thanks for the welcome Tom Brosz:)

I might hang around a while... the level of debate here seems a higher standard then most.

Enron isn't in the toilet because the system works, but because it failed, If it worked there wouldn't have been an Enron, and it ruined thousands of lives along the way... and not just in the US... you might want to check out what it did in other countries.

Bill Gates might not be able to dictate to you what you can and cannot do... but he can with politicians, governments and other smaller companies......by the way, if you use a hotmail account....you might want to check out the terms and conditions of use... it gives him and his corporation an absolute right to use any data or communication you send through thier servers in any way they see fit.

You make it clear that anyone who disagrees with your political viewpoint should be fired from any academic post. A viewpoint I have often be tempted by myself, nevertheless I always think it best to know your enemy and have him out in the open.

haven't looked at your list of socialist countries yet... when I do I'm expecting to find an intrigueing list of nations you've omitted.....and I might counter your list with another.. of countries that have followed the preferred US-World Bank-IMF route.... such as Argentina. fifty years ago Argentina was the tenth richest country in the world... 20 years of following IMF-US advice has ruined it.

I'm British, in my country all education, includeing University level used to be free. Not any more.. we have gone your route. So now we churn out vast numbers of timid accountants and lawyers instead of free thinking scientists.

There is nothing wrong with state (tax payer) funding of public services... After all, in our system, should my child contract luaekemia... I will have many worries ... but trying to pay for the treatment once the insurance runs out ( Assumeing I can afford insurance in the first place.) won't be one of them... and you know something?
Our tax based system is FAR more efficient then your "Free Enterprise" one. We spend less then seven per cent of our GDP on a fully comprehensive health system free to all who need it... The US spends over fifteen per cent on it's own.

The US Government doesn't hestitate to tax it's people for services it considers essential.. such as the military.... no suggestion there that bombing a few hundred guys in sandals in muslim countries should be payed for from charitable donations. The US has a military budget bigger then the next ten biggest spending nations combined... and has substantial troop numbers in over a hundred countries, meanwhile your schools and hospitals rot.

By the way.. I'm assuming you are American.... and have noted the interesting use of the word "Sods"

Anyway... I'm enjoying reading this board.... I'm seeing a lot of opinions I disagree with but can read the intelligence and honest conviction behind them

Good fortune to us all:)