I'm not sure I read that right, but the first half of the 20th century was probably one of the greatest periods of growth and achievment in this country we've ever had. Moon landings, great bridges and skyscrapers, interstate highways, massive dams and civil engineering projects. An increase in personal wealth almost unprecedented in history.

Improving all the time? Depends on your parameters, I suppose. Today we're recreating Apollo from the 60s, breaking our backs trying to fill a hole in New York City, and declaring that the greatest thing Americans can do is cut back, do with less, conserve, ration, stop driving, and stop building. We may have lost something important that we had in the first half of the 20th century.

I have chosen not to reproduce on this board the things I've seen in the past couple of days from writers who are telling us that the proper attitude of America on this Fourth of July is shame.

You speak of balance between the forces, but are unable to see how far out of balance we've already gotten. Our freedoms are nibbled away day by day. While people panic over tracked phone circuits, they humbly accept countless controls over their individual freedoms and actions that would have had my forefathers filling a shotgun with rock salt.

Right now I'm learning to use my cell phone in speaker mode because our glorious overlords here have decided that I'm not bright enough to safely operate a phone in the car, and of course simply showing me the safety figures isn't enough because I don't know what's good for me. They have to use the gun. Reluctantly, of course.

It's long past time to move in the other direction.