The Federal minimum wage needs to be raised immediately

The Federal minimum wage was last raised in 2009, and as of 2022, remains at a paltry $7.25/hour, which signifies that in absence of a particular State, or county, mandating a higher minimum wage within that locale, that companies are permitted to offer jobs at the wage of $7.25/hour, to anyone that will accept such. In addition, it should be noted, that as low as that minimum wage is, that there are exceptions to the minimum wage law which permits even lower hourly compensation rates to be legal in regards to certain professions, such as for those that are tipped restaurant employees as well as for those employees that are under 20 years of age, amongst other exceptions.

The type of person that has to accept the minimum wage or a wage lower than the oft mentioned $15/hour that many organizations are pushing for as representing a living wage, are the very people that pretty much aren’t in a good position to accept anything other than what is so offered to them as their pay, and the conditions that go along with such.  While it is to the credit that some of the largest and most notable corporations in America have raised their starting wage to $15/hour or even more, we still so find, as reported by Oxfam, that “…. 31.9 percent of the U.S. workforce makes sub-$15 an hour wage,” which is a staggeringly high percentage of the American workforce, that clearly are making subsistence wages or worse.

This country has a moral obligation to its own people, to first get its own house in order, and thereby rather than spending billions upon billions of unnecessary dollars, on its “Defense” budget, and further rather than spending billions upon billions of unnecessary dollars on its unneeded space program – it should direct its concentration first and foremost on the very people that it is suppose to provide some semblance of a minimum standard of living to.  This thus signifies that the Federal minimum wage needs to be reconfigured to reflect a living wage and further that the current exceptions to not paying that new Federal minimum wage should be few and far between. 

While it isn’t easy running any business in America, the fact of the matter is, that every single one of those commercial enterprises has an obligation, in this the richest nation that the world has ever known, of paying to those that they so employ, or engage with, a living wage.   We do so note, that the wages and working conditions of American employees would be in a lot better shape and thereby wouldn’t be such a major issue within America, if the power of labor unions hadn’t been completely broken; but indeed, labor unions have been essentially eviscerated in the private enterprise sphere, with only a few notable exceptions.  This thus signifies that the Federal government, must itself step in, in order to do the right thing, by making it governmental policy that all those that labor, are entitled to receive in return for a fair day’s work, a fair day’s wage, which is so represented by that which compensates employees fairly, by a living wage. 

Free urine pregnancy tests

In an era in which the Supreme Court’s recent decision overturning Roe v. Wade, has returned to the States the right to preclude access to legal abortion, and of which some of these States have thereby made abortion illegal, or have enacted onerous conditions to such; then we do so find that a given woman’s reproductive choices have been circumscribed.  While at this point, it seems problematic or even hopeless, that the Federal government will pass legislation thereby permitting abortion to continue along the lines that had previously been in existence, over the last fifty or so years, the limits of what this Federal government could still do, does contain some options.

One of the things that is very important in regards to healthcare, is obtaining the knowledge, sooner as compared to later, of whether a given person’s potential adverse health condition, does or does not exist for them.  In other words, the sooner that a diagnosis is made about cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and so on and so forth, the sooner a plan of resolution can be developed to ameliorate such, to correct such, or to deal with such in a way and manner that is best and most efficacious for that particular patient.  Those then, on the other hand, that only see a medical practitioner, when they get to that point, in which, for instance, their cancer has metastasized, provides thus for that medical practitioner, no real good options, to successfully overcome such.

