sw: In regards to the hiding one's allegiance, I think that this is largely due to way that progressive opinions dominate the public debate. Divergant opinions are regularly characterized as racist, classist, or otherwise "beyond the pale" and as a result there are a lot of assumptions that never get properly challenged.

"Progressive" being the rejection of racism and social darwinism and the notion that snatching food from hungry kids and throwing it away, and/or allowing patients to die from treatable illnesses because they don't have enough money are BAD things.

Yes, Sandwichwarrior, a lot of what you've said here is considered 'beyond the pale" by people because most people consider the notion of, for instance, allowing the sick and the elderly to die for the sake of the Free Market an affront to common decency.