Preface - Revision history

BcatOne: wordsmithing

2017-01-05T17:04:39Z

wordsmithing

BcatOne at 13:59, 8 August 2016

2016-08-08T13:59:28Z

BcatOne at 13:53, 8 August 2016

2016-08-08T13:53:05Z

BcatOne: BcatOne moved page Preface: Discovering Freedom to Preface without leaving a redirect

2016-08-07T21:02:31Z

BcatOne moved page Preface: Discovering Freedom to Preface without leaving a redirect

BcatOne at 21:02, 7 August 2016

2016-08-07T21:02:02Z

BcatOne: save

2016-08-07T20:59:40Z

save

BcatOne at 20:19, 7 August 2016

2016-08-07T20:19:04Z

BcatOne: save

2016-08-07T20:11:37Z

save

BcatOne at 23:51, 6 August 2016

2016-08-06T23:51:33Z

BcatOne at 23:50, 6 August 2016

2016-08-06T23:50:09Z

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ==Discovering Freedom==
-We, who live and probably grew up in America, should already understand freedom well, but when I tried to describe it, I found that I had much to learn, and saw that others are in the same boat. Though a simple concept, it is more complex that it appears on the surface.  CivicWiki is an odyssey to discover freedom.   CW seeks to understand freedom thoroughly, what freedom is, what is good about it, why we should want it, why it is important; and to understand how much we can retain personally and how much must be given up to ensure social order.  Understanding requires sorting through the concept of rights--what they are and what they aren't--where they start and stop.  Developing this understanding is a philosophical and historical pursuit.  Part of CivicWiki is devoted to this pursuit.  However, CW is intended to be philosophical and historical only to the point that we become smart enough to engage in the more important parts of our efforts.
+We, who live and probably grew up in America, should already understand freedom well, but when I tried to describe it, I found that I was not sufficiently articulate in its defense. It is more complex that it appears on the surface.  CivicWiki is an odyssey to understand freedom and apply its principles.   We start from a premise that freedom is good.  Nevertheless, today, even that must be defended.  CW seeks to understand freedom thoroughly, what it is, what is good about it, why we should want it, why it is important; and to understand how much we can retain as individuals and how much must be given up to ensure social order.  Understanding requires sorting through the concept of rights--what they are and what they aren't--where they start and stop.  Developing this understanding is a philosophical and historical pursuit; so, part of CivicWiki is devoted to this pursuit.  However, CW is intended to be philosophical and historical only to the point that we become smart enough to engage in the more important parts of our efforts.
-More importantly, CW is also an application of our understanding to the question of how we want government to behave and how we must treat and trade with one another--what we must tolerate and, perhaps what cannot be tollerated.  Perhaps, most importantly - at least for some of the CW audience - CW is an application of our understanding to debates about the issues that come up in our economic, social, and political lives.
+More importantly, CW is an application of the principles of liberty to the question of how we want government to behave and how we must treat and trade with one another--what we must tolerate and, perhaps what cannot be tollerated.  Perhaps, most importantly - at least for some of the CW audience - CW is an application of our understanding to debates about the issues that come up in today's economic, social, and political life.  So we have to understand what we mean by freedom, its social evolution, and the form of government and its institutions that will ensure it.
 To those for whom all this 'understanding' stuff is a bit dry and who want simply to get to the arguments, it is very easy to go straight to the issue debates.  You'll find the link on the main page.
-CivicWiki has been the personal odyssey, here at its beginnings, of one person (encouraged and supported by a few others).  I hope that will change, and hope that CW attracts a few that that have taken the trouble to understand one or two of the pieces of freedom's puzzle and who can write and edit CW articles.  But, for now it is just me.  So, perhaps a personal statement is in order.
+CivicWiki has started as the project of one person (encouraged and supported by a few others).  (I hope that will change, and hope that CW attracts a few that that have taken the trouble to understand some of the pieces of freedom's puzzle and who can write and edit CW articles.)  So, perhaps a personal statement is in order.
-:Growing up in the U.S., I considered myself free.  And for the most part that was true, though that truth continually changes.  I became interested in personal freedom in college, prodded by an intellectual friend who had been doing a lot of reading and wanted me to suffer along and discuss.  This friend was a libertarian.  Throughout this, the desirability of, and the meaning of freedom seemed sufficiently self-evident to me that I assumed that pretty much everyone else felt the same way.  I truly did not perceive anti-freedom tendencies in others that I did not interpret as a total absence of self esteem or a desire for power to direct the actions of others.  Who among us likes to be told what to do? I essentially became a libertarian and, perhaps consistent with youth, disdained others who were not of like mind.  However, my friend presented me with an irritating thought which, to this day, I accept as truth.  He asserted that, though we supported our beliefs with logic, it was our emotional make-up that was the basis of belief -- i.e., none of us are Dr. Spock.
