Reply #9: I don't think that America's underlying nature is conservative

[Hamlette]

I think the underlying nature of all societies is conservative in the sense that you express in your next to the last sentence.

In some ways America might look conservative in relationship to several European countries but I don't think its true. I have traveled throughout Europe, all of my family members lived in one European country or another for five or more years and trust me, they don't say "there will always be an England" for nothing.

Ancient vestages of sociatal crap (think: class) and laws (you can't buy a soda from a vending machine in Switzerland on a Sunday, for instance) are alive and well.

We think we are backwards in so many ways but womens' rights and gay marriage and legalized pot has come slowly in Europe too. (Pot is only legal (decriminalized) in The Netherlands and Portugal. Gay marriage is really a thing of the past few years in Europe. Married women couldn't have a bank account in their own names in Switzerland in the early 1970s. Abortion laws are pretty "progressive" in the US compared to most European countries (check it out, abortion on demand is not as widespread as you think.)

I think it is hard for all societies to change in part because we've see some unintended results (think school bussing to achieve integration in Boston). It makes us all gun shy.

But in terms of liberal principles and underlying fabric, regardless of whether people call themselves liberal or conservative, the whole individual freedom thing puts the US ahead of most countries.

Don't be so hard on us. We're not so different and in many ways, because of our lack of history, we're miles ahead.

(cue some patriotic music here. I'm headed home after a 12 hour day in the state unemployment office.)