Yet another religious cult raided

[Vandiablo]

Our countries have different opinions on liberty: two good examples drugs and weapons.....you call you country the home of the free although an individual is not allowed to use the drugs of his choice.....in my country an individual is not allowed to go around with a gun..........obviously we have different opinions about what freedom really is.

No, not countries. The schism that you speak of exists here in the USA, too. We've had 8 to 14 years of tilting to the retro-Reaganites, we may get a much-needed break in 2009. Of course, now that McCain has become Bush III, we might not.

If you then come with a Cuba= evil statement and at the same time defending religious fanatics that abuse small girls I think you lack empathy. I hope you can start trying to understand other peoples opinion instead of just having an 'everything the US does is good and anybody leftist is bad' so that we can continue the discussion.

Five years ago, it hurt, literally hurt, to be green in this country*. The GOP was seeking to move this country to a one-party system, people who didn't worship the latest of the Reagan Dynasty were removed from their jobs, and no one was listening to those of us who cared about water, air, atmospheric issues -- you know, "hippie" issues. Nothing was more pathetic than a "hippie". Once, about four years ago, two politicos knocked on my door and asked me what my biggest issue was; I told them it was water quality and they were dumbfounded -- they had no talking points for that!! and they were the Democrats!!

But things are getting better now. For instance, it is only the occasional crank complaining that they can't buy incandescent bulbs. (nyuk nyuk) And hey, thank God for Evangelicals -- they now want to save the earth. After all, God so loves the earth -- and all the animals species (ark ark) -- wash away all those people that would eradicate species.

Of course, what's discouraging now is that a lot of good-intentioned efforts are just creating other problems. For instance, using corn for biofuels is only slightly better if at all than regular gas (sugarcane is much better). Supposedly, deforestation is happening to grow more corn (though that's better than more pavement). Sadly, deforestation is happening anyway -- for many reasons.

I told people at my office a year ago that I was glad gas prices were going up. Still am -- it seems to be driving (HAH!) a push to finally deliver improved technology to the American market.

Anyway, I'll stop my rant. My point is that you tarred all Americans with your brush, and it doesn't apply to all of us.

-V

*Replying about Kermit will only show your age