When it comes to discovering whether one is pregnant, there are known tests, such as a blood test or a urine test, that are highly accurate – in which, we do so find, that a urine test is the type of test, that can be safely done at home, without having the need of any other institution or person to assist in getting an accurate reading, when the basic instructions to such, are thereby duly followed.  This would so indicate, that in fairness, to all the women that do get pregnant, but did not desire to be pregnant, that the sooner that they become knowledgeable as to whether they are pregnant, is going to be the type of knowledge which is going to be of benefit to them.  Further to the point, there isn’t really anything precluding this government, from deciding that fair access to a urine pregnancy test, should be readily available, free of charge, to all women, within America.  In fact, it could be said, that because urine pregnancy tests are not invasive, whatsoever, and are easy to utilize, that there isn’t any good reason why all women that are capable of becoming pregnant, shouldn’t thereby test themselves, every single time when their menstrual period has been missed or basically at any point that they feel the urgency to do so.

The bottom line is that women have the fair right to know whether they are or are not pregnant, and in a situation in which time most definitely makes a difference, especially in regards to viable options -- it would behoove this federal government to do more to see that women are provided with that information, sooner as compared to later, so that decisions of volition can be made.

No standing armies

Upon the inception of what became known as the United States of America, there was plenty of debate about the need for, and the danger of, having a standing army.  After all, it has to be remembered that after the French and Indian war concluded in 1763, the British decided to keep a standing army in America, and we all know how that turned out – for soon enough, that standing army was turned against the colonists, and of which, it could be argued, that without a standing army already situated in America, a peaceful resolution between the colonists and the crown of England might well have been reached; for tyrants have a rather bad habit of exerting their control of a given population or colony through their preferential exercise of military might.

We now live in a day and age, in which, the military-industrial-technology complex is by far the biggest and most powerful institution in America, of which, the admitted budget of just the “Defense” department alone is an absolutely staggering sum of $782 billion for fiscal year 2022.  Further to the point, it doesn’t much matter who is in the Executive office, or the legislative offices, either; for the Defense budget, somehow, increases year after year after year – all in a day and age in which the United States has not declared a war through its Congress since 1942.  This so indicates, that Congress for a certainty doesn’t control or manage the Defense department, whatsoever; and the President, as Commander in Chief, seems always to have the prerequisite to keep in lockstep with Defense department demands.

So then, America, most definitely has a standing Army, a standing Navy, a standing Air Force, and standing Marines – along with all the other accouterments that go along with these armed forces and, of which, not too surprisingly, in order to somewhat justify all the billions upon billions of dollars spent on the “defense” of the United States, we do so find that America is consistently able to find all sorts of hobgoblins and menaces throughout the world, in which, rather conveniently, only the United States can resolve such, or try to resolve such, forever.

The question that isn’t often asked, but that needs to be asked, is what would so happen if there ever came that time and point in which the legislative branch stood up to the military-industrial-technology complex, or even if, the Executive office, did so.  That question needs to be answered, for in that answer, we will so find as to whether or not we have a country of the people, by the people, and for the people, or rather we have instead a nation that is effectively under the aegis and control of that military-industrial-technology complex.

Perhaps, though, the question doesn’t even need to be asked, for the answer is rather obvious.  We have, in effect, a shadow government, that actually runs this nation, for the benefit of those that actuate that shadow government, and of which, those of that shadow government, control explicitly the military-industrial-technology complex and thus anyone of real significance or any entity of real power that should ever exhibit the courage, wherewithal, or audacity to exert themselves by any means necessary against that awesome power, would, for a certainty, suffer the direst of fates.

God blessed America, and America let God down

One of the seminal anthems of America, is “God Bless America,” which is one of those patriotic hymns that makes just about any self-respecting citizen that loves their country, love it even more.  The thing is though, if we were to take this anthem literally, one might find that upon honest reflection, that America has in its bad actions and in its ill behavior, truly let God down.  For instance, America’s Declaration of Independence, along with its Constitution and the principles behind such, are some of the most noble words ever written down by any civil government, in the history of the world, but when those words, are distorted, misinterpreted, ignored, or abused, then they really don’t end up counting for all that much.

