Why CommonCents exists, what we're trying to build, and why you should be a part of it.
Why Commoncents exists, what we're trying to build, and why you should be a part of it.
In January 1776, an American immigrant named Thomas Paine published a 47-page pamphlet titled Common Sense. Paine was not a statesman or a general. He was a corset-maker with a talent for writing. In this his seminal work, he argued that the American colonies should break free from Britain entirely, that monarchy as a system was absurd and unjust, and that a new kind of government one built on the consent of the governed and equal representation was worth fighting for.
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again."
His message wasn't entirely new, but his delivery and fervor are widely accepted as monumental in moving the hearts and minds of the early settlers. His message would go on to inform and inspire the colonial population to embrace becoming an independent country. His words are still cited today as a rallying cry against tyranny.
Commoncents is built on the same assumption Paine was working from: that an idea, rendered clearly, can change the way we think. That ordinary people given good information and a clear frame can form sharp opinions and act on them.
Here at Commoncents, we believe that while data and the scientific method are essential for grounding human opinion, data without principles or vision do little to move or motivate. Sometimes people need rallying calls. They need reminders of what a nation founded on good faith looks like. They need to feel the spirit of a brighter future something beyond words or argument, a reason to pursue a world that might require sacrifice to build. Thomas Paine was one of the brightest painters of that better future. While we want to rely on the grounding nature of data and science here is a soft reminder that science is amoral. And the stories that inspire and motivate are all driven by moral underpinnings.
We don't claim to have all of the answers nor deny human nature. We are all trying to understand the balance between our own self interest, country, community and family. Or at least we should be.
Commoncents is about building consensus and consensus for us is about understanding and instilling good principles. More than empowering a specific political party. Parties come and go but principles much like traditions can almost become hereditary. And heredity is all that's left after we are gone.
If you are a good faith member of society and are genuinely curious about the world and want to wrestle with what makes a good political and economic system just as much we do than we welcome you.
We are building a forum for people with bright ideas and the courage to test those ideas in good faith.
We want to know what stories you find worth your while. What issues in your community have gone unreported or under-explained. What videos or articles you'd actually send to your neighbors if someone made it well enough to be worth sharing. Your input will directly shape what we investigate, what we produce, and how we invest the resources you're providing us.
Our ambitions are to eventually create longer-form video content: the kind of research-backed journalism that takes a complicated topic and makes it digestible and entertaining for someone who has twenty minutes and no prior expertise. That takes a team and it takes money. We're working on both.
So come tell us what you care about. Help us understand what you and your community needs. And when the work is ready, help us make sure it reaches the people it's for.
Thanks for your time.
— The CommonCents Team