'Couldn't agree with you more about the what would be left for Dubya. I don't vouch for the conclusion, just thought it was an interestin' notion.

Copied the Chief Seattle quote, thanks, added it the collection. You might be surprised but I agree with the Chief. And your afterthought. My beloved Vermont(even though I am a Flatlander(in local parlance)), is becoming a Boutique State and all that stuff is popping up here and has pushed out the majority of the Mom & Pops. In fairness, this has been picking up speed for the past 25 years; to the point where Vermonters have lost their state. The true Vermont mentality is as Frost wrote is, "good fences make good neighbors". Which is not as unfriendly as you might think, quite the opposite actually.

Nonetheless Ed, the Chief's response doesn't speak to our present economic situation that Lamb's quote is referring to: Federal ownership of 33% of the US of A. Nor does your reference about the chain's. And it's Henry Lamb's quote, not mine, I merely put it up for discussion.

Again, I don't know who Lamb is working for but I believe capitalism is the best economic practice going in that it provides the best results for the most people. It's not ideal by any means. And I certainly don't like to see the Feds virtually give away our mineral rights like they did a few years ago out in your end of the country to foreign mining companies.

However, though I agree with Mr Lamb's general position regarding government ownership, I am not for runaway capitalism.

I am against interlocking directorships.

I don't know how we'd go about it within our Constitutional structure, but I don't think we should allow conglomerates in our nation. By that I mean, the same company shouldn't be manufacturing everything under the sun and then financing it too. No way to fight back, it is impossible to boycott them.

I believe companies should have to change names when they change hands. e.g., when Unilever bought Ben & Jerry's a few years ago, they bought it for the name recognition value, not because of the product. I am told, haven't checked myself, that the ingredients have changed for the worse.

I am against companies quietly changing their names after they screw or damage the public. If they manage to survive, it should be law, that they must also identify who they were as prominately as who they are becoming for some extended period of time.

I am against fining companies sums less than they made while abusing the consumer. They should be bankrupted and the investors ruined. Some one will take their place. In addition, the management of companies like Global Crossing, Enron and the like should have the entirety of their assets confiscated and distributed to the little investors first. The big investors and banks have the resources to thoroughly investigate these companies(hell management certainly know of one another).

Economic boycotts should be encouraged in the educational process. Another reason to legally limit companies to family or employee or co-operative ownership rather than the unaccountable ownership schemes of the present day run away capitalism.

There's a lot more, including easy speedy legal action on the behalf of the underfunded consumer rather than companies stringing people along until they give up or are financially ruined.

So I agree with Lamb insofar as the limitations of the quote. Beyond that who knows.

You seem to be a reader, see if you can find a book called the Vermont Papers. Serious piece of work on political theory by Frank Bryan a UVM political science professor and John McClaughery. Ya, I know he worked for a republican white house, but their piece of work on governance is quite different and might appeal to you. It certainly does to me, as it is tilted toward the citizen. They refer to it as a Shire system.

It might be a bit quarrelsome, but we should share a beverage some time. And you do live in a beautiful piece of the country. If I wasn't here I'd be in the Pacific NW somewhere, as I was last summer. It's good to be back in Vermont though, I highly recommend visiting. If you do, let me know, be happy to visit with ya or supply any of dbISers with information about our area.

Anyhow, I've got more important work to do today.

as usual, it's been fun Ed,

GMm