Guns and butter

The federal government of any country can only allocate so much money for welfare programs as well as other vital programs, because governments do not have an unlimited amount of money to draw upon.  In fact, the wealth that nations spend on its military, infrastructure, social programs, and the like are limited to the productivity of its citizens; so that, decisions must be made by governmental representatives as to how best allocate the money so collected, to programs, that are most beneficial to the people, in whole.

According to statista.com the United States spent a total of $649 billion on its military spending in 2018, in which China spent an estimated total of $250 billion, and Russia a total of a mere $64.1 billion.  China has a population that is four times the amount of people that the United States has, yet China, spends $450 billion less on its military than America does.  In regards to Russia, which the United States insisted upon for decades as being a real and present danger to America, Russia's spending on their defense budget, is only 10% of what America spends.  So too, it must be well acknowledged that America has no contiguous enemies; in fact, America's relationship with both Canada and Mexico is quite sound and stable.  The only country within the western hemisphere that in recent memory, has posed any threat whatsoever to America, was the tiny island state of Cuba, in which Russia used such as a proxy back in the early 1960s.  But recognize this, Cuba's most vital bay, known as Guantanamo Bay, has been in the control and thereby occupied by the United States since 1898,  so that it is fair to state that a country that has its most important bay, legally occupied by the United States is not a country that could ever be a serious threat to America. 

America spends an inordinate amount of money on its military, of which those tens of billions upon tens of billions of dollars that are spent, are to a very large extent, the taking of money from the people, or even of generations yet born, to build armaments, munitions, and the infrastructure that goes along with such, that has no real productive value, but rather is the spending of tens of billions of monies on the making of that which is destructive in its design and in its purpose.  So that, tens of billions upon tens of billions of dollars, have been taken from the people that live in this the richest of all countries in the history of the world; so that the net result is that the underclass of America will continue to suffer and continue to exist under quite dire and troubling circumstances, that need not occur, but does occur, because America cares much more about the destroying and the endless pursuit of inchoate enemies, than it does about creating a nation in which each citizen is rightfully entitled to a good education, good housing, good healthcare, and good opportunity.

That which will right the good ship of America, has been in its hands and in its control, for generations, but America does not have the moral courage to do the right thing by its citizens, but rather prefers to flex its muscles, and thereby to create havoc throughout the world, making this world a far more dangerous place than it ever need be.  America has deliberately left behind the most vulnerable of its citizens, for it cares not for them, but rather cares far more for the lure of the glory of war and the lust for empire.

Love and the lack of love

All sorts of people have all sorts of ideas about what life or what the meaning of life really is all about, of which some of those theories and opinions certainly make good sense.  The thing is, in the great skeins of time, there isn't any real good reason to over-think what you should or shouldn't be doing on a daily basis, because at its essence, life is about love and the acceptance of others, with love.  For, if you do just that, which seems to be something that all are capable of, you thereby are true to that which is the truth.

In point of fact, life consists mainly of our interactions with others, of which some of those interactions are deliberate and by design, whereas some are required per the dictates of our circumstances.  Those that are able to keep foremost in their mind and thereby by their words and actions, that each person that they are connected to has value, and should consequently always be seen as being valued; and further are able to see that each one of us has been created equally with an equal right to the same unalienable rights, are subsequently going to be the type of people that treat others with the inherent respect and accord, that all are equally entitled to.  On the other hand, those that see others, as things to be used and/or exploited, that effectively ignore the humanity of another, especially when circumstances favor them in doing so for their own personal advantage, are not loving, but rather are those that play unfairly, in order to primarily benefit themselves or those that mean the most to them.

We see that in all the various games that people play, too many of them, that are playing these games, have not bothered to take the time to actually read closely that the same fundamental rules actually apply to every single game, without exception.  For, to believe, that that which is unjust can ever successfully rule over that which is just is mistaken; or to believe that war of whatever stripe or color, will bring forth a good and lasting peace is misguided; or that those that fail to recognize the validity of their neighbor, because they refuse to take into account the innate substance of all others as actually being the same, is wrong.    In all of this, mankind has deliberately walked away from love, to replace such with something that is lesser, in the wrong belief that by doing so, that they will ultimately be happier, wealthier, or more satisfied.

The love that everyone needs cannot be bought, for it never is for sale; yet, this gift of love to each one of us, is priceless, though far too many are far too quick to trade that love for that which is transient and ultimately harmful.  If a world without love or a world that is lacking in love, seems to be the world that you desire, then look around at all the troubles in this world, and recognize that the root of those troubles stems forth because too many do not love and lack love within their mindset.  The purpose of life for mankind on this world is as straightforward as this: to rise above the limits of an animal kingdom mentality, and to recognize in truth that only those that love and are love are in actual accordance to that which is both eternal and timeless.

The state desires your passive obedience

All those that are in power, do not typically countenance any threat to that power.  This means, that those that are the rulers of the people, no matter how they achieved that power, or what they have promised to do or not do with such power, are often beholden first to that power, and secondly to the people that they have responsibility to, by virtue of having that power.  This indicates that people should, as much as possible, hold those that have power, responsible to how that power is applied and utilized; for if not, power has a way of taking onto itself, even more power at the expense of the people; though there are exceptions to that general rule, for some in power, are, in fact, great representatives of the people.

In general, though, those that are in power don't often wish to have that power challenged or even questioned by the people.  So that when those in authority, offer a forum in which the people have a voice, such is often done more as a ritual, then of something that will in the scheme of things, have substance in subsequent action so taken -- though words may indeed be written, and even promises committed to; but it is in the follow through, that determines whether the people's voice has actually been listened to and thereby adhered to. 

In reality, the vast majority of those that are in power, simply desire that the people, passively obey them in all that they enact and do.  We find that for a minority of those in power, they believe that they alone truly know best, and therefore, desire that the people adhere to their commands, because they consider their dictates to actually be in the people's overall best interest.  Those of the more cynical and selfish nature, want passive obedience from the people, primarily to benefit and to consolidate their own power, as well as to enhance and to placate those powers-to-be that are behind the scenes, who will make sure to reward copiously those that consciously benefit those hidden powers.

