Perhaps SF got the idea for multiple choice elections from the UK.

Indeed, there are too many with a heavy investment in keeping the status quo. And the influence of Big Business is quite obvious when we see them donating to both parties, and then threatening to withdraw future support from whomever won.

As an elected official who wants to give your kids a better education, a politician may have to support other, untoward causes in order to receive support from Big Business. It becomes a "damned if I do or don't" situation. So long as there is a need for large sums of cash to run political campaigns there will always be conflicts of interest among our representatives.

There now seems to be a certain selfishness in the US. I was taught that our Bill of Rights applied to everyone on US soil. Now people want to restrict those Rights to only US citizens. Anti-Obama campaigns often contain the message that his administration wants to take things away from citizens. Many want their Medi-Care, but don't want the government giving healthcare to others. Obama never said that he wanted to take away anyone's guns (though I wish he had), but there is much ado on that subject. "He wants to raise taxes!" Yes, he wants to tax the wealthy at the same rate as Ronald Reagan. "He is weakening us by his position on nukes!" Another Reagan plan. Seems the Republicans like certain ideas, until Obama attempts to implement them.

It is most unfortunate that the US has so much influence on the rest of the world, especially when we allow people like Dubya to take office. Americans are not hated "for our freedom" or for being a wealthy nation. It is our complete lack of social responsibility, on a par with "Let them eat cake".

Since McDonald's became the largest purchaser of beef in the US, most ranchers have complied with McD's requirements. So, even though I have not eaten at a McDonald's in years, I still end up eating their beef. When americans realize how Big Business influences their lives in ways less obvious, we may get an idea of how we impact on the rest of the world.

Any kudos for Brown after stepping down?
Any chance of proportional representation in the UK? Do you think it would work?