I really don't find much in your argument to disagree with. I think that some basic controls so that people can't sell asbestos-laden soft drinks to elementary school kids are necessary. Building code enforcement i s a good thing.

I've been to Vietnam twice and have seen rampant small businesses and a huge black market springing up through the cracks of the old socialist ideology. Like China, central planning hasn't worked very well and everybody develops a hustle to make ends meet.

I guess, to tell you the truth, I don't know what or who the 'left' are in the US anymore- the idea of a left has been mythologized by the right; obviously you need an enemy to continue to define yourself in opposition to, but in terms of an accurately defined 'left' who are we really talking about here? Al Sharpton? Kucinich? Cindy Sheehan? Greenpeace? Hardly an organized, cohesive social force I'd say. Hell, they can't even draft effective legislation against a President with a 28% approval rating.