Havin read most of this thread, quite entertaining, some comments from an 'illegal alien'...
The tea party is reported, rightly or wrongly in the UK as a right wing fringe movement gathering momentum to the embarressment of the republican party, who fear that association with them will loose them seats in waivering marginal states. dont really know if this is correct or not.
I have never understood the american connection about beleiving in God and being a good politician. In the uk our PM has dubious church commitment, and the leader of the opposition is an aetheist. but here at least its irrelevant to the majority of policy (speaking as someone who is a beleiver in God). Perhaps we have bad political leaders here
, im probably just a cynique.
i also didnt understand David's comment on socialism and serfdom.
regarding serfs: the surfs were freed in Poland in 1864, a year before the 13th Amendment (I think) freed the last black slaves in the Southern US states, and long before the communists took over. there was i beleive a lot of similar activity throughout the world at around that time. I think the only difference between the slaves and the serfs was that serfs were tide to an amount of labour associated with the land, that was owned by a landlord, and the slaves were tide to the land owner directly. most countries have had a slave labour force at one time or other.
im probably ignorant of US sentiment, but i also dont understand the socialism connection.
all the same, seems a little odd to mix poltics with a car forum - we have a sep section on the uk site for non cobra stuff.