That said, one has to give credit to America, for becoming the mighty nation that it has become; but within that greatness, there are definitely some very serious character flaws that seem to be getting ever progressively worse.  That is to say, when we look at America and its influence worldwide, we see that an awful lot of that influence isn’t pushing for more democracy, civil liberties, or freedom, for others, whatsoever. But rather in its actions, American seems to, more times than not, exploit other nations in regards to the monetary policies so imposed upon them -- as well as in their exploitation of the natural resources contained within those nations or the exploitation of the people that make up those nations, or both, combined.

So too, America, seems to be rather poor in setting the good example of how a mighty nation should properly conduct its affairs, for it rather, far too often, prefers to take the route of saber rattling; along with constantly projecting to those that are either friend or foe, that it has to be America’s way or else it will be no way at all.  That in a nutshell, doesn’t seem to represent a nation that is blessed by God, at all, but seems more to reflect a nation that knows that it is the only superpower in the world, and makes the constant point, that everyone else needs to remember that well.

When we look at all the great natural resources that America has been blessed with, along with the wonderful innovations so invented and thereby created by its people, it makes for some very impressive credentials.  Yet, while a significant number of Americans are quite happy with their lot in life; we can’t help but to take note that within the borders of America, not all is well, for the underclass in America is a systemic problem which has yet to be successfully resolved or mitigated, its incarceration rate is a crying shame, and contained within its administration of justice there remains implicit, if not explicit, discrimination against the unfavored.

So then, America should be very worried if indeed it has been blessed by God, for contained within that blessing, has always been a reasonable expectation that the entity so blessed, will do and must do right by that blessing.  After all, for those in which much has been gifted, much is so expected in return.  Indeed then, there will so come that day, when a reckoning will be made, and to contemplate the fall that may so come for that which was so richly blessed, could be absolutely horrifying.

When free market capitalism becomes monopolistic

There is a lot to be said that is good about free market capitalism; of which, perhaps the best thing that could be said, is that competitiveness, without any favoritism or an unfair advantage built-in, is definitely going to bring out the best in those so competing against one another, because within that construct, we so find that each company has to therefore be very, very good at what they are so doing in just about every aspect of that business, or else some other company is probably going to surpass or supersede the other, in which therefore the ultimate prime beneficiaries of that sort of competitiveness is going to be the general public.

Regrettably, at the highest echelons of the biggest and most powerful corporations that are headquartered in the United States, these companies, almost without exception, aren’t exemplars whatsoever of free market capitalism; but rather represent in practice, corporations that desire, more than anything, to do everything that they possibly can, to preclude other companies from infringing upon their turf by, for instance, barriers of entry, or rules and regulations structured to favored them, or by collusion with others in the same nature of business, or by buying out or merging with other upstarts or innovators, or pretty much doing whatsoever has to be done to tilt the playing field, to being perpetually set in their favor.

Typically, when a corporation first starts out, that corporation is going to be innovative, with employees of that company, willing to work long, smart, and hard, because they understand well that within a competitive environment, that resting on one’s laurels isn’t a good move, and also it isn’t realistic to expect customers to rush up to their door, to buy their product or service, without having made first a strong concerted effort to win their business.  This thus signifies that corporations have to really put forth the effort to get the return that they so desire and of which, that good and justified return, may be a long time in coming – without any guarantee that it will so come, or even be sustained.

Not too surprisingly, for all those people and corporations that work hard to get to a good place, there is a tendency at some point in the process, in which there comes the conscious recognition that free market capitalism isn’t really the type of environment that lends itself well to secure profits and growth.  This then is the moment in which there are truly two roads that diverge, and the one that so many of these behemoth corporations ultimately take is that one in which, they recognize that more profit and growth is going to be enabled if they circumvent competition and free markets, by deliberately gaming the system in specific ways that benefits them, above all else.

There are many that defend this biased and bastardized version of capitalism, because as partisans to such, they are the very people, that as executives, or stockholders, or highly valued employees, or those that have a vested interest in a particular corporation and its success, for whatever reason, want what they want, because they are the beneficiaries to it.  The thing is, though, that isn’t free market capitalism, and the more companies that are monopolistic in nature, or collude with one another, leads directly to more money being unfairly extracted from the general public.

