I agree with your remarks. When it comes to all politics there is no objective truth, just opinions in the end. Even "the facts" can have different interpretations. All political and economic systems are compromises and tradeoffs. There are no magic answers, just personal preferences.

That being said, it is easy to paint groups with broad brush strokes and assume because a person is X, Y, or Z they have to behave in X Y or Z manner, or hold X Y or Z viewpoints. The only way to get past this sort of simplistic stereotyping we have to start regarding everyone as a unique individual first and formost, with a unique mind and perspective.

A bit of personal sharing, In 1985 I spent two weeks in the former Soviet Union (part of an outreach program, of which I was involved in the pilot for NC) and talked to a lot of Russians at all walks. In the end they were not the firebreathing "Commies" that the media made them out to be (actually only 3% of the population was actual member of the party) but just ordinary human beings doing the best they could with the lot handed to them, so I think this holds true for most people. Fear and misconceptions are understandable responses to that which is different, but such things disapear when you get to know those of different cultures and find out, they are not all that different from yourselves. The point is to be open minded at all times.

This day and age, more than ever peoples opinions are pre concieved, we live in an often shallow fast paced world in which it is rare to see true analysis being performed. One has to ignore the noise in the media, and check sources of information directly, read carefully the opposing arguments and come to conclusions which are your own.

I arrived at my Libertarianism through a long path of reflection, reading and analysis of many philosophers, economist, political commentators, etc... From Smith, to Marx, from Von Misses to Galbraith, Hayak to Keynes, etc... I seek to understand the fundemental nature of human beings. I am well aware that anyone could read through the material I do and come to very different conclusions. I then do not begrudge statists, "conservatives" socialists or even Marxists, most I have met are people with basically good intentions, I often disagree with their analysis and conclusions.

That is a good thing though, it is through rigorous but deep debate and discussion at all levels, we grow. I would be truly bored if everyone held the same viewpoint.