+:Growing up in the U.S., I considered myself free.  And for the most part that was true, though that truth continually changes.  I became interested in personal freedom in college, prodded by an intellectual friend who had been doing a lot of reading and wanted me to suffer along and discuss.  This friend was a libertarian.  Throughout this, the desirability of, and the meaning of freedom seemed sufficiently self-evident to me that I assumed that pretty much everyone else felt the same way.  I truly did not perceive anti-freedom tendencies in others that I did not interpret as a total absence of self esteem or a desire for power to direct the actions of others.  Who among us likes to be told what to do? I essentially became a libertarian and, perhaps consistent with youth, disdained others who were not of like mind.  However, my friend presented me with an irritating thought which struck me as true.  He asserted that, though we supported our beliefs with logic, it was our emotional make-up that was the basis of belief -- i.e., none of us are Dr. Spock.
-A few words about the tone of Civicwiki: we'll keep it civil and friendly - even when our differences are deep.  <!-- Do you get occasional emails from others in my tribe that are meant to scare your into indignation by 'revealing' actions and consequences of those in other tribes to demonstrate how wrong they all are and how right you are?-->  CW will not engage in argument that simply pushes hot buttons.  When politicians of any stripe engage in that, and it seems that is all most of them do, what I hear is that they think very little of my intelligence and maturity.  One evening a decade or so ago in a small town near where I live, I attended a campaign rally for an aspiring congressman.  He and a former Vice President showed up.  They pretty much shouted an inflammatory speech about the evil that would befall us if we lost to the other side and then they left.  I shrugged it off as politics and voted for the guy, but the rally was insulting and left a bad taste in my mouth.  Most of politics has become insulting.  CW will do its best to avoid doing that.  When we describe a position or our differences, we will do our best to be objective, unemotional, and respectful, to rely on fact and reason, to understand and discuss.  Respect for each other, even if we have to force ourselves at times, is a ground rule.
+:Since then, I have done a lot more reading as well as living.  While my fundamental beliefs have not changed, my understanding of them has broadened and deepened.  Perhaps more importantly, a more conscious understanding of the implications of my friends assertion has softened my reaction to those who think differently.  That I still believe as I did and that those beliefs appear to be at odds with about half of America (at least on the surface), and that the consequences of our differences seem to take on increasing importance, I became interested in better understanding the whole thing -- the philosophical and historical fundamentals, the beginnings and evolution of our government, my own beliefs, the beliefs of others, and how we can at least find enough common ground to communicate civilly and objectively.  It is my objective that the CW audience be drawn into a Discovery of Freedom and that we can apply what we learn to debating the issues, so that we at least better understand and better trust each other's motives.  If that sounds simple, it is not.
-This page is far from done.
+A few words about the tone of Civicwiki: we'll keep it civil and friendly - even when our differences are deep.  <!-- Do you get occasional emails from others in my tribe that are meant to scare your into indignation by 'revealing' actions and consequences of those in other tribes to demonstrate how wrong they all are and how right you are?-->  CW will not engage in argument that simply pushes hot buttons.  When politicians of any stripe engage in that, and it seems that is all many of them do, what I hear is that they think very little of my intelligence and maturity.  One evening a decade or so ago in a small town near where I live, I attended a campaign rally for an aspiring congressman.  He and a former Vice President showed up.  They pretty much shouted an inflammatory speech about the evil that would befall us if we lost to the other side and then they left.  I shrugged it off as politics and voted for the guy, but the rally was insulting and left a bad taste in my mouth.  Most of politics has become insulting.  CW will do its best to avoid doing that.  When we describe a position or our differences, we will do our best to be objective, unemotional, and respectful, to rely on fact and reason, to understand and discuss.  Respect for each other, even if we have to force ourselves at times, is a ground rule.

