"I can translate: Gott in Himell = "God in heaven" Vas icht los? = "what is wrong/what's the matter?" mit das deity = "with the deity""

"In this society, the US, the common usage of the term "liberal" carries with it a bag of tricks that isn't a perfect match of my values or of those of most other progressives. Classical or otherwise less commonly used definitions…"

"That's an interesting question, I can only guess the answer varies widely depending on the country. France, for instance, always had a strong assimilationist tradition that was espoused by both Left and Right, although there have been de facto…"

"It's all about context, really. Using qualifiers or capitals would help a lot: (Classical) Liberalism - a school of thought - or (social) liberalism - a stance."

"Amen."

"I agree. I wonder if the shrinkage of the middle class in the US correlates to the increasing power of fundamentalism? When I was a child, I saw the homes of the wealthy in Guadalajara, Mexico surrounded by high walls with glass shards embedded to…"

"You seem to be creating a false dichotomy of Left vs. Right, with a checklist of items for each. I don't think it's helpful for our group. I'll stick my neck out and mention some of my personal values, in the context of living in the…"

"The West needs to be serious about democracy, and should avoid making policies that compromise principles for short-term gains at home and abroad. Our ultimate battle is now between those who value freedom and those who do not. Regarding pluralism…"

"Your examples of legitimate constraints on speech are good ones, and when I use the term "free speech" I didn't mean to imply that these constraints need to go. But we need to be able to question."

"I don't understand your comment. Secularism had a better standing in the US when the economy was better? A standing in whose eyes? Fundamentalism was on the rise in the US in terms of political power prior to the 2007 economic downturn. Or did…"

"Secularism in the US had a better Standing when the broad US population was wealthy...which isn't the case anymore..."

"I partly agree with you, Europeans have failed in their attempts to integrate the Muslim Population into their own. Partly on their own fault (we called the turks "guest workers" for 3 Decades and wondered why the did't felt the…"

"Your freedoms ARE being eroded -- in the name of multiculturalism. The plague of multiculturalism is, I believe, a product of being too liberal. I'm a "pendulum moderate" in my politics: I lean left or right, depending on the issue.…"

"I'm French, I live in France, so how could giving my perception of what happens here be considered condescending?"

"The meme that Europe is more liberal than the United States is just another convenient Republican lie. It's neither a lie nor a truth, since conservatism and liberalism have different connotations on both sides of the Atlantic. For instance,…"