0siris
Since Jul 27, 2004

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Key issues: GWOT, Social Security Privatization, Education Reform, Tax Reform, Privatization of Gov't Land, Technology, Globalism

I am a default libertarian. The goal is to maximize the rights to life, liberty, and property, for all those around the world created in the image of God. However, one must look at every political proposal honestly and every political problem creatively. The Government can help to "plan competition", to quote Friedrich Hayek, the Gov't can connect markets, like how Ike's Interstate Highway system and Lincoln's Railroads, and it can connect people to markets--through high standards in education.

Free minds are needed to address the complex and difficult situations addressing us today: Globalism, education, Social Security, interventionism. The solutions to these problems may not come from the Left, the Right, or the Center. As noble as the free market is, it is nonetheless the result of cultural values, and if the culture has been corrupted (particularly in a way that will hamper the exercise of the free market, ie a stupid culture indifference towards personal education), political intervention may be necessary to preserve the values that made this country great.

Globalism has happened. It isn't "will Globalism happen?", it has happened. If you're a capitalist, its a great thing. If you're an American, it can be a great thing or an awful thing. This culture isn't ready for it, and there's more than enough blame to go around across the political spectrum, from the Buchanite "American firsters" who stick their head in the sand and go "lalala", to the Leftwing jackanapes who don't want children to be truly educated and fight capitalism tooth and nail at every corner. It will take a major effort, education-wise, to prepare this country for the consequences of Globalism. This would mean (gasp!) Government involvement in the education system in order to PROTECT the free market, to BRING people to the new highly Globalized market, the figurative interstate that connects the average Americans talents and skills to the new world--it will mean a conservative movement not composed of ostriches.

Ten years from now, there won't be accountants in America, they'll be in Bangalore and Beijing doing your taxes, and their English will be ironically both impeccable and indeciferable. Americans unprepared for the mass movement of middle class jobs to Asia are going to find themselves in working class jobs, and if you've read Eric Hoffers True Believer, you'd know that these type of people become the ones affixed to a cause like the ones of Hitler and Stalin. Is America ready for Globalism? Um, no. The weakening of the American economy will mean a weakening of the domestic resolve and finances to fight the GWOT, a war that will last a generation. If you care about the GWOT, you'd care about the consequences of Globalism. If you care about the consequences of Globalism, you'd shudder at the thought that half of New York's black high schoolers aren't graduating--that's alot of youngsters indiffierent towards America's success right there, and a lot of people living off of tax payers funds in one way or another. To allow this stupidity to continue, that's national suicide. Education MATTERS, folks! Let's get our heads out of the sand!

We. Have. To. Fix. Our. Problems. NOW.


Books of influence and interest (continually updated):

Economics: Economic Way of Thinking by Richard Heyne, Macroeconomics by Gregory Mankiw, Road to Serfdom by Hayek, Economics for Real People, Heaven on Earth by Muravchik, Mystery of Capital by De Soto, FDR's Folly by Jim Powell, Socialism by Von Mises, the World is Flat by Thomas Friedman

American history/culture: Patriot's History of the United States, Savage Wars of Peace by Max Boot, Black Rednecks and White Liberals by Thomas Sowell, Anatomy of a Revolution by Crane Brinton, An Imperfect God by Wiencek

Christianity/Religion: Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey, Our Father Abraham by Marvin Wilson, Yeshua by Ron Moseley, Mystery of Romans by Mark Nanos, Before Jerusalem Fell by Gentry, End Times Madness by DeMarr, Jews God and History by Dimont, How the Irish Saved Civilization by Cahill

Miscellaneous: True Believer by Eric Hoffer, the Mind and the Brain by Schwartz, Gulag by Applebam, Nazi Economics by Barkai, Scientific Origins of National Socialism by Gasman, Against All Hope by Valladares, Great Mortality by John Kelley, Medieval Cities by Henri Pirenne, Western Way of War by Hanson, On the Origins of War by Donald Kagan, Strategy by Liddell Hart, the Arab Mind by Patai, Personal Identity by John Perry, and Personality and Religion by William Sadler, specifically the article by Eric (Yes he's a Leftist) Fromm "Individual and Social Narcissism", Our Culture Or What's Left of It and Life At the Bottom by Theodore Dalrymple, Intellectual Morons by Daniel Flynn, Africa in Chaos by George Attiley, The Histories by Herodotus, Constant Battles by LaBlanc

Favorite bands/musicians: Kaki King, Laurence Juber, Preston Reed, Michael Hedges, Doug Smith, Sunny Day Real Estate, the Shins, Iron and Wine, 16 Horsepower, Built to Spill, Appleseed Cast, Carbon Leaf, Cardigans, Cream, Explosions in the Sky, Great Big Sea, Guster, Jethro Tull, Kasey Chambers, Kate Rusby, Leo Kottke, Modest Mouse, Old 97s, Pedro the Lion, Sufjan Stevens, the Stone Roses, Tori Amos, the Who

Fave TV shows: Classic Simpsons, The Sopranos, MST3K, Rome, Lost, BSG, ATHF, Arrested Development, just now getting into Firefly, South Park, and 24

Fave other things: Doggies, Hebrew and Latin, OU Football, Bronze Age comics, acoustic guitars, ancient/classical history