The Age of Unreason, 9-10-2010 (Part 2)

 [Continued from The Age of Unreason, 9-10-2010 (Part 1). sch 3/23/23.]

I have proposed a federal constitutional convention. The people must start talking to one another without the intermediation of political authority.  A federal constitutional convention is only the most extreme method to start this conversation.

This conversation has two important components. First, what kind of American society do we want? Then, how do we get to our goal?

The problem may lie in people having no longer any idea on how to converse. Arguing, talking past one another, are not the same as a conversation. Put down the lacking of rational discourse as another sign of our Age of Unreason.

I really do not have a dog in this fight. I will be spending the next 12 years in federal prison. If I survive prison, I would like my country functioning properly. This is a problem really for others.

I will point out Aristotle argued people formed governments for justice. Use this as the criterion for any governmental proposal: how is this just?

 Yes, I have an implicit faith in reason. I have even more faith in reasons backed by the energy of activity. If you want a better government, you must educate the people. Hoping for government to improve government is the same as hoping Wall Street does without greed.

And what if your neighbor will not listen to reason? Then demonstrate your facts. What if they deny facts? Then consider them lost to unreason as to be mentally ill and move onto those who are capable of reason. Yes, I do recommend a quarantine. No one has time to convince everyone. Even though I think there is common ground available, we need the broadest agreement rather than complete agreement.

Relying only on the government to save us, raises a question about power. The right and left should share a fear of unchecked power. Yet both the right and left seem to be slavish and hypocritical about political power and its uses. Perhaps, exploring the issues facing this country outside a government framework might make a conversation more palatable.

Any rate, the choice lies with the people to fix the problems facing this country. Two final things: 1) the results will not be pretty if this Age of Unreason continues, 2) I will see you in 12 years, and we can tally up what happened in the meantime.

sch

[What happened was Trump, and an ugliness that I never could have imagined. sch 3/23/23.]