The Radical Independent

06/08/2026

According to Yuval Levin, the Constitution is not failing us; we are failing the Constitution. The exasperating eccentricities and endless veto points in our national charter are frustrating if your goal is a swift, complete political victory. But the Founders didn’t set up the Constitution for parliamentary-style majoritarian triumph. Instead, by design, the Constitution forces compromise and bargaining. It’s not just a legal and institutional framework; it’s also what Levin calls “a framework for union and for solidarity” that, if reclaimed, can help unify our fractured politics.

Yuval Levin’s ‘American Covenant’ envisions a constitutional revival. Could our leaders embrace it?

06/08/2026

"Guerilla tactics:" an excellent strategy that Independents (and 3rd parties) should adopt. The corrupt, rigged duopoly makes it practically impossible for non-duopoly candidates to win elections. But what if we leveraged our spoiler power to influence election outcomes? In other words, do we have to win elections to get what we want and reform the system?

Our focus should be on spoiling elections to effect outcomes, not w...

06/08/2026

Independent Primaries = more independent candidates on the general ballot.

06/08/2026

We are living in the Madisonian Nightmare, a dysfunctional and divided democracy succumbed to rule by demagogues and mobs .

06/07/2026

Meet Lars Mapstead, political raconteur and occasional Libertarian candidate. One thing you will definitely not see Lars doing (in any way whatsoever) is supporting a corrupt, rigged duopoly.

Former Libertarian candidate for president and Congress, Lars talks...

06/07/2026

OUR TAKE: In our current duopoly, arrogance is just one of the many damaging products from this partisan emotional tribalism and toxic dysfunction. We should be cautioned, that arrogance poses a significant threat to our Constitutional and founding values… like freedom (amongst others).

Humility fosters a deeper connection with reality, revealing our dependence on others for existence. It exposes our ignorance and reminds us of the vast contributions made by previous generations, cultivating a sense of gratitude. Conversely, ignoring this reality can lead to misery. Humility acts as a corrective force, realigning our perceptions and interpretations of life.

Cultivating humility allows us to depersonalize our perspectives, making us more agreeable and stronger advocates for reasonableness. However, many people seek guarantees and certainties from partisan tribes, a shortcut from critical independent thinking. This promotes zealotry and arrogance, with the desire to install their masterminds and control over the people, because they know best. It also becomes impossible to reason and work together, as both tribes are locked in a dogmatic battle over everything. The consequences of arrogance can be dire.

Unity in character requires effort, as our character -and the free society we cultivate- continues to evolve. The creeping collectivism and polarization of the duopoly clashes with reality, while our hubris enables its growth. Yet, we are not powerless against this trend. Acknowledging our limitations and appreciating the contributions of others can combat self-deception.

Emphasizing curiosity about spontaneous processes reveals the miracles of human cooperation. If humility is indeed the hallmark of those who believe in freedom, we can strive to become more aware of our arrogance. By practicing humility, we can reorient ourselves toward reality.

Embracing humility is essential for personal growth, societal freedom, and lessening the harmful effects of a duopoly that appeals to the worst in people. By shedding arrogance and recognizing our interconnectedness, we can cultivate a more harmonious society that values cooperation, reason, and ultimately upholding the principles this country is losing.

06/07/2026

No thanks.

06/07/2026

This is a reform whose time has come.

06/06/2026

BOOK RECOMMENDATION: “Love Your Enemies” by Arthur C. Brooks

‘Love Your Enemies’ is easily one of the top books of the last 10 years on issues directly related to the concerns and themes that The Radical Independent focuses on. The ‘outrage industrial complex’ prospers by setting Americans against each other, creating a “culture of contempt”- the habit seeing people who disagree with us as not merely incorrect, but as worthless and defective humans. This book shows why and how we should and can fix this problem.

If you believe our toxic and divisive civic landscape is unsustainable and must be repaired, this book is for you. If you believe that we can improve our socio-political interactions and create a more harmonious society, this book is for you. If you want ideas on how we can restore reason, civility, and moderation in our country… this is for you. The book is easy to read, easy to understand, and drives home one of the most important messages ‘we the people’ need to hear: we can be better and it starts with us.

06/06/2026

OUR TAKE: We have become accustomed to the simple red-versus-blue, liberal-versus-conservative goal posts that have been set up by the drivers of American politics. Some are trying to move beyond the false two-sided narrative to a real discussion… where people understand the importance of nuance and the sophistication that good policy actually requires. This is difficult in the toxic dysfunction of the duopoly’s civic landscape.

Echo chambers, party polarization, misinformation, fear, tell only part of the story. An overlooked contributor to American political dysfunction today is a widespread misunderstanding of ideology. We are thinking about ideology wrong and that means we’re thinking about politics wrong.

The popular linear political spectrum itself is a disaster we cling to and basically socially divides people into warring political tribes based on the MYTH we are fighting about fundamental worldviews. The political spectrum does not tell us where someone stands in relation to a fundamental worldview; it only indicates a commitment to a tribe.

The political spectrum and ideological terms associated with it are socially constructed, historically contingent, context dependent, and constantly in flux. Although America has two dominant ideological tribes, there is no philosophical essence uniting all of the positions of each side. Our two political teams have coalesced around the concepts of left and right, but the concepts themselves are ideological fictions.

Left-right ideologies are bundles of unrelated political positions connected by nothing other than a group. A conservative or liberal is not someone who has a conservative or liberal philosophy, but someone who belongs to the conservative or liberal tribe. This means that ideologies do not define tribes, tribes define ideologies; ideology is not about what, it is about who. There is no liberalism or conservatism, only liberals and conservatives. The political spectrum does not model an essential value, but only tribes and what they stand for at a specific time and place.

“Nearly all the incessant talk about 'liberal', 'conservative', 'progressive', 'leftwing', 'right wing' is a lot of sounds and fury signifying nothing.” - Hyrum and Verlan Lewis from ‘The Myth of Left and Right: How the Political Spectrum Misleads and Harms America.’

The flawed political spectrum CREATES a reality of binary tribes (not the other way around). Tribalism without an underlying philosophy is strong enough to sustain ideological identities. It’s use today is not only incomplete and simplistic… it’s a tool used by partisan tribes to divide, polarize, and advance their identity.