Why be a conservative?

It is clear to me that nowadays political affiliations in the U.S. don't mean what they once did. The lines that defined my parents' generation (baby boomers) aren't sticking with my generation. A new politics seems to be emerging in this country; a politics that won’t accept corruption and that doesn’t want to be kept in the dark. Blogs and alternative news sources are keeping people up-to-date about events around the world and anyone who wishes to be informed can easily find the facts she needs to make an argument on virtually any topic. Science as well, it seems is not reserved for a specialized class of citizens anymore, with increased interest in topics like evolution and intelligent design, many have been forced to think about what science is and how it is used.

The purpose of this blog is to chat about policy, why do we have the beliefs that we do on certain political topics? Without using any kitschy phrases like ‘free market’, ‘supply side economics’, ‘liberal/conservative ideals’, ‘values’, etc., what is important to you in politics? Why do you, if you do, subscribe to a certain political ideology? I welcome anyone to make an argument for his or her position, and I intend to argue back in a civil fashion. Hopefully we can come to an understanding and have some agreement about what we expect from our government, how free we wish to be, and what the role of the average citizen should look like in a democratic society.

I look forward to many comments from individuals of diverse political thoughts, and please everyone, be civil.

- Nate