Ocean_Soul,
I had conveniently forgotten many of the things you brought up. They were the cause of my own dissatisfaction with my government. But it's so pleasant to forget unpleasant facts sometimes.

Your entirely right about the corporations. It is a show run by them, played before our eyes 24/7 by the media. People that advocate a 3rd. party are entirely right in the benefits they attribute to it. It's just not practicably viable.

I'm very glad you opened that can of worms.

In the Carmona tread I erroneously attributed to you a position on American gullibility. I wanted to discuss that, and I was looking for any hobbyhorse I could find to ride in order to do it. I'm sorry I used what you said for my own purposes. Not intentional. Wishful thinking. What you said was a little ambiguous, and I wished it implied what I wanted it to do.

I think what you and I want to do is to get to the truth, and I think we both believe the way to do that is through public discussion like this. I am attributing that to you, and if I'm wrong, I hope you correct me. I'm standing by.