What kind of freedom do you want?

When it comes to America, one of the very first things that most people believe that America best represents, is freedom.  However, what so many people get so wrong, is their misunderstanding of what freedom actually is – because there are an awful lot of people, that believe that freedom somehow signifies, that each one of us is free to do whatever that we want to do, whenever we feel like doing it.  Of course, if that was what freedom really represented, then we would be living within a society in which basically anything goes; because each person would thereby be free to do their own thing, even seemingly when such conflicted with sensible laws, other people, and good ethics.

In actuality, in most people’s saner moments, they intuitively recognize that freedom must entail some corresponding amount of responsibility that each one of us has to fully buy into, or else our society would inevitably decay into chaos.  That is to say, any time that our freedom or our rights are conflicting with some other person’s freedom or rights, there has to be some sort of middle ground, that recognizes that each person’s freedom is going to have to be circumscribed, so that the road is thereby able to handle well, two-way traffic.  Further to the point, freedom necessitates some degree of perspective and equality, in the recognition that all of the freedom and rights that we so demand be respected for ourselves; must logically be respected in the other person or institution, as well.

The above basically signifies that any rights or freedom that we so have, necessitates that we have, in turn, an incumbent duty to that right or freedom.  In other words, rights and freedom, so exercised, are going to have consequences to such; and those then that do not recognize that they must own up to those consequences have clearly not understood or have misunderstood what rights and freedom actually represent.  In short, in order to enjoy best our freedom, we must utilize such in a responsible fashion, or else we will invariably suffer the consequences for misusing such.

So then, each person should ask themselves the important question as to what kind of freedom that they so want.  If they want total freedom, without limits, whatsoever; this can best be found in societies in which there is absolutely no rule of law -- though pretty much, the strong will invariably end up exerting themselves over the weak.  For all those that want freedom, but are scared that they might get hurt or find themselves taken advantage of, then they are going to have to live within a society in which there is not only a vibrant rule of law, but such a rule of law must also work in harmony with the justice department and policing arm of the state, that thereby enforces that law in an equal and equable manner, so that the rights and freedom that each is fairly entitled to answers to the incumbent responsibilities that each person is obligated to.

Ultimately, each one of us, desired or not, are responsible agents for our individual lives; and to the degree that we are free to choose, we must thereby own up to those personal choices, as the fair taxation of what freedom so entails.

Abortion does not cause mental harm

In the world, as estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO), there are approximately forty to fifty million abortions performed each calendar year.  So then, this would presuppose that all these women undergoing abortions, would then, if abortion was a proximate cause of mental harm, be suffering quite a bit, worldwide, year after year after year.  Not only that, but abortion has been legal for a considerable amount of time, so if abortion did really create mental harm for women, this would then be clear and obvious to those doing such a survey or research of the same.

The fact of the matter is rather obvious, that abortion does not cause mental harm; and if there is to be mental harm, such would be more frequently seen not in those having undergone a successful abortion, but rather it would be those that desired to have an abortion, but were denied access to such.  In other words, it is the lack of women having good and fair access to abortion, that creates for them, more trouble, then for all those others that were able to secure an abortion without any undue trouble.  Of course, there are always going to be exceptions to this general rule, but the reality is, that those seeking an abortion, are typically quite serious and clearheaded about accomplishing what they came in to so do.

None of this means that it's necessarily wrong for well-meaning outsiders to want to make the case to individual women, that a fetus, given enough time, becomes a child; but in fairness to all those that are contemplating an abortion, it is, after all, their physical body, and in this modern age, those of age, should be provided with the fair opportunity to make their own personal choice in regards to their body, and thereby their reproductive choice. 