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 :Since then, I have done a lot more reading as well as living.  While my fundamental beliefs have not changed since college, my understanding of them has broadened and deepened considerably.  Perhaps more importantly, a more conscious understanding of the implications of my friends assertion has softened my reaction to those who think differently.  That I still believe as I did and that those beliefs appear to be at odds with about half of America (at least on the surface), and that the consequences of our differences seem to take on increasing importance, I became interested in better understanding the whole thing -- the philosophical and historical fundamentals, the beginnings and evolution of our government, my own beliefs, the beliefs of others, and how we can at least find enough common ground to communicate civilly and objectively.  It is my objective that the CW audience be drawn into a Discovery of Freedom and that we can apply what we learn to debating the issues, so that we at least better understand and better trust each other's motives.  If that sounds simple, it is not.
-A few words about the tone of Civicwiki: we'll keep it civil and friendly - even when our differences are deep.  <!-- Do you get occasional emails from others in my tribe that are meant to scare your into indignation by 'revealing' actions and consequences of those in other tribes to demonstrate how wrong they all are and how right you are?-->  CW will not engage in the kind of argument that simply pushes hot buttons.  When politicians of any stripe engage in that, and it seems that is all most of them do, what I hear is that they think very little of my intelligence and maturity.  One evening a decade or so ago in a small town near where I live, I attended a campaign rally for an aspiring congressman.  He and a former Vice President showed up.  They pretty much shouted an inflammatory speech about the evil that would befall us if we lost to the other side and then they left.  I shrugged it off as politics and voted for the guy, but the rally was insulting and left a bad taste in my mouth.  Most of politics has become insulting.  CW will do its best to avoid doing that.  We will do our best to rely on fact and reason, to understand and discuss.  Respect for each other, even if we have to force ourselves at times, is a ground rule.
+A few words about the tone of Civicwiki: we'll keep it civil and friendly - even when our differences are deep.  <!-- Do you get occasional emails from others in my tribe that are meant to scare your into indignation by 'revealing' actions and consequences of those in other tribes to demonstrate how wrong they all are and how right you are?-->  CW will not engage in argument that simply pushes hot buttons.  When politicians of any stripe engage in that, and it seems that is all most of them do, what I hear is that they think very little of my intelligence and maturity.  One evening a decade or so ago in a small town near where I live, I attended a campaign rally for an aspiring congressman.  He and a former Vice President showed up.  They pretty much shouted an inflammatory speech about the evil that would befall us if we lost to the other side and then they left.  I shrugged it off as politics and voted for the guy, but the rally was insulting and left a bad taste in my mouth.  Most of politics has become insulting.  CW will do its best to avoid doing that.  When we describe a position or our differences, we will do our best to be objective, unemotional, and respectful, to rely on fact and reason, to understand and discuss.  Respect for each other, even if we have to force ourselves at times, is a ground rule.
 This page is far from done.

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 :Since then, I have done a lot more reading as well as living.  While my fundamental beliefs have not changed since college, my understanding of them has broadened and deepened considerably.  Perhaps more importantly, a more conscious understanding of the implications of my friends assertion has softened my reaction to those who think differently.  That I still believe as I did and that those beliefs appear to be at odds with about half of America (at least on the surface), and that the consequences of our differences seem to take on increasing importance, I became interested in better understanding the whole thing -- the philosophical and historical fundamentals, the beginnings and evolution of our government, my own beliefs, the beliefs of others, and how we can at least find enough common ground to communicate civilly and objectively.  It is my objective that the CW audience be drawn into a Discovery of Freedom and that we can apply what we learn to debating the issues, so that we at least better understand and better trust each other's motives.  If that sounds simple, it is not.
-A few words about the tone of Civicwiki: we'll keep it civil and friendly - even when our differences are deep.  I get occasional emails from others in my tribe that are meant to scare me into indignation by 'revealing' actions and consequences of those in other tribes to demonstrate how wrong you all are and how right we are.  CW will not engage in the kind of argument that simply pushes hot buttons.  When I hear politicians of any stripe engage in that, which is about all most of them do, what I hear is that they think very little of my intelligence and maturity.  One evening a decade or so ago in a small town near where I live, I attended a campaign rally for an aspiring congressman.  He and a former Vice President showed up.  They pretty much shouted an inflammatory speech about the evil that would befall us if we lost to the other side and then they left.  I shrugged it off as politics and voted for the guy, but the rally was insulting and left a bad taste in my mouth.  Most of politics has become insulting.  CW will do its best to avoid doing that.  We will do our best to rely on fact and reason, to understand and discuss.  Respect for each other, even if we have to force ourselves at times, is a ground rule.
+A few words about the tone of Civicwiki: we'll keep it civil and friendly - even when our differences are deep.  <!-- Do you get occasional emails from others in my tribe that are meant to scare your into indignation by 'revealing' actions and consequences of those in other tribes to demonstrate how wrong they all are and how right you are?-->  CW will not engage in the kind of argument that simply pushes hot buttons.  When politicians of any stripe engage in that, and it seems that is all most of them do, what I hear is that they think very little of my intelligence and maturity.  One evening a decade or so ago in a small town near where I live, I attended a campaign rally for an aspiring congressman.  He and a former Vice President showed up.  They pretty much shouted an inflammatory speech about the evil that would befall us if we lost to the other side and then they left.  I shrugged it off as politics and voted for the guy, but the rally was insulting and left a bad taste in my mouth.  Most of politics has become insulting.  CW will do its best to avoid doing that.  We will do our best to rely on fact and reason, to understand and discuss.  Respect for each other, even if we have to force ourselves at times, is a ground rule.
 This page is far from done.

