No wonder special interests have had their way.

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And that's why there is no financial orthodoxy so entrenched, no conventional thinking so engrained, no special interest so strong that it should ever stand in the way of the change that hard-working families need.

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This is no way to prevent flooding and protect our woodlands, rivers and special wild places.

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What I would argue, though, is that Syria is not in any way a vital US interest, and that what happens in the country is of no special importance.

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