Dark Prince:

> I agree with a fair distribution of wealth, but I can't say "fair and equal" does enough to encourage excellence.

I suppose that it depends on what "excellence" means. Is it making a lot of money? Is it becoming famous? Is it being fair to other human beings? Or sharing what you have?

I think that the problem is that we insist on measuring achievement in terms of how much money a person makes, how famous they become, how many inventions they create and how much money they make from them, etc. I rarely see anyone say that the best person is that one who helps the most human beings without asking anything in return. My mother does a lot of work to help poor people. She has spent countless hours collecting money, raising awareness, showing others not to be so selfish, etc. I never saw anyone say that my mother had "excellence" in her. When my mother dies nobody will remember her except those of us in our family. I see people crying over the death of somebody famous who made a lot of money or who became very powerful. I never saw many people shed a tear when some aid worker gets killed in some conflict zone. In capitalism excellence is money. Nobody cares about scientists or artists who made no money, even less about those who put time and effort to help other human beings. People care only when some rich, powerful man gives to charity, because it somehow convinces people that capitalists are a-OK. Don't get me wrong, they do great work and help thousands. But who remembers those who dodge bullets to bring food to a conflict zone?

> Using nukes adversely affects all life. There's already too much habitat destruction from human encroachment not to mention resource exploitation. Nuclear weapons have condemned many to slow agonizing deaths.

Of course, I was talking sarcasticly!