Can we continue that discussion from Will's derailed thread?

[Sebastiani]

Yes, Texas is the perfect state. Sorry, it's hard to say that with a straight face.

I never implied that it was. Like any other state, it's got it's share of good and bad.

One micro example doesn't work because looking at the overall picture it clearly doesn't work.

I'm sorry, are you stuck in line at a soup kitchen somewhere? Are things really so bad for you that you can't afford to do anything? C'mon man, look outside. At least where I'm standing, things look to be on the up-and-up. Clubs are packed, people are hosting parties and barbeque cookouts again, health memberships are on the rise, community programs are active, condos are rising up everywhere...I'd say it's a fairly prosperous time we're living in, all things considered!

The difference between you and I is that you think people will willfully do what's good for the species. I think they need to be forced into it. I think it's a very naive view that rich people are the solution. "Don't worry, the rich people will solve it. We all know they're altruistic. How else did they get rich?" This country was built on the back of slavery and oppression and put particular people in very powerful positions solely through legacy. This type of attitude is exactly Reaganomics at its finest and it doesn't work.

No, I'm saying that WE as a society can solve it. There will always be rich and poor. Even if you made the poor rich, the system would eventually settle back into a dichotomy. Someone will always lose out, others will always stand to amass a good portion of the total wealth, it's inevitable.

That said, our system DOES need reform. That's undeniable. I'm just saying that it isn't the end of the world. We can work things out, we just need to keep a positive attitude and work hard at it, that's all...