[Alberta's Child]

I think we're on two different planets here. You look at the U.S. government and see an institution that can assess tariffs on wireless phone calls from anywhere on the globe. I look at the U.S. government and see an institution that can't even keep a million Mexicans from pouring over our southern border every year, and couldn't even keep al-Qaeda from stealing four passenger aircraft and flying them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

While we're at it, why don't we take away the "cheap transportation" component that allows countries like China and Malaysia to manufacture things so much cheaper than us -- by draining the Pacific Ocean.

[Myrddin]

Same planet. You've just changed the subject. The U.S. government isn't even trying to stop the Mexican invasion. If they were serious, we would have troops on the border. The "border patrol" is a grossly underfunded and understaffed "feel good" enterprise.

I lay much of the blame for the WTC disaster on the gutting of the CIA by Bill Clinton. You can't detect and stop an attack if you haven't put the resources in place to do the job.

The cheap transportation component shares something in common with the cheap telecom component. A ship is worthless if you don't allow it to dock and unload. Most of the goods produced in Asian markets arrive on the west coast of the U.S. and are transported via rail and truck. Items destined for the European market are moved by ship to the U.S. west coast, then by rail to the east coast, then by ship to Europe. Again, the U.S. controls the transport path...if they desire to do so.