My point really was that I don't ever see the United States backing up into some form of economic isolationism. As David points out these mega-multinationals have become dictators of policy (or just plain above it all) to a great extent. I just think that the bottom line and dollars and cents always rule the day. That's not to say I support the rape and pillage form of internationalism you guys are talking about. I just see the future as an ever expanding global economy. (yeah and that's thanks to technology and that it's just as easy to do business with someone in China as it is the guy next door...to your point that it's always been that way Greenie...not to the extent it is now)

Obviously it's very important how the United States conducts itself in this atmosphere. Yeah, I want us to be the city on the hill. Also, as we've seen, how these mega-multinationals conduct themselves is of rather large concern. So, while the Bush administration dumps money into the multinationals David mentioned (big oil and military industrial) in a supposed effort to police the planet for terrorism, it'd be quite nice if we dedicated some effort to policing these mega-multinationals. Granted, there is a rather large difficulty in doing that what with all of this administration's pals getting buried under the piles of cash we as a nation are dumping on them. That seems to be where this country really needs to find its backbone again. We can't stand for allowing these megacorpo slobs to keep buying their way out of every mishap. I think we've begun to at least get a handle on understanding the slave labor portion of things as a country. So from there we can work toward a solution I hope.

So, I don't at all think we're far apart in what we are expressing. Maybe we just aren't all on the same page with how far and where we can go with these ideas. At least we have them though!

When David says:

"What's needed is a new American industry, and the Apollo Alliance recommends that, as a nation, we get into the alternate energy business in a major major (think Manhattan Project) way. I really like their ideas, myself. I think theyre really forward thinking and positive, and I think this general idea of America leading the way in freeing the world from oil, while strengthening the middle class, and the sciences, is truly an idea for the ages. Sadly, few are listening, least of all the oil and weapons plutocrats in DC."

I could not be more on board with that. Hell, I think I was mentioning these general ideas in an earlier post. After talking to a cousin of mine that's into the renewable alternative energy thing in big way, I felt really hopeful that we can solve these issues. Yeah, DC needs to start funneling the cash in the right direction though...