Civicwiki:The liberation of us - Revision history

BcatOne at 18:44, 25 March 2017

2017-03-25T18:44:13Z

BcatOne at 14:43, 27 February 2017

2017-02-27T14:43:28Z

BcatOne: rephrasing

2017-02-27T14:35:15Z

rephrasing

BcatOne at 15:23, 5 January 2017

2017-01-05T15:23:20Z

BcatOne at 17:59, 4 January 2017

2017-01-04T17:59:00Z

BcatOne at 17:58, 4 January 2017

2017-01-04T17:58:00Z

BcatOne: add link to 'tribalism at work'

2017-01-04T17:56:12Z

add link to 'tribalism at work'

BcatOne: wordsmithing

2017-01-04T15:54:53Z

wordsmithing

BcatOne: wordsmithing

2017-01-04T15:52:18Z

wordsmithing

BcatOne: wordsmithing

2017-01-04T15:50:34Z

wordsmithing

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:44, 25 March 2017
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−	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> ~~CW’s~~ desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree. One of our assumptions is that there are such principles around which a broad consensus can be built. On that, we would like to build a consensus of how government should work. If that is too tall an order we can, at least, hold a civil discourse from which will come ~~ever~~ better understanding. Our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism is not completely bad. A community of like minded people can accomplish great things - the creation of The United States for example. But today tribalism is being pushed to its extreme until it does not require understanding, it discourages it. A tribe's members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to belong. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. ([[Tribalism at work\|A link to a great example of tribalism at work]].) CW will pursue better understanding. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ.	+	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> Our desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree. One of our assumptions is that there are such principles around which a broad consensus can be built. On that, we would like to build a consensus of how government should work. If that is too tall an order we can, at least, hold a civil discourse from which will come better mutual understanding rather than tribal reaction. Our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism is not completely bad. A community of like minded people can accomplish great things - the creation of The United States for example. But today tribalism is being pushed to its extreme until it does not require understanding, it discourages it. A tribe's members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to belong. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. ([[Tribalism at work\|A link to a great example of tribalism at work]].) CW will pursue better understanding. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ.

	Initially, we worked from an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state as one example) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best way to repair society and ensure the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> Our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that our fundamental motive is not, foremost, a reconstruction of society and government or to simply go back in time. '''''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of us all as individuals'''''. <!-- and not a reconstruction of society or government simply for the sake of going back in time., or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->		Initially, we worked from an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state as one example) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best way to repair society and ensure the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> Our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that our fundamental motive is not, foremost, a reconstruction of society and government or to simply go back in time. '''''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of us all as individuals'''''. <!-- and not a reconstruction of society or government simply for the sake of going back in time., or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:43, 27 February 2017
Line 1:		Line 1:
	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree. One of our assumptions is that there are such principles around which a broad consensus can be built. On that, we would like to build a consensus of how government should work. If that is too tall an order we can, at least, hold a civil discourse from which will come ever better understanding. Our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism is not completely bad. A community of like minded people can accomplish great things - the creation of The United States for example. But today tribalism is being pushed to its extreme until it does not require understanding, it discourages it. A tribe's members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to belong. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. ([[Tribalism at work\|A link to a great example of tribalism at work]].) CW will pursue better understanding. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ.		CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree. One of our assumptions is that there are such principles around which a broad consensus can be built. On that, we would like to build a consensus of how government should work. If that is too tall an order we can, at least, hold a civil discourse from which will come ever better understanding. Our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism is not completely bad. A community of like minded people can accomplish great things - the creation of The United States for example. But today tribalism is being pushed to its extreme until it does not require understanding, it discourages it. A tribe's members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to belong. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. ([[Tribalism at work\|A link to a great example of tribalism at work]].) CW will pursue better understanding. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ.

−	Initially, we worked from an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state as one example) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best way to repair society and ensure the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> Our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that our fundamental motive is not ~~necessarily~~ a reconstruction of society and government simply ~~for the sake of going~~ back in time. '''''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of individuals'''''. <!-- and not a reconstruction of society or government simply for the sake of going back in time., or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->	+	Initially, we worked from an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state as one example) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best way to repair society and ensure the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> Our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that our fundamental motive is not, foremost, a reconstruction of society and government or to simply go back in time. '''''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of us all as individuals'''''. <!-- and not a reconstruction of society or government simply for the sake of going back in time., or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:35, 27 February 2017
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−	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree ~~and, on~~ that, build a consensus of how government should work. If that is too tall an order we can, at least, ~~build~~ a civil discourse~~. Then,~~ from ~~civil discourse~~ will come ever better understanding ~~and our~~ political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism does not require understanding, it discourages it. ~~Tribal~~ members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to ~~be good members~~. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. ([[Tribalism at work\|A link to a great example of tribalism at work]].) CW ~~prefers to~~ pursue better understanding. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ.	+	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree. One of our assumptions is that there are such principles around which a broad consensus can be built. On that, we would like to build a consensus of how government should work. If that is too tall an order we can, at least, hold a civil discourse from which will come ever better understanding. Our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism is not completely bad. A community of like minded people can accomplish great things - the creation of The United States for example. But today tribalism is being pushed to its extreme until it does not require understanding, it discourages it. A tribe's members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to belong. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. ([[Tribalism at work\|A link to a great example of tribalism at work]].) CW will pursue better understanding. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ.

