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In the latest Republican debate, Rudy Giuliani announced his plan to make "nation-building" a part of "what we have to teach our military." I was shocked. Isn't this exactly what everyone in the Republican party always knew was impossible? Haven't we tried and failed dismally every time it's been tried? Why didn't everyone go after him on that? Have we completely thrown out the entire Reagan agenda?

I figured out that George and the Bush league weren't real conservatives years ago, and I parted ways. All my other Republican friends called me a traitor. Now, suddenly, after it's too late, they're all waking up. Different things are waking them up...the wild spending sprees; the endless undeclared war; the penchant for nation-building even before we've built one; the utter cave-in on illegal immigration; the inflationary monetary policy and collapse of the dollar...

For me, it was the Patriot Act. Guys, sometimes you have to read this stuff. It's all there in black and white. Every bit as scary as Al Gore's "Earth in the Balance". It relieves us of any freedoms we ever thought we had. Today, this act gives government authority to investigate our reading habits, religious beliefs, travel plans, financial transactions and medical records, all without evidence or just cause. How does that fit with any conservative plan this side of Stalin?

I know E*Trade has started a limited international trading program, but are there others? I've heard of Interactive Brokers - are they legit? Are there other choices?