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:02, 7 August 2016
Line 1:		Line 1:
		+	==Discovering Freedom==
	We, who live and probably grew up in America, should already understand freedom well, but when I tried to describe it, I found that I had much to learn, and saw that others are in the same boat. Though a simple concept, it is more complex that it appears on the surface. CivicWiki is an odyssey to discover freedom. CW seeks to understand freedom thoroughly, what freedom is, what is good about it, why we should want it, why it is important; and to understand how much we can retain personally and how much must be given up to ensure social order. Understanding requires sorting through the concept of rights--what they are and what they aren't--where they start and stop. Developing this understanding is a philosophical and historical pursuit. Part of CivicWiki is devoted to this pursuit. However, CW is intended to be philosophical and historical only to the point that we become smart enough to engage in the more important parts of our efforts.		We, who live and probably grew up in America, should already understand freedom well, but when I tried to describe it, I found that I had much to learn, and saw that others are in the same boat. Though a simple concept, it is more complex that it appears on the surface. CivicWiki is an odyssey to discover freedom. CW seeks to understand freedom thoroughly, what freedom is, what is good about it, why we should want it, why it is important; and to understand how much we can retain personally and how much must be given up to ensure social order. Understanding requires sorting through the concept of rights--what they are and what they aren't--where they start and stop. Developing this understanding is a philosophical and historical pursuit. Part of CivicWiki is devoted to this pursuit. However, CW is intended to be philosophical and historical only to the point that we become smart enough to engage in the more important parts of our efforts.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-CivicWiki is an odyssey to discover freedom.  We, who live and probably grew up in America, should already understand it well, but I find that I had much to learn, and that is true for most of us.  Though a simple concept, it is more complex that it appears on the surface.  CW seeks to understand freedom thoroughly, what freedom is, what is good about it, why we should want it, why it is important; and to understand how much we can retain personally and how much must be given up to ensure social order.  Understanding requires sorting through the concept of rights--what they are and what they aren't--where they start and stop.  Developing this understanding is a philosophical and historical pursuit.  Part of CivicWiki is devoted to this pursuit.  But CW is intended to be philosophical and historical only to the point that we are smart enough to engage in the more important parts of our efforts.
+We, who live and probably grew up in America, should already understand freedom well, but when I tried to describe it, I found that I had much to learn, and saw that others are in the same boat. Though a simple concept, it is more complex that it appears on the surface.  CivicWiki is an odyssey to discover freedom.   CW seeks to understand freedom thoroughly, what freedom is, what is good about it, why we should want it, why it is important; and to understand how much we can retain personally and how much must be given up to ensure social order.  Understanding requires sorting through the concept of rights--what they are and what they aren't--where they start and stop.  Developing this understanding is a philosophical and historical pursuit.  Part of CivicWiki is devoted to this pursuit.  However, CW is intended to be philosophical and historical only to the point that we become smart enough to engage in the more important parts of our efforts.
-More importantly, CW is also an application of our understanding to the question of how we want government to behave.  Perhaps, most importantly - at least for some of the CW audience - CW is an application of our understanding to debates about the issues that come up in our economic, social, and political lives.
+More importantly, CW is also an application of our understanding to the question of how we want government to behave and how we must treat and trade with one another--what we must tolerate and, perhaps what cannot be tollerated.  Perhaps, most importantly - at least for some of the CW audience - CW is an application of our understanding to debates about the issues that come up in our economic, social, and political lives.
 So we have to understand something of its philosophical underpinnings, its social evolution, and the political theory that will ensure it.  Then we have to think about the practical effects of all this in terms of government organization and policy and in social mores.
@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 To those for whom all this 'understanding' stuff is a bit dry and who want simply to get to the arguments, it is very easy to go straight to the issue debates.  You'll find the link on the main page.
-CivicWiki has been the personal odyssey here at its beginnings, of one person (encouraged and supported by a few others).  I hope that will change, and hope that CW attracts a few that that have taken the trouble to understand one or two of the pieces of freedom's puzzle and who can write and edit CW articles.  But, for now it is just me.  So, perhaps a personal statement is in order.
+CivicWiki has been the personal odyssey, here at its beginnings, of one person (encouraged and supported by a few others).  I hope that will change, and hope that CW attracts a few that that have taken the trouble to understand one or two of the pieces of freedom's puzzle and who can write and edit CW articles.  But, for now it is just me.  So, perhaps a personal statement is in order.
