Yes, the whole garment works for me TTR.

You are certainly right in saying that there are rich liberals, but, at this time they don't have the power to change anything. The Republican Party do have that power, but certainly they don't have the inclination.

I have lived all my life in a country where we have a Welfare State. We DO value our poorer citizens, and every worker gives up an amount proportional to his income to finance it. It isn't perfect, but it does mean that we don't have to ask a heart attack victim for his credit card, or bank details before attempting resuscitation.

It is a minor sacrifice, generally acceptable to all, and is the reason why we don't have the proliferation of insurance providers, so happy to accept the premium, and so eager to find reasons to welsh on the deal if a client has to claim.

Considering that Britain exited WW2 almost bankrupt, and the US exited as one of the richest countries in recorded history, one might have expected a reversal of that situation, but the attitude that is perceived by outsiders is one of "My family and I are all right, and the rest can go hang".

I have met many Americans in my rather long lifetime, and I can honestly state that I have never met one who was not generous to a fault. I lived near a USAF base for a number of years, and socialised regularly with US servicemen, and it was almost impossible to spend any money when in their company.

I therefore cannot believe that the majority of them do not care about the poorer members of their own community. This leads me to conclude that the lack of care is due to the political leaders fear of losing votes, although I see little real justification for any such fear.

Perhaps they need to consider the number of votes they might WIN by such policies. I rather think that they would gain, on balance.

Don T.