And this is why I can't stand you "progressives". You're elitist snobs who look down your noses at anyone who doesn't buy into your philosophy. And somehow we conservatives are "stupid" because we don't believe the government should control every aspect of our lives. I know, I know, we're such backwoods rubes for wanting to control our own lives. That we believe in the principles of the Constitution. That people should be free to live their lives as we see fit just so long as it doesn't infringe on anyone else's life through force or fraud. That we want to be able to defend ourselves against criminals. That people should be responsible for their actions. That people should be judged as individuals and their own merits instead of what group dynamic they belong to. Yep, those are some outdated concepts.
Oh, and as for your elitist comment, I've yet to meet a progressive who can point to any point in time that socialism, true socialism, wasn't responsible for death, destruction, and out and out misery for the majority of the citizens and where it says in our Constitution where one citizen is financially responsible for another citizen.
Oh, and incidentally, I've read Locke, Bastiat, Snow, Burke, Freedman, and the writings of our founders. I've also read and have a copy of the Communist Manifesto and Rules for Radicals.