User:Erasmus Sydney

I am passionate about three big topics.

First, what I would call Australian contact history — the relationships between Indigenous people and European settlers from the point of first contact on. I'm personally inspired by the justice movement that emerged from the missions experience. I am strongly motivated to see these stories told well. I am deeply interested in the story of Australia, but it's the contact story that I find most life giving and engaging. I want to see documented better on Wikipedia because so many people turn here first for their history (especially students).

Second, I'm very interested in the people, and the movements, who support classical liberalism — from both sides of politics — in Australia and around the world. I believe we're in entering a period of uncertainty that we haven't seen for 90 years. It's important to know who is emerging in political leadership and set out their views clearly. I think all our institutions, big companies, the legal system, churches, the military, all need to do a better job of explaining who they are and how they are and their role in enhancing a flourishing, free society. So you'll find me writing about all of these from time to time. (Old school sentiments, I know!)

Third, I'm fascinated by big ideas, in politics, history, theology and philosophy (where I did my degree work many years ago). I suppose that's what my handle is all about. I lived in the Netherlands for a while and I greatly respected the humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam, though I now live in Sydney.

But back to the liberalism — I honestly see Wikipedia as being one of the points of light for contemporary freedom. Obviously its potential for free access to information is extraordinary, which really greatly enhances freedom of thought. But probably just as important is the classical liberal virtue of fair dealing in discussion. I great appreciate those editors and contributors who take time to discuss changes to articles in a decent, polite way. Gives me hope.