Re:   John P.'s post just above (09 Aug 11 - 08:29 PM):

This is the way Denmark does it, and within recent decades, Denmark has been on the top of the index of countries with the happiest, most contented people on earth—despite the somewhat lousy climate. The taxes are high, but no one is exceedingly rich, nor is anyone poor. Everyone makes more than enough, but not enough to buy politicians, everyone is covered as far as health care is concerned, and no one has to worry about their old age. Education is free. Labor laws are strict. The hours that a person can be required to work are limited, they have things like paid maternity leave, and there are laws regarding the amount of vacation time people must be allowed (note: a well-rested and contented worker is a much more productive worker). The country is not at war with anyone. And Denmark's economy is healthy.

The Danes are a very happy and contented people. Next on the list are the other Scandinavian countries.

When you mention this to Americans of the Right-Wing persuasion, they tend to scream in horror, "But they're Socialists!!"

So?

Sumpthin's workin' for them.

I don't think that America, Ronnie Reagan's "City on the Hill, that the whole world looks up to and uses as a beacon to guide them," quite cuts it. A small percentage of exceedingly wealthy people, millions of productive jobs "out-sourced," with over 9% unemployment, fear of things like Social Security and Medicare that millions of people depend on (and have paid for up front!) being eliminated or gutted, outrageously expensive health care, crooked banks and financial institutions engaged in a real estate "land grab," many people homeless, Wall Street trading is one big Ponzi scheme, we are at war with two and a half countries, the largest military budget in the history of the world—and, for some strange reason, the economy is in the toilet.

Not to mention, millions of people (like the Tea Party folks) who don't really understand what's going on, but they're madder than hell about it. And they're clueless and mislead enough to want to take more of the same poison that's killing them.

The country CAN "afford it"—if, among a number of other obvious things, you were to make the plutocrats stop shipping their fortunes to Switzerland and the Cayman Islands and pay their fair share of taxes.

Don Firth