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What are the weaknesses in YOUR beliefs?

I scoff at the notion that, to be considered fair-minded to you, I am supposed to present the foundations of my belief system, which I have very carefully formed over many years of study and thought, as deeply flawed.  I do not believe that it is.  I don't think you believe your belief system is deeply flawed either.  If your goal was to paint my as closed minded, I don't intend to play your game.  Think whatever you like - it's a free country.

I believe conserving the principles of Americanism is an excellent foundation upon which to build a political philosophy, particularly when paired with my heritage in Catholic scholarship and philosophy.  I will not apologize for having that conviction.

As for your follow-on questions:

If Trump gets the nomination, I will vote SMOD (Sweet Meteor of Death), regardless of which democrat he opposes.  If Cruz, Rubio or Fiorina (very unlikely) got the nomination, I would vote for them gladly, regardless of their democratic opponent.  If Sanders is the nominee, I am committed to defeating the notion that socialism is ever a good idea - wherever it is tried, it ruins lives and societies, meaning my threshold for holding my nose and voting for less-favored candidates would lower.  If Clinton is the nominee, I would hold my nose only for Kasich, Bush (ugh) or Paul, and would likely vote SMOD if Christie somehow got the nod.  Carson is an interesting case, because I like him as a person, but not as a politician, so I am not certain what I will do.  O'Malley is an unmitigated failure at everything he touches, and didn't much impress me on the issues in the democratic debates, but I would still find him less disturbing that Sanders or Clinton.

And...would the things I charged at the GOP apply to me?  I'm not a politician and do not always communicate my vision for a better world in the most skilled way, so that charge sticks.  But I don't give a rip what someone who is never going to like my politics thinks of my politics, and I don't focus group test what I'm going to say.  Which is why I'd never succeed in politics.

The weaknesses in my own belief system?  It won't appeal to someone who doesn't believe that faith can be built on reason, ergo it is hard to persuade others at a universal level.  It recognizes that not all problems can be solved by government and, thus, leaves some problems to the people (meaning it accepts some negative consequences in exchange for other positives).  And I, personally, have the failing (which I confess every week to a priest) of despairing of the trajectory of our culture too much.  If you despair too much, you will become inwardly focused...hope is the great motivator of social progress, not despair.  Which is why my fiction writing, as yet unpublished but in progress, focuses on the critical importance of hope.  I am, in some sense, trying to convince myself to remain hopeful.

I don't take that as a failing of the philosophy...just of the man.

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