What are you going on about, ddw? I certainly wouldn't encourage anyone to follow someone else's example as a way of expressing independent thought. If I wanted to encourage independent thought, I would encourage people to gather as much information as possible from as many sources as possible and then to follow their conscience. If you can't see the distinction there, that's your problem, not mine. However, I have not anywhere on this thread that I can remember, encouraged anyone to express or engage in independent thought. It was the Hubster who did that. So if it's hypocrites you're after, in this case I believe the Hubster is your man.