Finding Peers in the Public Square
I'm discovering that the strongest, most significant factors in religion and politics are often found in the disposition one brings, not simply in the clearly articulated ideologies one abides by. By disposition, I've come over the years to beo something of a libertarian, more specifically Libertarian democrat. I think Markos "Kos" Moulitsas Zuniga is just vague enough in defending a libertarian Democratic perspective in the setting of 2006 (two-part podcast here and elsewhere at Cato), and on his blog, that I can comfortably say I agree - as vaguely. Contexts, which is to say the facts on the ground, are going to forever change, and ideological trenchance will leave the field littered with..well..trenches - and life must go on after the battle, and it's hard enough building on solid ground. The current administration is very Democratic, the previous Big Government administration significantly Republican, both with a shaky history in ensuring free and unsurveilled exercise of fundamental principles clarified in the Bill of Rights. There may be quibbling about details, but this is the current my context. To have a vote that counts, you must play that game and find where your voice has resonance. The Libertarian spectrum, whether fringe Left anarchists or Libertarian Party - has no 'party', no 'wrestler' in the political steel-cage-death-match that is American politics. This may be fine in America for the left/right fringies, who for as much as they have opinions on how things should go at the Soccer game that is the US - would rather play lacrosse, and hense safely opt out of relevance. But what exactly are they doing with their time and energy? Life is, indeed with people.

Fellow Travelers;
Democratic Freedom Caucus
Freedom Democrats (forum for Libertarian Democrats)
Blue Steel Democrats