There are a lot more people out there waking up to governments over-reach than there was 13 years ago, maybe the Ron Paul ways are just that much more widespread now.
Allow me.....
Ron Paul Forums Mission Statement
Foreword:
Finding a core set of principles one can apply throughout one's life to achieve social harmony is a thought process that has been performed by philosophers throughout history. It is also a thought process that is applied here. The quest for core principles to build a society on has shown that the ideals of liberty and justice, coupled with free and honest markets, are a blueprint that allow for humanity to thrive. An approximate definition of these ideals is as follows:
Liberty: You should be free to lead your life in a manner of your choosing, so long as it does not prevent others from equally doing the same.
Justice: People should be held accountable for crimes they commit.
Free and honest markets: Individuals can exchange in trade without restriction and should be honest in their dealings.
While ideals are important, the application of them is equally as important which must be secured by society and governmental bodies, which must be supported by wise individuals. These realities necessitate additional ideals and principles.
Developing and applying specific details with these ideals is an endeavor full of complexities and disagreements. While there will never be universal agreement on all issues, one should embrace functional discourse to resolving differences -- which is truly the point of civil advancement. One should consider this as an important element within the human experience as we develop knowledge and wisdom throughout our lifetime on this planet that we all share.
We remain confident that with the development of the ideals of liberty and justice, with free and honest markets, we will realize a wonderful planet where all can flourish.
Mission:
This site is dedicated to facilitating discussion and initiatives that aim to advance society in a civil manner for the betterment of all. We seek to:
...Secure individual liberty
...Seek justice
...Promote honest and free markets
To support these pillars we aim to:
...Develop excellence within society and governmental bodies
...Build up local communities
...Strengthen families
...Foster individual excellence
We do so for ourselves and our posterity.
Liberty In Depth: Importance & Core Principles
Anyone concerned about their well-being and the society they live in will eventually find their way to deriving viewpoints on matters of political policy. In doing so, individuals will normally identify with positions that are in their personal best interests, resolve a perceived injustice or align to views that are similar to ones espoused by a favored political leader.
In arriving at positions there are two critical mistakes that many people often make in that they fail to apply core principles to derive their positions and they don't drill down to the root cause of issues. As a result, people fail to undercover the best position to achieve their desired end result. This mistake is unfortunately understandable since most media outlets don't focus on root causes or matters of much substance. Instead, the media often sensationalizes issues on superficial levels using appeals that cater to emotions rather than reason. Compounding the problem, individuals don't always spend time critically analyzing issues themselves since there always seems to be too much to do in ones personal life. Unfortunately, the combination of all this on a wide scale is often a recipe for disaster.
A prime example of an overlooked root cause is the proclaimed health care crisis in the United States where many people are rightfully concerned over the exorbitant cost of health care. The root cause that many seem to be overlooking however is that the high costs are a direct result of too much government involvement and over regulation in the health care market. The over regulation of forcing the use of arbitrary standards and criteria has seriously restricted peoples ability to conduct business in the health care industry which has led to less competition and skyrocketing health care costs. In a free society, individuals would have the ability to operate health care practices, educational institutions and insurance companies on their own terms as long as they aren't being dishonest. Those in need could then choose what services are right for them even if the offering doesn't meet today's arbitrary standards. In a free society, high prices would draw in competition for more cost effective solutions which would lower the costs of health care overall. In the case of the proclaimed U.S. health care crisis the failure to drill down to the root cause of exorbitant costs has prompted the "solution" of more governmental involvement which will only drive overall costs higher while lowering the standard of care due to bureaucratic overhead and restricted choices that everyone is forced into.
Taxes are another hot issue in which many people argue that they are a necessity and that each person needs to "pay their fair share." Common tax structures often argued include a flat tax, a "fair tax" and a sales tax, to name a few. While many people will genuinely support a taxation system that makes sense to them to fund what they see of value the application of core principles of jurisdiction and what it really means to live in a free society often get lost in the shuffle. Few ask questions like "How can one be free if they have no viable choice in paying some arbitrary tax?"
Core liberty principles:
• Groups of individuals can self-organize and impose rules upon themselves, but should not force the same on others.
• You have the right to own property which you can voluntarily give or trade with others as you see fit.
• The fruits of your labor are yours alone, unless you agree otherwise.
• You should not initiate aggression against other people.
• You should not steal or destroy others property.
• You have the right to defend your life, freedom and property.
If this all seems like common sense then you may very well have a pro-liberty political mindset from which you can derive ideologically consistent positions on many issues by logically applying the core principles. Unfortunately it can take some time to do this since you must study the issues, filter out logical fallacies and exercise your brain by doing a great deal of critical thinking, something that no one else can do for you. Others can help you achieve truly principled consistency, members on this site will often be happy to engage you in conversation, but you must lead your own way.
Alas, there is certainly no universal agreement on all issues, this is OK. Resolving differences is truly the point of civic engagement which one should embrace as an important element within the human experience as we develop knowledge and wisdom throughout our lifetime on this planet that we all share. In short, one should think, be thoughtful and avoid seeking a "solution" that only addresses a superficial symptom of an unseen root cause issue. As one shifts their thinking to the application of the principles of liberty one will realize that it can lead to a wonderful planet where all can flourish. The message of liberty truly brings us together.
As you develop a pro-liberty philosophical foundation you will also have a choice to make in regards to your views: do nothing or try to make a difference in the world. The core of the community on this website have decided they want to make a difference in a meaningful way, we hope you join us on this journey.
