Where I Stand

Welcome, all. "Grasping the Landscape" is too run-of-the-mill of a title, but perhaps it will either a) become inadvertently endearing despite its imperfections, ala "Peanuts," or b) be replaced by something better, per reader suggestions. In this inaugural post, I aim to briefly lay out the basics of my political philosophy so you know what you'll find here. I hope my prose will be entertaining enough to those who disagree.

Mine is a specific brand of thought which believes that the left is worthless without international solidarity and support for democracies, and that libertarian economic and social policies are worth a sustained look. I am suspicious of any ideology which makes people feel guilty for being ambiguous and demands commitment to a platform of any sort. The liberalism of Madison, where I go to school, really isn't liberalism at all. It's a seething, selfish isolationism, based on a perpetual feigned angst - caught up in shady, politically correct dogma, closed-mindedness, and a creepy white-collar rage. (The recent "Students for a Fair Wisconsin" campaign against a proposed state constitutional amendment to outlaw same-sex marriage has been a brilliant counterexample to this trend. It cares about nonpartisan values and sees itself as a nonpartisan organization. Observe this group for a taste of what true liberal thought is like.)

So you know generally what to expect. Take it or leave it.