myphilosophy

My Manifesto

I place my politics to the left of Democrats and consider myself a 'social liberal'.

I believe that the wealth of the earth belongs to all people and should be shared to the greatest extent possible.

I also believe the wealth of the earth is a limited commodity and must be used wisely. See the book titled "The Closing Circle" by Barry Commoner cited below.

I believe the dictum, "From each according to his/her abilities, to each according to her/his needs" is an ideal to which society should strive but most likely will never attain.

I believe in a government 'of the people, by the people and for the people'. (I do not believe corporations are 'people'!)

I believe that knowledge or wisdom is a result of in-depth study, critical thought, and reasoned discourse and cannot be found in 'sound bites' or email clutter.

I believe that 'God' cannot be defined or understood within the framework of our limited understanding of the cosmos.

Links of Interest

www.procon.org Promotes critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship by presenting research on controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, and primarily pro-con format. The website is free, unbiased, and updated periodically.

www.snopes.com "The definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation." Want to know if the email you just received has any truth to it at all? Check it out on this site. This site has been investigated by The New York Times and declared 'bias-free'.

www.factcheck.org "...a nonpartisan, nonprofit 'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics." FactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

www.votesmart.org Non-partisan information on US federal and state candidates, ballot measures, issues and legislation.

www.prospect.org The American Prospect is about liberal ideas and effective liberal politics. Quoting from their mission statement, "The magazine's founding purpose was to demonstrate that progressive ideas could animate a majority politics; to restore to intellectual and political respectability the case for social investment; to energize civic democracy and give voice to the disenfranchised; and to counteract the growing influence of conservative media."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page "The free encyclopedia that anyone can edit." Although anyone can edit this encyclopedia, it tends to self-regulate itself so that most of the information presented is unbiased and well-footnoted.

www.motherjones.com From Wikipedia: "Mother Jones is an independent, nonprofit magazine, rooted in liberal and progressive political values. It is widely known for its investigative reporting."

www.thenakedscientists.com An online, science podcast and science radio show.

http://www.overdrive.com/ A distributor of audio books which can be checked out from local libraries. I use the Missoula City-County Library but there are many other Montana libraries which subscribe to this service. If you're doing a lot of commuting or heading out for a road trip, you can find some interesting books to listen to on this site.

Books of Interest

"The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality" by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

"The Closing Circle" by Barry Commoner in which he enumerates his 'Four Laws of Ecology'. (see http://www.umaine.edu/umext/earthconnections/earth/chapter3.htm)

"A Great Day To Fight Fire - Mann Gulch 1949" by Mark Matthews. This is the story of the day 16 men ventured into a raging forest fire and 3 came out alive as told from the personal perspective of the men who fought that fire. As one reveiwer says, "The stories are real, the people are real, and the sense of looming tragedy is almost palpable." This is one of those books that, once started, I could not put down. Matthews tells the story from the men's perspective - through personal letters, diaries, and interviews.

"God Laughs & Plays" by David James Duncan. "Duncan arues that the de facto political party embodied by the so-called Christian Right has turned worship into a self-righteous betrayal of the words and example of the very Jesus it claims to praise. In reply, Duncan offers a thought-provoking collection of "churchless sermons," stories, memoirs and conversations - all united by the contention that the way of life preached and embodied by Jesus is apolitical and should be free of media machinery." Although I consider myself an Agnostic, I do believe there are important lessons in the teachings of Jesus. I also believe that far too few Christians practice the teachings of Jesus.

This Web Page Created with PageBreeze Free HTML Editor

www.procon.org	Promotes critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship by presenting research on controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, and primarily pro-con format. The website is free, unbiased, and updated periodically.
www.snopes.com	"The definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation." Want to know if the email you just received has any truth to it at all? Check it out on this site. This site has been investigated by The New York Times and declared 'bias-free'.
www.factcheck.org	"...a nonpartisan, nonprofit 'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics." FactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
www.votesmart.org	Non-partisan information on US federal and state candidates, ballot measures, issues and legislation.
www.prospect.org	The American Prospect is about liberal ideas and effective liberal politics. Quoting from their mission statement, "The magazine's founding purpose was to demonstrate that progressive ideas could animate a majority politics; to restore to intellectual and political respectability the case for social investment; to energize civic democracy and give voice to the disenfranchised; and to counteract the growing influence of conservative media."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page	"The free encyclopedia that anyone can edit." Although anyone can edit this encyclopedia, it tends to self-regulate itself so that most of the information presented is unbiased and well-footnoted.
www.motherjones.com	From Wikipedia: "Mother Jones is an independent, nonprofit magazine, rooted in liberal and progressive political values. It is widely known for its investigative reporting."
www.thenakedscientists.com	An online, science podcast and science radio show.
http://www.overdrive.com/	A distributor of audio books which can be checked out from local libraries. I use the Missoula City-County Library but there are many other Montana libraries which subscribe to this service. If you're doing a lot of commuting or heading out for a road trip, you can find some interesting books to listen to on this site.