First off I would like to say "well done" to Mike for perservering in this thread.
It's so easy to argue against somebody or something by consistently demanding proof or evidence when much of their own evidence is simply repeated facts and figures which have often only taken on a life of there own simply because they have been repeated so many times.
There are so many things that go on behind closed doors in Government that only come out in the wash many years down the line that it is impossible to back up what you believe may be happening or what secret agenda is being followed. For me it's as much a belief as anything else and that entails looking at it on a global scale and trying to join up the dots, whether it be the 1%, Neocons, False wars, dirty dealing by the CIA, the EU, NAFTA or Monsanto. What I do see is that Joe Public (99%) doesn't benefit from any of these and never will.
I thought Chris Hedges put an excellent case forward.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-1T...yer_embedded#!