[MD] Dawkins a Materialist (is watching?)

[Case]

[Platt]
Can there be communism without a totalitarian government? History answers
with a resounding, "No." 

[Case]
Pretty much every one who ever lived on this planet before about 5000 years
ago lived under communism. In a tribal society the workers own the means of
production. Examples of pure communism in the historic world are nearly as
rare as examples of pure capitalism. You don't fine either because they are
both extremes. What you do find is social democracies whether both are
blended.

[Platt]
If I ever argued that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness could
legitimately be taken away by force, other than in defense of those rights,
I hereby take it back. However, I can't imagine that I ever argued for
sending people to gulags "for no justification whatsoever." A bit of
hyperbole on your part?

[Case]
If insisting that justification requires more than an accusation and that
any accusation demands due process of law, call me hyperbolic. But in this
instance the point is men establish, enforce and determine each others
treatment under the law.

I would agree with you that the United States was founded under the
influence of Christian ethics. I am not sure that that means much though and
not all of the contributions of Christians were positive. For example the
founders gave us freedom FROM religion precisely because of their
experiences with religious colonies and the way the established churches
treated peoples of other faiths during the colonial period.