>>There is also an element here in the US which wishes to overthrow our Republic and replace it with the absolute authority of the State, under the guise of fairness. I'd say it's ironic that in the rest of the world they're trying to throw off the shackles of central command, while here we have a vocal minority demanding those shackles be applied.

LOL. It's not government being shrugged off in those revolutions, it's corrupt oligarchs who have become dismissive of the people. If you've read Gibbons you'll know that this is as old as civilization and that when a very small minority - say 1% - starts to claim the majority of the wealth and then tells people with nothing that if there is no bread they should eat cake, here we go again. Of course if you believe that there are no oligarchs in the US and that the problem is that lefties are trying to apply shackles onto a joyful thriving population, then good for you.