> Jim
>> is this that different from the US, where we see the "USA Patriot
>> Act," the "Clean Skies Initiative," the "No Child Left Behind Act,"
>> etc.? PR lies seem universal, both under bureaucratic socialism and
>> capitalism.
>
>
> Au contraire. This is evidence of the "convergence theory" once
> popular in the 1970s claiming that both the US and the Soviet systems
> are heading toward a "compromise" system that will be a mixture of
> features found in both systems.
>
> However, the theory did not specify which features. It turns out
> that the negative ones - market absolutism and totalitarianism were
> mutually adopted, but the positive ones - economic planning and
> democratic governance were discarded in the process.
>
> Wojtek
>
>
The last Russian/C. Asian emigre's to arrive in my neck of the woods were software developers. But they weren't travelling with roll around luggage and laptops, they brought wives and children. It's amazing how much they resemble the American middle class in their social behavior and consumer habits.
Maybe the compromise isn't directly political or economic, but more related to what ever supports the greatest amount of "creature comfort" for the priviliged classes. Totalitarianism would be a fit.
Leigh www.leighm.net