By now, you are probably aware of Simon-Jester.org. Simon Jester was the "Kilroy was here" of Robert Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress novel, perpetrated by Mike, the computer that 'woke up' when it became complex enough to think for itself.
As much as it pains me to say, I am Simon Jester. It pains me to say it because I like to be myself, and not just a "Me too!" kind of guy, but sometimes there's something that just nails what you've been thinking so perfectly that there's generally not much more to add to it.
From the website -
We are Simon Jester. We are not anarchists. We are not Far-Right or Far-Left. We are the seventy percent in the middle. We are not Capital “L” libertarians, although we do have sympathies with their platform. We are neither bitter clingers nor conspiracy nuts. What we are is a group of folks that think we see liberty and freedom eroding in our beloved United States. We see the policies and agendas of the hirelings in Washington D.C. heading toward an abbreviation if not outright abrogation of the Bill of Rights. We think that the Federal government is grasping to consolidate power using the current crisis, since as Rahm Emmanuel said, it’s a terrible thing to waste. We think the Federal government, not just this administration, is more interested in self-serving personal, political, and party power than it is in actually doing its best to do the least.
We are Simon Jester.
We are not anarchists.
We are not Far-Right or Far-Left. We are the seventy percent in the middle.
We are not Capital “L” libertarians, although we do have sympathies with their platform.
We are neither bitter clingers nor conspiracy nuts.
What we are is a group of folks that think we see liberty and freedom eroding in our beloved United States. We see the policies and agendas of the hirelings in Washington D.C. heading toward an abbreviation if not outright abrogation of the Bill of Rights.
We think that the Federal government is grasping to consolidate power using the current crisis, since as Rahm Emmanuel said, it’s a terrible thing to waste. We think the Federal government, not just this administration, is more interested in self-serving personal, political, and party power than it is in actually doing its best to do the least.
It keeps going, and keeps getting better.
My politics are complex. I'm personally ultra-conservative but would never in a million years require you to be so. I'm confident enough in my lifestyle that other's choices do not bother me. I believe that the best way to maximize freedom is to minimize the impact of the government. I'm not an anarchist because I know that the nature of humans will always seek groups and that the utopian view that humans will self organize into non-threatening groups is hogwash. So I'm stuck with the horrible notion that some government is required to maintain the maximum amount of freedom.
Folks, we have way t0o much government and a very distinct chance at loosing many of our freedoms. It won't happen instantly. You won't wake up one morning and all free speech has been canceled due to inclement weather. It will be slow, it will be barely noticeable, but it will be eventual.
That's why we must stand up now. Make your voices hear. Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, it doesn't matter. Your views may find favor in a particular set of 'rulers', but alas, they move on and are replaced with the very people whose views you disdain.
I am Simon Jester. Are you?