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I remember all the conservatives wining and crying over the mass media reporting the Left/liberals challenge, then later bringing down the Rightwing Conservative Soviet Communist government in Russia. The way it was reported in the media, the terms were used consistently with the 4th grade spelling dictionary I used in Ohio in the 1950s; the same book my children used in the late 70s/early 80s, in Washington State. Those definitions are also consistent with most of the historic of the terms. As well as most dictionaries (with regard to 'liberal').

Democrats pride themselves as being a continuation of the traditions of Thomas Jefferson, and believe it. Policies encouraged by Democrats, are quite often nothing more than compromise positions to moderate the power elites and their corporate-religious conspiracy. In short, conservatives and liberals do not speak the same language. They do not understand each other. They continually talk past each other.

My experience it both the adolescent left and the grown up moderate left, has shown me that their hearts are anti-statist, their minds are anti establishment, and their actions are anti-conservative. If a conservative says their for something, the left's first reaction is to be against it, at least until the conservative turns his back.

I fear for this country, when the next wave of anti-establishment activism popularizes itself in a future generation of the young. Unless a truly liberty oriented movement is ready and able to capture that Left, they will grow into an authoritarian power beyond anything we can imagine now.

So how is it possible for modern leftists to be anti-statist and anti-establishment at heart, but still manage to be statists? Do you think it's a reaction against conservative small-government rhetoric? Or is it an attempt to balance statist conservative power? Or are they just duped by their leadership, which isn't anti-statist at heart?

My theory is that "leftists" will tend to erect God-like governments in place of God. Since they don't have God to motivate people to altruism and to dispense cosmic justice (to use Thomas Sowell's term), they make the government take on this role, and naturally they give it God-like powers to accomplish its task.

That's a tough one to sell to leftists, many of whom will cease to be rational once the "G" word has been mentioned, not that I blame them. I think the reconciliatory angle may be the most effective with leftists -- i.e. "let's just get along and quit trying to beat each other over the head with the government club." I know this appeals to me, and I think it appeals to most cultural leftists, because I know that on an absolutely fundamental level people want to enjoy other people rather than hate them and react against them.