Would solidarity improve the quality of life for everyone? Of course, but I’m skeptical it could ever happen in any significant way.

I don’t know if such an organization actually exists or if I am simply reading too much into the patterns I see. I tend to think the later is the case, but, who knows for sure?

All I know for sure is there is a, at times, unfjordable rift between the Right and the Left in this country and, by extension, the citizens who claim to be affiliated with either extreme. From this rift, a lot of negative energy and, lets be honest, hatred is being produced and certain parties are benefiting from the chaos that is spreading from this idealogical conflict.

If we were to counter this destructive force with understanding, love, logic, and rational discourse grounded firmly in common sense, I think we’d go a long way to curing this indifference Americans seem to be cloaking themselves in.

It is this indifference that is truly crippling the American Conversation.

At the level of the common citizen, all we know is pretty much what the ‘media’ tells us. We have almost no ability to find out for ourselves any hard facts—and of course Logic and Rational discourse are nearly as rare as an Honest Person.

Of course, any citizen *could* sit in on open meetings of congress. The bills entered for consideration are open to the public for review. The Freedom of Information act in theory makes all sorts of information available to us for the asking. Of course, we also have to go to work so that we can live our lives.

The Problem, As I See It, is simply human nature. Put 3 people in a room and wait a week, and 2 of them will side together against the 3rd. Conflict is simply more interesting, and entertaining, than peace. Politicians know and exploit this, and the media feeds and shapes it to the politicians desires.

In the end, however, I see The Problem as no problem at all, really. It may shape my life, but there is little I can do about it other than be aware and make my own decisions as best I can, with the information available to me. Personally, I live my life on a Live and Let Live basis. I make few judgments, though many of my observations can be fairly scathing. I realize that my own views and morality are just that—my own, and I have neither the right nor the desire to force them upon others, unless clear harm is being done against those who have no defense.

—Mike

I’ll try to put SOMETHING up though.

Thanks for all the support, folks. It warms my goonish heart.