Well, *I*...(if I be the 'sniper'...not an image I try to cultivate...but..) have indeed watched the videos...and read some of the commentaries about the book and the video itself.

My comments, should I be inspired to type 12 pages, would be similar to some others I have made on similar topics......briefly, that it is easy to take some obvious truths, embroider with some dubious premises, take some threads from highly emotional events, and weave an elaborate tapestry of 'almost' compelling concepts by assuming that everything you don't like supports your thesis.

(you see, it WOULD take 12 pages to flesh out my defense of that little comment)

It's hard to disagree with an obviously intelligent author who is basically on MY side in the political arena, but she takes it so far into speculation that it is as embarassing to me as some right-wing diatribes must be to moderate conservatives.

It IS clear that many business interests have little shame in exploiting bad news to further their message when possible, but Naomi finds demons in every unfilled pothole ...or rather, in the fault-finding about road-repair scandals.

It is actually too bad, because she could really do some serious good if she limited herself to clearly definable dangers, but it's harder to get a full book and lecture series out of simple recounting of errors and greed, hmmm? A full-blown conspiracy with a memorable name is easier to sell...(wait...am I suggesting that she is using similar tactics to those she is decrying? I hadn't thought about it....but....No, *smile*, I won't go that far, lest I contradict myself).

One important point...many issues are 'pushed' along by the more extreme views. Civil Rights, Women's Liberation, Environmental Awareness, Anti-War activism...etc... all had "shock troops" willing to risk accusations of exaggeration in order to focus attention on certain aspects of a problem...and most of them needed to really 'believe' their own message in order to say what they needed, whether "in the trenches" or on the book circuit.

   I do feel fortunate that we can have a system that allows Naomi Klein to advocate her theories freely...and for Carol C. to link to them in this forum....and for me to offer my critiques advocating restraint, even if there ARE 11 pages missing.