Tom,

We are both fortunate to live in the greatest country on this planet, with the best system of government and socio-economic system ever developed, so far. If you think are systems are perfect, need no changing and are as equitable as possible---then Keymosabe, I submit you are being part of the problem.

Change is the only constant, going all the way back to Heraclitus--he told us that. Change either happens on its own and you are at the mercy of those changes, or change can be guided and tendencies encouraged or headed off at the pass. As individuals, or as a society, we are in the position to be captains of our fate; masters of our souls.

You say that there is no need to sell America, America sells itself. This sounds great and will fit on a bumper sticker-----but it just ain't so. You need to get out from behind your computer screen and travel the world some. If I promise not to say anything about Santa Claus, or the Easter bunny perhaps I can take the risk of exposing you to the concept that not everyone in the rest of world loves us! As strange as it sounds, there even are places where Americans are not liked? In fact, you would be terribly upset to know that the American people may be accepted in most places while the people in t hose same places hate our government, our CIA, and our military. Where would this be? Almost every place on this globe except Western Europe. Could we sell ourselves as a people better?----If we want to survive it would serve us well to do so.

Then the made the outrageous assertion that "most people of the world vote with their feet, and move to a captialistic country..." Holy moley, Batman---hope this was intended to be the drivel of hyperbole that it is. Six billion folks moving in next door sure would screw up our highway traffic.

At this moment, Uncle Sam looks like Mike Tyson to a huge portion of this planet. And, sadly, not everyone likes Mike. Take a dose of reality, try to absorb the enormity of the world and seek the new solutions that are required. As a nation we cannot afford to be perceived as the biggest bully on the block forever.

We don't have a sucessful society if our survival has to depend on our ability to bomb anyone that doesn't go along with us into oblivion.