Matt M. asks the question that I should have answered preemptively when I restarted my blog:

How would you characterize your political alignment? Is it with the republicans, against the democrats, or something else entirely? I’d be interested to hear.

Fast answer: I am for the Republicans, despite their current failings, because they reflect my personal politics more than the other party.

I need to start with what my idea of America is, and what I believe the role of government should be. When Den Beste wrote that America is not a European country defined by national and ethnic lines, but by an idea called Freedom, it was an instant review of what I learned in High School. Too many times I notice American multiculturalism to insist that one will never be fully American because of whatever ethnicity you were born with. This is in direct contradiction to what I believe America’s ideal is.

On considering the role of government, I refer to the preamble of the constitution:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Recent events have placed multiple underlines under “provide for the common defense,” but common defense isn’t just limited to the War On Terror. Though I consider it to be a high priority it is not the primary role of American government. It is merely incidental to that one which is most important, which is making sure our way of life, our ideal of freedom, is not compromised. I cannot think of an apt metaphor that would encapsulate this idea for the role of government, but that is how I see it.

I am a conservative when it comes to the role of government in people’s lives, setting of new judicial precedents (except when injustices have occured as a result of those precedents), and on most personal freedoms that we enjoy. I believe that these freedoms are not freedoms “allowed by the government for us to enjoy,” rather, there are certain freedoms that we as individuals and as a nation sacrifice to ensure a stable society.

For me to write my positions on issues in a single post would be to make that post unreadeable. I am a three-L libertarian (live and let live) who believes in free trade tempered by responsible stewardship and self-governance. My political compass results put me in the libertarian-right quadrant.

Oh, how I could go on, but you’ll just have to keep posted on my comments on issues as they come for you to have an idea, Matt. Thanks for asking the question.