On Socialism and Libertarianism...
I find myself thinking, this morning, a bit about politics.
I am the worlds worst libertarian. And I suck as a socialist. I am both of these things because I believe in the US Constitution. Not a part here or there, and not in arguing over the meaning of a certain, abiguous line in an amendment. I believe in the spirit of the thing.
I think that the framers new that "in Order to form a more perfect Union" we really did need to "establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity"
And I don't think any of those are optional.
We need a better Justice system. We have better tools and more options, but the system is rooted too heavily in the rules of the past. It takes too long for new technologies to be accepted, and too many older technologies are taken for granted. Has anyone looked at how much art goes into fingerprint analysis? There is very little science too it when we are looking at hundreds of thousands of prints in the file.
Domestic Tranquility has taken a back seat to mindless and universal "Security". We aren't so much at peace (tranquil), as we are numb and willing to let "The Authorities" do as they wish, so long as they don't do it to us. History has proven that, when given that kind of free reign, they will get to us all in time. We are at war with much of the world, if not actively attacking them with munitions. We are at war here at home because we cannot respect that this is a nation of immigrants, pilgrams and cast-aways. We were founded on the work of people who either hated where they lived and how it was governed (or where hated by the same) so badly that they settled half a world away to start over. Our society is built on the idea and the labor of outcasts and miscreants as much as it is refugees and heretics. We must embrace that heritage if we are to find peace either at home or with the world at large.
We have moved away from "Common Defence", as well. We are all too interested in what the system can do for us with out looking at the big picture and the long term. We don't want to help people too much. We don't want to give anyone else too much freedom. We want to make sure that no one else's liberty is too inconvient. Conversely, we are asked to believe that our freedom and out very lives may depends on subjigating other soveriegn nations who may pose a threat to us, sooner or later. We are no longer a nation of defenders. We are ever vigilant offenders and are just as eager to take offense as to give it. We try to justify our offense and make ourselves into the victoms, even as we plot our next advance. There is no community, only alliances formed with people whose goals are simular enough to keep them out of our way. There is no national identity or culture because we forcably compartmentalize ourselves to sheild us from new memmes and mental viruses. This has only served to weaken our resolve and embrittle our ideals.
Let me also address the idea of "General Welfare" as I see it. Webster defines it, partly, as " the enjoyment of health and the common blessings of life". This is the way I feel it was meant. Health and general wellbeing for every citizen, maybe even resident, of the most powerful country in the world shouldn't be too lofty a goal. We should be able to take care of our people, most especially our children, body and mind. No one should suffer. Health care is a virtue we should offer up at least as readily as we claim to offer education, and both should be heald to higher standards than what we have today if we are really going to promote freedom and wellbeing. No person who is restrained in body or mind can be free.
We need all of these things to promote liberty at home and abroad. We need to know that we are looking out for each other, not to pick at those who prosper or defend against those who envy, but to assist those whom we can so that we can all live better lives. We need to be willing to give to one another and feel that your individual freedoms are no more valuable than when you respect the rights of others. We, each and every one of us, need to hold ourselves to the standards we expect others to live up to, and we need to understand when their choices are a little different. We need to be able to trust that those difference will not cause them, or us, to forget that we are all in this together.
With out the willingness to defend our neighbors and out ideals, not just from foreign powers, but from those amoung us who would corrupt them, we will loose those ideals forever. With out a willingness to teach and encourage open debate we will stagnate and wither. With out concern and decency for the weak, the ill and the unfortunate, we will create bitterness and calousness between all of the classes, cultures and philosophies that have gone into building the longest standing republic in the world today.
These are just some initial ideas. As with so many other posts here, these will sit right here and rot, as I'll never come back and put them into any decent form of writing. Still, they are here to prove that I am thining them and I do care.
I am the worlds worst libertarian. And I suck as a socialist. I am both of these things because I believe in the US Constitution. Not a part here or there, and not in arguing over the meaning of a certain, abiguous line in an amendment. I believe in the spirit of the thing.
I think that the framers new that "in Order to form a more perfect Union" we really did need to "establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity"
And I don't think any of those are optional.
We need a better Justice system. We have better tools and more options, but the system is rooted too heavily in the rules of the past. It takes too long for new technologies to be accepted, and too many older technologies are taken for granted. Has anyone looked at how much art goes into fingerprint analysis? There is very little science too it when we are looking at hundreds of thousands of prints in the file.
Domestic Tranquility has taken a back seat to mindless and universal "Security". We aren't so much at peace (tranquil), as we are numb and willing to let "The Authorities" do as they wish, so long as they don't do it to us. History has proven that, when given that kind of free reign, they will get to us all in time. We are at war with much of the world, if not actively attacking them with munitions. We are at war here at home because we cannot respect that this is a nation of immigrants, pilgrams and cast-aways. We were founded on the work of people who either hated where they lived and how it was governed (or where hated by the same) so badly that they settled half a world away to start over. Our society is built on the idea and the labor of outcasts and miscreants as much as it is refugees and heretics. We must embrace that heritage if we are to find peace either at home or with the world at large.
We have moved away from "Common Defence", as well. We are all too interested in what the system can do for us with out looking at the big picture and the long term. We don't want to help people too much. We don't want to give anyone else too much freedom. We want to make sure that no one else's liberty is too inconvient. Conversely, we are asked to believe that our freedom and out very lives may depends on subjigating other soveriegn nations who may pose a threat to us, sooner or later. We are no longer a nation of defenders. We are ever vigilant offenders and are just as eager to take offense as to give it. We try to justify our offense and make ourselves into the victoms, even as we plot our next advance. There is no community, only alliances formed with people whose goals are simular enough to keep them out of our way. There is no national identity or culture because we forcably compartmentalize ourselves to sheild us from new memmes and mental viruses. This has only served to weaken our resolve and embrittle our ideals.
Let me also address the idea of "General Welfare" as I see it. Webster defines it, partly, as " the enjoyment of health and the common blessings of life". This is the way I feel it was meant. Health and general wellbeing for every citizen, maybe even resident, of the most powerful country in the world shouldn't be too lofty a goal. We should be able to take care of our people, most especially our children, body and mind. No one should suffer. Health care is a virtue we should offer up at least as readily as we claim to offer education, and both should be heald to higher standards than what we have today if we are really going to promote freedom and wellbeing. No person who is restrained in body or mind can be free.
We need all of these things to promote liberty at home and abroad. We need to know that we are looking out for each other, not to pick at those who prosper or defend against those who envy, but to assist those whom we can so that we can all live better lives. We need to be willing to give to one another and feel that your individual freedoms are no more valuable than when you respect the rights of others. We, each and every one of us, need to hold ourselves to the standards we expect others to live up to, and we need to understand when their choices are a little different. We need to be able to trust that those difference will not cause them, or us, to forget that we are all in this together.
With out the willingness to defend our neighbors and out ideals, not just from foreign powers, but from those amoung us who would corrupt them, we will loose those ideals forever. With out a willingness to teach and encourage open debate we will stagnate and wither. With out concern and decency for the weak, the ill and the unfortunate, we will create bitterness and calousness between all of the classes, cultures and philosophies that have gone into building the longest standing republic in the world today.
These are just some initial ideas. As with so many other posts here, these will sit right here and rot, as I'll never come back and put them into any decent form of writing. Still, they are here to prove that I am thining them and I do care.