Hi Pen;

So that was written by an Australían instead of an American? It's amazing how much our peoples think alike in certain matters. Like common sense. I loved the tone of that, because it's all too true. Don't apologize for the swearing. I could add a few choice words for them here and there. :big grin:

I could go along with a return to bartering, but how many governments would stand for it? It would take away from their tax base after all. And if that bit I hypothesized turns out to really be the case, then bartering would hít them hard at the personal level. Remember, this is the reason that so many of those Oriental Nations have continued to barter through the centuries. Have we created the modern form of royalty?

It doesn't matter though. They're bucking the inevitable. How long can the house of cards they've constructed stand? Will troops stíll protect them if they don't get paid?

Tim