Quote Originally Posted by MMI View Post
OK - this debate is meant to be measuring capitalism against socialism, by comparing various countries' healthcare systems with each other, and that's all very fine, but I think we must just stop casting slurs at each other about who is more or less American than who. So far, Sen. McCarthy has not posted to this thread (assuming he's still alive!) and I'd rather he didn't.

I'll do my best to behave too (at least no-one has accused me of being un-American - lol)..
I do not like McCarthyism either but a sensible analysis of the political condition of the USA should not be compared to McCarthyism. Neither should a person be condemned for giving praise to his country. As far a slurs go, it is best to not hand out any slurs. Slurs,on the other hand, do not bother me because it is so easy to point out that the person handing out the slurs is usually the person guilty of this type of bigotry. Usually the one calling others fanatics are that themselves. The reason you feel that you have not been called un-American is that you are respectful to the ideas of others. You appear to like new ideas and challenges. That is the way you should be.

I would like to be more that way, but every time I make a positive comment, I have to take time to defend the comment because I am challenged by people who can not tolerate differences of opinions. It is not a good thing that people who differ from the opinions of others is a fanatic. That is simply a false assumption.

If your political philosophy is to the far left, it is only reasonable to know that those on the far right will differ with you. If a person can not tolerate this fact, political debate should not be a forum for their discourse. If I make a statement that is to the right of politics, I would be stupid to think a person on the left would not challenge me. I would even be more stupid if I retaliated by calling names. By pointing out that another person holds certain beliefs that puts them on the right or left is not name calling and having a different opinion is not narrow mindedness. I call it fun.