Mission Statement

Mission Statement: This blog is dedicated to both political philosophy and application to current issues based on the ideas of limited government, free markets, and individual liberty. Additionally, this blog strives to create an atmosphere where intelligent discussions based on the principles of logic, no matter the viewpoints expressed in their conclusions, are not only welcome, but also thrive.

To learn more, feel free to read the introduction and subsequent posts which explain the aforementioned philosophy and purpose of this blog in more detail.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Foundations 1: Introduction

            The world sucks.  American Soldiers are getting killed around the world.  Terrorists attack countries from Pakistan to Sweden.  There is large unemployment in America; European countries are struggling to stay economically afloat.  Nations like North Korea threaten regional stability and kill innocent people.  There is even a woman in California who is suing McDonalds because her kids are fat.  Never mind that I doubt they go there very often without her consent. 
You know what else?  America’s youth are still volunteering to go stand in the gap between the homeland and terrorists.  The standard of living in America is still higher than just about anywhere else on earth, and events like the Ironman and New York City Marathon still draw thousands of people.  It is not that the world sucks, but it is incredibly frustrating sometimes.
I may be in the minority these days, but I still believe that America, the country that gave me every opportunity I have, is leading the world in liberty and freedom, things which I hold dear.  I do not agree with every political decision that is made, or with every person who, even though he or she may not see things as clearly as I do, still has an equal say in the affairs of the nation.  America is still great.
However, the country is run by our two main political parties, neither of which accurately represents my beliefs about government.  Unfortunately, it seems like the parts I dislike about each often take the lead.  Judging by the frustration of many Americans and the see-saw nature of the election cycle, I think that most people seem to agree with me.  So why is nothing happening?  Why are there still only two parties that get serious attention?  I think that there should be two more parties that vie for people’s votes, based on the general principles that seem to guide our politics.  Also, there are not consistent, coherent voices that represent what many of us think and believe.
Throughout this blog, I will begin to explore the policy gap between what politicians currently promote and my understanding of a truly free and liberty-loving society.  I will attempt to present new solutions to current problems and describe how they not only adhere to underlying libertarian principles, but also the Constitutional basis of how our government should behave.  I will also attempt to bring light to my biggest grievance against the People and the Government: a lack of personal responsibility.  This symptom is the cause of so many problems and is itself a result of an overbearing and overindulgent government.
Finally, I am incredibly disappointed with the level of argumentative discourse that I see.  As a mathematician, I am prone to breaking arguments down into their founding axioms, then examining the logic that builds each step to an eventual conclusion.  I have also studied a little bit of philosophy, to the point where I can recognize some logical fallacies, and have seen others use this intelligently and to great effect in debates.  I would like this blog to be a place of discussion, where patrons can examine new ideas, or perhaps old ideas in a new way with a new person sitting across from them to challenge their assumptions and conclusions.  My goal is to have a single place that explains what many Americans want and expect in a Constitutional-based political system, that presents new, outside-the-box ideas for solutions to current problems, and a relaxed atmosphere that fosters intelligent, respectful, and insightful discussion.

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