Difference between revisions of "Civicwiki:Mission"
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| − | The government of the United States of America has been stable and continuous for almost 230 years. As a constitutional republic of 230 years it is old by historical standards. | + | The government of the United States of America has been stable and continuous for almost 230 years. As a constitutional republic of 230 years it is old by historical standards. No other modern government has existed that long or produced such dramatic success for its citizens, and for that matter, for the world. Our founders would be surprised that their work has lasted so long. |
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| + | The longevity of the United States would depend less on the work of our founders than on the character of Americans - something the founders understood well. The Declaration of Independence is a powerful statement and The Constitution is a careful and wise guide to legitimate and stable government. But only the character and virtue of Americans can give them value. If Americans fall too far away from their principles, they will cease to matter. But what are these principles that were written down so long ago? Hasn't society changed? Should these aging principles still matter? | ||
The longevity of our government removes today’s youth 8 or 9 generations from its origins. Not surprisingly, fewer of us today understand or have a sense of our political heritage or the source or our success. We are prosperous and comfortable. Like a fish unaware of salt water, our long-running success has become an uninteresting condition of life. But our continued success is never guaranteed. We are increasingly out of touch with the ideas and human spirit on which that success was built. They must be understood and refreshed if we are to stay ahead of the historical odds. | The longevity of our government removes today’s youth 8 or 9 generations from its origins. Not surprisingly, fewer of us today understand or have a sense of our political heritage or the source or our success. We are prosperous and comfortable. Like a fish unaware of salt water, our long-running success has become an uninteresting condition of life. But our continued success is never guaranteed. We are increasingly out of touch with the ideas and human spirit on which that success was built. They must be understood and refreshed if we are to stay ahead of the historical odds. | ||
==The Mission== | ==The Mission== | ||
| − | ''CW's mission is to provide a forum for fact-based civil discourse, free of demagoguery. And by doing so, to equip voters to make better informed choices. | + | ''CW's mission is to refresh and explain the ideas and the heritage behind American success.'' |
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| + | The original motivation for Civicwiki was the current state of political discourse and the deep social division that has caused. CW was and still is a reaction to the political process as it has become today - filled with unsupported assertion, fact presented out of context, one-sided half-truths, fabrication presented as fact, and rhetoric calculated to elicit an emotional reaction, all to serve political agendas at the expense of truth and the general welfare. | ||
| + | <br>''CW's mission is also to provide a forum for fact-based civil discourse, free of demagoguery. And by doing so, to equip voters to make better informed choices. | ||
<br>See also [[Civicwiki:Just the Facts Maam|about Civicwiki]]. | <br>See also [[Civicwiki:Just the Facts Maam|about Civicwiki]]. | ||
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<!--If we are to navigate through the fog of political marketing, we must have a reliable compass.--> | <!--If we are to navigate through the fog of political marketing, we must have a reliable compass.--> | ||
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<!--To further support the CW mission of informed political choices, CW discusses the nature of economic freedom, wealth and poverty and how they should be addressed by government. | <!--To further support the CW mission of informed political choices, CW discusses the nature of economic freedom, wealth and poverty and how they should be addressed by government. | ||
Wealth and poverty are topics that have become high profile political issues over the last 50 years. Much of government policy that has been developed since the mid '60s is aimed directly at poverty and indirectly at wealth, with profound effect. Nonetheless, we are increasingly out of touch with the source of wealth and well being - (and by that we mean the wealth and well being of all of us - not some legendary few) and so it is slipping away for many Americans.--> | Wealth and poverty are topics that have become high profile political issues over the last 50 years. Much of government policy that has been developed since the mid '60s is aimed directly at poverty and indirectly at wealth, with profound effect. Nonetheless, we are increasingly out of touch with the source of wealth and well being - (and by that we mean the wealth and well being of all of us - not some legendary few) and so it is slipping away for many Americans.--> | ||
<!--<br>We need to refresh our understanding of the source of wealth and the causes of poverty.--> | <!--<br>We need to refresh our understanding of the source of wealth and the causes of poverty.--> | ||
| − | CW presents the | + | CW presents pursues its mission by presenting the story of freedom in America in several parts |
| − | :1. | + | :1. The concept of freedom and the historical influences that set the stage for an independent America. <!--Including: |
::-- The concepts of rights and freedom developed in England and exported to the colonies. | ::-- The concepts of rights and freedom developed in England and exported to the colonies. | ||
| − | ::-- The development of colonies in America. | + | ::-- The development of colonies in America.--> |
| − | :2. The founding | + | :2. The ideas, debates, and founding documents that resulted in the United States. <!--Including: |
::-- The principles presented in the Declaration of Independence | ::-- The principles presented in the Declaration of Independence | ||
::-- The principles behind the Articles of Confederation | ::-- The principles behind the Articles of Confederation | ||
