"Under communism, will we still have paper money?"

"No, none of that either."

About communist newspapers, like "Pravda" ("Truth"):

"I read in Pravda that comrade astronaut Yuri Gagarin won a car in the state lottery in Leningrad. Is that true?"

"In principle yes, except it wasn't comrade astronaut Yuri Gagarin but comrade first grade teacher Leonid Gagarin. And it didn't happen in Leningrad but in Odessa. And it wasn't a car but a bicycle. And he didn't win it in the lottery but it was stolen from him in front of the school."

Those types of jokes were really popular in communist countries. They were a constant reminder that freedom of speech, which existed in the Soviet Union, was not as important as freedom after speech, which did not.

Most of your posting doesn't make a lot of sense, since you didn't quote correctly.

China's economic policies caused millions of deaths under Mao. His policies were certainly not capitalistic. Today's China might have more capitalistic policies than we do. But today's China is not nearly the killer communist China used to be.

You will find that that was true in all communist countries.

Did you know that the common argument in eastern European countries against unions was that unions were unecessary since workers would only strike against themselves (since workers ran the country)? In East-Germany, unions as we think of them didn't exist. The official unions they had were entities that organised picnics and helped workers with their vacation requests.

Thet didn't have a right to strike or "worker protection" or anything like that.

Those are all things that developed in capitalist societies.

How you make the step from "communism" to "far more workers' rights" is beyond me. I have never seen a communist country that offered more workers' rights than the US or western European countries.

In communist countries the "means of production" were indeed communally owned. It was illegal even to sell something on the streets.

"In America, you can always find a party. In Soviet Russia, The Party can always find you!"

-- Yakov Smirnoff

"In America, you watch television. In the Soviet Union, television watches you!"

Boy! Do I miss those days!

I know what you mean about the declaration thing.  There is just something about a guy you're attracted to putting it all out there when he's not sure.  Now, my thing is this-- follow through!  Is this one declaration supposed to last me my whole life?  I met a few fellas who seemed to think so based on what their partners told me.  Now in fairness to guys, that's a pretty hard thing to follow up.

Let's imagine i'm an American voter, who has a history of voting for the democrats. I'd have to seriously ask myself whether or not a party, which is currently in the midsts of a brutal internal power struggle, can seriously reunite and lead a country properly.

The amount of bad blood that is being spilt in this campaign is potentially enough to leave whoever wins with very little to campaign against the republicans with.

Worst still, should the repuiblicans win, i'm not sure how the world will fair with another 4 years of a religious fruit cake in charge of the white house (even worse, this one believes Jesus is returning, and will return somewhere around suburbun American).

It's a crying shame really, but i don't think America is going to see a black or women president for quite some time yet.

American wars against the Indians had nothing to do with capitalism. In China it was communist policies that killed millions, not military expansion but economic policies.

Imperialism didn't have a crippling effect in Africa, but handing over Africa to local dictators did. Africa wasn't poor when run by the British and French.

If you can blame poverty in Africa today on what the British did a hundred years ago, you can blame anything on anybody.

The British Empire did not command Mugabe to tyranise Zimbabwe and destroy its economy.

The British Empire did not command Nigeria to attack and destroy Biafra.

The British Empire did not command all African governments to react to AIDS with "folk remedies" and in fact it is Christian missionaries, brought there by the imperialism, that are working to stop the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

You cannot blame the Europeans or capitalism for crimes commited by people who were neither European nor capitalists.

The African dictator's crimes are their own and the economic situation of Africa is their fault, not Europe's.

Blacks are a minority and many may say, a disadvantaged minority, and hence their solidarity with Obama does not attract the label of racism. And Obama did not appeal exclusively for the black vote, he positioned himself as a candidate for change and to my mind he did not eun a racial campaign, but Clinton with her fearmongering and her appeal to Hadr working white Americans did sould racist to many. But I am willing to say that the jury is still out on that question.

We're both very lucky, but thanks for saying so.

I could watch Kiera doing the most mundane things without any problem at all.  In fact, if she made a movie called 'Kiera watching paint dry', I'd go see it.

Toni's a lucky woman!

Oh Mr. Darcy....I like the re-make, very well done!  And Kiera Knightly is such a joy to watch!

But oh yes Ladies, Mr. Darcy gets my vote too....!   I promise to look and not touch...

It was a boy's own adventure, if truth be told.  It also meant a couple of extra weeks off school, which every kid loves.

I'm familiar with the show Man Against Wild.  But as for survivor techniques, I learnt a lot from my Dad and some more while I was in the services.  I've also read a fair bit about survival techniques and have no problem with the less savoury aspects of staying alive.

And maybe when she wins it is because of voters of the other party that want her there because she's the candidate more likely to inspire votes for their favored candidate in the end.

Keep pissin' in the wind Loca.  She (H.R.C.) will likely win W.Va because of a bunch of stupid racist voters.  W.Va is the home of Robert Byrd and has been the KKK capital of the world for decades.  Expecting the majority of the voters there to be open minded is looking for a miracle, at least at this point in the race.

Pennsylvania? You want to go back there?  Sure, have at it.  She won in the rural areas.  Areas that border places like, uh, W.Va.  She lost in the cities, she lost to the young voters, and won among voters that are dieing off in the party.

H.R.C. is old news.  If you want her, you can have her.  If you want to see something good come of the Democratic party, you don't want her though.  You want the guy that is bringing in the youth voters and you want to drop the hatred and lose the lies that have been told about him as well.  Ask yourself how many H.R.C. supporters are out sewing seeds of the idea that Obama is a muslim, radical Black man that must be having dinner and nightly court with Louis Farrakhan.