-:Growing up in the U.S., I considered myself free.  And for the most part that was true, though that truth continually changes.  I became interested in personal freedom in college, prodded by an intellectual friend who had been doing a lot of reading and wanted me to suffer along and discuss.  This friend was a libertarian.  Throughout this, the desirability of, and the meaning of freedom seemed sufficiently self-evident to me that I assumed that pretty much everyone else felt the same way.  I truly did not perceive anti-freedom tendencies in others that I did not interpret as a total absence of self esteem or a desire for power to direct the actions of others.  Who among us likes to be told what to do? I essentially became a libertarian and, perhaps consistent with youth, disdained others who were not of like mind.  However, the friend I mention presented me with an irritating thought which, to this day, I accept as truth.  He asserted that, though we supported our beliefs with logic, it was our emotional make-up that was the basis of belief -- i.e., none of us are Dr. Spock.
+:Growing up in the U.S., I considered myself free.  And for the most part that was true, though that truth continually changes.  I became interested in personal freedom in college, prodded by an intellectual friend who had been doing a lot of reading and wanted me to suffer along and discuss.  This friend was a libertarian.  Throughout this, the desirability of, and the meaning of freedom seemed sufficiently self-evident to me that I assumed that pretty much everyone else felt the same way.  I truly did not perceive anti-freedom tendencies in others that I did not interpret as a total absence of self esteem or a desire for power to direct the actions of others.  Who among us likes to be told what to do? I essentially became a libertarian and, perhaps consistent with youth, disdained others who were not of like mind.  However, my friend presented me with an irritating thought which, to this day, I accept as truth.  He asserted that, though we supported our beliefs with logic, it was our emotional make-up that was the basis of belief -- i.e., none of us are Dr. Spock.
-:Since then, I have done a lot more reading as well as living.  While my fundamental beliefs have not changed since college, my understanding of them has broadened and deepened considerably.  Perhaps more importantly, a more conscious understanding of the implications of my friends assertion has softened my reaction to those who think differently.  That I still believe as I did and that those beliefs appear to be at odds with about half of America (at least on the surface), and that the consequences of our differences seem to take on increasing importance, I became interested in better understanding the whole thing -- the philosophical and historical fundamentals, the beginnings and evolution of our government, my own beliefs, the beliefs of others, and how we can at least find enough common ground to communicate civilly and objectively.  It is my objective that the CW audience be drawn into a Discovery of Freedom and that we can apply what we have learned to debating the issues, so that we at least better understand and better trust each other's motives.  That may sound simple, but it is not.  The old saw about freedom being delicate and difficult to keep is becoming more evident to me with each passing year.
+:Since then, I have done a lot more reading as well as living.  While my fundamental beliefs have not changed since college, my understanding of them has broadened and deepened considerably.  Perhaps more importantly, a more conscious understanding of the implications of my friends assertion has softened my reaction to those who think differently.  That I still believe as I did and that those beliefs appear to be at odds with about half of America (at least on the surface), and that the consequences of our differences seem to take on increasing importance, I became interested in better understanding the whole thing -- the philosophical and historical fundamentals, the beginnings and evolution of our government, my own beliefs, the beliefs of others, and how we can at least find enough common ground to communicate civilly and objectively.  It is my objective that the CW audience be drawn into a Discovery of Freedom and that we can apply what we learn to debating the issues, so that we at least better understand and better trust each other's motives.  If that sounds simple, it is not.
-A few words about the tone of Civicwiki: we'll keep it civil and friendly.  I get an occasional email from others in my tribe that is meant to scare me into indignation by 'revealing' actions and consequences of those in other tribes to demonstrate how wrong you all are and how right we are.  CW will not engage in the kind of argument that simply pushes hot buttons.  When I hear politicians of any stripe engage in that, which is about all most of them do, what I hear is that they think very little of my intelligence and maturity.  CW will do its best to avoid doing that.  We will do our best to rely on fact and reason, to understand and discuss.
+A few words about the tone of Civicwiki: we'll keep it civil and friendly - even when our differences are deep.  I get occasional emails from others in my tribe that are meant to scare me into indignation by 'revealing' actions and consequences of those in other tribes to demonstrate how wrong you all are and how right we are.  CW will not engage in the kind of argument that simply pushes hot buttons.  When I hear politicians of any stripe engage in that, which is about all most of them do, what I hear is that they think very little of my intelligence and maturity.  One evening a decade or so ago in a small town near where I live, I attended a campaign rally for an aspiring congressman.  He and a former Vice President showed up.  They pretty much shouted an inflammatory speech about the evil that would befall us if we lost to the other side and then they left.  I shrugged it off as politics and voted for the guy, but the rally was insulting and left a bad taste in my mouth.  Most of politics has become insulting.  CW will do its best to avoid doing that.  We will do our best to rely on fact and reason, to understand and discuss.  Respect for each other, even if we have to force ourselves at times, is a ground rule.
 This page is far from done.

