What we need is a good revolution to set things straight.
Fer shur, there'll be plenty more of those. When geography was integral to a people's 'axis mundi', folks would maraud each other over land. Now ecomonics is the center-point. So classes maraud each other.

>One difference between our society and let us take Japan for one example, is that we demand instantaneous gratification. The Japanese make long range plans – like how to take over electronic manufacturing from the United States. Japan had a twenty year plan and they succeeded.

I know you work with 'em. Me too. And it's all charming but I've got a Western ego -- I'd feel straight jacketed in a mono-culture. But we've (Westerners) still a lot of work ahead in developing a group public persona. Political diads we get into are somewhat useful, while crude, for identifying a problem but self-defeating for actually solving one. Most stuff never gets fixed, just replaced by being rendered irrelavant. Or we go somatic - iow, dunno what to do so we go unconsious about it. (What's that little island bird that you can steal eggs from by waving one hand while picking up eggs with the other? It doesn't know how to react so it just stands there. We're like this about all those things that don't make the evening news. Our nests get marauded.)

So we're dolts about public policy. Individualism has gotten most of the attention since 12th century in the West. And *I* am absolutely right about that! *You* may differ and that'll make *you* wrong. And evil too. *I* shall prosper untaxed once *you* are eliminated. *I* must save this notion for the future generations of which *I* alone am the progenitor. *You* must go extinct for the good of all. *You* had you're chance and *I* judged you not worthy.

Sorry Tom.
Steven-