In a democratic nation (or at least, one that touts the idea that we all have a voice) it might be natural to replace god with government, in the sense that we may feel that government is capable of making the changes that could improve everyone's lives versus waiting on a nonexistent god to solve all of our problems. In the USA there is likely also to be the factor that the GOP is closely linked to Christian groups who are using that link to push their religion into people's lives whether they want it or not. My impression is that many libertarians here are Republicans at heart who are trying to 'send a message' regarding either taxes, or more liberal social policies, or that religious wing of the party.
I do think that there is also a very strong undercurrent that seeks a more socialist management of the economy and providing more goods and relief to the poor. It should be no surprise that the pro-capitalist, wealth-friendly, anti-union nature of the political right would be an instant turn-off for them. The feeling is that the USA is in a position to create a much more progressive society than even many European nations enjoy, but the political right will fight that to the death. Combine that with the level of political polarization that has occurred here over the past 20-25 years and you have a country where you are expected to be on either side of a single ideological line.
I do think that there is also a very strong undercurrent that seeks a more socialist management of the economy and providing more goods and relief to the poor. It should be no surprise that the pro-capitalist, wealth-friendly, anti-union nature of the political right would be an instant turn-off for them. The feeling is that the USA is in a position to create a much more progressive society than even many European nations enjoy, but the political right will fight that to the death. Combine that with the level of political polarization that has occurred here over the past 20-25 years and you have a country where you are expected to be on either side of a single ideological line.
"Well, evolution is a theory. It is also a fact. And facts and theories are different things, not rungs in a hierarchy of increasing certainty. Facts are the world's data. Theories are structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts. Facts don't go away when scientists debate rival theories to explain them. Einstein's theory of gravitation replaced Newton's in this century, but apples didn't suspend themselves in midair, pending the outcome. And humans evolved from ape- like ancestors whether they did so by Darwin's proposed mechanism or by some other yet to be discovered."
-Stephen Jay Gould
-Stephen Jay Gould
