The Thinker's Party

With the relentless expansion of government powers into the lives of the citizens, occurring over the course of several election cycles and with various combinations of parties in power, it is clear that there is currently no way within the system as it exists today to correct past, current, and imminent injustices, or to reclaim the rights lost. We have a politics grounded in fear and offers of escape or protection from it, and a population permissive of the circumstances. This situation is intolerable, and to permit its furtherance without working against it is to become complicit in it.

Thus it is resolved that we shall form a party of individuals dedicated to the following principles:

1. A government, being necessary for the defense of the nation against external forces, and the protection of the individual against violations of their rights from internal forces, has the right and responsibility to act in fulfillment of these duties. Its power in this regard is limited only by the necessity that it shall not violate its own purpose through impugning the rights of its citizens or rendering the nation vulnerable to outside forces.
2. As the government must be enabled to employ violence in fulfillment of its duties, and as institutionalized violence is a threat to the safety of citizens, the government's sphere of influence should be limited to those areas explicitly requiring the exercise of violence.
3. Individually, people have the capacity to evaluate a situation, discern an optimal course of action, and then take measures to follow it. As a whole, people frequently do not follow this process. A successful democracy requires a population of individuals who are engaged with the nation's social and political life, and qualified to play an active role in those lives.
4. Other attempts to limit the governmental sphere and increase personal responsibility have failed for a number of reasons including, but not limited to, a failure to create and develop the social sphere in lieu of misplaced governmental authority, and the absence of a population adequately equipped to handle increased responsibility for nation's success.

At this time we see the following as the natural consequences of these principles:

1. Success towards our goals cannot be achieved through political activism. The infrastructure (social institutions as well as the population's outlook) required for success through strictly political action are not present. We must create the necessary social infrastructure, allowing the political sphere to adapt as we go.
2. Individuals in society benefit from the various social services currently offered by the government, if not directly then through overall improvement of society created. Reducing poverty and hardship in society reduces disease, crime, discontent, and poor decision making throughout the population.
3. We can no longer afford to depend on the government to adequately provide necessary social services. That makes it the responsibility of every individual in society to find alternatives for their own benefit.
4. All plans for social change must be grounded in circumstances as they exist now, with the flexibility to adapt to circumstances as they will likely be tomorrow. Good intentions do not excuse poor execution or ineffective planning, and can harm progress towards goals across the board.
5. Modern technology enables innovation and creative problem solving. A social need may exist nationally, but the solution is not necessarily national in scope. Local groups can now interact and share experiences with ease, making it possible to create a solution with variant implementations that achieve equal quality. This should be encouraged where appropriate, passed over where it will be ineffective. In either case, this party should serve to facilitate the development and execution of a robust, efficient, and effective solution to all variety of social problems to the fullest extent of its ability.

The challenges before us are varied and complex. Nevertheless, we will carry forward, rejoicing in our successes, learning from our failures, and adapting to our circumstances. We are the Thinker's Party, and we will earn our lasting liberty.