My Political Manifesto

I just finished reading an End-Times extremist spamvertisement, without realizing its true identity until the last few paragraphs. I hate manipulation and I’m not a fan of the common practice among Christians to “conceal” a subliminal message into otherwise decent text. So it got me to thinking about where I currently stand in politics. I think it is important for everyone to understand what they believe, whether religiously, politically or ethically.

First, I consider myself a Protestant Christian, in that I strongly affirm the words and ideas of the Nicene Creed as well as the Reformation’s Five solas. That alone should be enough to convince anyone that I am indeed a conservative Christian. But I don’t necessarily agree with everything in the “Christian Right” agenda in America. Because of this, some conservative Republicans think I’m liberal or moderate, and most liberal Democrats think I’m grossly conservative.

At the heart of most constitutions, certain irrevocable rights are bestowed upon the citizens of that country (or, in most cases, to human beings everywhere). That demands a moral code – a clear definition of what should be right and what should be wrong. That is where I base my political beliefs. The sanctity of human life is the foundation and morality forms the building blocks.

• I believe in a free society, where individuals have the freedom to choose their own actions, except when those actions may harm or adversely affect others.
• I believe that a proper welfare goverment can only exist where citizens have the freedom and choice to participate in funding and receiving benefits.
• I believe in tax-funded services such as public education, disaster relief, commercial regulation and deregulation, and essential utilities (food/water/electricity) for the poor (when and where appropriate).
• I believe in the importance of a secular state and a secular society, because a look into history will show us that whenever religion and politics mix, war and the absence of peace ensues.
• I believe that full-scale war is archaic, barbaric and immoral; a blatant disregard for the sanctity of human life. Modern political issues can be resolved with diplomacy.
• In the case of war criminals and abusive totalitarian dictators, I cautiously believe that when diplomacy has failed, foreign moderation and incarceration should occur.
• I believe that a utopian society is impossible, and any such attempt will inevitably lead to dystopia.
• I believe there can be a balance between anonymity, privacy and security.
• I believe that in our postmodern digital world, information wants to be free. This means I (obviously) reject digital rights management (DRM), proprietary software models, and most cases of patents to software or otherwise. Inventors should strive for noteriety and a greater good, not monetary gain. When information is free, creativity and innovation are free of burden, and human society as a whole will reap those benefits
• I believe that there is no just argument for capital punishment. A vote of confidence in capital punishment says it is acceptable to murder innocent humans, because no justice system in the world will ever be perfect, and will always be prone to human error.
• I believe in lifetime incarceration for those proven guilty of the worst crimes through a fair justice system, however, the human ability to redeem and forgive is what separates humans from the rest of the animal kingdom, so parole must always be an option.
• I believe that abortion is an unequivocal form of murder; a taking of human life. There is a delicate balance between the life of a mother and her child, so exceptions might exist. The most important step in the fight against abortion is to spread information and to criminalize the medical procedure. Put the doctors in jail, not the frightened 16-year-old who doesn’t fully understand her situation.
• I believe that guns should be generally outlawed; society has proven its inability to cope with the dangers of citizen ownership of guns. Sport hunting (likewise should be outlawed) is not an argument. In a safe, secure society, guns are illegal, and personal protections exist to counter those guns that will inevitably still exist.
• I believe that all ethnic, religious, and gender groups should be treated equally and fairly. A secular society cannot criminalize homosexual life styles or lifepartnership.
• I believe in Equal Opportunity for all only when it works and is still applicable.
• I believe that national history and heritage plays an important role in determining future law. Although it may not seem appropriate in a secular society, the reference to “God” on American money and the American flag pledge is part of our American heritage and serves to teach us about our founding and our roots. That is not to say that religious relics in all forms of government objects will not eventually be removed.
• I believe that illegal immigrants should be granted amnesty when the cause of said illegal immigration is war, unlivable conditions, or an abusive totalitarian regime.
• I believe that citizenship should not be difficult to obtain for legal or illegal immigrants. Every person alive has ancestors who immigrated from one place to another.
• I believe that certain social educational topics (sex ed, drugs, ethics) are primarily the responsibility of parents, and should only exist in public education as an afterthought.
• Did I mention that information wants to be free? This also means that copyrights should enjoy short lifetimes, and should be non-renewable. Digital equipment in the home should be as non-restrictive as traditional equipment. An analog television set and VCR let you watch and record anything you wanted. A typewriter allowed you to add to any letter or document you received in the mail. A phonorecord or cassette tape could be played or copied. Laws pertaining to digital equipment should respect the “analog tradition” of freedom and consumer choice.
• If a non-communist, non-socialist society without economies of monetary value could exist, I would endorse it and probably move there.