| − | ::-- Principles contained in The Constitution of the United States | + | ::-- Principles contained in The Constitution of the United States::: and the debate over ratification as recorded in ''The Federalist Papers'' and the Anti-Federalist Papers.--> |
| − | ::: and the debate over ratification as recorded in ''The Federalist Papers'' and the Anti-Federalist Papers. | + | :3. Economic freedom's role and importance. <!--Including: |
| − | :3. Economic freedom. Including: | + | ::-- The nature of wealth and poverty,--> and |
| − | ::-- The nature of wealth and poverty, and | ||
:4. The big issues that are important to us today. | :4. The big issues that are important to us today. | ||
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:We love the idea of living in a country where these rights are guaranteed, and where that ideal is more closely approximated than anywhere else. | :We love the idea of living in a country where these rights are guaranteed, and where that ideal is more closely approximated than anywhere else. | ||
:We were fortunate to have been born in America. We hold the immigrants who chose to come to America out of that same kind of love in high regard. | :We were fortunate to have been born in America. We hold the immigrants who chose to come to America out of that same kind of love in high regard. | ||
| − | Because of our love of the freedom and protection we enjoy in America, we feel driven to do what we can to preserve them. We hope that this does not strike anyone as old fashioned. If it ever becomes out of date, then freedom becomes out of date. We do not think that will happen because | + | Because of our love of the freedom and protection we enjoy in America, we feel driven to do what we can to preserve them. We hope that this does not strike anyone as old fashioned. If it ever becomes out of date, then freedom becomes out of date. We do not think that will happen because the human desire for freedom is eternal. <!--We do, however, understand that governments that protect freedom are a small part of the history of civilization, and we sense that an increasing number of Americans take our success for granted.--> |
Revision as of 14:43, 12 December 2014
The government of the United States of America has been stable and continuous for almost 230 years. As a constitutional republic of 230 years it is old by historical standards. No other modern government has existed that long or produced such dramatic success for its citizens, and for that matter, for the world. Our founders would be surprised that their work has lasted so long.
The longevity of the United States would depend less on the work of our founders than on the character of Americans - something the founders understood well. The Declaration of Independence is a powerful statement and The Constitution is a careful and wise guide to legitimate and stable government. But only the character and virtue of Americans can give them value. If Americans fall too far away from their principles, they will cease to matter. But what are these principles that were written down so long ago? Hasn't society changed? Should these aging principles still matter?
The longevity of our government removes today’s youth 8 or 9 generations from its origins. Not surprisingly, fewer of us today understand or have a sense of our political heritage or the source or our success. We are prosperous and comfortable. Like a fish unaware of salt water, our long-running success has become an uninteresting condition of life. But our continued success is never guaranteed. We are increasingly out of touch with the ideas and human spirit on which that success was built. They must be understood and refreshed if we are to stay ahead of the historical odds.
The Mission
CW's mission is to refresh and explain the ideas and the heritage behind American success.
The original motivation for Civicwiki was the current state of political discourse and the deep social division that has caused. CW was and still is a reaction to the political process as it has become today - filled with unsupported assertion, fact presented out of context, one-sided half-truths, fabrication presented as fact, and rhetoric calculated to elicit an emotional reaction, all to serve political agendas at the expense of truth and the general welfare.
CW's mission is also to provide a forum for fact-based civil discourse, free of demagoguery. And by doing so, to equip voters to make better informed choices.
See also about Civicwiki.
CW presents pursues its mission by presenting the story of freedom in America in several parts
- 1. The concept of freedom and the historical influences that set the stage for an independent America.
- 2. The ideas, debates, and founding documents that resulted in the United States.
- 3. Economic freedom's role and importance. and
- 4. The big issues that are important to us today.
The best tutorial for how the story is organized is to click on and read the introductory pages for each article category listed on the left sidebar or the upper right of the main page.
At the beginning, a relatively few CW pages are written; most are blank. We must depend on our readers to help us write the pages and maintain content quality. So, CW needs the help of writers and editors. Perhaps you would like to participate.
A personal statement about the mission
The sponsors of Civicwiki have assumed this mission out of our love of a few things.
- We love the idea and the beauty of those simple few inalienable rights. We can debate the existence of other rights, but life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are fundamental. They can be explained, but not denied. They are a product of nature - or if you prefer, a gift from God. Without them, we are to be ruled by whomever possesses the might to bend us to their will.
- We love the idea of living in a country where these rights are guaranteed, and where that ideal is more closely approximated than anywhere else.
- We were fortunate to have been born in America. We hold the immigrants who chose to come to America out of that same kind of love in high regard.
Because of our love of the freedom and protection we enjoy in America, we feel driven to do what we can to preserve them. We hope that this does not strike anyone as old fashioned. If it ever becomes out of date, then freedom becomes out of date. We do not think that will happen because the human desire for freedom is eternal.