The main problem with so many of those that are anti-abortion, is not that they care for human life, or not that they care for the potential of human life contained with a given woman's uterus; but rather their main error is they make it their point, to basically come across as if they are personally on a crusade.  There are, alas, many things one could have a crusade about, some of which are probably good, and some of which, are probably bad.  What the anti-abortion activists seem to get so wrong, is that they believe that they have the right to control the sovereign body of another – of which they claim they are doing this for the best of reasons – in order to defend the life of the unborn; not seeming to realize that in order to do that, they must supersede the volition of another person's sovereignty.

In life, people have all sorts of regrets, and undoubtedly, for those that seek and thereby receive an abortion they have already weighed their options and the consequences, so of, in their mind –  so then, to believe that they then have emotional regrets about the decision so made, isn't supported by the evidence, which clearly shows that when placed in an unenviable position of personal difficulty, women are going to make the decision that makes the most sense for them, and they are, just fine with that.

Lincoln and colonization

A given man should of a right, be most appropriately judged in accordance with the times of their existence on this good earth.  That is to say, even the most liberal of past politicians, the most fair-minded of such, and the most astute, were they to be judged by contemporary standards, may indeed be found wanting, or insensitive, or of some degree of disappointment.  So then, in true fairness to those that governed and lived within earlier times, it is best to take into full account, that modern-day standards, protocols, and expectations are probably not the most proper way to render a fair and just picture, of what and who a person really was in their own day and time.

When it comes to Lincoln, he clearly was of the persuasion that the fairest and safest way to deal with those that were enslaved or had been enslaved, was to provide for these unfortunate exploited and abused people when freed, some sort of safe sanctuary, that would be in the form of a country or a nation, that was to be completely separate from the United States.  This belief, was not based out of malice, but was simply the fair reflection of Lincoln’s experience of seeing how set in their ways, those of the southern aristocratic mindset were -- about their inherent superiority to their slaves, and further their belief that no real white man of self-respect, could ever feel that a black man had any rights that a white man need ever respect; which thereby left absolutely no quarter for those of the black race; and further, signified that it was doubtful that there could ever be any future semblance of equality between black and white, or even a basic civility between such.  Further to the point, those thus lacking literacy as well as monetary assets, were never going to be in a very good position, to have a safe, secure, and vibrant life, in this capitalistic nation.

Yet, when Lincoln actually released his Emancipation Proclamation, we do so find, that nary a word about colonization was contained within it; which thereby begs the point that deep within the psyche of Lincoln was the understanding that those that were brought here against their will, and further were thereby forced into enslavement, and of which the enslaved man had served his white master for two hundred and fifty years without compensation or justice -- had through their generations of unrequited toil of blood, sweat, and tears, surely earned the fair right, to call this land, their land, should they be so inclined to do so.

It takes a strong man to say and to do the right thing, especially when that man is a politician; of which, it was incumbent upon that President, to go then just far enough, but never to go too far, because the coalition of those disparate peoples so fighting for that union of States, had to stay united, so as to overcome those that had the audacity to secede from the union, as their response of having lost at the ballot box. 

So then, judge Lincoln, for having been the instrument to abolish slavery, while also posthumously being the impetus to see that all people, regardless of race or servitude, were fairly entitled to life, liberty, and the equal protection of the law.

Seek truth, above all

There are an infinite number of things that each one of us, could decide to seek; but for all those that so desire to cut to the chase, or to shatter the illusion that precludes us from knowing for a certainty, what the meaning of life really is, then those of that serious and searching ilk, need to seek for the truth, above all. 

As much as today’s world tries to impress upon people, that truth can be relative, or that truth is in the eye of the beholder and that therefore one person’s truth may be different from another person’s truth, of which, each then can thereby claim the merit of having truth on their particular side; that type of nonsense holds absolutely no water when it comes down to the actual truth.  While this world may indeed sell the illusion that truth is relative, and that each person is thereby entitled to their own truth; this is at best looked upon as something akin to “in the land of the blind, the one-eye man is king.”  What is left unsaid, though, is what so happens to that one-eye king when he faces off against another king who uses well his two eyes, so as to take in perspective, because that two-eye king has depth perception, and the one-eye king, does not.

