Posted by
Andrews on Friday, January 29, 2010 11:52:29 AM
I know I said I was not adding more to "To Write" list after "
Comprehensive List of Upcoming Posts", but I feel the need to put one more post on the list. As readers know, several times I have attempted to put together a single post, or a set of posts, explaining my political philosophy. However, I have done a poor job to date. So, I think I should give it one more try.
In this case, unlike "
A True Conservative Platform", I am going to start from theory, rather than policy. And so, I think the best part would be to explain why I view myself as "a conservative, libertarian federalist." To provide a brief preview, let me break down each.
I am at heart a libertarian, as I believe the principles I laid out in "
My Vision of Government" and "
My Vision of Government Part II". I believe government should exist solely to protect our rights to life, liberty and property. I think the best basic statement of this may be "
Symmetry and Asymmetry in Government".
On the other hand, I am a federalist, as I believe we cnanot impose libertarianism from above, and that even when we have full freedom, there will be specific details about which individuals could still differ. (Eg. what is the right punishment for robbery) So, I would prefer to see government broken down into the smallest possible units, so that good ideas get a fair shake, and then might spread by example. I explain this best in "
Why I Am Not A Libertarian", "
The Benefits of Federalism" and "
Consolidation and Diffusion".
Finally, I am a conservative because I believe changes should be made slowly and gradually, and we should respect the precedents of the past, changing them only when there is a very good reason, and then only in bits and pieces. I respect the fact that tradition represents the best thoughts of very many people, many quite clever, over a very long time, and I should not reject their conclusions lightly. I explain this best in "
In Defense of Standards", "
Addenda to "In Defense of Standards"", "
Bad Economics Part 9", "
Changing Incentives" and "
How Fast Things Change".
And that is, in brief, the post I intend to write. Of course I will provide much more detail, and many specifics, but I think, overall, that provides the best summary of my political point of view.
I suppose I might want to mention that I also view others as similar to myself, and clearly my equals ("
Those Other People", "
Our View of Our Fellow Citizens", "
Seeing People As Stupid", "
Appealing to Arrogance", "
The Citizen Dichotomy", "
In A Nutshell", "
Cognitive Dissonance Part 2", "
Bad Economics Part 9", "
The Inherent Disappointment of Authoritarianism", "
Deadly Cynicism", "
Contradictory World Views"), and think individuals have every right to control their lives in their own way ("
The Right Way"), but that is implicit in my libertarian and federalist, as well as conservative, beliefs.
Well, I can work out the specifics when I write it. Just wanted to mention that it was coming, and to give you a little preview.