- Yes, as we were attacked at Pearl Habor. We might not have gotten involved in the European theater, but who knows.

You don't think that would have been a huge problem for us, and the entire world?

- Would we have even attempted space travel?
- I believe so, but not perhaps by a national organization (NASA).

How would we have done it? It wasn't, and isn't profitable. But amazing things came out of it.

- I don't see how it has been a massive success, especially considering that programs could have been established to allow you to save your own money before taxes. I don't know, perhaps I'm missing the success stories.

The success story is that we are not a complete welfare state, which we likely would be without social security. If people are not forced to save through a pension or social security, do you know how many people actually save properly for retirement? Very, very few.

- I'd say that falls pretty clearly under the regulating interstate commerce clause, but telling states how to link up could have been done without providing the money or increasing federal taxes to do so.

How is that clear? States didn't do a damn thing about linking up. It took Eisenhower to grab some cash and get it going.

- If for no other reason than he'd be a push in the other direction from where we're headed now I think you should vote for him, but hey, I'm a big fan.

It's pretty clear you're a big fan. I'm a big fan of scaling back government. I'm just not sure he's the guy to do it.