Political Themes
Not everyone feels the need to affirm allegience to a political party.
Of those who do, some people join a party for convenience or expediency.
If you are one of these, please go away -- you'll find nothing here of
interest.
The rest of you are welcome to send me your comments and suggestions, or
just browse the dialog. In each case, I would ask the reader to consder the
question "What are the logical consequences of such beliefs?"
Let's start with a list of the great themes of recent times:
Or, perhaps we could just jump directly to some great philosophical premises:
- Manifest Destiny
- Human Rights
- Capitalism
- Separation of Church & State
- The Future
National Security
There have always been two approaches to achieving security: 1) the "Siege
Mentality", viewing all others with suspicion, anticipating all possible
attacks and preparing effective defenses;
and 2) the "Olive Branch" mindset, engaging all others in dialog, turning all
others into friends and allies where possible, or respected competitors where
not. A third recurring theme ("Isolationism") simply ignores security issues
and is irrelevant here. Most of us have grown up during the Cold War years,
where Mutually Assured Destruction was the prevailing attitude toward our
enemies. It may be difficult to break out of this emotional quagmire, but I
believe we have a lot to gain by examing the alternatives.
Logical conclusion: A great debate regarding the proper role of
our nation within the international community is essential; we cannot reach
goals that are not articulated, we cannot avoid dangers if we are ignorant
of the consequences of our national actions.
The Future
The future of our species and the future of our way of life is in danger.
Any action which diminishes the options and resources available to our children
jeapordizes that future. This is not necessarily inconsistent with a
fully-realized consumer economy, if the appetite (standard of living) and
number of consumers is held in check.
Logical conclusion: Extreme population control, coupled with a radical
paradigm shift in the current market ethos away from consumerism, will be
the only way to preserve our future.
The Environment
"The environment" is more than just pretty scenery. It's the air we breathe,
the water we drink, the food we eat. It's the places we go for recreation,
for spiritual renewal, and for clues about where we came from and where we're
going. The environment is a multi-faceted, somewhat renewable resource that
people use and abuse
in all kinds of ways. It stands to reason that if clean air and water are good
for people, they will also be good for animals and plants people never see.
The converse is also true: pollution of every kind represents a method
for global suicide.
Logical conclusion: All sources of pollution must be eliminated immediately.
Pollutors should be punished as if they were mass murderers. Every use of every
resource must be scrutinized, and allowed only if it can be proven to be 100%
sustainable. All environmental degradation must be viewed as "shitting in our
own mess kit".
