About NoelBagwell.com

By Noel Bagwell

Ancient Mandate

This blog, NoelBagwell.com is the latest iteration of an ongoing project by the author to, as Marcus Aurelius put it:

“Observe constantly that all things take place by change, and accustom thyself to consider that the nature of the Universe loves nothing so much as to change the things which are, and to make new things like them.”¹

Wise words. Change is inevitable, and it is our adaptation to change that marks our success as a species. This blog is one of the tools I will use to observe constantly the things that are changing and taking place in the universe around me, and to share those observations with you.

Thank you for coming by, and please feel free to leave any (constructive) comment you like on any topic.

Context and Motivating Concepts

Richard Weaver wrote a book called Ideas Have Consequences that helped sharpen and elucidate the somewhat nebulous ideas I had regarding my views on ethical and social issues prior to reading it. My opinions were not formed as a result of reading Weaver’s work; rather, they were given form or organized as what he wrote resonated, in a deep and powerful way, with how I had hitherto thought and felt. If you want to understand why I place such strong emphasis in my writing on the ideas and motivations to which people prescribe, read Ideas Have Consequences, and you will understand why it matters what people – especially influential,  powerful or famous people – think, feel and believe.

The context in which I write correlates to my personal experiences, of course. Being an ironically private individual, I do not mind sharing my views or things that interest me, but I will try to keep the events and details of my life and my personal associations as private as I reasonably can. The internet is a place where one must keep one’s personal information as inaccessible as they reasonably can, because here psychopaths and sociopaths abound, and will use the information they acquire to try to harm those with whom they disagree.

What I can tell you is that I am a traditionalist, in terms of social values. I admire people like Gene Roddenberry for their optimism, but I see their view of the world as ivory-tower naïveté, neither practical nor ideal in the world in which we must live every day. I eschew both liberalism and radical conservatism. My views are diametrically opposed to those of secular-progressives, who I believe seek to undermine the traditional American way of life.

I believe in capitalism and the defense of the United States, its allies and our interests at home and abroad by whatever means are necessary. When it comes to the Constitution, I am an originalist. This informs, and indeed shapes, much of my political worldview, at least in terms of domestic politics.

Knowing these things about me, and keeping them in mind as you read what I write here, will give you some context for what I write and help you understand my motivation for writing. It would be a mistake to use my views to try to categorize me as a “conservative” or “right-winger,” as I do deviate from views held by those who proudly espouse such labels.

Labels stigmatize and alienate those to whom they are applied, and I would urge anyone to take a good, hard look at anyone who would label me in any way. It is likely that any attempt to label or categorize me is an ad hominem attack on me that seeks to discredit my views, by demonstrating that I am a certain kind of person – one with whom my attacker apparently disagrees. This is why I said, above, “consider the source.”

Credits and Acknowledgements

I’d like to thank you, my readers, for your support. I would also like to thank those who stand up against evil and injustice in their jobs, every day – whether they be in government, journalism, or in the private sector.

Most of all, I want to thank God for giving me a discerning mind and a heart that seeks the truth. Lastly, I thank all of the unnamed teachers, friends and family that have been supportive of me. It is from you all that I have learned the most, and I owe you a debt of gratitude that I can only repay by being the person you have inspired me to be.