Conserve Liberty - About Page

This web resource advocates the Conservation of Liberty as an essential element in the creation and nurturing of prosperous, adaptive, high functioning human societies and the people that make them up.

Today, nations worldwide face many issues that are not being dealt with effectively. We fall into adversarial positions and find frustration in our attempts to resolve these issues. Most of our politicians and our media find advantage in inciting us to take sides in all-or-nothing postures towards "enemies" that differ from us. Where there appears to be compromise, it is not really compromise at all - but rather erosion. Many would rather we find a way to get along, but are led to believe that the "other side" cannot be trusted - that they do not embrace our desire to achieve noble outcomes. We often assume that the other side does not want to "be fair", that it is "evil", "backwards", "unintelligent."

(And, to add additional complexity to the issue, oftentimes one or the other of the varied opposing sides actually do insist on positions which are evil, non-rational, and corrosive.)

Page Index:
    The Main Skinny
    We are Built Differently, and Ought to Leverage It
    No Political or Religious Affiliation
    Summing Up

The Main Skinny

ConserveLiberty advocates a different outlook entirely, and believes that harmony arises not from the embrace of similar outlooks and outcomes, but rather from the embrace of social and economic norms that encourages different outlooks and different outcomes. It is a philosophy that is reflective of the way we as people are built in the first place.

To be clear (and rational), ConserveLiberty does not advocate the embrace of all different outlooks and outcomes. It does not advocate anarchy. It does not advocate a world without rules, or contracts, or conventions. Rather, a philosophy is being suggested that allows good people the freedom to be who they are, engage in the activities that spring naturally from their own hearts, to craft and adapt their own lives and outcomes, so long as they are not harming others outside the realm of defense.

One might ask, "Under what circumstance would anyone need to be encouraged to do that?"

If one takes a moment to consider the world in which we live in today, we are increasingly hamstrung in a variety of ways by circumstances that restrict our liberties. Often, we allow these restrictions gradually into our lives, and other times they arrive not so gradually. Our liberties are restricted not simply via the laws and regulations that we are compelled to observe. (And indeed, some of those laws are needed and welcomed by all.) Our personal debts restrict our liberties. Our biases restrict our liberties. Our fear of (or ambivalence to) change restricts our liberties. Our various insecurities and the behaviors they spawn restrict our liberties. Our tolerance of evil restricts our liberties. Our sense (or mis-sense) of guilt restricts our liberties. Lack of education restricts our liberties. Our gullibility restricts our liberties. And so on.

Everyone starts out from an uneven footing, such is the natural world in which we live. ConserveLiberty believes optimistically in the demonstrated ability of men and women to navigate that uneven terrain creatively and energetically. Our cunning and strength enable us to overcome uneven challenges. "Fairness" accepts the inevitability of unequal talent or starting points, but it strives to offer an environment that allows merit and talent to rise above discrimination and corruption.

We take risks - reaping losses when our risks don't work out, and rewards when they do. We prosper best, on the whole, when we can be focused on our own real needs and wants - the demands of our families, friends, and others who truly need what we have to offer.

It follows then that the conservation of our personal liberties needs to be embraced and defended.

This web resource, ConserveLiberty, is going to appeal more to folks who tend to want to be self reliant, want to be left to be self reliant, are proud of being self-reliant, and in fact are infused with the confidence that on the whole, on average, individual outcomes are more positive, more interesting, and more satisfying when people embrace responsibility for their own destiny and consequences.

We are Built Differently, and Ought to Leverage It

Every topic that is addressed within the ConserveLiberty web site in some way is relevant to the goal of preserving and enhancing individual liberty.

Indeed this whole project of identifying areas of liberty to be conserved, while at the same time allowing for rules that foster cooperation and cohesion with those of our choosing is a large affair, and will take time to flesh out.

We need Liberty to be elevated, nurtured, respected, and defended in our communities and in our governments so that we can continue to advance by leveraging our differing talents and perspectives. As discussed elsewhere in this resource, an "anything goes" anarchy is not being proposed. Ironically, anarchy has the effect of restricting the liberties it seems to champion. Rather, we need to agree to just enough rules to ensure we are not intentionally fraudulent or unsafe with one another, to take care of common infrastructure needs such as roads, bridges, and defense, and to leverage wisely our shared and finite resources. The rest is up for grabs, and generally should not be done unless agreed to locally by interested groups that want to cooperate in additional ways.

ConserveLiberty does not advocate that we actually get to do what we want to do, or "should" be doing. It advocates policies and perspectives that allow us to pursue our diverse choices in a competitive environment that may not be easy, but will be somewhat free of corruption, dishonesty, or rank exploitation.

Of course, not every choice or desire will have merit that the community values equally. And yet how wonderful it is for us to pursue interests individually, as hobbies or favors that bring us personal joy.

People who seek to embrace and conserve liberty come from all walks of life, and come in all shapes and sizes. We are men and we are women. We come from all races and ethnicities. We are heterosexual and we are homosexual. We are young and we are old. We are religious, and we are anything but religious.

Which is both frustrating and enabling.

Because we come with so many varied, and deeply felt perspectives, interests, talents, motivations, personal and physical qualities, it is so absolutely essential that we support the conservation of our own personal liberties - our abilities to define and pursue our own futures.

No Political or Religious Affiliation

ConserveLiberty is not aligned with any political party or specific religious group whatsoever. Nor does it advocate for any political group or particular religious interpretation. ConserveLiberty, in the end, would simply rather we preserve and conserve our liberties.

However, various political groups do articulate some positions that are consistent with positions that ConserveLiberty is comfortable with. Examples are those of limited government and free enterprise, distrust of elitism, support for wealth creation, natural law, legal immigration, the right to own and use defensive weapons, exceptionalism, the spiritual power of freely given charity, and the expression of heartfelt gratitude for the gifts of time, care, energy, and wealth of others.

All of the above perspectives have nothing to do with political or religious affiliation, sexual or racial perspective, or ethnic/economic group identity. They exist and have been derived on their own merits, and are naturally consistent with the embrace of personal liberties and the personal responsibility for outcome that liberty requires.

It may seem paradoxical that while ConserveLiberty advocates for freedom, it also recognizes and supports the need for a few rules that facilitate our freely cooperating with one another.

Each of us wants to go our own way and to be free to chose our own destiny based on our own talents and resources.
We advocate the sharing of resources with one another, but we do not advocate the taking of resources from one another.
We advocate for equal opportunities to succeed or fail, but we do not advocate for equal outcomes, or even equal starting points. After all, none of us are built equally. Our outcomes will be as diverse as we are.
We want to own the responsibility to make what we can of our lives, to succeed or not, without regard to whether or not we've had a run of bad luck, or good luck.
We want rules and enforcement involved in our lives only for the purposes of preventing corruption, or purposeful harm, or to leverage wisely our shared and finite resources.

Summing Up

This web site will evolve post by post, focusing on discussions the universe, nature as we find it here on earth, the humans and other living things we find in nature, and how Conserving their Liberty to behave as they are has been an excellent strategy since the beginning of time.

With Liberties mutually conserved, respected, defended, nurtured, and elevated ... humankind can flourish, and advance exceptionally and honorably around the world.