“What is at risk is not just the opportunity for exploring rational and robust policy alternatives, but the democratic and transparent governance processes which an increasingly complex world demands for stability, resiliency and understanding. Behind these catastrophic visions lies not salvation from disaster, but the medieval reassertion of the validity of ideological authority over secular values and the free individual of the democratic polity.”

The cultural struggle today appears to be over which ‘ideological authority’ do we wish to embrace, when it should be a struggle between ideological authority and liberty!

I have to admit, the article helped me realize where I have been less than honest with myself. While it is almost inevitable that each of us will hold an ideological world view of some kind or another, we would do well to follow the example of the US Founding Fathers and try to seperate that from politics as best we can.

I won’t hold my breath!