Sharky:

Thank you for the sentiments regading Osama Bin Ladin. However, we all have to be extremely alert. Not just in the US but also in all of the western world as there now exists danger of retaliatory attacks.

As for your statement regarding confusion with Socialism and Communism, I quite agree with you. In no way do I believe that Europe has fondness for Communism. Communism was and is more of a political philosophy married to an economic philosophy. Communism is much more of a dictatorial political philosophy. The crux of Communism is that of much more control over the individual in order to concentrate political power so as to control all aspects of peoples lives. In the process the Party becomes a priviliged class. The party itself therefore becomes vested in a dictatorial control over the people. Of course, there is always the danger of socialism morphing into something much more stringent and restrictive when an individual so inclined to totalitarian excess wishes to seize control. This potential becomes greater in times of economic crisis. One of the dangers of economic difficult times is that people are tempted to trade the rights of man for a little perceived temporary relief. Of course, they always find they have reduced social and economic standing and control. And America is not exempt from these temptations in times of economic distress.

Brian