[MD] Steele meets Pirsig on common ground

[Khaled Alkotob]

[Platt]
> I'm not concerned about U.S. health care or corporate "greed." 
> Public  education, however, is a disaster, and the question is why are 
> government schools so bad. Perhaps you have some answers?

Well that's the double edge sword of a Global-Free-Market. When you can't
find an American engineer, you import one or export the job. Since the
supply has not outstripped the demand now that we can go global,
employers don't see the urgency to push to improve the local education
system.


[Khaled previously]
> > You and I have been down this road before. No, welfare does not 
> work, but building a casino around each corner and calling it free 
> market and free will is not right either.
>[Platt]
> You exaggerate. What do you think of government sponsored lotteries?

[Khaled] It's just as bad


[Khaled previously]
> > I live in a town where we have more check cashing/money advance 
> places than we have bank branches. No I do not want more government 
> regulation and interference but 500% yearly interest rate is a crime.
You may
> > disagree and chose to call it free market, I look at it as lack of
> > morals and principles from corporate America.
[Platt]
> Speaking of crime, would you rather have the loan business run by the
Mafia? 

[Khaled]
So you see nothing wrong with 500% interest rate. You look at it as a
legitimate crime vs. the Mafia crime which is illegitimate.

[Platt]
> Are you suggesting that the morality of our revolution was the same 
> as the current Islamic terrorism, that George Washington was morally no

> different than Zarqawi?

[Khaled]
In the eyes of the Iraqis, yes.


[Platt]
> The elected government of Iraq and the millions who voted for appear 
> to  appreciate our getting rid of Saddam and his henchmen. 

[Khaled]
That we have to wait and see. If you are concerned about kidnapping,
torture and imprisonment, we have surpassed what saddam did by the
thousands. Time will tell. What happened in Haditha was not the exception
but rather the Modus Operandi.


[Khaled Previously]
>  We complain when brutal dictators run countries, when they are
overthrown and the new 
> leaders take better care of their citizen, we call them comies and try
to overthrow them.
>[Platt]
> What brutal communist country takes "better care of their citizens." 
> Cuba perhaps? Are you willing to give up free speech for government 
> health care? 

[Khaled]
The current situation in Latin America is a good example. And here is a
great article published in the independent by your favorite author.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13426.htm