Shared Pool of Knowledge

The deliberative democracy envisioned by James Madison requires a well-educated populace, trustworthy information readily available, and widespread discussions of substantive issues from  diverse perspectives. The diversity of perspectives is critical to the effectiveness of these discussions in developing shared visions of solutions.

The sum total of the experience and wisdom of all participants in a discussion is the shared pool of knowledge. The more openly and honestly each one contributes his or her knowledge to the discussion, the deeper the pool from which to draw sustainable solutions. It is from that perspective that I launch this blog –  Shared Pool of Knowledge: reasoned discourse on important topics.

Most of my essays  fall under one of three general topics: Community, Democracy, and Homesteading. I welcome comments and responses that  are civil, and contribute to the shared pool of knowledge.