It almost goes without saying that those that do not wish to hear the truth, or to seek for the truth, so as to then therefore find the truth; are quite obviously either simple of mind, or for some reason, they take comfort in living within a construct of that which does not represent truth, and they thereby recognize that fact or care not to give credence to it.  Sooner or later, though, whether a given person wants to, or not, each of us has to face the truth of who and what we really are.  Those then, that understand that each one of us is called to seek truth, and then to go about to find and thereby live to that truth, are those that are getting ever closer to where they need to be; whereas, those that blissfully care not -- are stuck in a never ending cycle of light and darkness, birth and death, love and hate, war and peace -- until either they shake off their lethargy or perhaps have someone or something that finally arouses their sensibility, so that they can get about the business that there were meant to deal with, from the beginning.

Then, alas, there are those others, who are bright minded, or exceedingly so, but have within their character a distinct flaw in which they just don’t want to countenance that they themselves are not equal to their Creator, which creates for them, much anguish and resentment.  For these souls, the truth is most definitely known, but that truth is battled against, again and again, to time immemorial, for they don’t want to surrender to that which they must surrender to, but prefer instead to rebel, and even worse, to take as many souls as they can with them, in a battle which they are all preordained to lose.  It is these troubling souls, that though they ultimately go down to defeat, that still get some perverse joy, from having convinced credulous others, that truth is not only not knowable, but even if it was, it’s not worth adhering to.

Dental hygiene is the dividing between those that have and those that have not

In America, there are an impressive amount of people that not only have a beautiful smile, but also have teeth and gums that are in excellent condition.  While genetics do play an important role in our dental outcome, the most salient reason why some people do so well with their teeth as compared to those that don’t, really comes down to the critical fact that those that schedule regular dental visits, are able to not only to get their teeth cleansed, and their plaque removed, but also by virtue of that visit, one’s mouth, teeth, and gums are thereby examined; in which, it must be noted that one’s mouth represents a gateway to often discovering other bodily ills that first are reflected in a person’s mouth.  After all, the food that we take in for nourishment, has to go through our mouth, and that food that we need to eat, has to be masticated with our teeth, and those then that have bad teeth and gums, are prone to also not being in robust health.

As important as dental hygiene is, we do so find that in America, that dental care is typically a separate piece of healthcare coverage, that is thereby segregated from general healthcare; and in an era, in which many people and a significant number of families, struggle to just make ends meet, people often ignore the necessity of getting that dental healthcare.  Additionally, when a given individual visits a medical doctor, though they may well be probed, and though they may well have to endure a prick of their skin to extract blood; we find that for the most part, people don’t really dread visiting their medical doctor, because though they might be uncomfortable for a brief period of time, they are in sum, usually still within their comfort zone.  On the other hand, people’s gum and teeth are typically sensitive, and virtually nobody likes to have a sharp instrument being utilized inside their mouth, that often hurts and makes them feel uncomfortable – not to mention, as well, the discomfort of having to keep one’s mouth opened for an extended period of time.  So then, it’s fair to state, that while most people are okay with visiting a medical doctor or a medical facility, they, for the most part, at best, barely endure seeing a dentist.

So then, because seeing a dentist, is typically going to be an event which entails some degree of pain and discomfort, the fact that healthcare plans often don’t include dental coverage, makes it even easier for some people to come to the wrong conclusion, that perhaps dental healthcare really isn’t all that important, after all.  On the other hand, those that have money, or have budgeted the money, in the recognition that dental healthcare is important, and further to the point, believe that having a nice smile, serves the dual purpose of being beneficial as well as pleasing to have, make sure that they diligently take care of all their dental needs, pain or no pain.  This thus signifies, that in America, one way to quickly ascertain how a given individual is actually doing, without having to look at their bank account, or their job position, or anything of that sort, is to look at the condition, or lack thereof, of their teeth and of their smile; and of which, we do so find, that those that are succeeding and are of good health, will invariably have a smile that reflects such; and those that have been left behind and are struggling, won’t.

