Difference between revisions of "Civicwiki:Mission"

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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 pursues its mission by presenting the story of freedom in America in several parts  
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CW pursues this mission by presenting the story of America in several parts  
 
:1. Inalienable rights.
 
:1. Inalienable rights.
 
:2. Our debt to the recognition of rights and the development of liberty in England
 
:2. Our debt to the recognition of rights and the development of liberty in England

Revision as of 16:13, 24 July 2015

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.

For all the brilliant intellect invested in our founding, 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 values, beliefs, and character of Americans can give them value. If Americans fall too far away from their principles, The Declaration and Constitution will cease to matter. But what are these principles that were written down so long ago? Should they still matter? Hasn't society changed?

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. Therefore, . .
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 pursues this mission by presenting the story of America in several parts

1. Inalienable rights.
2. Our debt to the recognition of rights and the development of liberty in England
and then in the English colonies in America
3. The ideas, debates, and founding documents that resulted in the United States.
4. Economic freedom's role and importance. and
5. 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.