Principles

My principles are not especially exotic. In many ways, they are the principles most people claim to believe in: honesty, accountability, respect for others, freedom of thought, and personal responsibility. Yet modern society often rewards the opposite—corruption, manipulation, conformity, greed, and cowardice.

I am running for Congress because I believe the United States is suffering from a deep moral, political, and intellectual crisis. Corporate power dominates public life, propaganda saturates the media, and many institutions that claim to serve the public increasingly serve themselves instead. I do not pretend to have all the answers, but I do believe Americans deserve leaders who are willing to think independently, speak honestly, and confront uncomfortable realities.

My Background ↑

I was born and raised in rural West Dakota, served four years in the U.S. Navy, attended college, and spent nearly a decade working as a wildlife biologist in Alaska before eventually settling in Seattle. My life experiences have exposed me to many different regions, cultures, professions, and political viewpoints.

I experienced what I consider my political awakening in the mid-1990s. Since then, I have devoted much of my life to studying politics, history, psychology, philosophy, economics, propaganda, and power. I have run for public office before, written numerous political articles, and spent years working on a series of books exploring political psychology, corruption, media influence, ideology, and modern civilization.

Truth and Free Thought ↑

I believe truth matters—even when it is uncomfortable, unpopular, or politically inconvenient. Modern society increasingly encourages people to think in slogans, tribes, and ideological categories rather than carefully examining evidence and questioning assumptions.

I strongly support free speech, but I have also become aware that free speech means little when enormous corporations and institutions dominate public discourse. Genuine democratic debate requires not only freedom of speech, but something closer to fair speech—a society in which ordinary people still have a meaningful opportunity to be heard.

I also believe citizens should be skeptical of concentrated power, whether that power belongs to governments, corporations, media institutions, political parties, or ideological movements.

Economics and Society ↑

I do not believe capitalism, socialism, democracy, or any other system is inherently perfect or inherently evil. Human societies are complicated, and economic systems should be judged pragmatically rather than dogmatically.

I am particularly interested in mixed economies that combine markets, entrepreneurship, public investment, social protections, and democratic oversight. In my view, modern Western societies increasingly resemble systems of corporate oligarchy rather than healthy democracies or genuinely competitive economies.

I believe economic systems should serve human beings—not the other way around. Workers deserve dignity, meaningful opportunities, economic security, and protection from exploitation. At the same time, innovation, creativity, and productive enterprise should also be encouraged.

Democracy and Accountability ↑

I support democracy in principle, but democracy only functions well when citizens are informed, engaged, and capable of independent thought. A population overwhelmed by propaganda, consumerism, fear, tribalism, and misinformation cannot easily govern itself wisely.

I believe accountability is essential. Powerful institutions and individuals should not operate above the law simply because they possess wealth, political influence, or media protection. Corruption, dishonesty, abuse of power, and institutional misconduct should be exposed and challenged regardless of ideology or status.

I have spent years criticizing corruption within corporations, government agencies, media institutions, and public systems. However, I also recognize that corruption and dishonesty are not limited to elites. Ordinary citizens are fully capable of cruelty, cowardice, hypocrisy, dishonesty, and mob behavior as well.

Nature and Civilization ↑

My years as a wildlife biologist profoundly shaped my worldview. I believe modern civilization has become dangerously disconnected from nature and from long-term thinking. Environmental destruction, resource depletion, technological disruption, and social fragmentation all pose serious threats to future generations.

I am deeply concerned about climate change and broader ecological decline. At the same time, I believe environmental reform must be tied to political and economic reform. A society dominated by short-term profit incentives will struggle to solve long-term environmental problems.

Meaning and Responsibility ↑

One philosophical tradition that strongly influenced me is existentialism. Existentialist thinkers often argue that life has no inherent meaning unless individuals choose to create meaning through their actions and commitments.

I believe purpose comes from struggling for something larger than oneself. A life devoted entirely to comfort, distraction, consumption, or passive entertainment ultimately becomes empty. Human beings become meaningful when they pursue truth, justice, beauty, knowledge, freedom, or the protection of others.

Whether or not civilization ultimately succeeds, I believe it is still noble to fight for a better future rather than surrender to cynicism or despair.

Why I Am Running ↑

I am not running for office because I expect to become rich, famous, or universally admired. I am running because I believe the United States desperately needs more independent voices willing to challenge corruption, conformity, propaganda, and institutional decay.

You may not agree with all of my conclusions, but I hope voters will at least recognize that I think deeply, speak honestly, and refuse to blindly follow political tribes or fashionable orthodoxies.

If you want polished slogans, empty talking points, and carefully scripted political theater, there are plenty of other candidates available. If you want someone willing to question powerful institutions, confront difficult issues, and fight for genuine reform, then perhaps I deserve your consideration.

When I said my principles aren’t exotic, I wasn’t entirely honest. Suffice it to say that, if I ruled Seattle, the city would be very different. I’m frankly disgusted by the way Seattleites treat their own children. I’m also appalled by the spying and back-stabbing that is so wildly popular in Seattle. Those aren’t my values. In fact, I wouldn’t describe them as values, period. Where are we—Israel?