Wars, refugees, and those that remain

There are far too many wars, civil or otherwise in the world, today; and of which, it is a truism that people that are in war zones are by the very nature of that war -- typically precluded from maintaining their normal course of business.  This so signifies that because wars are so often quite destructive, tragic, and horrifying, that the civilians that are not directly part of that war, will frequently find themselves to be in the middle of quite a quandary.

There are a lot of issues in regards to war, that affect the everyday life of those that are the denizens of those war zones.  For instance, just about everything, that people take for granted, is thereby subject to being disrupted, if not consistently disrupted during war, especially when it comes to food, electricity, rest, income, healthcare, education, and safety.  This so means that, for example, for those that are students, wars have an unfortunate habit of interrupting such education; and for those that need a steady income in order to procure the typical accouterments that families have a need of, we do so find, that wars disrupt this, as well.

So then, for those in war zones, in which a resolution, one way or another, preferred or not preferred, does not appear to be forthcoming; or in those situations in which the writing is most definitely on the wall; and of which for these particular foresighted people they know for a certainty that their lives are going to be affected in the most negative of ways, then the go-to solution for them is going to consist of seriously looking at exiting their current place of residency and thereby finding somewhere else, that is preferably far safer and more stable, instead.  In fact, it can be said, that those that are more knowledgeable about such things, are the very people that typically do not wait until they are hopelessly behind the eight ball, in order to take the necessary steps to enact their move.

Not too surprisingly, the very people that are most inclined to escape a bad situation before it gets even worse, are going to be those that are connected, informed, and educated, while typically also having a reasonable sum of monetary resources to draw upon.  In other words, the best and brightest, are often going to be the first in line, to leave their country of residency, sooner as compared to later; for they correctly realize that those that dilly dally too long, are going to find out to their lasting regret, that delay equates to much more trouble.

This thus means that wars can serve as a means to separate the best from all the rest; thereby leaving behind the poorest, the ill-educated, the infirm, the troubled, and the elderly, who don't have the same set of options to avail themselves of.  So too, once that war is resolved, or reaches an impasse, the country, itself, is clearly not going to be the same – not only for all the destruction, death, and injury that has occurred, but also because the very makeup of the people so left behind, represent to a strong degree the most vulnerable of the population, which seldom bodes well for the successful return of that nation into some semblance of a country that is on the rise.

The era of one-term Presidents is pretty much over

President William Clinton served two terms as President, who was thereby followed by President George W. Bush who also served two terms, and then by Barack Obama, who served two terms, as well.  Though that streak was broken in the Presidential election of 2020, it is fair to state, that Presidents in today’s era are more inclined to be re-elected then they were, when for eight successive Presidencies, after the two-term President, Andrew Jackson, we note that none of those thereafter, who became President had a second term, until the advent of Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln’s administration was a unique administration, for his administration had to forcefully deal with the seceding of several States of that Union, and of which, the response of that President, was to thereby issue a Proclamation, stipulating that such a seceding was too powerful to subdue through the ordinary course of judicial proceedings, and that therefore as Commander in Chief, it was the obligation, of that President, to thereby take the necessary steps to defend the union by issuing a call for 75,000 volunteers so as to help form a powerful Union army, to thus wage war against those that had attacked Fort Sumter, so as to best defend that Union of States, and the Constitution, so of.

