[Sacamuelas]

I thought it was too. However, it popped up on the radar screen due to Guinness's post. Oh well, I am bored, the twin warriors are still asleep-and the wife is gone to a baby shower. What else is there to debate? LOL

First duty?
In reality, I would say- to preserve itself. Or were you going for Law and Order or freedom and democracy?

I know it seems easier to try and play prevention politics on these issues. I just think that there is no way to predict when the next "tech boom" type industry will be innovated and flourish in our country. If we start stifling businesses by actually providing incentive to keep the status quo, we will prevent them from having access to the free capital needed to invest in the new technology.

We can not stop our progress towards a consumer driven- service economy. If we do, we will become stagnant while the rest of the world catches us in technology and innovation. So for a few years/maybe a decade all things will look acceptable. However, as we flounder under a government enforced status quo, we will have lost the very thing that made America the economic leader in the world-flexibility, innovation, potential, desire for the new, and imagination.

Eventually, we will be forced to compete as an equal with all the other countries to market and produce the same items. We will not be able to do that with our standard of living and legal requirements for safety/environment/benefits.

IMO, that is not what America was founded on or successful doing for that last two hundred years.