I think that socialists in America occuppy a place in the imagination somewhere between puppy slashers and child rapists. For most of the rest of the world it is an expresson of common humanity. Most of the things mentioned in Bullwinkle's original post are available to the rich of any country. How about Bush's "sacrifice" for his country in the Viet Nam War, which was contrasted favourably with that "nasty liberal" who opposed him in the election?