#1. "The fundamental assumptions of Western Civilization are valid."

Jordan Peterson begins a lecture he gave last June:

"12 principles for a 21st century conservatism"

With the caveat:

"I am not making the claim that the statement is perfect, comprehensive, or final."

Good.

Below I've transcribed an excerpt from his first principle above.

Please don't skip over it to the part about borders because pretty much everything he says here is my critique of his fourth principle.

Which is:

The Maine Republican Party sent out an email Friday to its supporters with the subject line, "Ranked-Choice Voting risks the security of YOUR vote." Words emboldened in the email include "Department of Homeland Security" and "security vulnerabilities." Pretty intense, right?

Most voters, and probably you, too, recognize America’s two-party political system for what it is: a trap.

Red and blue colored ties play good-cop-bad-cop on television for three years at a time while nothing gets done. During the fourth year, they make campaign stops where they sling blame for why nothing got done during the previous three.

Voters in a small town of just under 17 thousand think they may have found have a way out — at least within their city limits. And it could be accomplished with a simple referendum.

Abdication (noun): a failure to fulfill a responsibility or duty.

How the World Was Won

One of the most consequential, yet overlooked achievements of the past 100 years was the successful implementation of the Marshall Plan in the wake of World War II.

Not only did the Marshall Plan facilitate the rehabilitation of Western European states like France and Germany, who were ravaged by years of total war, but it also stumped Communist expansion from the Soviet Union.

To better understand how presidential debates really work, it might help to frame the operation in business terms.

As competitors begin positioning themselves for the 2020 presidential race, they may need to adapt to a change in the procedures. The path to the all-important televised presidential debates may be forcibly smoothed out by a US District Court Judge so that candidates outside one of the nation's two large franchise parties have better access to the microphone.

Book clubs have been a part of American life since 1634 when Anne Hutchinson started a “literary circle” for women as they crossed the Atlantic en route to the colonies. In 1840, Margaret Fuller founded the first book club sponsored by a book store, and by the mid 1800’s book clubs began to spread across the Midwest.

Today, estimates are that 5 million Americans participate in book clubs.

Independent Kansas gubernatorial candidate Greg Orman announced Tuesday that State Sen. John Doll of Garden City will join his independent ticket for governor.

After nearly three years on the job, multiple sources have confirmed to IVN San Diego that San Diego Fire-Rescue Chief Brian Fennessy is leaving his post for the same position in Orange County.

The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity and came from within City Hall as well as the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

The nation had its first primary elections of 2018 on Tuesday in Texas. Much of the media’s focus has been on whether a “blue wave” will sweep the nation. Meanwhile, Republicans assert that Texas still has a deeper shade of red than any other state.

But there is something very important missing from the conversation: Whether a Texas voter is Republican, Democrat, independent, or a member of a third party, the meaningfulness of his or her vote depends on the party he or she belongs to.

I've never been a fan of politics. There are some great things out there, books and movies I enjoy, the occasional leader who does or says something worthwhile, but there is always a reserve, some part of myself I hold back. Mistrust, perhaps, or just knowing from history that even the best leaders have their limits. It's been an interesting life, I worked with a few stars as a child, met a few politicians, been held at gunpoint a few times, loved and lost, and considered politics but it never went anywhere. Deep trust or commitment has proven elusive.