I'd buy the car if I drove it.

And if there wasn't the ability to refine the high-grade fuel the other engines take.

The problem with unrestrained capitalism is this, as seen by Thomas Jefferson and understood by many, many other people. The folks who support the inheritance tax get it.

“Widespread poverty and concentrated wealth cannot long endure side by side in a democracy.” (Jefferson)

If that statement is true, unrestrained capitalism is not compatible with democracy.

If the choice is to keep democracy, then capitalism must be restrained. An effort must be made to try to keep, by whatever means, the wealth distributed somewhat evenly, OR to drift into some despotic form of government.

There are examples. South Africa had a choice. Either start distributing the wealth, or give up democracy. Many African states start out fairly well, the wealth gets concentrated, and it's over.

The lesson is, and Republicans don't seem to understand this, that unrestrained capitalism doesn't work. That's why there are changes in administration - without the balance from time to time it wouldn't work.

To be healthy a democracy needs a middle class, one with capitalistic shopkeepers, middle-class skilled workers, and the opportunity for everyone to aspire to those areas.

The Wal-Marts of the world are making the smaller businessman obselete, a well-financed anti-union propaganda campaign has limited the economic growth of skilled, hands-on workers, and exporting jobs which take education and intellect but do not manipulate material are taking out the middle class.

Building and filling jails an funnelling money from the middle class to the wealthy are two great ways to ensure both widespread poverty and toconcentrate wealth. That's a no-brainer, though I'm sure that some folks will deny it, with no more logic than they don't WANT to believe it.

The middle class is the only backbone our soceity has. If you and I are gone democracy in this country will go too.

So democracies attempt to even things out in their own ways. Some are capitalistic with restraints (how much money does it take to live comfortably, anyway), and some are more socialist to provide for basics for everyone.

Communistic countries seem to be the backward places which need central control to develop, and then get hijacked by the egos of the central authority. Let's see what happens to China as she evolves.

And, by the way, when one talks about the brutalities, the killing, which seems to accompany emerging economies, please include the story of original residents of the US. They were human, too.

Arf