"Republican" you touch on a lot of issues and if i were to respond to all of that.. this will turn into a full-fledge dems vs. reps battle. I also want to reiterate that i see too many flaws with both parties. To address some of your questions: The effect of special programs for minorities on their psychology is a very real issue. That was not really what i was getting at. I thought you implied that Free Market should be encouraged and govt should have as little involvement as possible. First, a lot of republicans are against this. the involvement of fed in U.S. market economy is what many claim makes the american economy so strong. My point was that, government intervention in the nation's economy is important for the well being of all the citizens. It's good to hear that you are a little different than the extreme-right Republicans and that you do consider the plight of the poor in America. I do not believe in an economy where you either get rich or you just die poor. Also, although this is a whole new debate, my views on the influx of illegal immigrants from mexico is very different than yours (and the moajority if the americans). If you have read the recent Time article and are able to identify it as filled with xenophobia backed my infalted and baseless stats about illegal immigrants, then you'll see my point. I think it is wrong to try to forcefully curb the influx without addressing the problems that cause people to migrate into america. This brings in issues about Free trade and the american domination of the Mexican regime. But that's how america functions. Its myopic leaders are always driven by prospects of business profits and never care to pore over the possible repercussions of their actions and policies. Many fail to see the connection at all. This is manifested in Iraq, Afghanistan, the middle east and almost every corner of the world where americans are trying to "correct" past mistakes with fire-power.