The thing about rulers and those that are ruled is that the rulers are always in the minority in numbers and those that are ruled are always in the majority, so that a general public, that is independent, free thinking, and actively engaged, is always going to be a bit troubling or even more so for governments; not because the people don't have good ideas and not because their heart is not in the right place, but primarily because they do have good ideas and their heart is in the right place, for most rulers are in it for themselves, and aren't interested in any form of government, that actually enacts in principle laws and governance that is of, for, and by the people.

So then, in order for those in power to hold onto that power, when such clearly is demonstrated to be prejudicial and favorable primarily for the elite, whereas, on the other hand, such is clearly detrimental and destructive to the people as a whole; the state must have the means therefore to distract as much as possible the people from the reality of their situation by making sure to provide to all of the people plenty of mindless entertainment, as well as having in abundance a steady supply of substances that will fog their mind, while also making sure to keep them well fed; for a population that has good wine, women, and song, has a much stronger tendency to passively obey its rulers.

Opportunity and location

The United States prides itself on being an egalitarian society, of which, if this was wholly true, then the society that America represents, would in the scheme of things, be more equal in all those things that matter such as income, wealth, opportunity, living standards, health, and one's overall quality of life.  Unfortunately, statistics as well as our own eyes tells us, that America is an incredibly unequal society, of which in modern times, that inequality has not been decreasing, but rather has been increasing, all at a disturbingly high rate, so that the richest of the rich, are increasingly living lives in which they do not in the normal course of events, interrelate with any of those that are not part of their milieu, and certainly have nothing personally to do with those that are in the lower socio-economic class.  This thus makes it far easier for those of that wealth, to effectively ignore and to thereby trivialize those that are the underclass of America, as well as to not feel viscerally the underclass's pain, their disappointment, and their lack of hope.

While, a huge swath of Americans, want to desperately believe that this is a merit based country, in which those that apply themselves, and are diligent, are thereby accorded the fruits of their hard work; it really isn't that way at all, because the fact of the matter is that the physical location of where a given person is birthed and thereby the overall environment of where a given person grows up, has a very meaningful impact upon the quality and the opportunities of life that will be fairly presented to that person.

That is to say, that the nuclear family within a person's domain, most definitely has a very significant impact upon that person's life; but so too, does the environment that surrounds that person, as to whether they reside in an area of the country in which public space is both freely available, as well as being safe; in addition to the need and the immense value of good schools with teachers that are of high quality, as well as the parents of the household having employment which is not only stable but of good remuneration. 

In other words, those fortunate enough to grow up in a milieu, of which they are surrounded by successful people as well as having accouterments readily available for them that mesh well with that success, make for a desirable living condition, and ultimately better opportunities for them.  Those, though that live in economically deprived areas, in which parents struggle to not only make the money necessary to survive, but also typically have little or no say in their wages or even the hours that they work -- and are exposed and vulnerable to the ill effects of bad health, unreliable transportation, police and state harassment, and myriad other injustices and hassles that are commonplace within their community, are not going to be able to  provide much more than a place to lay one's head down at the end of the day, in which good opportunities are short, and positive role models, non-existent.

This thus means that all those that live in communities where the conditions are bleak; that, no matter their innate ability, are typically going to be subject to their light of opportunity and their career advancement being turned off at a very young age; in which, by the happenstance of their very location, they are precluded from ever being able to have a good life, vibrant liberty, or a real opportunity to fairly pursue their own happiness.

James Madison and the necessary Constitutional Amendment

Most people are aware that the ratification of our written Constitution contained Ten Amendments to it, of which these Ten Amendments are commonly designated as the Bill of Rights. The issuance of those Bill of Rights, though, was not a given, as those that opposed such on its merit, opposed it basically from the standpoint, that the Constitution was a Constitution of enumerated rights, and therefore by definition, those rights not specifically granted to the government, were retained by the States, or by the people, respectively.  In any event, history has clearly demonstrated, that the Bill of Rights has been of immense importance to the people of this country, for governments, over time, aggrandize their power, granting to that government even more power then so stipulated within their Constitutional authority.

One of the most important concepts of this Constitution, was the distinct and deliberate separation of powers, between the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches, thereby making it far more difficult for any one branch to become predominant over the others, and thereby providing the prudent counterbalance to the prevention of any one branch, having too much power. Yet, over time, that separation no longer appears in full force, so that, for instance, the Executive branch, exercises legislative powers, as does the Judicial branch, doing the very same thing; so that the end effect of this additional aggrandizing of power, is to trivialize the power and relevancy of the legislative branch, and to thereby consolidate more power into the unelected and lifetime tenured Judicial branch, as well as to the Executive office, which though subject to a popular vote in order to be elected, is able to thereupon take on and make more and more important decisions through its Executive orders, that thereby makes today's Presidency take on the aura of a monarch.

James Madison recommended the following Amendment be added to the Constitution which states: "The powers delegated by this Constitution are appropriated to the departments to which they are respectively distributed: so that the Legislative Department shall never exercise the powers vested in the Executive or Judicial, nor the Executive exercise the powers vested in the Legislative or Judicial, nor the Judicial exercise the powers vested in the Legislative or Executive Departments."  This Amendment, is apropos for today's America, in order to rein in those departments that have taken on responsibilities that are not within their orbit and domain, and thereupon have made decisions that are not consistent with their original Constitutional powers as envisioned.

In other words, just as the Bill of Rights, was amended to that Constitution, in order to protect and defend the people of that the Constitution, specifically written and created under their consent as well as for their benefit of the people; it is just as important today that the Constitution be amended to thereby defend and to protect the concept and exercise of the separation of powers, so that not one branch becomes predominate over another.  Yet, that predomination and lack of restraint of power within a given department, appears to be being violated, today, indicating that James Madison's proposed Amendment is needed in order to rectify this exact problem.

The purpose of any good Amendment is to correct, to clarify, and to augment the Constitution, so that by that Amendment, the people are more properly vested in their government, by virtue of that government, representing the people in a manner that reflects that they are ultimately the sovereign instruments of their country.