Allow me.....
Ron Paul Forums Mission Statement
Foreword:
Finding a core set of principles one can apply throughout one's life to achieve social harmony is a thought process that has been performed by philosophers throughout history. It is also a thought process that is applied here. The quest for core principles to build a society on has shown that the ideals of liberty and justice, coupled with free and honest markets, are a blueprint that allow for humanity to thrive. An approximate definition of these ideals is as follows:
Liberty: You should be free to lead your life in a manner of your choosing, so long as it does not prevent others from equally doing the same.
Justice: People should be held accountable for crimes they commit.
Free and honest markets: Individuals can exchange in trade without restriction and should be honest in their dealings.
While ideals are important, the application of them is equally as important which must be secured by society and governmental bodies, which must be supported by wise individuals. These realities necessitate additional ideals and principles.
Developing and applying specific details with these ideals is an endeavor full of complexities and disagreements. While there will never be universal agreement on all issues, one should embrace functional discourse to resolving differences -- which is truly the point of civil advancement. One should consider this as an important element within the human experience as we develop knowledge and wisdom throughout our lifetime on this planet that we all share.
We remain confident that with the development of the ideals of liberty and justice, with free and honest markets, we will realize a wonderful planet where all can flourish.
Mission:
This site is dedicated to facilitating discussion and initiatives that aim to advance society in a civil manner for the betterment of all. We seek to:
...Secure individual liberty
...Seek justice
...Promote honest and free markets
To support these pillars we aim to:
...Develop excellence within society and governmental bodies
...Build up local communities
...Strengthen families
...Foster individual excellence
We do so for ourselves and our posterity.
Liberty In Depth: Importance & Core Principles
Anyone concerned about their well-being and the society they live in will eventually find their way to deriving viewpoints on matters of political policy. In doing so, individuals will normally identify with positions that are in their personal best interests, resolve a perceived injustice or align to views that are similar to ones espoused by a favored political leader.
In arriving at positions there are two critical mistakes that many people often make in that they fail to apply core principles to derive their positions and they don't drill down to the root cause of issues. As a result, people fail to undercover the best position to achieve their desired end result. This mistake is unfortunately understandable since most media outlets don't focus on root causes or matters of much substance. Instead, the media often sensationalizes issues on superficial levels using appeals that cater to emotions rather than reason. Compounding the problem, individuals don't always spend time critically analyzing issues themselves since there always seems to be too much to do in ones personal life. Unfortunately, the combination of all this on a wide scale is often a recipe for disaster.
A prime example of an overlooked root cause is the proclaimed health care crisis in the United States where many people are rightfully concerned over the exorbitant cost of health care. The root cause that many seem to be overlooking however is that the high costs are a direct result of too much government involvement and over regulation in the health care market. The over regulation of forcing the use of arbitrary standards and criteria has seriously restricted peoples ability to conduct business in the health care industry which has led to less competition and skyrocketing health care costs. In a free society, individuals would have the ability to operate health care practices, educational institutions and insurance companies on their own terms as long as they aren't being dishonest. Those in need could then choose what services are right for them even if the offering doesn't meet today's arbitrary standards. In a free society, high prices would draw in competition for more cost effective solutions which would lower the costs of health care overall. In the case of the proclaimed U.S. health care crisis the failure to drill down to the root cause of exorbitant costs has prompted the "solution" of more governmental involvement which will only drive overall costs higher while lowering the standard of care due to bureaucratic overhead and restricted choices that everyone is forced into.
Taxes are another hot issue in which many people argue that they are a necessity and that each person needs to "pay their fair share." Common tax structures often argued include a flat tax, a "fair tax" and a sales tax, to name a few. While many people will genuinely support a taxation system that makes sense to them to fund what they see of value the application of core principles of jurisdiction and what it really means to live in a free society often get lost in the shuffle. Few ask questions like "How can one be free if they have no viable choice in paying some arbitrary tax?"
Core liberty principles:
• Groups of individuals can self-organize and impose rules upon themselves, but should not force the same on others.
• You have the right to own property which you can voluntarily give or trade with others as you see fit.
• The fruits of your labor are yours alone, unless you agree otherwise.
• You should not initiate aggression against other people.
• You should not steal or destroy others property.
• You have the right to defend your life, freedom and property.
If this all seems like common sense then you may very well have a pro-liberty political mindset from which you can derive ideologically consistent positions on many issues by logically applying the core principles. Unfortunately it can take some time to do this since you must study the issues, filter out logical fallacies and exercise your brain by doing a great deal of critical thinking, something that no one else can do for you. Others can help you achieve truly principled consistency, members on this site will often be happy to engage you in conversation, but you must lead your own way.
Alas, there is certainly no universal agreement on all issues, this is OK. Resolving differences is truly the point of civic engagement which one should embrace as an important element within the human experience as we develop knowledge and wisdom throughout our lifetime on this planet that we all share. In short, one should think, be thoughtful and avoid seeking a "solution" that only addresses a superficial symptom of an unseen root cause issue. As one shifts their thinking to the application of the principles of liberty one will realize that it can lead to a wonderful planet where all can flourish. The message of liberty truly brings us together.
As you develop a pro-liberty philosophical foundation you will also have a choice to make in regards to your views: do nothing or try to make a difference in the world. The core of the community on this website have decided they want to make a difference in a meaningful way, we hope you join us on this journey.
