Top of Center
Who?
On Top of Center I go by Ben Bowman, and I’m really just another twenty-something guy on the Internet. But I have read much, and I’ve given it a lot of thought over the years, and as far as I can tell, the best philosophy is the simplest: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and that goes for how we use government as well. I have renounced the use of any force that is not self-defense. I believe that if you do not have a right to violate someone’s person or property, you do not have the right to delegate government to do it for you.
What?
“Top of Center” refers to the world’s smallest political quiz, which can show you where you fall on a political spectrum that is more than just left-versus-right. It includes an up and down axis, with liberty at the top and tyranny at the bottom. While the left and right argue about where best to control our lives, we should really be concerned with the question of liberty versus tyranny. What are the issues that affect your personal and economic freedom? What can you do about them?I am a fan of liberty. I believe there is no social force more powerful than that of freedom, that respect for the individual trumps the desires of the group. A nation’s safety and strength is directly correlated to the freedom quotient of its people. A free market is the best means by which to distribute money, goods and services, and free people are the best equipped to pursue happiness, to help the poor, and to personally and spiritually mature. The reverse of this is that societies with more forceful controls, that is to say more government, and more tyranny, are weaker, less safe, less prosperous, and less equipped to cultivate a happy and healthy people.
When?
I started this blog and podcast in April of 2007, to help spread a libertarian message, which I found somewhat lacking in the podcasting realm. Since then I have had a variety of guests, but my episodes have primarily been tutorials on the philosophy and primers on some of what I think are the biggest undiscussed freedom issues we face in America.
Why?
I believe that the openness of information we have on the Internet will overpower the monopoly on news currently held by the ever-consolidating cartel of media giants. I believe that the Internet is the current frontier of freedom, and its dynamic nature is a testament to that fact. I want to help that revolution along by pointing out how powerful freedom can be, and what a dismal price we pay when we give it away for a tasteless bowl of government pottage.If through this podcast I can convince even one person that the path of individual liberty and independence trumps the nanny state every time, I will have fulfilled my goal.Join me in my quest for liberty. This isn’t about left or right. This is about the common sense that can only come from the top of center.
