Hi Fred:  My comment had to do with that portion of your email concerned with
increased number of countries with democratic governments.  Private armies are
quite a different issue which I did not address.

Fred Welfare wrote:

> In a message dated 02/24/2000 9:49:56 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> > Or could it be that entrenched interests have learned that they can exercise
> >  efficient government by special interests under the guise of democracy?
> Dan
> > K
>
> Dan, the problem of private armies is hardly a 'guise of democracy.'
>
> Fred