← Older revision	Revision as of 21:02, 7 August 2016
(No difference)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-CivicWiki is an odyssey to discover freedom -- to understand what freedom is, what is good about it, why we should want it, why it is important; and to understand how much we can retain personally and how much must be given up to ensure social order.  Understanding requires sorting through the concept of rights--what they are and what they aren't--where they start and stop.  Developing this understanding is a philosophical and historical pursuit.  Part of CivicWiki is devoted to this pursuit.
+CivicWiki is an odyssey to discover freedom.  We, who live and probably grew up in America, should already understand it well, but I find that I had much to learn, and that is true for most of us.  Though a simple concept, it is more complex that it appears on the surface.  CW seeks to understand freedom thoroughly, what freedom is, what is good about it, why we should want it, why it is important; and to understand how much we can retain personally and how much must be given up to ensure social order.  Understanding requires sorting through the concept of rights--what they are and what they aren't--where they start and stop.  Developing this understanding is a philosophical and historical pursuit.  Part of CivicWiki is devoted to this pursuit.  But CW is intended to be philosophical and historical only to the point that we are smart enough to engage in the more important parts of our efforts.
-Perhaps more importantly, CW is also an application of our understanding to the question of how we want our government to behave.  Perhaps, most importantly - at least for some of the CW audience - CW is an application of our understanding to debates about the issues that come up in our economic, social, and political lives.
+More importantly, CW is also an application of our understanding to the question of how we want government to behave.  Perhaps, most importantly - at least for some of the CW audience - CW is an application of our understanding to debates about the issues that come up in our economic, social, and political lives.
-So we have to understand something of its philosophical underpinnings, its social evolution, and the political theory that will ensure it.  Then we have to think about the practical effects of all this in terms of government organization and policy as well as social mores.
+So we have to understand something of its philosophical underpinnings, its social evolution, and the political theory that will ensure it.  Then we have to think about the practical effects of all this in terms of government organization and policy and in social mores.
 To those for whom all this 'understanding' stuff is a bit dry and who want simply to get to the arguments, it is very easy to go straight to the issue debates.  You'll find the link on the main page.
-For now, CivicWiki is a personal odyssey.  Here at the beginning, it is the project of one person (though encouraged and supported by others and with the hope that CW attracts a number of others that can write and edit CW articles).  So, perhaps a personal statement is in order.
+CivicWiki has been the personal odyssey here at its beginnings, of one person (encouraged and supported by a few others).  I hope that will change, and hope that CW attracts a few that are can write and edit CW articles).  But, for now it is just me.  So, perhaps a personal statement is in order.
-:Growing up in the U.S., I believed that I was free.  And for the most part that was true, though the truth of that continually changes.  I became interested in personal freedom in college, prodded by a friend who had been doing a lot of reading and wanted me to suffer along and discuss.  Throughout this, the desire for, and the meaning of freedom seemed sufficiently self-evident to me that I truly did not perceive a lack of a like desire in others that I did not interpret as an absence of self esteem or a desire for power to direct the actions of others.  Who among us likes to be told what to do? I essentially became a libertarian and, perhaps consistent with youth, disdained others who were not of like mind.  However, the friend I mention presented me with an irritating thought which, to this day, I accepted as truth.  He asserted that, though we supported our beliefs with logic, it was our emotional make-up that was the basis of belief -- i.e., none of us are Dr. Spock.
+:Growing up in the U.S., I considered myself free.  And for the most part that was true, though the truth of that continually changes.  I became interested in personal freedom in college, prodded by an intellectual friend who had been doing a lot of reading and wanted me to suffer along and discuss.  This friend was a libertarian.  Throughout this, the desirability of, and the meaning of freedom seemed sufficiently self-evident to me that I assumed that pretty much everyone else felt the same way.  I truly did not perceive anti-freedom tendencies in others that I did not interpret as a total absence of self esteem or a desire for power to direct the actions of others.  Who among us likes to be told what to do? I essentially became a libertarian and, perhaps consistent with youth, disdained others who were not of like mind.  However, the friend I mention presented me with an irritating thought which, to this day, I accept as truth.  He asserted that, though we supported our beliefs with logic, it was our emotional make-up that was the basis of belief -- i.e., none of us are Dr. Spock.
-:Since then, I have done a lot more reading as well as living.  While my fundamental beliefs have not changed since college, my understanding of them has broadened and deepened considerably.  Perhaps more importantly, a more conscious understanding of the implications of my friends assertion has softened my reaction to those who think differently.  That I still believe as I did and that those beliefs appear to be at odds with about half of America (at least on the surface), and that the consequences of our differences seem to take on increasing importance, I became interested in better understanding the whole thing -- the philosophical and historical fundamentals, the beginnings and evolution of our government, my own beliefs, the beliefs of others, and how we can at least find enough common ground to communicate civilly and objectively.  It is my objective that the CW audience be drawn into a Discovery of Freedom and that we can apply what we have learned to debating the issues, so that we at least better understand each other and better trust each other's motives.  That may sound simple, but it is not.  The old saw about freedom being delicate and difficult to keep is becoming more evident to me with each passing year.
+:Since then, I have done a lot more reading as well as living.  While my fundamental beliefs have not changed since college, my understanding of them has broadened and deepened considerably.  Perhaps more importantly, a more conscious understanding of the implications of my friends assertion has softened my reaction to those who think differently.  That I still believe as I did and that those beliefs appear to be at odds with about half of America (at least on the surface), and that the consequences of our differences seem to take on increasing importance, I became interested in better understanding the whole thing -- the philosophical and historical fundamentals, the beginnings and evolution of our government, my own beliefs, the beliefs of others, and how we can at least find enough common ground to communicate civilly and objectively.  It is my objective that the CW audience be drawn into a Discovery of Freedom and that we can apply what we have learned to debating the issues, so that we at least better understand and better trust each other's motives.  That may sound simple, but it is not.  The old saw about freedom being delicate and difficult to keep is becoming more evident to me with each passing year.
-A few words about the tone of Civicwiki: we'll keep it civil and friendly.  I get a lot of emails from others in my tribe that try to scare me by 'revealing' the thoughts and actions of those in other tribes to demonstrate how wrong you all are and how right we are.  CW will not engage in the kind of argument that simply tries to push hot buttons.  When I hear politicians of any stripe engage in that, which is about all most of them do, what I hear is that they think very little of my intelligence and maturity.  We are not going to do that to anyone.
+A few words about the tone of Civicwiki: we'll keep it civil and friendly.  I get a few emails from others in my tribe are meant to scare me into indignation by 'revealing' the actions and consequences of those in other tribes to demonstrate how wrong you all are and how right we are.  CW will not engage in the kind of argument that simply pushes hot buttons.  When I hear politicians of any stripe engage in that, which is about all most of them do, what I hear is that they think very little of my intelligence and maturity.  CW will do its best to avoid doing that.  We will do our best to rely on fact and reason, to understand and discuss.