When the police don't answer to all of the people, then they are a power controlled by another

A significant portion of the population believes that the more police that a given community has, the safer such a community will be; yet with today's modernized militarized police, such a presence in certain communities, exacerbates relations between the police and the people, for the sheer amount of police thereof and their tactics leads not to better and safer communities, but rather leads quite often to the oppression and harassment of certain segments of that society.

In point of fact, the police in so many ways represent not a force that is there to protect and to serve the people as a whole, but rather is best seen as a force that specifically is present to protect and to serve a designated section of that population, to the exclusion of all others.  This means, that police officers, routinely deal with certain segments of the population in a diametrically different way than they treat other segments of the population, in which, those that are movers and shakers of the community, are almost always the ones that have an undue influence upon how and where and what a given police force will do, for police agencies should be correctly seen, as obedient to the authority that runs the show, and that authority is typically the most influential and powerful people within the community.

So then, those that are the most vociferous in their praise of and in their strong belief of the need for the community to have a strong and vibrant police force, are those that are in control of such, so as to augment, to enhance, and to protect their own power and assets; as well as those that are typically part of the milieu that the police would typically see as segments of society that they should treat in a manner that shows and accords those people, the general respect and the courtesy of acknowledging their Constitutional rights. On the other hand, all those that are not of that milieu, and specifically those parts of communities that have been designated as troubled spots, or those people that do not act or look or behave in a manner that matches or conforms to the community standards as promulgated from above, are going to be dealt with in a manner in which they will suffer far more from police intimidation, police violence, arrests, incarceration, and freedoms curtailed.

It must be recognized, that the police in one part of the community, may be rightly seen as protectors of the people, and that their duties are often performed in a professional and just manner.  Then there are those other parts of the community, in which, the people of those communities, rightly perceived the police as, more often than not, dangerous elements to that community and specifically a threatening menace to the people of that community, in which the police exercise their power with almost limitless impunity and vengeance directed in a way, that justice is first served by those police in the streets.

All of the above means what it appears to mean, that the police behave and perform their functions in a manner, absolutely consistent to the powers that control them; of which those powers, are careful not to upset the designated good people of that community.  On the other hand, those powers need to and want to control and to thereby suppress the perceived bad people of their community, by utilizing the strong arm of the police to keep order, per the instructions so given.

Mandatory minimums are a form of cruel and unusual punishment

The Eighth Amendment to our Constitution reads as follows: "… nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."  Yet, somehow American jurisprudence permits and thereby utilizes sentencing guidelines that impose mandatory minimums on certain classified crimes, in which specific Class A felonies, Class B felonies, Class C felonies, and Class D felonies, in addition to other high crimes and misdemeanors, are subject to mandated minimum incarceration penalties.  

The fundamental problem with mandatory minimums is that, by definition, this means that crimes, in and of themselves, or activities which have been classified as crimes by legislative authority, have seen expressed by that legislation to not perceive the humanity of the person that is the perpetrator of the crime, but rather, instead, simply boxes in human beings into nice, neat, and organized categories -- without taking into account, the fully relevant aspects of a given person's life history and the circumstances surrounding each one of these crimes, on an individual level, and thereby taking into consideration all of the pertinent facts in regards to the merits of a given case, therein.

It is cruel to deny any human being, their unalienable right to have their part of the story fully recognized; in which, such is marginalized and thereby superseded by the law, which simply states: "if this is so, then this is the minimum penalty that must be paid, no matter any extenuating or mitigating circumstances, involved."  Further to the point, justice in America as practiced, is practiced in a manner in which the sentencing of those that have money, or good access to outstanding attorneys, will, in and of themselves, virtually always be able to circumvent minimum penalties, or the worse of minimum penalties, by either the combative negotiation of charges so made, thereupon subsequently agreed upon by both parties, or by all the usual strategies and appeals that good attorneys are able to do, to deny justice having even the hint of being equally applied, for all those accused of the very same crime.

The bottom line is that most mandatory minimums are really just another form of oppressing those that have little or nothing, so that, essentially those that are poor and ill-educated are subject to mandatory minimums; whereas all those with money, and the right connections, need not worry about suffering through the same sort of dire fate, because they are often able to negotiate a successful plea deal which while subjecting them to some sort of penalty, it will subsequently be a penalty which is often significantly less than what a mandatory minimum would have been;  yet this option is not available for the underclass of Americans.

So too, mandatory minimums are unusual, because it is unusual when any just court of law, predetermines in every circumstance, without exception, that a certain specific penalty must be paid, without taking into full account, whether such a penalty, given all the facts and information provided:  is fair, is reasoned, is humane, and is consistent with the principles of the country which contends that it is the epitome of a great republic, with life, liberty, and justice for all.  For when such a country specifically creates jurisprudence which is anathema to its founding Constitutional principles, that is both unusual, as well as being cruel.

The best way to serve God

There are plenty of people that confess to the belief that they desire to serve God in any of the myriad ways that one can do so.  That sort of mindset is the very first step to actually being of service to God, but it is in the necessary follow through that either that service is rendered or it is not.

For instance, in this modern era, unlike times of old, virtually everyone is aware that making sacrifices to God, of unblemished animals or similar, is not doing anything for God, and isn't doing anything for one's fellow mankind, either.  It then so follows, that any of the symbolic tributes made to God, are at best, a tradition which has its place in the orthodoxy of a given religion, and at worse, a sideshow that skirts around what should actually be addressed in a meaningful way.

In point of fact, the greatest tribute that a given person can provide to God is to be a good person, by actually demonstrating by their word and in their actions, the abiding affection that we should have for our fellow human beings, by doing right by them, in all ways, large and small.  That is to say, that each of us in order to really serve God, can conform to such, by righteously serving our fellow human beings, with the type of respect, concern, and positive action that makes for a better community and increases our good connection one with another.

