Woohoo, Vermont just followed Iowa and became the fourth state to legalize gay marriage. We are on a roll!
Unfortunately Krezack's view of the US as a singular bloated capitalist monster is common internationally. Most outsiders have no concept of the complex system that is taking place on a federal, state, and local level. This is a huge frickin' country. There are a ton of ideologies, agendas, and identities floating around.