Just so you know, old_tractor doesn't have a clue what he is talking about when he discusses Marxism and Socialism. Trust me, as a socialist and someone who knows more than the average person about left-wing ideologies. Left, social democratic magazines like Dissent all highly criticise the Democrats and do not consider them leftists. My Marxist friend considers the Democratic party to be a bourgeois party. I don't care if old_tractor wants to be an American conservative. Fine! I don't care. But his blatant distortion of history, and talking-points memo right out of Glenn Beck propaganda irritates me to no end. There are smart sane people on the right who support free-market principles and individual liberty, like Robert Nozick and Milton Friedman, and I respect them.
You are always nice to me, so I thought I'd vent to you. :p