As we look to ways to rebuild our political system community, an important first step is to recognize the ways we talk to one another and how that plays a role in how we act as political creatures.  Let's not kid ourselves--we are all political creatures. It's simply a matter of direction and degree...even non-participation is a measure of involvement, so long as one is living in a society with political infrastructure.

So how do we talk to each other?  After we've sorted ourselves into the various political groupings, we take on unique language and techniques both in talking to those within our own groups, and those wearing the other team's jersey.  It's this second category that I want to take a close look at today, because it is the starting point for our ability to come together as a community and meet common challenges.  How we first engage with one another often locks us into how we can eventually resolve a conflict.

I begin today with a disclaimer: despite the soaring rhetoric of this post's title, I fully recognize that I'm simply just a guy, talking to simply a you, with no insights or knowledge any better or more enlightened than what you already know and think. I simply want to share over these next three entries what a sense of community means to me, and hope that where you may disagree, perhaps you give some of this world view a chance yourself.

OK, with that out of the way, let me begin with four stories: 

This week I want to briefly depart from a more general theory of politics to focus on a particular issue of current interest, as President Trump has announced he will shortly put forth a nominee to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court left by the death of Antonin Scalia nearly a year ago.

The lofty goal I've set out in the description of this blog is an attempt, through my own personal experiences, to find some small bridges between the ever-widening gap in our political ideologies.  There's still some kinks to work out and some order to establish, but so far I've avoided discussing specific issues of the day.  But I have come to believe that the fight over the Supreme Court has become the latest--and hopefully final--step in the escalation of the political wars raging the past few decades.  Given the looming fight, it's worth spending some time thinking about this.

Since I started this venture after the November election, I have mostly focused on some random thoughts that weren’t necessarily tied to anything current in the news, other than they were topics that somewhat touched on happenings during this past campaign season.  Given that, before getting into other more substantive topics, I thought it would be worthwhile to explore for a brief moment the actual underpinnings of government—particularly in a capitalist society like the United States and most of the “West.”  In addition to building upon some of my own beliefs, as I have written, I think this discussion can also help set the boundaries of policy debates across a broad range of issues.

This year, Star Trek celebrated its fiftieth anniversary—a remarkable achievement for an entertainment franchise whose beginnings came from a failed television show that only lasted three seasons.  But even more remarkable than Star Trek’s longevity is its social commentary throughout the decades. 

Before you non-fans run away, I promise this won’t get too Trek-y.