−	Initially, we worked from an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state ~~and to a lesser extent the rise of entitlements~~) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best ~~route into~~ the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> ~~While our message remains the same, our~~ direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that ''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of individuals'' . ~~. .~~ not a reconstruction of society~~<!--~~, or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->.	+	Initially, we worked from an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state as one example) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best way to repair society and ensure the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> Our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that our fundamental motive is not necessarily a reconstruction of society and government simply for the sake of going back in time. '''''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of individuals'''''. <!-- and not a reconstruction of society or government simply for the sake of going back in time., or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:23, 5 January 2017
Line 1:		Line 1:
	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree and, on that, build a consensus of how government should work. If that is too tall an order we can, at least, build a civil discourse. Then, from civil discourse will come ever better understanding and our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism does not require understanding, it discourages it. Tribal members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to be good members. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. ([[Tribalism at work\|A link to a great example of tribalism at work]].) CW prefers to pursue better understanding. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ.		CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree and, on that, build a consensus of how government should work. If that is too tall an order we can, at least, build a civil discourse. Then, from civil discourse will come ever better understanding and our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism does not require understanding, it discourages it. Tribal members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to be good members. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. ([[Tribalism at work\|A link to a great example of tribalism at work]].) CW prefers to pursue better understanding. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ.

−	~~Our early content had~~ an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state and to a lesser extent the rise of entitlements) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best route into the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> ~~Our~~ direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that ''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of individuals'' . . . not a reconstruction of society<!--, or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->.	+	Initially, we worked from an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state and to a lesser extent the rise of entitlements) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best route into the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> While our message remains the same, our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that ''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of individuals'' . . . not a reconstruction of society<!--, or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:59, 4 January 2017
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree and, on that, build a consensus of how government should work. If that is too tall an order we can, at least, build a civil discourse. Then, from civil discourse will come ever better understanding and our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism does not require understanding, it discourages it. Tribal members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to be good members. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. (A link to a great example of ~~[[Tribalism at work\|~~tribalism at work]].) CW prefers to pursue better understanding. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ.	+	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree and, on that, build a consensus of how government should work. If that is too tall an order we can, at least, build a civil discourse. Then, from civil discourse will come ever better understanding and our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism does not require understanding, it discourages it. Tribal members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to be good members. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. ([[Tribalism at work\|A link to a great example of tribalism at work]].) CW prefers to pursue better understanding. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ.

	Our early content had an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state and to a lesser extent the rise of entitlements) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best route into the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> Our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that ''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of individuals'' . . . not a reconstruction of society<!--, or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->.		Our early content had an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state and to a lesser extent the rise of entitlements) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best route into the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> Our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that ''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of individuals'' . . . not a reconstruction of society<!--, or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:58, 4 January 2017
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree and, on that, build a consensus of how government should work. If that is too tall an order we can, at least, build a civil discourse. Then, from civil discourse will come ever better understanding and our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism does not require understanding, it discourages it. Tribal members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to be good members. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. (~~Here is a~~ link to ~~an excellent~~ example of [[Tribalism at work\|tribalism at work]].)CW prefers to pursue better understanding. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ.	+	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree and, on that, build a consensus of how government should work. If that is too tall an order we can, at least, build a civil discourse. Then, from civil discourse will come ever better understanding and our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism does not require understanding, it discourages it. Tribal members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to be good members. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. (A link to a great example of [[Tribalism at work\|tribalism at work]].) CW prefers to pursue better understanding. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ.

	Our early content had an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state and to a lesser extent the rise of entitlements) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best route into the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> Our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that ''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of individuals'' . . . not a reconstruction of society<!--, or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->.		Our early content had an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state and to a lesser extent the rise of entitlements) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best route into the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> Our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that ''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of individuals'' . . . not a reconstruction of society<!--, or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:56, 4 January 2017
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree and, on that, build a consensus of how government should work. If that is too tall an order we can, at least, build a civil discourse. Then, from civil discourse will come ever better understanding and our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism does not require understanding, it discourages it. Tribal members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to be good members. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. CW prefers to pursue better understanding. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ.	+	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree and, on that, build a consensus of how government should work. If that is too tall an order we can, at least, build a civil discourse. Then, from civil discourse will come ever better understanding and our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism does not require understanding, it discourages it. Tribal members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to be good members. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. (Here is a link to an excellent example of [[Tribalism at work\|tribalism at work]].)CW prefers to pursue better understanding. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ.

