Nether socialist nor liberal am I

You have the ability to declare anyone a fascist... and it least here, that makes it so.

Does anyone here dispute the fact that I am a fascist?

Try looking in a mirror. You’re the one telling everyone what to do, how to behave, and how to think, and whenever people don’t comply you resort to make believe and delusion.

You’re incredibly tiresome, whenever you turn up a thread that was quite interesting or amusing becomes another turgid round of moralising by A2K’s self appointed big girl’s blouse.

You suck the joy out of life, and now you’re whining because you’ve failed to make A2K every bit as dull and insipid as yourself.

If anything is turning A2K into a nastier place it’s your control freakery and constant attention seeking.

No.

My point exactly. Good job.

You got that quite wrong Izzy. I enjoy playing with you. If I can get your little gang in a tizzy (as I did here), it makes me happy. I have always liked to stand up to bullies. If I didn't like playing with you, I wouldn't do it. I assume you enjoy this too (or you would be stupid to keep doing it).

If you don't enjoy the game, then don't play it.

So much for the brilliant bubble.

Remembering, of course, this OP is about my being neither socialist nor liberal. What have you done to further that discussion besides turn it into the Max show?

Together you and I have accomplished quite a bit. You have shown that this is a narrow intolerant ideology that responds to dissent with personal attacks.

I don't know what your goal was.

Disingenuousity is action.

That is deep. I think I will use that for my signature.

Original as always.

Wouldn’t dysentery in action be more appropriate?

I think that's a great idea. It'll explain to anyone reading your crap for the first time partially what your shtick is.

It's a shame Max has trashed your thread. Maybe if you don't engage him, you can get it back.

I've had enough of him.

I love Irony.

These people believe Able2know is an exclusive community. They are the respectable people. They act right. They speak the same language. They have the same beliefs. They support all the right causes and would never wear white before Memorial day. They are better people upright and worthy folk.

It is a perfect little community. Good is good. Bad is bad. Everything is simple and clear. Every fact magically lines up with the right way to think. It never rains. They just want to live their happily little lives knowing that they are good people and their lives are worthwhile and free of any problems (unlike the outsiders).

Outsiders are scary. They don't share proper beliefs. They say things that ought not to be said. They question the upstanding members of the community. They have dangerous ideas. They don't accept the standards of goodness that all real citizens know are true without question.

There must be a way for the good upstanding citizens to keep out the outsiders. You have to understand that they have tried everything to keep out, or silence the people whose improper ideas upset, offend and scare them. They have tried attacking them. They have tried branding them. They have labeled them as fascists and trolls. They have following them from thread to thread to apply a scarlet letter of shame.

But the outsiders are still here. They are still expressing their opinions in public spaces and enjoying the resources as if these vile outsiders think they are equal to these upright and clean residents of this otherwise perfect little scheme.

This OP is a statement of insiders of the community... a statement of the beliefs they all hold with the premise that people must believe them to be acceptable.

And here I am, a fly in the ointment, poking holes in their happy little social club and enjoying it. I think I am serving an important purpose, maybe this narrow little bubble isn't as awesomely good as they believe it to be.

Diversity of opinion is a dangerous idea, but one worth agitating for.

I'd guess most people would agree with many of the points you raise.

However, it's a curious thing that nearly all the "progressive" legislation enacted in social reform is attributable to only one side of the political spectrum.

Most of the time a liberal leaning Democrat or Republican sponsors legislation but it's a bipartisan vote that makes it happen.

Liberals and conservatives have even co-sponsored progressive law.

A conservative McCain saved the ACA from Trump.

I'd argue with its dependence on private insurance and state option for the Medicare exemption, ACA is a Republican sort of national healthcare system.

How do you account for the other half of the political spectrum?

There are a lot of Americans who are against what they see as "socialized" medicine. These Americans have representation in Congress.

At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the most celebrated progressives were Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., 26th president, and Henry Cabot Lodge--both life-long Republicans. They both opposed Woodrow Wilson (although Roosevelt was inadvertently responsible for his election), a Democrat, a racist and the most dictatorial president we've ever had. Imagine Trump if he were competent and genuinely intelligent--and you've got Woodrow Wilson.