The consequences of following an ideology in its purest form, even a
             good ideology, would be horrific. Imagine if one followed the ideology of
             pure democracy to its fullest extent. There would be no protection of
             minority rights. Those who were of minority ethnic or religious groups, or
             simply held opinions contrary to the majority who ruled, would be summarily
             silenced or, if the majority so ruled, executed. Even the Christian
             doctrine of giving all to the poor would be difficult for such a zealous
             Christian's family, whom might not agree with his or her ideals. Dissent
             and disagreement for the zealot are not to be tolerated, thus even good
             ideologies must be espoused with a balanced eye upon the opposing side.
             Ideologies are best experienced in the plural, much as the United States
             embraces elements both of republican and democratic systems of belief.
             Fortunately, there is no real livable pure' ideology, as ideologies
             such as democracy, Christianity, feminism, and Marxism exist more as
             constellations of ideas than pure and enforceable schemas of thought.
             Quite often, within ideologies that have stood the test of human history
             and time, there is just as much if not more debate between ideologies'
             adherents than there are between those who disagree with the manifested
             Today, although the idea of the welfare state,' for example, within
             the United States, is considered anathema (as opposed to comparable
             governments in Europe with stronger social safety nets) there are still
             ways in which individuals who live in a state of want or privation are
             provided for, lest they not suffer too much hunger or housing deprivation.
             Although this task of the government, to make up for the excesses and
             imbalances of the capitalist market, may be considered against the official
             American ideology of noninterventionist government and republican self-
             reliance, America's image of it...