But it is also clear that left entirely untouched by public policy, the capitalist system will produce more inequality than is socially healthy or than is necessary for maximum efficiency.

What's troubling is that the Republicans to defend Mr. DeLay are weakening the ethics process.

In the West everybody recognizes the need for a private sector, pretty much, even the one Socialist group understands this now, and so there tends to be debate about how much public sector intervention you think is needed for a variety of reasons, and there are very important differences on party lines that should be fought out.

Take free speech: most of the tough cases on free speech involve very unpleasant people saying very obnoxious things.

Capitalism works better from every perspective when the economic decision makers are forced to share power with those who will be affected by those decisions.

Particularly marijuana, I think is a great hypocrisy. I think frankly it contributes to a good deal of the sense of unfairness you have among younger people who are told they shouldn't do this because it’s got all these negative effects, but then older people are engaging in all kinds of things that probably have a greater impact on people.

There is an irony that the most active anti-gay groups are Al-Qaeda and the American Right wing.