Hey Vic,

Cheer up, old bean. It seems to me that all us children of the sixties, who believed so fervently in equality and freedom of expression and choice and became socialists of various kinds, still believe it all to varying extents.

Life teaches you a few lessons you wish you'd understood better when you were younger, but by and large the experience of the sixties was so powerful that we are imprinted for life.

And you know what's happened? Just among my own friends, mostly creative types as you might imagine and, like you, smoked dope only the once but continuously for decades (many still haven't stopped) have kids who've become...guess what?

Policemen, accountants, lawyers, fund managers, bank managers.... .....go figure.....

One of the things I like about being out here in HK is that is has helped me loosen up the "tick list" we have in out heads when we meet people - you know, mentally you're listening to someone and going " oh, he's a conservative (put x in the box) oh, he's a scientologist (put x in the box) oh, he's a social worker (just threw that in to see if you were awake) ...". Here you've got to take people as they are, quite a lesson for the learning.

Some of the people I like a lot here have, in my view, horrendous views (racist, even) - but then they have a great sense of humour, or are tremendously generous, or rescue puppies....OK, they don't usually become my best friends but I've learned simply to never talk within the danger zone and enjoy the good bits.

Speaking of which, pro-life, con-life, well I think that's one of the few things in life which should be entirely up to the parents, with the deciding vote going to the woman - I'm not even sure if men should be allowed a view... but it's an issue in a class of it's own.

So...you're not alone, my friend, never think that. But I can see how infuriating it is!

BTW, Ada, when we were setting up Neurotalk, political discussion was talked about. It's OK to discuss it, but not to argue about it, basically. No name-calling, LOL.

lots of hugs
all the best!