[LaGrone]

The European economies which are more protective than ours cannot seem to get their unemployment rate below 9-10%. Their governments are more involved in economic decisions than ours.

My belief is that the tendency of governments to intervene with protectionist measures during economic slow-downs is wrong and counter productive.

As to the CEO's who break laws, I would hope and expect the Justice Department to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law, including taking every last cent gained by manipulating the stock price and selling their shares before the bottom fell out.

[cp124]

Europe's problem is socialism, taxation, regulation. We are more productive if we use automation and our brainpower. The CEO's and bean counters want to take the easy way out, not invest in this country and send the manufacturing over to slave labor countries like China. The cheap products are sent back to the US and eventually we will all work in Wal-Mart. I am not a protectionist, but Americans should given the chance to compete. Does that CEO really need that $6000 shower curtain (GE CEO)or should his company spend capital in this country? Making communist China (our enemy)stronger is not a real bright idea.