After all, we are, without exception, all children of the very same God; so that as one family, with just one Creator, it is our greatest obligation to do our part in making that family, both good and whole.  This signifies that all those that believe, that not until Heaven, when all things will be made right and are right, that those believing such, have missed the forest for the trees, for Heaven should not appropriately be seen as some sort of reward for some, but rather should be seen as something that needs to be accomplished, right here on earth; for the Good Shepherd has told us, distinctly, that He will out of moral duty, leave, if necessary, the ninety-nine, in order to rescue just one. 

All this essentially means that because our lives are interconnected, one with another, that we must do our part, to see that those interconnections are tight enough, and that we are bounded enough, that we are able to see in each individual, no matter how lost that they may appear, that they are still and always will be, a child of our Most High God.  It then becomes our duty in our service to God, to be the eyes, ears, and feet of God in our current material existence, so that we are that meaningful and spiritual aid to others, for those that are most vulnerable, are most in need of mankind's good and steady hand.

All those that truly wish to serve God, are able to do so, day-by-day, by simply being good and just to all; for in that good service to their fellow sojourners here on earth, they have both served mankind as well as served well their God.

The war-making power is not constitutionally in the President's hands

The United States Constitution is supposed to be the highest law of the land, and further the interpretation of that Constitution is supposed to be consistent with the principles and words of that same Constitution.  However, when it comes to war, which would seem to be one of those things, that should concern all Americans -- somehow, the Executive office has, over time, morphed into being the alternative power to declare war, and this is done, without even the need to consult with the congress, even though the Constitution through Article 1, Section 8, declares that "…Congress shall have the power… to declare War…"

The United States, through the Executive office, believes that simply through creative use of semantics that acts of war, as long as they are not specifically designated as being a war are therefore considered to be a power rightfully in the hands of the Executive office.  This thus means, that wars against Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Vietnam, and so on, are somehow perceived as being something other than war, though they are described by the media and other countries as wars, are perceived by the combatants to be war, and contain all the elements of war; yet, somehow they are not war, for only Congress has the constitutional power to declare war.

The reality of the situation is that America, since the conclusion of World War II, has made a conscious choice to become a worldwide empire.  This thus means, that the duties of an empire, cannot afford the luxury of being hindered or impugned by Congress, in which those that are members of the Congress, are simply too numerous to be fully controlled, 100 percent of the time, by the powers that insist upon their exclusive right to wage war, in order to thereby profit and to defend large multinational corporations, bankers, and the technology-industrial-military complex. 

This signifies that America has devolved into the very thing, it was never suppose to become, in which, through Executive orders and the war power as exercised by the Executive office, this republic behaves as like monarchies of old, in which Kings and Queens, declared war, and the citizens, obeyed.  All of this is successfully accomplished, by administration after administration, with the general public, and the Congress, never seeming to have any real relevancy upon the matter, because neither the people, nor the Congress, nor the judicial branch, will actually assert their own Constitutional powers against the Executive office.

Yet, the Constitution is the highest law of the land, of which, even the Executive office has sworn to preserve, protect and to defend that Constitution.  This thus means that the only way out of these endless wars that are sold to the general public as necessary to defend American citizens, from terrorists, or bad guys, or to supposedly propagate fine American values, is for the people, the congress, and the judicial branch, to rise up and to actually assert that our Constitution needs to be adhered to; or that in absence of this being done, that the Constitution, needs to be Constitutionally amended to reflect that the Executive office can declare war, on whomever or whatever that office so desires, without debate, vote, or discussion.

As it is, the Executive office does not have the Constitutional power to declare war; yet, somehow that office consistently behaves and thereby commits those corresponding actions, as if it does.  

The insanity of allowing the richest of the rich to get even richer

The United States is effectively run by both individuals as well as behemoth corporations that will not countenance anything that will preclude them from aggrandizing unto them more and more influence, exploitation, and power.  For a certainty, money is a form of power, and even those that ostensibly are powerful people in their positions and/or influence, are often, perhaps even unwittingly, move to do things and make decisions that are partly or fully influenced by those that use the effectiveness of money in any and all of its myriad ways and forms, in order to get its specific way.

The only entity that is significantly bigger than today's multinational corporations in which companies such as Walmart had sales of over $500 billion in revenue, in 2018, is the national government.  Yet, again and again, large corporations such as Amazon, which had sales of over $200 billion in revenue, did not pay any federal taxes, whatsoever, in their fiscal year, of2018.  This signifies that these companies are experts at creating influence in public policy that permits them to escape the taxman, even though these are exactly the entities that have an overabundance of monies that should be performing their part, and even more than their part, to contribute to the good welfare of the people, and to the necessary infrastructure of society.

The purpose of the national government is to represent the common man, and to the extent that it is possible, to help level the playing field for the benefit of the common man.   This means that a strong national government protects and defends the common man, so that he is not fodder for colossus corporations or even to rich individuals that effectively dictate to that common man, the terms and conditions of their employment.  Further to the point, the reason for a progressive income tax, as well as corporate taxes, in the first place, is for those superrich individuals and super successful corporations to be subject to a fair taxation rate, which thereby provides the necessary funds and means for the national government to keep its fiscal house in order and to serve best, the public, and the public, interests.

Unfortunately, what is only too obvious in American society in the 21st century, is that, embarrassingly, and unacceptably, both the richest corporations as well as the richest individuals, are increasing their wealth collected into their greedy hands at a rate, that is not only unseemly, but unfathomable, in the sense that it is actually occurring, out in the open, and seemingly unopposed.  The reason that this is happening, falls to a very large extent, at the feet of this national government, which, in significant ways, aids and augments the richest of the rich so that they can become even richer and even more powerful, by virtue of those governmental taxes, as well as governmental rules and regulations being apparently vacated or gutted in their effect and in their intent, upon those entities.

In the historical scheme of things, the people voluntarily joined together into one body politic, in order to propagate and to formulate a national government which would be beneficial for the people; by providing those people with the necessary means of obtaining their happiness -- consisting of freedom, liberty, justice, and opportunity, equally applied to all.  Instead, we presently have a national government that is of, by, and for the superrich for the benefit of the superrich, of which, consequently, so many of the people are unfairly deprived of justice, liberty, and opportunity.  

