The Seldon Project - An Introduction
Republics have been, until recently, a rare form of government in the annals of history. A few Greek city-states tried it, but they were eventually bled dry by war and then overrun by the armies of an ambitious punk from Macedonia. The Romans were the next to try. History tells us they had a pretty good run, too, before degenerating into empire.
The next efforts came from the Venetians, Swiss, and Dutch. The Venetians were incorporated into the nation-state of Italy (really sorry about that, guys, but sometimes geography just sucks). The Dutch have recently woken up to the fact that they've been absorbed into an amorphous superstate based on bad ideas and even worse leadership. Bummer. Only the gallant Swiss are holding out against the tide. European hillbillies, you gotta love 'em. Bread! Cheese! Ar-15's! Okay, I've had my fun. Let's get down to business.
The Seldon Project is based on the recognition that the American Republic is facing a crisis. The debt crisis alone is enough to pitch us into the abyss. If we go, the rest of the world will follow. And the rest of the world will get hurt a lot worse than we will.
I think the crisis is inevitable, but that's just my opinion. I have no faith in either political party to address the immediate problems much less the systemic problems. Let me state clearly that I'm supporting Mitt Romney for president, but only because he's the least worst option. Barack Obama needs to be retired. Period. End of story. Ciao, baby. Out the door and down the alley with a boot in the spot where the sun don't shine. I'm being flippant again. Sorry.
The Seldon Project will begin with a dialogue. You're invited to participate. I want you to identify one problem we face that has national implications and make your case in the comment thread. The process will then be dialectical. We face a plethora of problems, but I want to narrow the scope to a maximum of five. Once we identify the problems, we can start working on solutions. We have a republic to save; Or, if worse comes to worst, we'll have a republic to restore. Have at it.
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Comments:
Nov '10
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
People who have neither the desire nor the responsibility to learn a thing about American founding principles. Not only do they mislead, they vote.
Jul '10
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
We have a moral problem.
The obvious one: aborting babies.
Culturally, We are becoming less a Christian Nation, from which this Nation came. What was once considered sin is now acceptable... and more so everyday. And I don't see any brakes (shame) left.
Sep '12
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
Philosophy in general trumps all other concerns. We worry way too much about sovereign default. Russia defaulted in 1998, and is still an emerging power today. I don't recall mass hunger in Russia after the default. Does anyone?
No, philosophers of the 19th century, and the social sciences of the 20th are much more dangerous than budget issues. I'm sorry that I can't encapsulate the problem in one Big Thing. It is a hydra. A billion-headed beast.
Jun '10
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
Jimmy Carter: We have a moral problem.
The obvious one: aborting babies.
Culturally, We are becoming less a Christian Nation, from which this Nation came. What was once considered sin is now acceptable... and more so everyday. And I don't see any brakes (shame) left. · 16 minutes ago
I'm leaning toward our moral degradation as the source or basis for our other problems.
Jun '10
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
Travis McKee: Philosophy in general trumps all other concerns. We worry way too much about sovereign default. Russia defaulted in 1998, and is still an emerging power today. I don't recall mass hunger in Russia after the default. Does anyone?
No, philosophers of the 19th century, and the social sciences of the 20th are much more dangerous than budget issues. I'm sorry that I can't encapsulate the problem in one Big Thing. It is a hydra. A billion-headed beast. · 7 minutes ago
Agree. Financial insovency is a result, but not an underlying cause. As per my comment above, I think the problem is primarily moral.
May '11
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
Entrenched interests are plaguing us. Large cumbersome institutions and programs that need to be reformed or phased out that have too many people relying on their largesse. Social security, medicare, banks too large to fail to name just a few. Too many people both Republicans and Democrats have too much on the line to properly reform these problems. It not only effects the cost of government but the efficacy of these programs. The cost of infastructure development or improvement is going to be jacked up by unions, laywers and over reaching enviromental laws. I agree with Paules that our problems are more systemic than ideological. I have no faith in the Dems. and little faith in the Republicans to substantivally address these problems. I think Paul Ryan truly gets it but I don't know about Mitt.
Dec '10
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
Others have mentioned moral decay in general, but the breakdown of the traditional family is a specific area that needs a lot of attention.
Jul '10
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
Piggybacking on the first three comments, to an ever increasing degree the rights to life, liberty, and property are demeaned. In their place rise a host of things, equal access to "care" of many different varieties (day-, health-, old age-) chief among them. The transfer of basic responsibilities from the citizen to the state is the means, but I think the breakdown of the family is the cause.
