My opinion on France and other Western European countries being, at times, Socialist, is purely based on how the various left-leaning (if that denomination has a meaning) parties name themselves. In France, it's the PS, or Parti Socialiste. Literally, Socialist Party. In Germany, it's the SPD, or Socialdemokratische Partei Deutschland (can a German-speaking person please correct me ?), or Social-Democratic Party of Germany. I never meant that these countries had switched to the other side of the then-Iron Curtain. They certainly never did. ---------------- What you are talking about are Social Democracies, I think Sweden is the best example of this. As opposed to the Soviet example (which would have been one if more than one party were permitted). Of course so would the Fascist one had the racist overtones been absent. * To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, * * etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *