Starchild,
You wrote:
> it seems like an awful gamble
when contrasted to a system of limited government contained by
checks
and balances and charged with protecting life, liberty, and property
which we know would tend to work fairly well as long as it can be
maintained. < <
It seems to me like an awful-er gamble to bet that politicians
will allow themselves to be "contained by checks and balances."
Best, Michael