Brick on the Stump

Marine One just dropped me off

     I think it's time to take up the topic of politics.  If this doesn't get me in hot water than nothing will.  But really all I want to do is to do some exploration of my beliefs and priorities when it comes to the authorities.  By both vocation and avocation I am politically interested.  I see the actions of government as worthy of study, thought, and discussion.  After all, in a democracy the government is the handmaiden of the people.  (I just did a Google search to see if I stole that line from someone else, but it looks like it's mine.)  Our Constitutional rights include freedom of speech, freedom to petition, freedom to assemble, free elections, very few restrictions on running for office, and in many cases the right to initiate laws, approve spending measures, or even recall an elected official that is making us unhappy.  The office holders have rules that they must operate under, there is a system of checks and balances in place so that they can oversee each other and the powers they hold have been separated to ensure that no one person or branch of government has the responsibility or really the opportunity to take full control.  With these as the foundational principles our government should be sound and should work better than it does.


     So here is a list of the priorities and beliefs that I hold:

• I believe in an educated population that is aware of both our history and the current state of this country and the world.  
• I believe that our population has rights, but it also has responsibilities.  Citizens should obey our laws as well as follow the actions of our leaders.  When a leader steps out of line it is the responsibility of the citizens to speak against those actions loudly and vigorously.
• I believe in equality of opportunity which means that I oppose any special privilege.  That applies to the rich as well as the poor.
• I believe in charity.  There are people that through no fault of their own simply need help.  No one should fall through the cracks in a society as wealthy as ours and so I agree with government sponsored safety nets when private charities and individual charitable actions are not enough.
• I believe in the first principle of economics: "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch".  If you give to one it is taken from another one.  If you take from one to give to another then the compensation to the one taken from must be evident in an improvement of our society.
• I believe in public goods.  There are things that simply are not economically feasible to be privatized.  
• I believe in a strong national defense but I do not believe that the United States has a right to fight in unjust wars or to build an empire on conquest.  War should be the last possible action which means that until all other possible actions have been exhausted we should not go to war.  In almost every case that means that we should not be involved in a war unless we have been directly attacked.
• I believe in "American Exceptionalism".  Democracy, capitalism, and a dedication to the protection of individual freedoms are the best things that America has to offer to the world.  We do not have the right to impose any of these things on another country.  We set the example and we help when we can for others to reach these goals, but it is not our responsibility to restructure the world in our image.
• I believe that many of the basic concepts of Christianity played a role in our foundation, but I do not believe that we are a Christian nation.  The protection of our religious freedom is my top priority, but Christianity can not be imposed on anyone.  It is a basic relationship between the individual and God and people are individually held accountable for that relationship.  No governmental action, either supportive or disruptive, can affect God's power to deal with people individually, but as a country the freedom of Christians to act has a positive impact on our society and so it must be protected.
• I believe that people have the right to make bad decisions and when they do they should suffer the consequences of those decisions.  When those bad decisions have negative consequences for others they should do whatever is possible to make restitution or restoration to the injured party.  
• I believe the punishment should fit the crime and that justice should be no respecter of person.  
• I believe in second chances.  Once a person has paid their debt to society they should have the opportunity to rejoin that society and prove themselves capable of change.
• I believe we are a nation of immigrants and that a naturalized citizen of this country is equal to one whose ancestors have been here for generations.  I also believe that illegal immigrants have broken our laws to get here and should not be allowed to stay regardless of their productivity to our society.  It might be desirable to come to the United States for many, but it is not a right that every person in the world has.  There are legal means of coming to the United States.  They might be restrictive and even biased, but those things can be changed if necessary in a lawful way. 
•  I believe that in a democracy the greatest good for the greatest number is only achieved through compromise.  Therefore it makes the system extremely inefficient and the government should be limited.  The primary functions of government should be to create an unbiased level playing field through a colorblind legal system, provide permanent social services for those who are permanently unable to care for themselves and temporary social services for those who are temporarily unable to care for themselves, to provide public goods when there are no viable or economically feasible alternatives, and finally to protect the civil rights and freedoms of the citizenry.  

     So if you read through my "Fourteen Points" you must really be bored or you're building your rebuttal.  In either case I'd love to hear what you think.