"I lived in New York State for 10 years, and never did I see even a trace of anything that could be called "leftist" or "socialist" in the political arena there. All I saw was the eternal boondoggle and nonsense between the Democrats and the Republicans that passes for a political debate in the USA. The Democrats and Republicans are both fond of accusing the other of various heinous acts, sometimes with justice, but neither one of them could be accused of being "leftist" by general world standards. They are both right of center by those standards"

Well, New York is indeed the center of liberalism in the US. The Republicans are hard to tell apart from the Democrats other than being a bit more civil. I'd say you were probably right in your observations.

NY has serious gun control (disarmament of the citizenty) and the emboldened criminal element and violent crime statistics that go with it.

Starting a business is next to impossible there as well as working without belonging to a Marxist labor union.

"..so the Republicans, who are usually a tad more reactionary than the Democrats, just blithely assume that the Democrats are leftists! Hah! They may be corrupt and power-hungry (the Democratic Party machine itself, I mean...not you individual Democrats out there!), but they are NOT leftists"

Oh sure they are. They are as corrupt as the Soviet Communists (Russian Mafia).

The big circle in the democrat power structure is Corrupt Big City Government, Corrupt Organized Labor/Crime and real Marxists who work behind the scenes, all thieving from the working class while pretending to stand up for them.

Most government workers in the US are union. The leftists are actually representing the unionized government and constantly trying to increase it's size and scope.

"Finding a genuine leftist alternative in the USA is like looking for ice in the Sahara or fleas on a week-old dead camel...hopeless"

Try the Congressional Black Caucus. I'll try to provide you a link.

"Of course, it's all a matter of what you're used to isn't it? When an eskimo thinks it's warm outside, you might still think it's cold... "

I'm glad you said that, thanks for that bit of perspective.

By the way, Canadians are some of the nicest people in the world. I've found people in Ontario who would literally invite you to stay the night if you were having car trouble. We were total strangers, they fed us and invited us to join them in their pool.

A guy on a motorcycle in Kingston, I think it was, saw me reading a map and came by to see if he could help (reminded me seriously of Eric Idle). I appreciated his concern but he cracked me up (EH?)

MAV