[kronchev]

Originally Posted by HAL-9000

In regards to arrogance, I agree with you. To assume someone is in possesion of better character because they try hard to live up to their fairy tale versus someone who doesn't buy into fairy tales to begin with, is arrogant.

I agree with that

But in regards to socialism in society, I am against it. Goverments are the most ethically craven institutions in existence. Corporations can be considered evil sure, but they do not aim nuclear weapons at each other, imprison and murder people they don't agree with, or committ genocide. Those evils are all exclusive to goverments.

you are thinking of how government is perceived now, as people ruling over a masses. thats not right at all, thats not what government is supposed to be. a government is supposed to be about people working together to solve all kinds of problems. i guess what i envision a "perfect' government as is not what a modern definitly of a government is, but more of an anarchistic society. maybe thats why one of my good friends is an anarchist (a REAL policial anarchist, not what its come to mean), and we do agree on a lot of things.

Goverments are also the most fiscally irresponsible institutions. There is not one goverment in the world today that is not "deficit spending." Which is a snazzy word for taking out loans. The U.S. Goverment does it today, and our debt has exploded since 1971, primarily because of socialist programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the collapse of financial solvency in Social Security. In the U.S., there is coming a day of reckoning with these bills, and it will happen before 2020. These programs will collapse, and we will rid ourselves of them when we have no other choice. The U.S. will have to face reality on these debts, as every goverment eventually does. Usually when a goverment goes belly up like that, society falls apart. Fortunately the U.S. is rich enough, free enough, and culturally flexible enough to deal with these kinds of crises, and overcome them, which is unique amongst countries in history.

its going to take A LOT to overcome this, with the way things are going. bush ****ed up BIG TIME with his bullshit 'wars'. he came into an office with a budget surplus and hes going to leave it (oh he is leaving, mark my words) with the biggest deficit since the 50's (i believe, correct me on the date). i dont agree with the current government's handling of anything AT ALL.

As far as foreign opinion about Americans being "too capitalist," perhaps that would explain our society, which is free enough with its thoughts and property to build a society that dominates all nations in financial, technological, and military might, has the world's most diverse culture, and the oldest surviving goverment other than the United Kingdom. Perhaps that foreign opinion is wrong. Look at the results.

america is also the only major country that 1) wasnt ruined by WWII and 2) hasnt had to fight a war on its own soil since the civil war.