I've learned plenty and crystalised my political viewpoints by the process of debate; you know, "thrust and parry", "play possum", etc...
Some are going to hate me for saying this, but the member who has influenced me the most was fastpat with his extreme Libertarian views. I thought that he was 100% consistent in that, but like commies I know he was not able or willing to "walk the walk" in the real world of modern USA. I always had a Libertarian streak, but now I am the anti-liberal railing against the nanny-state. It is among my strongest beliefs.
I still believe in justice and equality, but don't believe that government should manage people's lives. They are by definition corrupt and antipathetic to people's needs, they need to be choked down to size and only sensible laws enacted or enforced. I also agree w/ him about staying out of other countries' affairs, but not to the degree that he advocated.
Not with him on the whole Confederate thing or rooting for insurgents in Iraq, however. He was right about the U.S. govt. not being America, and vice-versa, IMO.
