"The core belief of the Left is that somehow, if we can marshall enough power and control over people and their behavior, that we can remake them into some vision of perfection."

Personally, I don't buy this any more than I buy that the core belief of the right is to get their heels *just so* on the throats of the poor and downtrodden...

I think the left believes that government can be an invaluable, and irreplacable, tool for helping those who cannot help themselves, and that we elect a government to govern--to have a positive impact on society, not to withdraw.

I do beleive in the free marketplace, and that it's an outstanding way to determine the value of a person's contribution--not to society, but to that same marketplace.

But thankfully, the profit motive isn't humankind's only motive...and government can be the best avenue to focus those "not-for-profit" efforts.

I used to think that maybe things like law enforcement and natural area management could be placed under private auspices...but no longer. The free market has an overriding interest--profit--which is not always in tune with the needs of people.