Jul '10
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
Darn it Freeven! That'll teach me to be more concise.
Mar '11
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
Perhaps your Seldon premise is based on the wrong Sci Fi narrative arc. I think Walter Miller's vision maybe the correct melt down scenario since we are looking all apocalyptical if "the One" is returned to his vision of fundamental change.
I suggest a financial Armageddon versus nuclear. An interesting story note from a Canticle for Leibowitz, the beatified Leibowitz was a engineer, perhaps one of the more useful building blocks for a materially comfortable society, however he was also martyred for that skill set. Pity.
Dec '10
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
I'm a slow thinker/writer, so it's rare for me to be on the front end of a parallel post. Feels kinda nice for a change. ;)
Apr '12
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
Expanding democracy kills a republic as the special interest masses increasingly invest autocratic power to their leaders who are vowed to redistribute wealth.
I recommend a specifically educated bureaucratic class who compete with each other for the votes of their peers (the only voters) for elected office. This class must take a vow of poverty and live out their lives in government compounds, not unlike military bases.
Mar '11
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
As we seek in our small way to contribute and to identify particular, specific problems within our regime at the moment, I think it might be to our benefit to keep in a big question always in the back of our minds: what is the difference between a republic and a democracy?
In no small way, this question and its various answers are preliminary to any endeavor at reform.
Mar '11
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
Other, related questions: what is a citizen? Who is a citizen, and at what age?
This question also has far reaching ramifications--the character of a citizenry will both be formed by the laws and reflected in the laws, and thereby helps to determine education policy, immigration policy, the electoral system, rights and obligations and their exercise.
Nov '10
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
Education. The rot in the educational system dates back to John Dewey and has created a society of citizens who are not only uneducated but are miseducated, taught things that make them bad citizens.
Dec '10
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
Relativism. If it isn't the root of all our problems, it is certainly a super fertilizer for them.
Take the confusion over limited government, for example. People can only be against it if they believe their personal virtue and self-referential definition of "the common good" overcomes the temptations to corruption of unlimited power. It's then a short step to relativize what should be an objectively agreed upon limiting document like the Constitution. Once the constraints start breaking down this way, we see what's happening now. Ends justify the means impositions on formerly free people, and rising divisions and hostility. The Left poisons everything this way.
Jun '10
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
Relativism can only take hold after a populace has lost its civic virtue. John Adams said that our constitutional system is fit for a moral and religious people and no other. Everything about leftist ideology is alien to the America of our Founding Fathers. I'm starting to lean toward the loss of our religious values leading to a loss of civic virtue and then on to all the other problems as listed above.
Edited on September 27, 2012 at 3:24pmDec '10
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
~Paules
Relativism can only take hold after a populace has lost its civic virtue. John Adams said that our constitutional system is fit for a moral and religious people and no other. Everything about leftist ideology is alien to the America of our Founding Fathers. I'm starting to lean toward the loss of our religious values leading to a loss of civic virtue and then on to all the other problems as listed above. · 24 minutes ago
Edited 23 minutes ago
I don't think we're disagreeing. Secular values are manifest in the individual who believes, profoundly, in his own virtue. This is how he rationalizes upending thousands of years of tradition and thought concerning same-sex marriage, for example. He's a new man! Better than every moral thinker who came before, including Jesus Christ himself. And since he's so good, his positions are worthy of government enforcement against the will and consent of his fellow citizens. It's just coincidental that his positions align with the Left, I'm sure.
Jun '10
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
Western Chauvinist
~Paules
I don't think we're disagreeing. Secular values are manifest in the individual who believes, profoundly, in his own virtue. This is how he rationalizes upending thousands of years of tradition and thought concerning same-sex marriage, for example. He's a new man! Better than every moral thinker who came before, including Jesus Christ himself. And since he's so good, his positions are worthy of government enforcement against the will and consent of his fellow citizens. It's just coincidental that his positions align with the Left, I'm sure. · 10 minutes ago
Whereas Christians believe profoundly in the virtue known as humility. This is one of the big problems with an atheistic secular society. Lacking the recognition of a supreme being, man himself becomes the ultimate power and authority. And we know where that leads.
Jul '12
Re: The Seldon Project - An Introduction
So you want to set up a Foundation alá Hari Seldon? The problem is that we can't leave Trantor. Besides, I'm not willing to write Western Civilization just yet. I'd rather go down with the ship, taking as many Leftists as I can, anyway. A blaze of glory is my choice.