Say what you say, but blaming the government for everything is plainly too simple.

"The historical record shows that the planet has been substantially warmer in the past than it is now. There weren't any catastrophic effects from it."

The historical records show that this planet has sometimes been dangerous for its inhabitants when its in a high volcanic season. I am fully aware that the natural cycles of nature can sometimes be really devastating to human race, or even wipe us out completely, like supervolcano explosions or asteroid impact etc.

I'm for stopping the pollution, that's why I'm for climate change taxes etc measures to try to restrict our consuming up the planet.

"I'm tired of this debate. People on both sides are extremists, regardless of what the 'facts' are. Slandering people who believe in Global Warming is about as ignorant as this scare-tactic drama you suppose. Regardless of whether or not global warming exists, why is energy efficiency and discouraging needless pollution a bad thing? As some one with children, your bigotry is really quite alarming. The aggression, name-calling and skewering you do to 'green freaks', 'warm-mongers' and various other mean-spirited liberal nick-names is only adding to the tension you assert is fabricated. It's not just fabricated anymore if people buy into it, which is clearly what you're doing."

I fully agree. Some sense here. And it's not just Adam to blame, he's just subscribing to this negative "debate culture" encouraged by quite many..

>Clearly an un-scientific magazine, mean-spirited too. <

The online mag. was an equivalent of your MAD. It wasn't even trying to be "scientific". :-D

Climate change is happening. I see it's in the interest of the big corporations to say it doesn't exist.

"He said "Yes, I used to be a communist. Until I realized it doesn't work."

And I agree with him. You must understand that mixed economy, social capitalism is not communism in any way. Communism is an idea that relies too much on the innate goodness of man and his willingness to work of the benefit of a community. That's not correct interpretation of the real human nature. Capitalism fits to human nature much better since it's individualistic. However, this individualism becomes a destructing force if given too much free reins. Regulation by some installment is a must. And that installment happens to be called government.
There allways have to be some form of government over the people. I rather be governed over by a country's government than some big corporations board and bosses whose only interest is to sell something to me. At least country governments are expected to have some principles and law to follow.

"by the same token, some of the worst problems blamed on the 'evils of capitalism' have their roots in govt trying to skew markets in favor of one party over another. "

I've seen a couple of documentaries explaining why the free market policies of the FED and greedy Wall Street people led the U.S to this burst of the economy bubble. And too much freedom in lending policies. Lending to people who obviously can't pay is not wise.

"Well, so what have we here? A capitalism denier, it looks like."

;.-D What you have here is a non-American.
I live in a mixed economy, in a social democratic society. Yet, I can still call myself social capitalist.

And, by the way, there's freedom of speech here too. Quite a lot of freedom here as well. :-D

"So would you rather have a system where your wages are set by the government versus being as much as you can get someone to pay you?"

No. I wish people's attitudes towards some professions changed. And cleaning ladies etc. would get better paid.

"Government mandated minimum wages drive up unemployment and government mandated maximum wages will lead to top talent leaving the country for higher paying jobs overseas."

I'm for minimum wage, not necessarily for the maximum wage. And it's essential that there's a minimum wage. It's part of human rights to get paid enough in your job. Enough for some kind of livelihood.

"One restaurant owner closed his doors because the cost of modifying his historic building to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements was prohibitively expensive. The day he was scheduled to open, a wheelchair activist and a scum bag attorney were wating at the 2 steps at the front of the restaurant's patio."

"the wheelchair" people also have their rights.

"On the topic of wages, wages are a function of the market."

Yes, I think they are. However, who decides what jobs are more valuable than others? How is that decided? I think we could modify that a bit. Why don't the writers get enough pay and actors sometimes get even too much for their roles?

Eliminating $3 billion as waste in what way?
What does this renting thing have to do with this?

"Yes, but power that promotes freedom to excel is not the same as a desire for the power to enslave."

And conservatives also promoted great deal of this freedom by producing Patriot Act during the Bush administration.

One can not live in a society without a job, unless they want to put themselves at the mercies of charities. One is also dependent on the economic system to provide food and other necessary items for living.
If you're not happy with your government, you can always leave the country!!! :-D