Welcome to my volcano. Sometimes thoughts simmer, the pressure builds, and everything must come spewing out onto the page.
The volcano seems an apt symbol for a time when we can almost sense the earth shifting under our feet, and find ourselves ominously positioned in the shadow of corrupt and incompetent institutions. It always feels just a matter of time before the next disaster erupts. We can survive the volcano, but only if we get moving.
I have concerned myself with the failings of our American political system since the 1990s, when I served as Resident Scholar at US Term Limits and published articles on related subjects for the Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation.
Yes, my politics lean right, but I believe that mindless narrative-driven partisanship, fueled by selfish political and media interests, is the common enemy that threatens us all. The institutions that are supposed to serve the public are instead promoting extremism, intolerance, and incivility. The decline of our civilization will continue until enough citizens of goodwill stand up.
In my own small way, I am devoting much of my life to trying to fix what is going so very wrong.
I am the author of a couple of books, including What Would Madison Do? The Political Journey Progressives and Conservatives Must Make Together.
Thank you for reading my blog. I hope we will walk in peace together, enjoy the blessings of liberty and self government, and not discard our precious inheritance.
Stephen's Volcano 