Sorry, I'm on the road all week and just can't afford the time to keep stringing Scott along
But this seems to be a fundamendal issue here. Some (and not a Liberal some mind you) are more willing than others to realize the world can't be seen in black and white terms.
Our economy is not a "free market" but rather a "regulated market". Wealth redistribution isn't a Liberal evil but rather a necessity that's supported the middle class for over half a century via a progressive tax system and formed the structure for a consumer driven society.
It's like the pundits have whipped people into a frenzy where by anything not focused on some Conservative or Liberal "brand ideal" can't be a good thing because it's not on the critical path to nirvanna, all the time knowing themselves that their mantras are the result of ego and advertisement revenues rather than pragmatic and learned thought. While there may be wisdom in their words, it's not a playbook for life and certianly not something you could base a successful society around alone.
Any good engineer knows you make something better by taking it to the extreme to see where it breaks, and as such there are really no conservative or liberal ideas that would work in their pure forms.
Yet our leadership, to appease a base, pretends to behave as thought this is true to serve not you or me but ultimately the corporate machine.
Enlightenment is a relative term and in this information age it can be difficult to know how good your data is, but I'd still rather take some enlightenment over none.
The simple fact is, making the effort to understand or even appreciate a viewpoint that's not your own is a very liberal thing, and a very good thing. In some cases it might help you know your enemy, and in others it may give you better appreciation for another perspective on life.
God forbid it indicates your %$%$%$%$ does indeed stink. If so perhaps you should listen to your body and change your diet.
-spence