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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tejek who wrote (173873)	8/15/2003 6:10:35 PM
From: TimF	Respond to of 1588512

Soros was talking more about our economic system. As I have contended in the past, and as he also contends, our economic system may be the best now but its not likely to be in the long run. If you mean the specific economic system in the US then I agree with both of you. If you mean free markets in general then I think you are both very wrong. Expand your definition to economic and then respond to these issues if you want. I intended the issues as ones resulting from a capitalist system, and not a political system. Most of what I was talking about was economic, although freedom in economic areas is a political issue as well and in many ways is similar to other types of freedom. Our system requires dominance because we are at the top of the food chain. Its that simple. That isn't an effective argument. It is true that we are "on top", it may be true that we have to be on top. But the fact that we are on top is not evidence that our economic system requires us to be so. Even if our system does require dominance (and I would say it does not), it is not because "we are at the top of the food chain". I assure you......the breach with Germany and France is not a minor tiff. Maybe. Mabye its a major tiff but either way they still aren't being treated like outcasts. Also even if we were treating them like outcasts it wouldn't mean we are controling them or that our economic system requires that we be the military top dog. I didn't realize that a laissez faire economy was part of the conservative ideology. A number of conservatives support something closer to it then what we have now but its fair to say it is not part of the conservative ideology at least it is not something that is supported in its strongest form by a majority of conservatives. However generally "market fundamentalism" means laissez faire. Its virtually impossible given our complex society. Actually its easier in a complex society. It is a huge and wasteful use of our revenues. So you think we should reduce our military power to the point where we no longer have the most powerful military?? We could reduce our military power significantly and still we would be the most powerful. So, yes, I want our military reduced. That's not what I asked. I talked about having the most powerful military in the world, and then you said "It is a huge and wasteful use of our revenues." If having the most powerful military is wasteful then presumably you don't want us to have the most powerful military. If you do want us to have the most powerful military then apparently its only our current level of spending that is wasteful but that isn't what you originally said. Tim