PROGRESS FOR AMERICA

GENERAL INFO ABOUT THIS SITE

2005-02-16T00:13:00.000-05:00

BELOW IS A LIST OF TOPICS.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO POST COMMENTS TO ANY OR ALL SECTIONS.

NOTE: ONE SECTION IS SET UP TO ALLOW COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT...ANY SUBJECT AT ALL AT ANY TIME. IT'S ALL YOURS. KNOCK YOURSELF OUT!

This site is a place for those on the LEFT AND RIGHT. It's designed to allow them to gather in a quiet setting away from the noise so each can hear the other speak. The hope is that both sides will take a moment to genuinely think about what they are hearing.

This is NOT some centrist, gray, middle view site. This is a forum in which each of us can maintain and defend our strongly held beliefs while honestly LISTENING to the views of others. YOU ARE LIKELY TO ENCOUNTER SOME EXTREME VIEWS ON THIS SITE but they will be presented in a civil manner.

We agree to work together to nurture this great country of ours. We each take it AS A GIVEN that anyone who posts on this site GENUINELY LOVES AMERICA and believes that his or her positions will make this country stronger and more free. We are all patriots.

ALL ARE INVITED WHO FOLLOW THESE RULES: Be brief, be passionate, be civil, be challenging, be sincere.

DIRECTIONS: Find the topic that interests you, click the comments tab, and enjoy. This is a safe place to display your strengths, admit your weaknesses, express your frustration, and discover common ground on which to build our future.

MAKE PROGRESS.

Part 1 of 2: DISCUSSION OF OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM IN AMERICA

2005-02-15T23:45:00.000-05:00

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There are no taboos or wrong ideas here. The idea is to do the following:

1st
- We all need to post to Part 2 of 2 (DIRECTLY BELOW this one). Its title is "COMMON GROUND ON GOALS FOR OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM". We need to list what we agree our economic system SHOULD ACCOMPLISH. We should be able to get a list of 5 to 10 things we all agree our system should do.

2nd
- Once we agree on the goals (and I'm confident we're all smart enough to pull that off), we need a brainstorming session
that would include discussion of:

a) problems with current system as it is (why is there a need to do ANYTHING at all -- assuming it's not accomplishing all the 5 - 10 goals above)

b) possible changes to existing system that would accomplish the stated 5 - 10 goals

c) possible other systems or parts of other systems that could be put in place to accomplish the stated 5 - 10 goals

3rd
- Once we've thrown out a bunch of ideas, we can start weeding through these solutions
, seeing which have inherent problems of their own, which might work, etc.

4th
- I will post a short synopsis of the results of this discussion
in a new section. I'm hoping I'll be able to report that we all learned something, we've come up with some ideas that may yield positive results towards the 5 - 10 stated goals for our system, and we plan to further discuss and move forward.

When I was in college, several of my classes ended up right at this point. . . and after studying a lot of writings of others, the professor threw out this in some form or another:

"Things are not perfect now. We need to do better. We can do better. Communism and socialism certainly have their flaws (and may be unsustainable). Capitalism certainly has its flaws (and may be unsustainable). NOW IT IS UP TO YOU TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING BETTER."

I can't tell you how pleased I am to be in this discussion with all of you. LET'S MAKE PROGRESS.

Part 2 of 2: COMMON GROUND ON GOALS FOR OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM

2005-02-15T23:44:00.000-05:00

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This is simply a running list. Anyone can post to it but keep it short and to the point. We're trying to hammer out FIVE to TEN things both RIGHT and LEFT agree our economic system should accomplish.

GOD'S POLITICS

2005-02-11T02:10:00.000-05:00

This section of the site is reserved exclusively for discussion of the book "GOD'S POLITICS" by Jim Wallis (Harper Collins 2005).

Many consider this book to be equally revealing about conservative and progressive movements. This book offers a great springboard for discussion of how to make progress and move America forward. This book is on many best seller lists and is available in most bookstores and libraries.

At some point in the future, it would be great to get a dialogue going about the points raised in this book.

INVITE SOMEONE FROM THE OPPOSITION HERE TO DISCUSS ANY TOPIC. ANY TOPIC AT ALL ANY TIME.

2005-01-27T23:37:00.000-05:00

THIS SECTION IS OPEN FOR A CIVIL AND REASONABLE DISCUSSION OF ANY TOPIC. Things may get heated out there in the blogosphere and sometimes we make more progress when we get away from the noise and into a place where the rules require civility.

Please speak to others as you would like to be spoken to.

******** This section is an open forum. ********
******** This section is an open forum. ********
******** This section is an open forum. ********

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

2005-01-27T23:27:00.001-05:00

A DISCUSSION OF HOW TO MAKE AMERICA STRONGER AND MORE FREE FOR OUR CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN, AND GREAT GRANDCHILDREN. WHAT ACTIONS DO WE NEED TO TAKE IN THE COMING YEARS TO NURTURE THIS NATION?

DESCRIBE THE ESSENTIAL PHILOSOPHICAL DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE LEFT AND RIGHT

2005-01-27T23:26:00.000-05:00

What does all this boil down to? What is the fundamental argument between the left and right?

GENERAL THINGS CONSERVATIVES AND PROGRESSIVES AGREE ON

2005-01-27T23:25:00.000-05:00

(NOTE: For "COMMON GROUND ON GOALS FOR OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM", please see other topic by that name.)

This section is reserved for discussion of the things progressives and conservatives actually AGREE on....

This was originally set up as "what we like about each other" so the first two posts pertain to that.

However, from this point forward, this topic is WHAT WE AGREE ON.........The idea is to back up until we get to a point where we can say.... "OK -- both sides agree on this, this and this."

Then, the idea will be to build on that common ground....and see where we traditionally part ways and see if that's really necessary at every traditional juncture.

PREDICT THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY 2005 - 2009.

2005-01-27T23:22:00.000-05:00

My Biggest Frustrations with the Other Side are. . .

2005-01-27T23:20:00.000-05:00

If you're speaking from the RIGHT, you're airing your frustrations with the left's methods, worldview, logic, candor, civility, humility, etc. What are the things about the left that really get under your skin? What are the things members of the left do that cause you to immediately shut them out?

If you're speaking from the LEFT, you're airing your frustrations with the right's methods, worldview, logic, candor, civility, humility, etc. What are the things about the right that really get under your skin? What are the things members of the right do that cause you to immediately shut them out?

YOUR SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS, CRITICISM, OR PRAISE FOR THIS SITE

2005-01-27T23:18:00.000-05:00

PLEASE POST YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR:

1. DISCUSSION TOPICS

2. CHANGES TO THIS SITE

PLEASE ALSO FEEL FREE TO POST QUESTIONS, CRITICISM, OR PRAISE FOR THIS SITE.

NOTES ABOUT ME:

My sincere goal is to bring both sides together to make real progress because I love this country. My personal views are to the extreme of one end of the spectrum, but I feel that the cause of helping to make America stronger and freer is best served by bringing both parties to the table.

PLEASE ADD YOUR COMMENTS BELOW.
LET'S MAKE THESE GUYS PROUD...

Our founding fathers...