Hello Richard,   
      
   >DD>We need some laws (enforceable and enforced) to curb the abuses of   
   >DD>Wall Street. But, the truth is that the fat cats OWN the politicians   
   >DD>who write those laws. Prospects of meaningful reform are vanishingly   
   >DD>small.   
      
   >RW>Agreed, and therein lies the real problem.   
      
   >DD>Same deal on term limits for elected officials. Many of them seem to   
   >DD>think that holding elected office is a lifetime sinecure. Which   
   >DD>certainly is *NOT* what the framers of the Constitution envisioned.   
      
   RW>OF course, but then the framers of the constitution never   
   RW>anticipated professional politicians.  Their thought was   
   RW>that average folks would seek office as well as vote.   
      
   The Framers of the Constitution were rich white men.  Most of whom   
   were lawyers.  And all of them very much aware of professional   
   politicians, especially those from England.  They wanted to protect   
   their own interests, and those of their friends.  Not exactly what   
   anybody would call "average folks".   
      
   RW>Their efforts were geared toward eliminating a professional   
   RW>perpetual ruling class.   
      
   Except rich white men.   
      
   Black folk were not included in their version of America.  Women folk   
   were not included in their version of America. Poor folk were not   
   included in their version of America. Only those who were white, male,   
   Christian (preferably non-Catholic), and owned property/slaves, were   
   included in their version of America.   
      
   --Lee   
      
      
    * SLMR 2.1a * Uh oh...that fart was wet....   
      
   --- Maximus 3.01   
    * Origin: Xaragmata / Adelaide SA telnet://xaragmata.mooo.com (3:800/432)