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SpiralThe only way an American can avoid political discussions in 2016 is to be in a coma. If you are not in a coma, it is going to be difficult to stay sane - that is, to separate Sense from Nonsense.

I believe in Constitutionally limited government and the rule of law (as opposed to the rule of powerful people). Take that into consideration when you visit Sense & Nonsense.

It is a mistake to think the presidential race is the most important political contest, even though it will dominate the news and discussion. Much more important to every individual are the local races for city council, school board, county judge, sheriff and commissioner.

These elected official will determine whether your children are educated and whether you have a safe, pleasant, affordable place to live or not. Who is president will probably not affect your daily life much, but local officials will. Spend your time, effort and money to elect principled people close to home and you will be OK no matter what the president does.

Rotten AppleNon-profit Corporations are usually called "Public Charities" or just "Charity" in the popular media. This is misleading because most people think of "Charity" as something quite different from a Tax-Exempt corporate business structure that may or may not be charitable in the traditional meaning of the word.

If you want to stay sane in an insane world, think "Tax Exempt" when you see "Non-Profit". Charity has nothing to do with it.

Most Americans will probably agree that the nation is divided. If they will talk about it at all, they will point to politics, religion, race, economic status, gender, sexual preferences, health, age or a thousand other "issues". Most confine their discussions to trivial things like sports, today's weather, entertainment or simple "small talk". To discuss important things leads to Verbal Combat over one thing or another.

The 2012 Presidential Election Returns offer some clues about exactly what the real divide in America is. The first map in that article gives the impression that America is overwhelmingly Republican. It isn't. Facts show Republicans were soundly defeated in 2012. The second map gives a clue as to how that could be. Counties carried by Republicans were won by small margins whereas counties carried by Democrats were won by large margins. The third map reveals  a larger truth: The counties carried by Democrats have huge population compared to those carried by Republicans.

The major divide in America is between those who live in large cities and those who don't. Whoever wins the cities wins the election simply because that is where the votes, money and power resides. Politically, the rest of America can safely be ignored and exploited. The USA is now a truly urban nation with 200 years of rural tradition that is impossible to ignore.

Much of what passes for discussion today is really verbal combat where the goal is to "beat" the opponent and "win". Discussion isn't about "beating" or "winning". It is about discovering the truth based on facts. It is about reaching common agreement.

What are the characteristics of these disruptive "warriors" who dominate today's national (and local) discussions? How do they set truth and facts aside to prevent common agreement? How do they drive wedges between reasonable people and prevent effective opposition? How do they eventually drive anyone who cares about principles into sullen silence and isolation?

It turns out that the tactics these disrupters use are fairly easy to recognize, once they are pointed out. Once recognized, they can be ignored. Their tactics don't work if nobody listens or responds.

Guard DogRealistically, Sense & Nonsense cannot guarantee Security or Privacy. We can provide our members with a place to share ideas and opinion free from sales scams, personal abuse and interference from the general public. To promise more would be dishonest.

Security is always a compromise with convenience. On the internet, the most secure course is to never connect to it in any way. The most convenient course would be to use it without any precaution. Striking a balance that maximizes benefits while minimizing risks is difficult and changes as technology changes. We take every reasonable precaution so that hackers will not hijack or destroy your computer via Sense & Nonsense.

Privacy is different from Security. Those invading our privacy are not seeking to harm us directly, they are seeking information about us that may or may not be harmful to us. The difference is like the difference between gossip and robbery.

Suffice it to say that absolutely no electronic communication is private - not financial transactions, not phone calls, not email, not online discussion or anything else. Modern technology is such that every bit of information transmitted can be captured and retained indefinitely. That is just a fact. Be aware of it and act accordingly.

Things you might not know that may or may not matter.

Personal stories and pictures of social collapse in the United States of America, Argentina, Russia, and  Chile.

The Who, What and Why of Sense & Nonsense

Real- time account from a typical Greek citizen as Greece collapsed during 2011 and 2012.

Sense and Nonsense Is dedicated to providing the information, ideas and interaction necessary to build a community of people who can be trusted and who trust each other.