To: Slag,

Hi Slag, sorry I forgot to add my name to my reply to your post the last time. I couldn't agree with you more about disillusionment with many of the political parties. We Europeans jokingly refer to the US as the two-party country (where choice is limited) but we're not that much better, if at all. What we need are new political parties. In the USA it seems you have a choice between: killing Iraqis is wrong but killing unborn children is OK (Democrats) and killing unborn children is wrong but killing Iraqis is fine - just more Injuns really (Republicans). I say they're both wrong - Kill 'em all! No, only joking! Seriously, we need a political party that values human life full stop, and realises that any 'progress' built over mounds of dead corpses is no progress. I still reckon terrorism can be reduced to a pinpoint or practically eliminated by creating a just and fair world, allowing space for different populations to live their own way. The key to the problem goes way beyond national security, the army, military budgets, oil etc., What passes for government these days is in reality little more than political fronts for big business. Look at the ridiculous amounts that are spent on presidential campaigns! How can the little fellow get a look in that way? The big corporations see this money as money well spent. Once their favourite is elected he will ensure barriers to trade are removed in favour of the big corporations, the ones who really drive policy.
An interesting website you could check out in this regard is www.yesmen.org

By the way, I also agree with you about freedom. Logically, freedom cannot be limitless, or else, for instance I would have the freedom to kill anyone I wished. The counterbalance of freedom is responsibility (usually mentioned in much smaller print these days) to your society.