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There is not one-First World Country where the state is run by a religion. There's also not one-First World Country that denies the practice of religion. The win is in the balance. It doesn't work because control freaks gravitate to this type of power, abuse it, and justify it by saying you can't argue with God (or Allah) but really it just means you can't argue with THEM.

What works in the short run doesn't always work well in the long run.

These states need the rule of law. This doesn't mean "laws." All despots have "laws." In fact, the more despotic, the more "laws." Rule of law means the people's elected officials have made the laws, and they can be unmade by the same democratic process.

Market economies work best -- human nature and all that

Last but not least, free elections, and a free press.

Poverty and Islam go hand-in-hand. Islam and dynamic economics are divergent.

But, that is not the fault of the Islamic(they would have you believe), It is your fauly because you get up in the morning and work to buy what you need and want. Therefore, it is your fault because you have too much.

Rule of law means the people's elected officials have made the laws, and they can be unmade by the same democratic process.

It also means that the leaders are subject to the same laws as the rest of the people.

Which counts the U.S. out, I guess, since X42 got his pass.

Shalom.

Rule of law means the people's elected officials have made the laws, and they can be unmade by the same democratic process.

Rule of Law means that the rulers and makers of the laws are equally subject to those laws along with the general population. It does not necessarily even assume democracy though that is the only system that successfully maintains the rule of law.

Rule of law means the people's elected officials have made the laws, and they can be unmade by the same democratic process.

I think it also means those officials must obey the same laws as the ordinary people. What worries me is that I see signs in our country that both the democRAT and Republican party leadership are willing to turn a blind eye to violations of the law by elected and party officials. Otherwise, why are the Republicans ignoring the many crimes committed by the democRATS the last 9 years?

Market economies work best -- human nature and all that

True, but a disquieting trend is that both parties now seem to support larger and larger government ... which for the most part means more interference with market processes. And larger government demands more taxes and the tax code inherently interferes with market processes too.

Last but not least, free elections, and a free press.

Again, clouds on the horizon. We've seen signs in the last several elections of massive voter fraud (Florida) and election tampering (for example, the infusion of large quantities of illegal foreign money). And anyone who thinks our mainstream press is doing its job of presenting all the facts so we can make responsible decisions and draw valid conclusions, is dreaming. The only bright note is the arrival of the internet and (to some degree) FoxNews.