So then, we are seemingly stuck with the rich getting even richer, and even more privileged, because the only entity that can stop such, which is our national government, has effectively been compromised, or even worse, actively aids and augments those superrich; in which, as long as this continues, the less the common man will have, and the more the few will have wrongly taken and wrested away from them.

The vital importance of the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to our Constitution

The Ninth Amendment to our Constitution states as follows: "The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." The Tenth Amendment to our Constitution states as follows: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people." The very purpose behind these vital Amendments was meant to put in writing and in action the principle that this republic would always and forever be a republic of the people, by the people, and of the people.  Yet, today's government incessantly acts and behaves in a manner in which, it has become for all intents and purposes, answerable not to the people, but to an agenda hidden from the public view, which makes this a government, not of the people.

In so many respects, this government by its actions is the principle oppressor of the people.  For instance, this government takes away the people's freedom, by the incarceration of so many of them who have been convicted of crimes, of which a significant number of those crimes are essentially victimless or the predictable result of systemic poverty, ill-education, and forced segregation.  So too, the people's right to peaceably assemble, is far too often met with a militarized police force, ready to arrest and to harass good citizens for no ostensible good reason, other than to silence and to subjugate them.  Additionally, the ability of the people to be about their business, without excessive, unnecessary and intrusive surveillance of their location, their communications, and a detailed dossier of whom and what they are, is the de facto standard operating procedure of this governmental state.

In everything that this government does in which the people's rights have been perverted into being effectively turned into no longer being unalienable rights; but instead are considered to be no more than governmental privileges, which may or may not be granted, depending upon circumstances as to how the government perceives such; is indicative that all is not well with how this government goes about serving and representing the people.  Rather, this national government has become the super-government, effectively rising above the Constitution that it is required to serve and to defend, and those that are the powers behind this government, see the people not as a resource, to aid and abet, as necessary; but rather as a resource to exploit, extract, and to control, for the purposes of those powers that control the government.

The rights and the powers of the people, are supposed to be the very rights and powers that this government, is meant to protect, to serve, and to augment.  That is to say, the very fight for our independence from Great Britain was never done under the auspices that the denizens of this country, simply wished to change from one master across the sea, to the same sort of master upon its own shores, but rather to eliminate, once and for all, tyranny upon the people.  This thus signifies, that all judicial decisions reached, as well as all legislation passed, in addition to Executive orders so promulgated, that are not in accordance with, or in harmony with the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to this Constitution and the principles of that Constitution, thereof, are of themselves, unconstitutional, for they are clearly inimical to the people and to this republic.

The fall of Adam and Eve

We read in the beginning  of Holy Scripture, "The serpent said to the woman, “You won’t really die,  for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3: 4-5).  Previously, Adam and Eve were specifically instructed by God, not to touch or eat of a certain tree, or else they would die.  In fact, Adam and Eve, did eat of it, and they did not die; at least they did not initially physically die, though the eating of this metaphorical tree, signified that Adam and Eve, and thereupon subsequently, all mankind on this earth, had decided that they did not need the super consciousness of God any longer, but believed that they could exist with just their own consciousness, severed from its direct link to God. 

This, thus meant that mankind, now really did indeed know good and evil, because without the wisdom and guidance of the Supreme Being, they were thereby subject to the vicissitudes of life in this world; because their limited consciousness no longer had the perspective to understand and to comprehend the illusion behind all that would appear to be all so real, and hence stuck within that construct in which ever action, created a reaction.  So too, they also lacked the ability to control all that existed within this domain, for they no longer were co-creators of such, but rather were subject to such.

The story of Adam and Eve, is best understood, as the story of spiritual beings that became so enchanted with physical form and physicality, that they ultimately found themselves to be enticed and overwhelmed by the pleasures of such; that they consciously ended up crossing over the metaphorically line drawn in the sand, to become so incarnated within this plane,  and to such a degree, that they lost in that garden their direct connection to God, for their human bodies now placed constraints and limitations, previously undreamt of, that redefined them.

So then, the fall of Adam and Eve, is always about those spiritual beings consciously leaving of that which is the Highest Form of consciousness, to take upon them that which is a lower form of consciousness -- known therewith as our current human form.  That said, mankind is not without hope, for God is immutable, and further even those that have lived in darkness for eons upon eons, need not worry that they can never escape that darkness, for when that Light is rediscovered, it will be as if that Light never left, for in actuality, it never has and never will.

This thus means that all of the troubles that mankind has, does not exist to torture or to punish mankind, but is there to prick the conscience of mankind -- for all this will continue to happen to mankind, ad nauseam, so as to vividly bring to the mind of mankind, that not all is right.  Therefore, when mankind finally wakes up to the reality that their consciousness and their way cannot possibly be the right way; such will begin the process of mankind becoming enlightened to the degree that mankind will understand that the only possible way to break out of this endless cycle of selfishness and physical death, is to look beyond their limitations to that which is not limited, at all.  This means, that mankind must collectively crucify their selfish ego and physical form, so as to resurrect what they always were, in the beginning.

A real apology

Life has its moments in which mistakes are made, or indiscretions caught, or tempers lost, that in clearer moments, necessitates an apology to those that have been hurt of affected negatively by such.  For some people, apologies are extremely easy, not so much because that person providing the apology, is so good at recognizing their errors and thereby admitting to such; but because their apologetic words easily roll off their tongue in a manner in which those words as spoken, don't amount to all that much.  That sort of apology, which is a real art form for some people, often is insincere; for it basically contains either equivocation, or excuses, or other such nonsense, signifying that an apology such as that is one that rings incredibly hollow.

Basically, when an apology so given, does not also contain the specifics of what that person is apologizing for, then clearly the person apologizing, has not examined thoroughly what it really is that they did wrong.  In point of fact, an appropriate apology, addresses what it is that the individual did wrong, and does not make excuses for their action; but leaves such considerations in the hands of the person so offended.  Further to the point, those that apologize and own up to and thereby take responsibility for what they have done wrong, are entitled to ask for forgiveness.  Whether such forgiveness sought, will be granted, is up to the other party, and in fairness to that party, that forgiveness need not be instant, for not all wounds, can be healed within a short amount of time, apology or not.