	Our early content had an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state and to a lesser extent the rise of entitlements) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best route into the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> Our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that ''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of individuals'' . . . not a reconstruction of society<!--, or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->.		Our early content had an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state and to a lesser extent the rise of entitlements) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best route into the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> Our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that ''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of individuals'' . . . not a reconstruction of society<!--, or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:54, 4 January 2017
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree and, on that, build a consensus of how government should work. If that is too tall an order we can, at least, build a civil discourse. ~~To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ.~~ Then, from civil discourse will come ever better understanding and our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism does not require understanding, it discourages it. Tribal members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to be good members. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. CW prefers to pursue better understanding.	+	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree and, on that, build a consensus of how government should work. If that is too tall an order we can, at least, build a civil discourse. Then, from civil discourse will come ever better understanding and our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism does not require understanding, it discourages it. Tribal members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to be good members. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. CW prefers to pursue better understanding. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ.

	Our early content had an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state and to a lesser extent the rise of entitlements) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best route into the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> Our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that ''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of individuals'' . . . not a reconstruction of society<!--, or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->.		Our early content had an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state and to a lesser extent the rise of entitlements) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best route into the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> Our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that ''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of individuals'' . . . not a reconstruction of society<!--, or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:52, 4 January 2017
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−	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree and, on that, build a consensus of how government should work. ~~That seems a~~ tall order~~. But perhaps~~ we can build a civil discourse. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ. Then, from civil discourse will come ever better understanding and our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism does not require understanding, it discourages it. Tribal members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to be good members. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. CW prefers to pursue better understanding.	+	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree and, on that, build a consensus of how government should work. If that is too tall an order we can, at least, build a civil discourse. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ. Then, from civil discourse will come ever better understanding and our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism does not require understanding, it discourages it. Tribal members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to be good members. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. CW prefers to pursue better understanding.

	Our early content had an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state and to a lesser extent the rise of entitlements) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best route into the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> Our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that ''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of individuals'' . . . not a reconstruction of society<!--, or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->.		Our early content had an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state and to a lesser extent the rise of entitlements) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best route into the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> Our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that ''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of individuals'' . . . not a reconstruction of society<!--, or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:50, 4 January 2017
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−	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it. CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree and, on that, build a consensus of how government should work. That seems a tall an order~~, but~~ perhaps we can build a civil discourse. ~~For~~ that we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ. ~~From~~ civil discourse will come ever better understanding and our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism does not require understanding, it discourages it~~; it is comfortable in that way because we don’t have to think; indeed, we are often asked to leave the thinking to others~~. Tribal members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to be good members. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them.	+	CivicWiki was created as a reaction to our deepening political division. <!--The presidential election of 2016 couldn’t provide better motivation, though the stage seems set for future elections to outdo it.--> CW’s desire was to surface fundamental principles on which most of us can agree and, on that, build a consensus of how government should work. That seems a tall order. But perhaps we can build a civil discourse. To do that well, we need to understand our own beliefs and those that differ. Then, from civil discourse will come ever better understanding and our political divisions will become more principled, less tribal, and therefore smaller. Tribalism does not require understanding, it discourages it. Tribal members do not have to understand their beliefs; they only have to conform to them to be good members. Nor do they have to understand those of other tribes; they only have to oppose them. CW prefers to pursue better understanding.

−	~~CivicWiki’s~~ early content had an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state and to a lesser extent the rise of entitlements) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best route into the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> Our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that ''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of individuals'' . . . not a reconstruction of society<!--, or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->.	+	Our early content had an historical perspective. The premise was that the United States was, and still is, the most dynamic and successful society on the planet; that it became so because of the principles and institutions on which its government was formed; and that erosion of those principles and the way we have reconstructed our institutions (the rise of the regulatory state and to a lesser extent the rise of entitlements) is damaging our economy, our society and us as individuals. CW’s aim was to persuade that reclaiming our foundation was the best route into the future for us all. <!-- A problem we faced was how to do that without becoming a history book.--> Our direction was shifted somewhat by the realization that ''CW’s fundamental motive is the liberation of individuals'' . . . not a reconstruction of society<!--, or for that matter, of government – though its influence on our daily lives would be reduced and its priorities changed-->.