My Political Beliefs and Why

My Political Beliefs and Why

My political beliefs are rooted in Individualism; not ‘individualism’ in the Ayn Rand/Tea Party/Murray Rothbard/Republican modes but in the philosophical tradition. Philosophers such as T.H. Green, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin have had an influence on my political beliefs. I neither align myself with Republicans or Democrats, Conservatives or Liberals and I tend to base my politics more on a world view and the liberties of the individual. I am a firm supporter of the First Amendment, free speech and freedom of religion. I strongly support separation of church and state and believe religion should have absolutely no role in government. I am also a supporter of welfare liberalism.


Individualism means to me encompassing religious and ideological nonconformity and the philosophy of natural rights. It is signified by a cult of privacy combined with the growth of self-assertion to give the highest individual development. It is autonomy of reason and free enquiry. It has the powers of individual reason maintained by the spontaneous collaboration of free persons that often creates things which are greater than their individual minds can fully comprehend. Individualism must submit to the anonymous and irrational forces of society.
I am a registered independent and believe that that government has an important rule to play when protecting individual rights. I do believe, like Barry Goldwater, that we must have a strong military to protect our freedoms and personal liberty. I do believe that the focus of military should be more of a defensive one rather than offensive today (i.e.: Star Wars). I also believe that government must play a role in education. That government must supply and support routes for those wanting to expand their education. I believe this can only help the individual and turn help strengthen the country. I also believe government should provide a health care system that would compete with the free market. One that provides care to those who cannot afford health care, and again this strengthens the individual and the country as a whole.



I am a believer in welfare liberalism and the philosophy of T.H. Green. I believe in the value of individual liberty, and maintain that government is not a necessary evil. Properly directed, government can be a positive force for promoting individual liberty by ensuring that everyone enjoys equal opportunity in life. Green said to overcome obstacles in freedom and opportunity it is necessary to enlist the power of the state. Freedom is not merely a matter of being left alone; it is a positive power or ability to do something. Thus a child born into poverty, with no real opportunity to escape, is not truly free to grow and develop to his/her full abilities. Anyone who values individual liberty will want to take steps to overcome those circumstances that are such formidable obstacles to freedom. Society acting through government should establish hospitals, aid the needy, and regulate working conditions to promote the workers’ health and well-being. Only through public support would the poor and powerless members of society become truly free. Everyone gains freedom when they serve the common good. The laws and programs that help the unfortunate smooth social relations, and restrict all-out competition are positive aids to liberty, not restraints that limit freedom and capitalism.


I am also a big supporter of separation of church and state. I do not like seeing any religious overtones in our government. I am a firm believer in religious freedom, but religion should be a private and personal manner of the individual. I am proud in live in a country that can have many different faiths and beliefs. I truly believe that is if we had a national religion that this country would not exist today. The very fact that we can voice our opinions about religion (like the billboards in New York City) and not have any violence is proof of our tolerance and uniqueness in the world.



-Sean Gens

Sarah Palin Disses Her Two Heroes: Reagan & Jesus!

Sarah Palin Disses Her Two Heroes: Ronald Reagan & Jesus!

Yesterday neoconservative Sarah Palin attacked President Obama for signing a nuclear treaty with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that would shrink the Cold War superpowers' arsenals to the lowest point since the frightening arms race of the 1960s. Palin said President Obama's nuclear weapons reduction policy is "like a kid asking for a punch in the face. It's unbelievable," Palin told Sean Hannity. "It's like getting out there on a playground, a bunch of kids, getting ready to fight, and one of them says, 'Go ahead, punch me in the face. I'm not going to retaliate. Do what you want to with me.'" ....And she went on, " People "are going to rise up and say: 'No more.' National security, national defense is the No. 1 job of the federal government."

Okay, there is something seriously wrong with what she said and all you "Tea Party'ers" should be made aware of. First off, you all love Ronald Reagan, right? Palin and Hannity do, and so should you. But do you think Ronald Reagan would support this treaty? Lets see now:

Ronald Reagan: nuclear weapons were "totally irrational, totally inhumane, good for nothing but killing, possibly destructive of life on earth and civilization."
"For the eight years I was president," he wrote in his memoirs, "I never let my dream of a nuclear-free world fade from my mind."

Reagan nearly came to an accord with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to destroy all nuclear weapons within ten years. Before then, he spoke at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, relaying the following vision:
"We live in a troubled world, and the United States and China, as two great nations, share a special responsibility to help reduce the risks of war. We both agree that there can be only one sane policy to preserve our precious civilization in this modern age: A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. And no matter how great the obstacles may seem, we must never stop our efforts to reduce the weapons of war. We must never stop at all until we see the day when nuclear arms have been banished from the face of this Earth."

So, straight up, Ronald Reagan was a nuclear abolitionist.

Now what would Jesus say about the "Punch in a face"? Well lets see:

In the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says:
You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
—Matthew 5:38-42, NIV

I don't think Obama would turn the other cheek anyway, look how he is handling the war in Afghanistan and the pirates last year, he is far from weak.

See ya- S