Holy shit h2c, I didn't think you had it in you. In the past 3 years that's the first time I can recall you saying anything of substance without making a reference to pedophilia, screams, or spurting blood. Bravo sir!
There is no way on earth this nation, or any other nation can guarantee equality of outcome, nor should we strive for that. As you pointed out, the degree of each person's success or failure is not only in large measure dependent on his or her own merits, but is also up to each person to define for his or herself. It isn't the function of the state to deliver prosperity and happiness to every citizen... merely to guarantee that the opportunity is equally available to all. The problem [ and the fact that conservatives forget all too easily ] is that the state has frequently worked to actively hinder the opportunities of many. So the question is, if our country has actively, through the use of discriminatory laws, prevented a person or group of persons from achieving that prosperity... how does the state then redress that? I'm not proposing a perfect answer. But conservatives get so caught up in their Horatio Alger fantasies of plucky entrepreneurship, that they frequently forget that, before you can pull yourself up by your own bootstraps... you need a pair of boots. And while I likewise agree that struggle and adversity can do much to instill character, I'd also add that character doesn't count for nearly as much when you haven't eaten in three days. But try the "all character" diet for a week and tell me how that works out for you.
As for 3rd parties, they have always failed, and most likely will always fail. There isn't any idea or policy 3rd parties advocate, that can't or hasn't been assimilated into the two major parties. There might be plenty of grassroots support for fringe parties in the primary season, but no one wants to throw away their vote during the general... and memories of Nader in 2000 should be enough to chill any high-minded liberals thinking of voting Green in the future. That's just political pragmatism. And before you fall back on political pragmatism as a defense for the GOP's recent behavior, I'll remind you that the reason the Right is wrong right now, is because they're playing politics during a time when they should be worrying more about doing their jobs than keeping their jobs.*




*due credit to Aaron Sorkin.