Alexei Stell, these are fundamental questions to raise and need to be answered. You deserve much credit for generating the informed and articulate responses to your article.

In addition to the points made, your suggestions are an affront not only to prosperity but also democracy. It's no freak of nature that the highest standards of living are in democratic countries.

Systems can always be improved however. In the US an even more aggressive capitalism coupled with a substantially reinforced economic safety net is a way to go. Anti-trust and patent laws and use need attention to lessen domination of markets and supplies.

Thanks for your article.