Far too many people are poor at apologizing because far too many people do not want to face up to the consequences of their actions, and will not willingly take personal responsibility for their actions.  If a given person, won't own up to their faults and mistakes upon another, when such is clearly evident and they further believe that they should not suffer for having made such a mistake; then it is also fair to

expect, given such, that all that they do which is good and right for that other, may not allow that other to fully ever appreciate such.  That is to say, life should consist of a two-way street, and more people need to more fully recognize that their actions and words, have consequences, both good as well as bad, and a just person, takes full responsibility for all that which has their name written upon it.

There should not be any shortcuts in apologies, and in actuality, there really is not.  Those that have done wrong and are able to recognize such, surely have a better perspective than those that recognize not.  This thus means, that the very first step in a good apology, is in the recognition that a wrong has occurred, and thereby the next appropriate step is to own up to the specifics of that wrong; followed by the act of rectifying that wrong, if such can be done, and finally by the requesting of forgiveness to the party damaged by that wrong.  That then, is a real apology.

"The few own the many because they possess the means of livelihood of all"

The above quotation, comes from the inestimable, Helen Keller.  Most people are familiar, with Helen Keller, only as a strong and indomitable personality that overcame being both blind and deaf, who was able to in the early 20th century, earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, in an era in which females, were often not able to pursue their higher educational aspirations, and when those with handicaps, were often hidden away from the public view.  Helen Keller wrote both important books and made insightful speeches throughout America, of which, lost somewhat in the annals of time, is who and what she really was; which was a strong voice for the oppressed, and specifically for those that labored diligently, and a voice that still needs to be heard and recognized, today.

In today's America, the governmental employment rate, looks to be quite good, but hidden behind those numbers, remains the fact that millions upon millions of Americans, need to work more than one job, to even have a hope of staying current on their bills; in addition to the fact, that millions of jobs that good, hard working Americans are employed at, do not on any level, pay a living wage.  In point of fact, the vast majority of Americans, even those with advanced degrees, are often in a very poor negotiating position, in regards to their wages and working conditions, and subsequently have to accept pretty much whatever their prospective employer so dictates.

That is to say, because most private employers fully control the means of production, while also having the monetary resources which creates those businesses to begin with, this thus means that prospective employees typically are able to only bring to the negotiating table, their skill-set, but nothing much more, and therefore are a captive audience in regards to wages.  So that, in effect, the wages so paid are the prevailing wages that the employer of such, will pay, though, in certain industries and communities, there are some exceptions to this general rule, and employees of such, are able to thereby have some say in regards to their working conditions and wages.

Corporations are strong institutions, for a lot of reasons, of which one of those reasons, is that they are often able to become enterprises which receive outside investment, whether through family members, consortiums of investors, or the general public, in which by that money, they are able to become a viable business, with enough capital and strength of personnel to handle the vicissitudes of the business world, competitors, and to grow.  On the other hand, an individual person looking for employment is just one person, and in a contest in which one party has the power of money, prestige, infrastructure, and holds the reins upon those that desire employment, whereas the other party only has the desire to be employed, the party with the power, is in the far superior position, in every conceivable way.

This thus means that in the absence of, or the long continuation of the decline of strong and viable labor unions, that the few truly own the means of the livelihood for a significant swath of Americans; and if this government will not stand behind and support the people that need such, but rather in so many cases, aids and augments the privileged and well placed at the expense of the people, than those people are effectively not free, but owned by those that control their livelihood.

America's new Benedict Arnold is….

General Benedict Arnold is considered to be America's greatest traitor, for this general, who was arguably the most successful American general before his treachery, which involved a secretive deal with the British to turn over the vital fort West Point to those enemy British forces; of which, if that plot had not been serendipitously discovered, such would have been devastating, and perhaps even catastrophic to the American cause.  Not too surprisingly, Benedict Arnold is the epitome of a dastardly villain and a byword for he who is a traitor.

The American revolution was fought under the auspices of the sentiments of our Declaration of Independence, of which this seminal document, tells us that each us has unalienable rights and it is the duty of that government of the people to uphold those unalienable rights; and further that this government, and thereby those institutions permitted under that government, must conduct their business and their actions under the informed consent of the governed, and that any form of that government as well as all those institutions that are destructive of the people's unalienable rights, are inimical to that Declaration, and the people thereby have a duty to throw off such an illegitimate government and/or institutions.

In this modern era, never have specific non-governmental institutions been able to so easily aggregate and to aggrandize unto their own business enterprises, powers that previously even the most repressive governments did not have within their arsenal.  For instance, there is a specific company that claims that its mission is to make the world a more open and connected one, which in actuality, could even be seen as noble, but when such a company, claims one thing, but clearly intends the very opposite thing, then that company within its structure is fundamentally evil and quite clearly un-American in its actions.  That is to say, a company that purports to be a social media website --  but, is in actuality nothing short of being a sophisticated social surveillance site, that monetizes and insidiously tracks what should be private so as to sell such to any and all enterprises of its choosing, of which because of its lack of transparency, and the general misinformation provided to its consumers, those that utilize this site as if it is a social media website, know not that they are fundamentally being seen as, at best, a resource to be extracted and exploited, and at worse, a resource to be harmed, compromised, or controlled, is frightening.

Facebook is the epitome of a website that is thoroughly and unapologetically anti-liberty, and is instead, the most illiberal and insidiously evil website of them all -- primarily because of its great and invasive power, along with its unassailable monopoly position and ubiquity; that continually lures in the innocent and gullible, so as to take these human beings, and sell them lock, stock and barrel to commercial enterprises, and wayward government agencies, while also permitting individuals of bad intent, to track and exploit those users that are in their sight, in a manner that places those users in real, imminent danger.

Facebook is Big Brother, writ large; made worse by the fact that this Big Brother essentially answers only to their god of money, and is above any and all regulations, that would hope to rein in such.  Facebook is in every facet of its being, opposed to freedom, opposed to justice, and opposed to human rights.  They mask themselves as a traitor by taking on the cloak of being on the side of social openness and communication, but their intent is to utilize that as their Trojan Horse; and to thereby undermine the fortress of all that America represents, for Facebook is in every aspect, the most traitorous and dangerous villain ever to this American republic.

