Welcome to this blog.
I plan to blog about a lot of things that bother and/or are important to me. Many of them will be political. It is not my intent with this blog to change anyone’s mind or to in some way shake the foundations of creation with new and unprecedented thoughts. I think that I am an intelligent, reasoning (and reasonable), and well-informed citizen, but I don’t expect to say anything that will change the mind of someone whose mind already is made (although, if I do, I’d be happy to hear it).
While I still have faith in the power of logical argument and reasoning, I also think that logical argument only works in an open and extended debate into which both parties enter with open minds and a common desire for truth. Such a debate becomes less and less likely as the medium of conversation gets further and further from face-to-face contact. Trying to change someone else’s opinions through a blog or a forum post, unless there is a sustained and respectful dialogue between bloggers, is just begging for failure. So, while I deeply wish that more people agreed with me, I’m not going to waste my time or theirs by trying to change their minds with a blog.
I’m writing this blog because I believe heart and soul in Oscar Wilde’s dictum that “If you cannot write well, you cannot think well; if you cannot think well, others will do your thinking for you.” As I understand it, this means that if your writing about a topic is confused or unclear (assuming that your grasp of the technical skills of writing is sufficient to your task), it is reasonable to assume that your thinking about a topic is unclear; if you are unable to clearly delineate your thesis and main supporting arguments, it is likely because you yourself do not know or understand your argument. (This is assuming, of course, that one is attempting to write with clarity; obviously, insurance policy writers and (usually) the spokespersons of politicians are working with an entirely different set of objectives.)
The logical corollary of this, of course, is that if you can write well about something, you are thinking well about it. Hence, this blog. If something matters to me—politically, spiritually, personally, professionally—I want to be able to act upon my beliefs, but even more important to me is that I understand my beliefs; that I am able to clearly and rationally explain why I feel the way I do and what I think should come of it. In effect, this blog is a practice ground for when I find myself in one of those rational debates I mentioned in paragraph 2. If I believe something, but am unable to write a coherent blog post explaining why it is the case, that means I either need to do more research, revise my opinion, or both.
So that’s what you’re reading; a test bed for my critical thinking. I’m honored that you have read even this far, and even more so if you decide to read further. Please leave comments, especially if they contain links to factual sources that I have not seen. If you want to agree or disagree with any of the positions I argue, I’d be happy to discuss it with you in the comments. As I said above, however, I have very low expectations for rational debates via internet forums, so please don’t expect to engage me in a flamewar, and know that if your arguments cross the line between principled disagreement and ad hominem attacks, I will be delighted to ignore you.
I hope you enjoy, and that it is as useful for you as I hope it will be for me.
