I'm not sure any of this was actually constructive. Those who began thinking my argument was insane probably still do, and the few like-minded souls who agreed probably still do.

I think it was constructive and instructive. Tom Cruise is insane. You are being quite rational and sensible. There is a weed you can grow in your own home that the government has no damn business concerning themselves with, much less outlawing. Some drugs need to be controlled substances. I do not think for a minute you are arguing that all people become their own physicians and perform surgery on themselves and prescribe their own anti-biotics, (some people still think they will prevent or treat a rhinovirus, which is the common cold) anti-virals, beta blockers, or other more exotic medications. Even physicians don't treat themselves in most cases, and lawyers hire other lawyers to represent them in court, but you can bet in those cases they play a more active and co-equal role in the treatment or litigation than the average citizen. Some people will prefer it that way. Others may wish to be accorded more autonomy and freedom to take a more active role.

I do think there are important principles at stake here. And the reality is that the War on Drugs (which includes prescription drug laws) has done more than anything other than the War on Terrorism to erode the constitutional liberties we talk about here frequently...this is more of a luxury item to think about once the rule of law and and basic sanity are restored to our country

I'm not quite sure how but I think these issues are related.

The John Birch Society was convinced Eisenhower was a communist mole. Not FDR, mind you. Not Truman. Eisenhower. Historian Richard Hofstadter wrote about them in 1965...

“Pseudoconservativism is among other things a disorder in relation to authority, characterized by an inability to find other modes for human relationship than those of more or less complete domination or submission … The pseudo-conservative is a man who, in the name of upholding traditional American values and institutions and defending them against more or less fictitious dangers, consciously or unconsciously aims at their abolition … [He] sees his own country as being so weak that it is constantly about to fall victim to subversion; and yet he feels that it is so all-powerful that any failure it may experience in getting its way in the world … cannot possibly be due to its limitations but must be attributed to its having been betrayed.”

–Richard Hofstadter, The Paranoid Style in American Politics and Other Essays, 1965.

Now we have Altemeyer's work on Authoritarians but the subjects haven't really changed that much.

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

Agreed, although the same can be said about many on the left as well.

I wonder if this is really an accurate and fair statement, for a couple of reasons.

There probably are stubborn, pig-headed people of all political persuasions but there really is no "left" in America. There should be. It may be making a comeback and it's about time, but if Arne Langsetmo, Paul Rosenberg, William Timberman and I, (apologies if I've left a leftist out), are exemplars of the left, you are talking about some pretty mild and mainstream leftism. And in that group, I'm probably the most pig-headed. The fact of the matter is, in spite of what Shooter242 might try to tell you, Glenn's readership is quite diverse and only in RightWingNutistan, (and maybe the ABC and MSM), is this even considered a "leftist blog".

Secondly, and to quote Paul R.

"[Altemeyer] concluded that LWAs are "as rare as hens teeth".

I think you will find fewer of them on the left, whatever the left is. I think I found one, however. His name is David Horowitz, but now he's on the right.

I think you can go back as far as FDR.

Just for fun, if anyone is interested:

John Birch Society's Endless Enemies

Detailed overview of FBI documents and files pertaining to the John Birch Society.

http://birchers.blogspot.com/

Gaubatz is from Denton, Texas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denton,_Texas

Perhaps he just wants to get on the list of notable Denton residents with Norah Jones, Peter Weller, (Robocop) and Phyllis George.

I think we should investigate when they first flouridated the water down in Denton, Texas. I'll bet it was around the the time Dave was born. The commie plot to take over the country by flouridating our water is finally coming to fruition.

General Jack D. Ripper: Do you realize that in addition to fluoridating water, why, there are studies underway to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk, ice cream? Ice cream, Mandrake? Children's ice cream!...You know when fluoridation began?...1946. 1946, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual, and certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works. I first became aware of it, Mandrake, during the physical act of love...Yes, a profound sense of fatigue, a feeling of emptiness followed. Luckily I-I was able to interpret these feelings correctly. Loss of essence. I can assure you it has not recurred, Mandrake. Women, er, women sense my power, and they seek the life essence. I do not avoid women, Mandrake...but I do deny them my essence.

Do you think water flouridation conspiracies disappeared into the ether after Dr. Strangelove hit the theaters? No, they didn't. The Ada Parker Newsletter (Pro-Apartheid) from 1996. Scroll down to Flouridation Myths:

http://www.cycad.com/cgi-bin/Aida/aida-201.html

I am starting to get a little upset with Dr. Thomas Szasz. He may have meant well but some of these folks need medication and a structured and controlled environment. They can be a danger to themselves and others.