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:51, 6 August 2016
Line 12:		Line 12:
	:Since then, I have done a lot more reading as well as living. While my fundamental beliefs have not changed since college, my understanding of them has broadened and deepened considerably. Perhaps more importantly, a more conscious understanding of the implications of my friends assertion has softened my reaction to those who think differently. That I still believe as I did and that those beliefs appear to be at odds with about half of America (at least on the surface), and that the consequences of our differences seem to take on increasing importance, I became interested in better understanding the whole thing -- the philosophical and historical fundamentals, the beginnings and evolution of our government, my own beliefs, the beliefs of others, and how we can at least find enough common ground to communicate civilly and objectively. It is my objective that the CW audience be drawn into a Discovery of Freedom and that we can apply what we have learned to debating the issues, so that we at least better understand each other and better trust each other's motives. That may sound simple, but it is not. The old saw about freedom being delicate and difficult to keep is becoming more evident to me with each passing year.		:Since then, I have done a lot more reading as well as living. While my fundamental beliefs have not changed since college, my understanding of them has broadened and deepened considerably. Perhaps more importantly, a more conscious understanding of the implications of my friends assertion has softened my reaction to those who think differently. That I still believe as I did and that those beliefs appear to be at odds with about half of America (at least on the surface), and that the consequences of our differences seem to take on increasing importance, I became interested in better understanding the whole thing -- the philosophical and historical fundamentals, the beginnings and evolution of our government, my own beliefs, the beliefs of others, and how we can at least find enough common ground to communicate civilly and objectively. It is my objective that the CW audience be drawn into a Discovery of Freedom and that we can apply what we have learned to debating the issues, so that we at least better understand each other and better trust each other's motives. That may sound simple, but it is not. The old saw about freedom being delicate and difficult to keep is becoming more evident to me with each passing year.

