[camaraderie]

I part company with Rick when he starts blaming republicans and saying stupid stuff about us.
De-regulation is NOT a bad thing. All that is, is removing obstacles to doing business. De-regulation is NOT lack of oversight or freedom to lie and screw people. Example...wouldn't you all like MEDICAL insurance deregulated and available nationwide from COMPETITORS?? That is not the same thing as saying "you can now treat patients any way you want to"!

As to free trade and social security. They probably deserve their own threads but I think the vast majority of Americans would agree with the premise that if they were to take 15% of their pay for ther lifetime and sock it away in government bonds, they'd be a hell of a lot better off than what SS will give them. (This is NOT to say we shouldn't take care of the other classes of SS recipients...it is a comment on SS retirement. ) I think most Reps think that SS is a great example of how government can screw things up....but we also recognize that it is here to stay...are looking forward to the day WE get some of it...and want it to be there for us and in a way that does not bankrupt our kids.
I like to distinguish between FREE TRADE and FAIR TRADE. The only result of backing out of FREE TRADE agreements like Nafta will be devastaton and job losses as our own exports get retaliated against and higher consumer prices for everything. Unfortunately...to many of our trade agreements are one sided and we get the shaft...we need to nation by nation look at those and re-negotiate the agreements or slap on trade restrictions. But there is no way to fight the globalization of jobs and product sourcing. Our only hope is to insure FAIR competition and produce stuff that can't be done better elsewhere.