A month on a resort island would be fantastic; the Maldives or New Caledonia maybe

USA would be second on my list.  I'd spend all my time catching up with JU friends

Always wanted to go to Ireland as well.

2. If you were going on a girlfriend getaway or a guys only weekend, where would you go and what would you do? Does what happens in Vegas stay in Vegas? Would your spouse/SO have a problem with you going on a trip without them?

Hmm, maybe somewhere camping for the weekend as my wife doesn't like camping one bit.  I'd possibly want to go somewhere where I could do a few good bush walks and maybe a spot of fishing.  Would she mind?  Not one bit.

3. Describe the best vacation you've ever been on - this is a reality not fantasy question.

Been on a few really good ones in my time.  I remember going to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia with my family.  That was a wonderful holiday.  And all the camping holidays I did with my family as well.  All good times had.  My wife and I have had a few good holidays, most recently to Brisbane for a week.  We got to visit dear friends and spend a day at a great theme park.

4. Describe the worst vacation you've ever been on.

I don't have any bad memories of holidays.  I've been trapped by floods for a couple of weeks and had to, quite literally, hunt for food, but even then, it wasn't a bad holiday.

5. Is there anyplace on the planet that you have absolutely zero desire to ever visit?

I don't want to go anywhere there is civil unrest or anything like that.  I have no desire to spend my time ducking bullets and being holed up in a bunker.

Choice of president is important, but subjective, and has no weighing on intellect.

Well, if he comes to my part of Tx, I'll steer him your way (but not without taking a longing look into his eyes first...lol).

In that case I am proud to be ignorant.

I have seen socialism in action. I have learned about socialism from east-German television.

Socialism is like capitalism with less information.

"WolSHaman",

Do you know anything about socialism? Have you seen it in action? Have you met its supporters who still claim that a secret police that roots out dissenters is a necessary evil? Have you talked to socialist voters in Germany (where socialism is a favourite) and noticed that the constituencies they win are also the most dangerous places for foreigners and minorities to live in?

I guess you are using the word "ignorance" in the left sense: failure to see virtue. The problem is, often education and knowledge cause people to fail to see the virtue.

Some of the most pro-capitalist people have fled a socialist state. And some of the most pro-socialist people have left (not fled) a capitalist state. The communists executed some of the first group before they had a chance to flee and some of the second when they were no longer needed.

Yes, that's exactly what I said.

Seriously, "WolSHaman", can you read?

1) Hillary would never lead us into socialism, she makes to much money from big business to ever consider such a thing.

2) Hillary doesn't have much more experience, she's only been in the Senate a few more years then Obama, and being the wife of a president doesn't count as experience, nor does being a lawyer, and Obama's name doesn't really matter, just because it sounds different doesn't mean that one should care.

3) McCain is just a Bush clone, although he'd probably be slightly better, but still.

And even if a third party broke off from the democrats, which would never happn, but if it did, nothing would change. If you want to win an election, you must promise change. To keep power, you must cater to the rich and repaint rust when the next election comes, and try to make it look like you did something when you actually did nothing.[quote who="Leauki"]

This whole argument just drives me crazy.  So much for transcending race or the post-racial candidate.

So not wearing a pin means that Obama's going to commit treason and that he's a filthy facist who wants to destroy America and all it stands for? And one could very easily show disdain for the working class, as they could for most of America. America no longer cares for quality work, education knowledge etc., and we're slowly getting dumber and fatter, and the average American is giving unnecesary, undue weight to frivolous things such as gender, race or religion, and we ignore issues and listen to 30 second to 2 minute answers for questions instead of listening to candidates actually go in depth about an issue, and we're getting a massive debt that's only geting larger and larger. America is a better place to live then a large part of the world, but their are still many issues that make America a bad country.

A typical example. The average american is far more sexist, homophobic and xenophobic then other places in the world, and at the same time we claim that we're "free" and we claim that what makes America great is how we welcome other people here with open arms, and how anyone can become rich if they work at it, despite the fact that that's just an utter lie. Chances are if you were born poor, you'll die poor, just how if you were born rich, chances are you'll die rich, even when you have no real talents.

Key West, England, Switzerland

2.  If you were going on a girlfriend getaway or a guys only weekend, where would you go and what would you do?  Does what happens in Vegas stay in Vegas?  Would your spouse/SO have a problem with you going on a trip without them?

Normally he doesn't, but for a longer trip...possibly! 

3.  Describe the best vacation you've ever been on - this is a reality not fantasy question.

When we lived in NY we (entire family) went home for three weeks of vacation in Jamaica and did all the fun stuff, it was great!

4.  Describe the worst vacation you've ever been on.

None, thank heavens!

5.  Is there anyplace on the planet that you have absolutely zero desire to ever visit? 

The middle East is up there for me!

Israel.  I'd like to see the holy land, and spend time exploring.

Australia.  I'd like to see all the touristy stuff....then go to a bar in the outback..or as close as possible and drink, eat, talk with the locals.

Deserted Island (anywhere), with a yacht right off shore.

Somewhere in the southwest, on a dude ranch, running cattle, sleeping outside in sleeping bags.  When it was all over, I'd want a massage.  My husband wouldn't care at all.  He knows I need alone time..or time with friends.

It's a draw between Hawaii (where we did everything touristy) and Long Beach in the Phillipines.  Great beaches, food, and shopping!

Alaska.  Seven months pregnant.  New Year's Eve.  Camping 100 miles from the nearest other person.  40 below Zero.  Nuff said.

North Pole.