The gargantuan profits of American banks, should not be so

Any country, that allows its business model, to have the coin of the realm, be controlled essentially by private enterprise, and such is regulated in a manner in which those banks, are sovereign over how and where they invest, loan, and manage money is going to be extremely beneficial not for the consumers of such, though, some may benefit; but primarily to the hand that controls that money, which is those banks.  Further, if that lax governmental regulation permits these banks to pretty much do whatever that they want, no matter how risky or extractive, in which, should they fail or become insolvent, the government, through the use of the taxpayer's money, stored or borrowed, props those banks up, because these are considered to be too big to fail, as opposed to nationalizing those banks that have lost in the capitalistic game; then those banks, are in fit, form, and function, superior to the government that is supposed to be their regulator, and that government has failed to carry out its fiduciary duty to their citizens of its republic.

For instance, JPMorgan Chase made a profit of $9.65 billion in the second quarter of 2019, which represents the biggest, profit ever, by any bank in the history of the United States.  The most troubling aspect of this profit, is the rather obvious point, that banks make their money from the loan of money so lent, through their management of the assets of individuals and corporations, as well as through their investments of their monies, so that in sum, this is primarily a zero-sum game, of which, the greater the profits of a bank such as JPMorgan Chase, the greater the extraction of money has been from the people that are clients of JPMorgan Chase.  That is to say, JPMorgan Chase, makes money from money, for their business is money in all of its myriad forms.  

Additionally, money is a quite obvious source of power, so that banks which are privileged to begin with, by being authorized to lend out money to consumers -- all at a level and leverage that they are in a commanding position to make a profit from, are able to do such, unlike individuals, because the cost of money to a commercial bank, is at a reduced and favored federal funds rate that consumers will never be privy to.  In other words, the cost of money to banks is appreciably lower than consumers will ever be able to borrow money at; in addition to banks being permitted to loan out and leverage the money that they have had deposited within their institution, through a concept known as fractional reserve banking.

Today's banks are permitted to mint as much money as they so desire when times are good; yet on the flip side of the coin when times are bad through their ill investments, mismanagement, and imprudent leverage, in which, these banks thereby suffer losses of billions upon billions of dollars; they appear to be immune to suffering the just wages of those that have made mistakes.  Because, recent history has demonstrated that this government is only too willing to prop up and to subsidize these failing banks, at the expense of every other company or individual which does not have this privileged governmental safety net; for the public is damned -- as when times are good, the banks make boatloads of money off of the American public, and when times are bad, they are subsequently bailed out by that exact same American public.

American exports

In the modern era, from 1961 through 2012, of all the nations in the entire world, America was the leading exporter of goods.  Those exports were part and parcel of what allowed America to sustain its economic growth as well as providing good paying domestic employment, of which, beginning in 2013, America ceded its top spot of exporting to China, of which it would appear, that America will never gain such ever again.  It is trade, that is the engine of growth within any nation, and when nations run deficits of huge amounts between what they import from other nations in comparison to the value of goods so exported, those nations will invariably weaken and become susceptible to losing their economic power and influence on a global scale.

For all those that believe that America is getting the best of other nations but virtue of the fact that America is trading paper money as in their dollars for real physical goods -- it must be recognized that at some point, nations that import far more than then export, will have to pay the piper, in a value that is of merit to those that are exporting to them; signifying that the United States dollar at some point, will lose its status as the global currency of choice, which will weaken the United States, financially as well as economically, for America has for far too long, rested on its laurels, not seeming to recognize that a terrible reckoning will come, sooner or later.

The truth of the matter is that nations that do a lot of exporting, and in particular, export more than they import, are nations that are becoming economically stronger and more vibrant, for they are creating goods of worth, that other countries have a desire to buy, which enriches the country that manufactures those goods.  So that, economies and societies get stronger by virtue of creating goods that are in demand by the buyers of those goods; irrespective of whether those buying those goods are doing so from their savings, or from the borrowing of money to do so.

While, one can point out the obvious that China, is a country of far greater population than America, and therefore because of having a sizeable amount of more people that labor that they should correspondingly export more goods; this misses the salient point that America is a country of great intellectual, industrial, and technological wealth, that really should not be ceding its export crown, especially in regards to exports of real substance and value, to any nation; but, in fact, just as Japan proved decades ago, China exports and manufactures goods that are the equal of, what America is able to accomplished, which signifies that  whatever advantages America once had over China, are for the most part, gone, and gone for good.

This world has become a very competitive place and this world has also become much smaller, so that those countries that are not able to adjust to this new paradigm, are those countries that will fall further behind, in which, America seems to be asleep at the wheel, and failing to understand the significance that any country that has had nothing since the inception of the 21st century but massive trade deficit imbalances in regards to its trade, is a country clearly in decline, and therefore susceptible to a  catastrophic economic collapse of epic proportion.

Towards a new sales tax

Sales taxes are added to all sorts of products, of which, this tax is usually applied only to the end user, which is the buyer of the product so being sold.  The purpose of sales taxes in general, is to help the local as well as the State government to take in monies that will thereby be allocated for services on behalf of the community such as police and fire fighters, roads, parks, and other public services.  The percentage amount of a particular sales tax so applied is legislated by that particular county and/or locality, as well as by the State the purchase is made in, which combined encompasses the entire sales tax so applied on a given sale. The amount of money collected via sales tax has a meaningful effect upon the budget of local communities and States, so sales taxes are probably not going to go away anytime soon.

However, while there are exceptions on how sales tax is applied; the general rule is if a business is physically located within a particular State and community, the prevailing rate of that State and relevant community, is the sales tax so charged; whereas businesses that do not have a physical presence within that State and community, are exempt from having to collect or to charge sales tax, under the ostensible reason that because they are not physically part of the community, that they need not pay to support such.

