But you didn't state this specifically. I can't read your mind, only the words you type.

But you chose only to look at the criticism of the former liberal turned conservative, not of the former liberals turned radical left.

I read his criticisms about the increasing radicalisation of some liberals or the "cultural left", but this thread is about his gradual process of moving right (or at least the appearance of doing so). Obviously, this shift has affected you enough to prompt you to post. If you want to criticise liberals becoming hard leftists (which seems perfectly valid and reasonable), feel free to post another response or start a new thread.

As for turning conservative, has he actually done so? He does describe his politics at least appearing to shift generally rightward relative to the increasing radicalism of the left, but I note this paragraph:

This past January, my liberalism was in full throttle when I bid the cultural left goodbye to escape a new version of that oppressiveness. I departed with new clarity about the brilliance of liberal democracy and the value system it entails; the quest for freedom as an intrinsically human affair; and the dangers of demands for conformity and adherence to any point of view through silence, fear, or coercion.

Is such a stance about liberal democracy and freedom considered a liberal or a conservative position? Is he just fooling himself to think this was "liberalism...in full throttle"?

We are all accepting prepackaged crap.

No, I don't accept this "Oh, we're all really victims here" implication. We maybe be exposed to prepackaged crap, but it doesn't mean we've all swallowed it. I would not insult you by categorising your response as just regurgitiatng prepackaged crap, like alcaray's lame response, for example. Who here is a true liberal, conservative, libertarian, socialist etc. spewing one form or another of prepackaged crap?

If you think that the "think for yourself" dictum is aimed only at conservatives, then you, as a conservative, must know something about conservatives that I don't know.

Look, your post is there and it is quite clear. You were obviously alluding to his shift in political thinking and associations from the left as possibly stemming from some sort of mid-life crisis, and implying that he had just given up too easily. And when did I ever state I was a conservative? I have not just called you a liberal. I try to treat people as individuals.

Of course, Rush Limbaugh is one of yours... so I may have hit a sore spot.

Well, again, I have never identified myself a convervative and never mentioned Limbaugh. Maybe you are not in fact responding to me, but some conservative construct in your mind? No matter. Do you really classify the author as a Limbaugh conservative, just because he has bid the "cultural left" goodbye? The political spectrum is much more layered and nuanced that that.