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The amount of foreign aid in the federal budget is fairly trivial.

Of course, that doesn't get in the way of us trumpeting "the generousity and goodness" of the US when we are talking about the question of "Why do they hate us?"

I wonder how much we spend in covert activities/politics that bend the interests of other nations to our own. I bet most of this foreign (military!) aid to other countries represents an icing on the cake with regard to this activity. Puppetry can be an expensive art, and I bet, at the level of the individual foreign citizen, they would be ahead of the game in declining our 'help' from the get-go.

The warning of foreign entanglements given by G. Washington (?) applies equally well to all nations.

I'm so cynical that I've aquired the world-view that "Everything, as it is now, represents a model of the worst way for things to be systemically from the viewpoint of the common man, so basically our goal should be the complete opposite of the realities we encounter".

I think this axiom has, as its most profound example, the aspects of globalization we see now. The splitting of the economic sphere into "Unfettered capitalism for the transnational/monolithic corporations and socialism for the 'human element'", especially applied to taxation, is a good place where this phenomena is evident. I believe the individual literally has a right to be free of, at least, the federal income tax and all of those revenues should come from tariffs. This way, since you pay either way, the individual has an immediate governor with which he can control his taxation, by his choice of product. In short, there must always be an escape valve that will permit a competative balance in the 'taxation methodology marketplace' -- the republic principle at work.

The other thing I am beginning to suspect is that the stock market forms a type of 'socialism for the elite' -- at first glance I know that sounds naive and reactionary, and I dont propose an elimination of it of course. It is interesting when you consider the parallels to 'communal property' public stock involves especially when you figure in retirement programs, a debt money system, and taxation basically forcing you to 'put your money on the table' via the market.

"The means of production owned by the people as a collective" -- see what I mean?

Part of the danger that fosters is channeling peoples interest behind the globalization movement -- "Why should I care about labor laws and practices of foreign manufacturers and how impossible it is for Americans to compete given our laws, etc -- as long as I am getting MY cut via the stock market".

More of a -- "It's not free trade unless I can call Taiwan and order a pair of Nike's for what-it-cost-to-make-them-there" -- type of thing. The only people who win are those who put their money on the table, via stock, and we know, more or less, that the game is more crooked than straight. Enron, or various accounting methods used today along with the 'psychology' of the market, the fed, inside information, the government itself -- all are uncertainties to your detriment.

It's getting to the point where, like in the movie "Brazil", there is one multifaceted conglomerate called "Universal Services" that handles all your product needs. McDonalds or Burger King -- at Burger King you can have it "your way".

How gracious of them indeed.

Socialism and capitalism, the left and the right, form a type of false choice, a contrived battle that only further empowers the governors over the governed. It is a tug of war where the energies (fears) of the electorate are transformed, piston-like, to a crankshaft that unswervingly propels us to a new (world) order. We are tricked into counteracting the left or the right, but it is not counteraction via nullification, it is counteraction via priveledge or enaction, for which we pay (empower) by our vote.

We need to insist on deactivisation of the opponents (left/right) policies instead. We are not in one boat paddling in two directions anymore, we are in two boats seeking two different ideological islands we believe will give us respit from the fatiguing efforts we make in counteracting each other.

If there is or ever was a wise politician, he would understand this. And he would laugh.