Sorry, I saw your answer after you posted it.

" For my part, it lasted about 6 months; for him, I believe he still thinks it's going on. Stalker mentality! "
Wow. Thank you for sharing that.

Did you have rightwing ideological opinions before meeting him? Or was his influence part of changing your ideological opinions?

I started to comment on this post, then I read the threads below. I'm out of this post. But thanks for the post. It's an issue that needs to be discussed. +1

"-it is also the idiotology of the Leftists/Liberals/Democrats/Progressives/Socialists"
Then, you're just beating your chest for your group and calling names? I could say Bush was a master of whatever school-yard epithet they call people from the right. We beat our chests for artificial groups, get to be mean, and if we're lucky even get to make a scene at an event, but it doesn't do anything for the cause of liberty.

"His rigid indoctrination at an early age prevented that. "
It's so different from his public persona of an intellectual. Do you gather this from his writings or did you know him before he ran for president?

"Oh, come on, CG. I met him, I rejected him. I told him, "I don't care if you're the president of the world, I'm Carol A. B------ and I said NO! "
Are you saying you swore at him metaphorically or literally? Way to go for being so candid. Most people going to those events are trying to get grants or just talk with other supposedly-connected people, so they're circumspect. What kind of event was this? What did he do when you went off on him? Was he polite prior to your criticizing him?

If the story is true, I think it's really cool.

Yes. And even if the policies worked and the programs helped people become self-sufficient and productive, they still would NOT be "freedoms" or "rights" by my definition of those words.

"Yes, but you would have carry that same sentiment all the back to when the "evil" printing press "stole" all the jobs from the scribes. "
Yes. I intended to convey no sentiment at all about it. Machines doing work so people don't have to is a good thing. My point is a sudden appearance of a new kind of machine shakes things up and could cause people who ordinarily are not socialist to accept socialism. I want to get the benefits of new technology while avoiding socialism.

"Technology makes it easier for the gov't to spy on people."
Yes! And to share ideas with other people, not just ideas supported by large organizations and gov'ts.

Exactly! Yet, these are overwhelmingly the types "freedoms" promised in those long grandiose political speeches the wanting public seems to eat up with a vengeance. "Freedoms" which others must be compelled to deliver.
It all socially progresses toward, freedom to dependency.

I thought I read Audacity of Hope, but right now I can't remember anything from it. Maybe I didn't. It doesn't seem shocking to me to go through a stage of admiring Marxist thought, experimenting with drugs, and blaming European imperialism/mercantilism for the world's problem, and identity politics. Europeans did sort-of subjugate the world b/c they harnessed animal power and machine power first. It would be neat to meet President Obama, esp if he had time to talk about this stuff. His public persona seems like someone I would know and get along with, BUT politicians are masters of giving off that image on camera.

The problem is that for Socialism and Communism to work, everybody has to believe the same thing. But nobody does, that's why they won't work. I explained this to a young foreign exchange student from Vietnam whom I hosted in 2008, when she asked why the newspapers in her country were so biased towards communism.

Maxwell formulated 4 equations, but when I recall them, (after 30 years), it seems there are 2 missing. I really think there should be 6! So maybe I'll work on it myself!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6pN-fDh...

Great subject and lots of great posts. I am on my local school board and have been fighting Common Core on the local level and the state level (Okla). We managed to get the legislature to kick it out and the governor to reluctantly sign the repeal of the standards. My advice to all is to stay vigilant and get involved. We are hearing rumors that they will just repackage it and name it something else. By the way, I have no problem with higher standards for our kids; but so much is wrong with this curriculum it has to be thrown completely out. They have attempted to rewrite the history of this country in a manner not seen before, the record keeping is nothing more than tracking of citizens, the money going to crony businesses is far above anything ever attempted, and final the feds being in a business that they have no right to be in has never been pushed this far. Get involved on the local level, go to the monthly school board meeting, make your voice heard. One complaint that I have as a board member is this. People come to me with their problems or concerns, I tell them I will take up the issue; but they have to also stand up and be heard. 90% of the time, they never mention it again. There are a few that have helped, by getting their circle involved with the issue as well; but that is rare. Don't be afraid of the administration, if you have a board member willing to take up the issue; the administration will listen.

"1) Technology makes it easier for the gov't to spy on people."
Yes, but it also makes it easier for the people to "spy" on the government.
"2) Automation is replacing many jobs..."
Yes, but you would have carry that same sentiment all the back to when the "evil" printing press "stole" all the jobs from the scribes.

Maybe there's a silent anti-corporate-logo person here. He/she should tell us why. I'm interested to know.