[TopQuark]

There is nothing conservative about the priviledge few selling out their country for a pile of money.

You are poorly informed and brainwashed by newspapers.

Most of our corporations are owned by "simple folks" -- through their pension funds and stock portfolios. The owners --- that, I am sure, includes you --- hire the management to make profit for them. Management of a top company requires a great deal of talent, which costs a lot of money, and that money is paid it the form of high salaries, options, etc. There is nothing privileged about that: these people made sacrifices most people do not, work extremely hard, and make a buck utilizing their talents. There is nothing more American than that.

Pressed by owners --- which, again, includes you -- to make a profit, the managers seek the best possible course of action. If a less expensive office supplier becomes available, they switch to that supplier. If a less expensive programmer becomes available, they do the same.

As for continuing business with communist China and other "Socialist states," you should be aware that (i) we have always done that with communist countries, (ii) it is a question of foreign policy unrelated to this thread, (iii) all of Europe is now socialist --- with whom do you suggest we trade?

Now, since you are a real conservatice, why is it that you exhibit misunderstandign or lack of knowledge on these rather fundamental issues?

The comments on this board indicate that within 20 years or less we will have a full socialist regime here. Ignorance of how the core American institutions work, coupled with purely socialist envy constantly fueled by the elites will lead to that ourcome.

[Old Professer]

Levi 501 jeans sustained the market for decades; nobody wants them now.

If there is anyone at Levi Strauss who can design a new "must-have" set of pants, I'll be sorely surprised.

What is about to happen is that the company will be bled of its reserves and the stock will collapse like a weed in the winter.

[ARCADIA]

Most of our corporations are owned by "simple folks" -- through their pension funds and stock portfolios.

You really need to get some perspective. Your so called "owners" are getting screwed along with the rest of us. By privilede few, I was refering to the management, the fund manager, and others who hold and exercise real power. That describes a very small set of people and they are anything but "simple folks".

[A. Pole]

The comments on this board indicate that within 20 years or less we will have a full socialist regime here. Ignorance of how the core American institutions work, coupled with purely socialist envy constantly fueled by the elites will lead to that ourcome.

It is not matter of envy, but of the simple survival. People want to put food on the table because their children clamour for it.

Envy (on the side of the poorer) and greed (on the side of the richer) plays the role AFTER the necessities are taken care of.

About the supposed "ignorance of how the core American institutions work", don't you realise that the free trade policies are a new thing, not something what the founders of United States had in mind? You are breaking the original principles so do not complain when you will get the undesirable side effects like socialism.

[RussianConservative]

Hmm, so if simple folk put self out of job by having company they own stock in sell out and move...then they simple folk sell off stock in order to make ends meet. Stock then bought as debt by buyer of debt, say China. So in end, China own stock of company, own debt of peoples and own jobs.

[Beck_isright]

"Ignorance of how the core American institutions work, coupled with purely socialist envy constantly fueled by the elites will lead to that ourcome."

You mean like the "core American instututions" which ban prayer anywhere, restrict the rights of citizens over non-citizens, and allow a philandering liar to commit acts of treason and murder while the Senate neglects it's Constitutionally assigned duties?

[iconoclast]

Most of our corporations are owned by "simple folks" -- through their pension funds and stock portfolios.

You are a complete idiot or a paid shill. These "simple folk" are invested through mutual funds or pension plans or a combination. They have no more say (and probably little more knowledge) in corp. policy than my little Cairn terrier.

I dare say these "simple folk" are far more truly conservative than you, and, far from being socialists, are "America firsters", whether they are conscious of it or not.