When did the so many Americans become authoritarians?

[Hob]

For a people who supposedly love freedom it seems to me like most Americans support some law or another for some legislation to ban some behavior that they disagree with. With people on the right it's gay marriage or pornography or burning the flag or something. For people on the left I know plenty who would be all for banning cars with high mpg or banning letting your kids eat McDonalds cheeseburgers or they would support some population control or other.

Both left and right... they are chock full of people who want to legislate their world view on everyone else. "There oughta be a law." Common phrase on both sides.
@DM: I don't care what you think everyone should want. Everyone should be free to make their own decisions.

[Seabiscuit]

I know, it's scary. These people need to seriously quit watching the boob tube and pick up a book othe r than he bible.

[Sadcat]

You think laws like this are something NEW?

Dude, in most states you couldn't buy alcohol on Sunday until sometime in the 1970s or 1980s, and for a time in the 1920s, you couldn't buy it at all.

Until the 1970s, hotels and motels were required to check to be sure a man and woman were married before letting them rent a room.

What about gambling, boxing, horse racing, etc.? All personal choices regulated by the government. Always have been.

[smkeller]

Very interesting question.

I think that the idea of 'Freedom' is really abstract until you don't have it anymore.

People don't realize that they aren't very free at all anymore, because they haven't actually experienced it yet.

[RayHere]

I disagree it's the people on the left that are forcing us to try to main stream homosexuality it is the left that are trying to ban guns it is the left that is pushing their agenda on us
They want us to keep Christmas to ourselves but want to push gay marriage on us and to force our military to accept it

[PeekaBoo]

Authoratatively speaking I became an authoritarian when I graduated from pre school magnacumlaude.

[Disco Stu]

Because both sides are so entrenched in their own views, they make the other side into villains, and villains should be outlawed. If the whole world kept the attitude, if you don't like it don't do it, then we would all be better off...but then alot of politicians would be out of a job, and they can't allow that. This is all fine and dandy with social issues. However, a problem arises with economic issues because neither side seems to favor a truly free market. Republicans say they do, but don't, and most Democrats openly admit they don't. To be quite honest, I am a conservative, be it a fairly libertarian conservative, but my view is do whatever you want as long as it does not harm others. I personally choose to live a conservative lifestyle because I want to, but you don't have to. What would really be ideal, would be if everyone kept their mouths shut and didn't shove everything in everyone else's face. That goes for liberals and conservatives. I don't want to know that you are gay, or an atheist, or a born-again Christian, or oppose or support abortion. I don't care, keep it to yourself and we will all be better off.