Yet, from a logical basis, a strong argument could be made that those businesses that are local to that community and State, should be allowed to charge a lower sales tax as opposed to those businesses that are out-of-State that thereby charge no sales tax; for the rather obvious reason, that monies that circulate within the community and State, are beneficial to the residents of that State, whereas sales that are made to out-of-State businesses, are an example of monies that are leaving the State.  That is to say, to give out-of-State businesses an advantage over local businesses seems to be rewarding the wrong business, for where the monies that consumers spend goes to, most definitely matters, and those businesses that must collect a sales tax, are at a distinct competitive disadvantage to all those other businesses that do not.

This so signifies, that local businesses rather than having to collect sales taxes at their current rate, should have those rates curtailed, and any and all businesses that are non-local in status, should be mandated to have to collect sales taxes within that community and State, for the privileged of being able to sell within those communities, in which they have no physical presence and are providing no employment to those that live within those communities.

Basically, out-of-State enterprises should not be able to get a free ride upon States that they are not an integral part of, because they are in essence, extracting money from those residents, but not actually contributing to the good welfare and infrastructure of those residents.  This signifies that local businesses should be accorded a price advantage by virtue of having to charge less in sales tax, than non-local businesses, because those that are not part of the community should not have a sales tax price advantage which allows them to more readily and to unfairly compete against those that are local to it.

Foreign waters

Upon the inception of the United States of America -- America had no real navy of any import, and therefore was at the mercy of maritime powers such as the United Kingdom when it came to international waters.  In fact, the resolution of the American Revolution would probably been markedly different, had it not been for the power and timing of the French fleet that aided the American cause.  In any event, in any era in which flight by air was unknown and inconceivable; meant that trade between nations that were separated by vast bodies of water was conducted through ships of the sea.  This thus meant that a priority of America was to develop not only ships of trade but also ships of war to therefore protect their interests. 

Additionally, ships of yesteryear were quite obviously not powered by anything other than wind, which meant that ships were susceptible to being attacked or taken over by other ships that were faster or well placed to do so. Further, within a very short distance off of the coast of Florida, lies the Caribbean islands, of which, those islands were claimed by various European powers and further to the point, the sea lying off of these islands was considered to be the territory of those islands and hence controlled by those foreign powers;  in which, any ships sailing too closely to the shore of those islands or within the bounds of the territory so claimed by those islands, was considered to have ventured into foreign waters.

So then, the fact that within a very short distance from America, were islands that were under European control, meant that the United States was in danger of possibly being attacked from those ships massing upon those islands in order to contemplate doing so.  In addition to the fact that ships so stationed there could easily be supplied and retrofitted; America also had to contend with the fact that their own ships, rightly or wrong, could be considered to have violated foreign waters, which may in and of itself, initiate some sort of retribution or even war. 

This so signified to America, that at some point, it would be important to that country's sovereignty, to thereby take control of by the purchase of, or the winning of in war, at least one of the main islands in the Caribbean; of which that island would need to be large enough to handle ship traffic, as well as having a good and safe port.  Ultimately, that indeed did happen, with Puerto Rico becoming an American territory, along with the United States Virgin Islands.  This meant that within the Caribbean, that not only did the United States now have the ability to have its own naval base, but also that within the Caribbean, the United States would no longer be at the mercy of those other nations, claiming that their territorial waters had been violated; for the United States would now be able to claim such waters as their own, and because of America's proximity to the Caribbean, be in a far stronger position to enforce such.

The seas of this world are still absolutely vital, for maritime traffic is still the way that a significant amount of international trade is conducted, of which, it is of vital importance to any nation, that the waters that they travel upon, be open and international in scope, or under their control, so that they subsequently need not ever travel wittingly within foreign waters.

Income inequality stems from unequal beginnings

America purports to be an egalitarian society, but in fit, form, and function it clearly is not.  For, when some privileged people begin their lives with a silver spoon in their mouth, by virtue of the assets and positions that their family has already obtained; whereas others are born into dysfunctional families, unsafe environments, and unqualified schools, then the end result of what will become of these people, born upon the same land, has for the most part, already been written.

While there is truth in the statement, that those that rightfully earn what they have labored for, are entitled to those fruits; there is also truth in the statement that those that have never had an opportunity or fair chance to receive and experience a good and healthy family life, a good education, or sound role models to emulate, then the fruits that they thereupon earn are surely, more times than not, a rather poor harvest. 

The solution to such income disparity is not necessarily to handicap the rich and privileged, and to thereby to hand willy-nilly to others, what they have not fairly achieved and may not be prepared to utilized in a sound and prudent matter; but rather it is for the government to duly recognize the great disparities within America, and for that government of the people to thereby do its part in truly creating a society, that lifts and aids, in particular, those boats that are in a rather perilous condition. 

This, thus means in order to achieve such, that our tax laws need to be in their implementation, effective in what they are meant to be, so that, progressive taxation, must be structured in a manner in which those that earn and have more, pay more; not only on their labor, but also in regards to passive income so earned through dividends, capital gains, and capital appreciation. Further, this government, needs to make it their principle point to address with real vigor those areas of low-income, low-opportunity, and lack of the general good necessities of life, with economic programs of sound basis to alleviate such; so that, the life-force of the impoverished and disadvantaged, is no longer sucked out of their bodies, before they have had a fair chance to make something of their lives.

A country in which the rich have everything, and are able to easily avail themselves of all that they so desire and then some; whereas the poor have nothing but debt, broken promises and broken dreams; and in which the middle class is constantly feeling the stress of just trying to maintain their status, is a formula that breeds and breathes injustice, civil unrest, and anxiousness.

The mere birth of a given individual into a given family, should not in and of itself, be the prevailing factor as to the predictable economic success or lack thereof of that individual.  Rather, each citizen birthed into this country should be entitled to a fair opportunity to develop themselves in a manner in which they have a fair shot of living up to the potential that they have within them, as opposed to the race already having been effectively run, beforehand.

America needs to do a far better job of seeing that all of its citizens are afforded a true chance to actually have a good life, with liberty and justice, as well as having the wherewithal to be able to fairly pursue their happiness.