−	A few words about the tone of Civicwiki: we'll keep it civil and friendly. I get a lot of emails from others in my tribe that ~~are~~ try to scare me by 'revealing' the thoughts and actions of those in other tribes to demonstrate how wrong you all are and how right we are. CW will not engage in ~~that~~ kind of argument -- that simply tries to push hot buttons. When I hear politicians of any stripe engage in that, which is about all ~~they~~ do, what I hear is that they think very little of my intelligence and maturity. We are not going to do that to anyone.	+	A few words about the tone of Civicwiki: we'll keep it civil and friendly. I get a lot of emails from others in my tribe that try to scare me by 'revealing' the thoughts and actions of those in other tribes to demonstrate how wrong you all are and how right we are. CW will not engage in the kind of argument that simply tries to push hot buttons. When I hear politicians of any stripe engage in that, which is about all most of them do, what I hear is that they think very little of my intelligence and maturity. We are not going to do that to anyone.

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:50, 6 August 2016
Line 12:		Line 12:
	:Since then, I have done a lot more reading as well as living. While my fundamental beliefs have not changed since college, my understanding of them has broadened and deepened considerably. Perhaps more importantly, a more conscious understanding of the implications of my friends assertion has softened my reaction to those who think differently. That I still believe as I did and that those beliefs appear to be at odds with about half of America (at least on the surface), and that the consequences of our differences seem to take on increasing importance, I became interested in better understanding the whole thing -- the philosophical and historical fundamentals, the beginnings and evolution of our government, my own beliefs, the beliefs of others, and how we can at least find enough common ground to communicate civilly and objectively. It is my objective that the CW audience be drawn into a Discovery of Freedom and that we can apply what we have learned to debating the issues, so that we at least better understand each other and better trust each other's motives. That may sound simple, but it is not. The old saw about freedom being delicate and difficult to keep is becoming more evident to me with each passing year.		:Since then, I have done a lot more reading as well as living. While my fundamental beliefs have not changed since college, my understanding of them has broadened and deepened considerably. Perhaps more importantly, a more conscious understanding of the implications of my friends assertion has softened my reaction to those who think differently. That I still believe as I did and that those beliefs appear to be at odds with about half of America (at least on the surface), and that the consequences of our differences seem to take on increasing importance, I became interested in better understanding the whole thing -- the philosophical and historical fundamentals, the beginnings and evolution of our government, my own beliefs, the beliefs of others, and how we can at least find enough common ground to communicate civilly and objectively. It is my objective that the CW audience be drawn into a Discovery of Freedom and that we can apply what we have learned to debating the issues, so that we at least better understand each other and better trust each other's motives. That may sound simple, but it is not. The old saw about freedom being delicate and difficult to keep is becoming more evident to me with each passing year.

−	A few words about the tone of Civicwiki: we'll keep it civil and friendly. I get a lot of emails from others in my tribe that are try to scare me by 'revealing' the thoughts and actions of those in other tribes to demonstrate how wrong you all are and how right we are. CW will not engage in that kind of argument.	+	A few words about the tone of Civicwiki: we'll keep it civil and friendly. I get a lot of emails from others in my tribe that are try to scare me by 'revealing' the thoughts and actions of those in other tribes to demonstrate how wrong you all are and how right we are. CW will not engage in that kind of argument -- that simply tries to push hot buttons. When I hear politicians of any stripe engage in that, which is about all they do, what I hear is that they think very little of my intelligence and maturity. We are not going to do that to anyone.
−
−	: