What is the EN?

With Michael Jackson on the front page of CNN.com and Glenn Beck crying about god-knows-what each night on Fox News, it is increasingly difficult to sift through popular media sources to find material that is accurate, informative and thought-provoking.  Political debate in this country is divided between two groups that refuse to acknowledge any merits of the other side's point.  While the American public likes to blame Congressional leaders for their stubbornness, uncompromising debate on political and economic issues is just as common on Main Street as it is on Capitol Hill.  For this reason, this blog will dissect the 'issues' individually and not along party lines.

The EN blog and its parent website, www.theeconnexus.com, will provide content in a collaborative framework to hopefully bring its posters and casual readers to, if not a more level-headed perspective, one which has at least been tested by a different way of looking at the problem.

The main focus will be on the Political Economy.  Aristotle opens his Oeconomicus with, "Between Housecraft (the art of governing a Household or Home) and Statecraft (the art of governing a Nation) there are differences corresponding to those between the two kinds of community over which they severally preside. "  The intersection of the State and the Individual within the Economy thus has an inherent and inevitable tension.  That is why we are at the Nexus.  The point where the laws of economics meet the influence of politics, of war, of culture-- so on and so forth.  

Contributors and commentators on this website will be able to sharpen and expound on their perspectives in a number of ways:

1) Periodical submissions of longer essays, posted on the main page in a pdf format.

2) Post under your own profile on this blog.

3) Monthly "classics" book club that reviews the most important texts from our field of study, to be summarized and discussed on the blog.  Keeping up on the readings will push us to continually challenge ourselves and pass our time with meaningful reflection.

Please email me at lars@theeconnexus.com if you would like to accept the challenge and become a contributor.