Capitalism is actually a good thing, but to reduce it's socially destructive side effects, it does require some moral guidelines/international laws.

You should. Laissez-faire is what this country was founded upon, and what allowed it to become a world power in a relatively short time. In the 1890s and before, those with education, or imagination (and both combined) were the ones to prosper. Those who were, mostly, uneducated and lacking in imagination and drive, were working for $30-$40 per month. It is pretty much the same today, only the pay scale is higher. Those who fear taking a chance, especially on themselves, will always be the ones working for others, and "just getting by".

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If you want change stop electing "liberal: democrats and "radical" Republicans. Find and support true Conservatives; those who believe in fiscal responsibilities, individual accountability, and a smaller government, with less control of your daily life.

I think your synopsis is a little too simple and "cut and dried" for me, Teak. One of the most striking pictures I have seen of people working in the late 1800s was taken of this group of 12 year old boys that had been working in the coal mines. Their bodies look like those of 12 year olds; their faces looked like those of 40 year olds. Are they your examples of uneducated, lacking in imagination and drive, etc.?

Laisses-fair might be fine for those little pre-industrial towns that were their own little economies onto themselves. I don't think it works all that well in an industrial, global, and impersonal market....

If you want to live in a place where the very few own the the vast majority of the wealth, try Brazil, Colombia, South Africa, etc.

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The Lone Ranger of the AWE liberal elitists.....who was that masked man???

And now, I'm the Elitist of liberal Elitists...

This is not the 1800s and welfare makes up almost half of the budget.
Eliminate all welfare and Liberals will leave the US!

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Americans want nuclear power now!

No, the parents who sent them to those mine are. Just as the parents who raised 12 children on the farm, so they could have a labor force.

Didn't seem to hurt the major metro areas very much. Places like NYC, Boston, Philly, Detroit, St. Lewis. I wouldn't really call those pre-industrial towns.

Why didn't you include the USA in that list. You claim thats what's happening here, now? Actually, it is happening throughout the world, it always has. Hell, even the Socialist countries have that problem.

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If you want change stop electing "liberal: democrats and "radical" Republicans. Find and support true Conservatives; those who believe in fiscal responsibilities, individual accountability, and a smaller government, with less control of your daily life.

Unfortunately, the wealthiest do not want others to become wealthy and will, in fact, spend their wealth making sure that doesn't happen. Rather than cherish competition, they crush it.
The mantra of the wealthiest is "It is not enough that I win; others must lose."
What good is a 60' yacht if everyone has a 60' yacht? They do not wish to merely possess things, but to possess things that no one else can possess.

BTW, I see a BIG difference between being rich from one's innovative, hard-working labors, and being WEALTHY.

Like Chris Rock said, "Shaq is rich. The old, white guy signing Shaq's checks is wealthy."

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Hehetchetu. Wa uyun tinkte!

Of course, the assumption is that a person who made $30,000 at the end of the Clinton administration is making correspondingly more today, taking into account inflation. However, thanks to the Bush tax policies that promoted lots of borrowing from overseas, the dollar has fallen in value against a basket of foriegn currencies, so the costs of critical imports like oil and gas have increased for too many people to dwarf the tax cuts.

What is the benefit of earning the same as you did under Clinton, and while saving $400 a year in income taxes you must now spend an extra $500 for things because of the higher oil price which is the result of Republican policies that discouraged investing in sustainable energy, the huge deficit created by tax cuts which weakened the dollar, and a war that both increased the deficit and further weakened the dollar and also consumes massive amounts of oil?

Yep I think Ole Rob skewed his way to an "F" on his research paper and a "D" for his half hearted bias effort.

On must give weight and mention the tax loop holes the wealthy and corporations has access to just before they actually file their taxes which saves the wealthy at least $345 billion dollars annually from the treasury.

And we haven't even begun to talk about OFF SHORE TAX HAVENS which takes $100 billion from our treasury and Corporate Welfare Subsidies which annually cost tax payers and robs the treasury of 100's Billions dollars annually as well.

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AMERICA LAND OF THE FREE HOME OF THE BRAVE--BECAUSE OF OUR CONSTITUTION.

That's why there will be one big fish left in the pond without some "rigging" of the game.

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The Lone Ranger of the AWE liberal elitists.....who was that masked man???

And now, I'm the Elitist of liberal Elitists...

Yes indeed, they seem to have demonstrated a certain unnatural ability at keeping anyone from working hard and gaining wealth.

Report: Number of U.S. millionaires jump - Jun. 9, 2005

Millionaires in the Making