One of the great things about living so close to your extended family is that you have cousins in the next town over with whom you can set off fireworks on the night of July 4th.  One of the downsides of this is that you forget to add a blog post on the proper day, and diminish its effect.  So, if the few of you who read this wouldn’t mind, just imagine that I posted it yesterday, mmkay?

America is a unique country in many ways, but the one that sets it apart is how it was founded.  It’s not the world’s oldest still-existing republic (that honor goes to Switzerland), nor is it the first country to be composed of people from diverse backgrounds (that would be Rome).

What sets America apart from all other countries is that, while it has its own lore about its founding, like many others, that lore is all centered around the philosophy that formed its government.  I’ve found it riveting and compelling, and that’s why I’ve decided to start a series here devoted to exploring that philosophy–its origin, its evolution, the key players, and its influence on American culture and politics.

Of course, I’m not going to pretend that America is perfect, or that the philosophy behind it is perfect–no philosophy is, and any concept is ridiculous when taken to its greatest extreme.  I’m merely going to show what America is doing right, why I love my country, and how it could be improved.  That’s what love, ultimately, is all about.

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