AH Challenge: more 'progressive' United States of America

Wendell, you have a perfect right not to choose to accept it!

Where I think you went quite wrong was to say


As I said earlier, if you were going to issue such a demand you should have spelled out what your objection was. So:



Well, I think you've made it clearer what you don't like. I don't think you've demonstrated that these things are "ASB," merely that they have been checked in this timeline. But if you want to claim they've been checked because of some deep abiding American character that makes us exceptional and different from say the Dutch, that is ASB in the literal sense--you are calling on some Alien Space Bat of immutable American specialness that defies actual American history.

It's not about where I stand on the issues. I agree with some and do not wih others, but neither Congress nor the judiciary was meant to have a finger in every pie. As Glass Onion suggested, and I essentially put forth, the thresholds presented are close ASB after 1900. Abortion is a good issue to demonstrate the point. The states were moving towards legalizing abortion before 1972, and probably all would have eventually, but the Roe v. Wade decision, poorly reasoned IMO even if the intended effect was admirable, shook things up and made abortion a national issue, ironically setting back the cause its supporters had sought.

Dealing with these sorts social issues on a federal level is nigh impossible or counterproductive outside of the most ideal of circumstances for them. Also, I left euthanasia untouched to avoid a flame war and address the least absurd on his wish list.
 
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