On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 17:22:25 GMT, "MMC" wrote:

I agree 100%.
In any country under embargo, the powerful have what they need and want and
the poor are caused to suffer by the embargo, so who is the target?

The Miami Cuban establishment and people who don't think too deeply
about politics and money, I assume.

By the way, I'm an American Military Veteran and ex-Republican who has alot
of trouble walking thanks to a bomb outside Baghdad.

Sorry to hear that and I hope it doesn't permanently affect your
boating.

I "speak" to a lot of Americans thanks to newsgroups, lists, etc., and
when the conversation strays of-topic into politics, I am hearing from
a lot of "ex-Republicans". We have the same problem in Canada in that
our Conservatives aren't conservative, our Liberals aren't liberal,
and our socialists are beginning to look reasonable only because the
other two parties give money to their pals so heavily that they can't
HELP but be as fiscally responsible as conservatives/Republicans are
SUPPOSED to be. Many "conservatives" today seem to up spending and
slash taxes. Well, a five-year-old can figure out how long that can go
on before it all turns to ****, can't he?

I want to pay enough taxes to fund education, health, safety and
environmental standards. I want my government to resist the urge to
tell me how I can live, what I can do that doesnt' harm others, and to
bribe their pals with patronage appointments and cushy contracts. I
don't mind paying higher taxes if I can see the results in health
care, education and air that's clean(er) and cities that aren't
crumbling. That is not the case, lately.

Obviously, I'm a hopeless idealist, which is why I'm better off
cruising, I guess.