"(And by the way, if you move that same argument into a political context, then to be a free thinker politically means....to be free of party affiliation."

            A agree completely with your message here, but in the US, a man without a party is virtually a man without a voice. Even the larger minor parties don't get much press. So in the political context, if you have to way to address and influence people, it doesn't seem like there would be much of a future for you.