We so find, that if those eight Presidents that had preceded Lincoln, were considered to be weak in the Executive office, that Lincoln, on the other hand, indeed made the Executive office something to be reckoned with.  First, in regards to the Judicial branch, and in particular, the Supreme Court, we find that it was that Supreme Court, that decided in May of 1861, that Lincoln did not have the right to suspend habeas corpus, of which Lincoln’s response to that was to ignore that Supreme Court decision, and to keep habeas corpus suspended, as so needed, during that civil war.  It was not that Lincoln believed that the Executive branch was above the law, but rather Lincoln was of the opinion, that the interpretation of that law, should not solely be done by an unelected Supreme Court, and further to the point, Lincoln could not afford either the time or the effort, to prove the point, that abject obedience to poorly reasoned law, could in itself, lead to the very downfall of that government, which as President, he was sworn to protect and to defend.  Secondly, Lincoln did not hesitate to see that Southern ports were blockaded to preclude war materials from being imported to them, as well as to prevent cotton and other southern goods from being exported.  Also, it was Lincoln that saw to it that appropriate monies were issued so as to increase the manpower size of the army and navy; and finally, without Congressional approval, Lincoln issued his famous Emancipation Proclamation, thereby freeing those so enslaved in those States that were still in a state of rebellion.

In today’s America, Presidents so being elected, are in almost every case, so done with the anticipation, that they will seek a second term; of which, the process of seeking that second term, seems to coincide almost with their very first day in office.  It seems to be, that because the Executive office consists of just one person; and whereas, the Legislative branches are not only bicameral in nature, but also consist of a multitude of representatives with all sorts of different agendas and experiences -- that the smart money wants to back the same horse for two-terms, or eight years, in order to best get done what they so desire to get done through that Executive that often seems to have the power to get it done.

Nuclear energy is underutilized

There all sorts of debates and discussions about the sources of energy, that nations need in order to sustain themselves; and of which, the question of the moment, seems to be, what is the most appropriate thing to do about the negative impact of greenhouse gas and CO2 emissions that are thereby contributing to undesirable climate change. The most sensible answer seems to be nuclear energy, of which the fundamental thing about nuclear energy is that it is a proven and reliable energy source, and for instance, in countries, such as France, it represents the majority of where that nation so generates its energy. In short, nuclear energy, alone amongst all the other energy choices, is reliable, cost-effective, scalable, and storable; in addition to the fact that it produces zero greenhouse gas or CO2 emissions.

That said, there are plenty of people and organizations, that are anti-nuclear, of which, on one side are all those that believe that all the energy that a given country actually needs can reliably come from renewable sources, so defined as biomass, solar, geothermal, hydropower, and wind. The reality is that, when it comes to energy, and especially things such as electricity, people and industries demand that such not only be reliable, but also that it needs to be instantaneous, and that which has been currently defined as renewable, does not now and probably will not ever, be able to successfully fulfill those fundamental requirements. Then there are those on the other side that are anti-nuclear, mainly because the companies and utilities that best represent nuclear, are correspondingly taking away business from coal companies, oil companies, and natural gas companies, signifying that those that directly compete against nuclear energy, do not thereby wish to lose profit and market share to nuclear.

The world, needs energy in order to sustain itself as a modern world, of which, humankind has demonstrated its great ability and knowhow to create the means to make energy through all of the standard ways that we so see today. Not too surprisingly, the amount of monies, investment, and profit to be made in the energy markets is gargantuan, and those that currently have market share are not wont to give up what they already have, come hell or high water. So then, the lobbyists for what has been labeled clean and renewal energy have their own agenda to pursue; and those that have been providing the bulk of the carbon intensive energy to this nation and to the world, over the last century or so, want to continue to support and even to augment their resources so as to remain the only real game in town.

This thus explains why nuclear energy has not achieved as great as market share as it deserves to represent, which is especially distressing in an era in which greenhouse gas emissions, CO2 emissions, and climate change still represent issues that seriously need to be responsibly addressed. It would seem, then, that the best answer to a lot of the concern about climate change, as well as the need for reliable energy can be resolved most appropriately by the continued use and expansion of nuclear energy, and of which, if more nations would make that use a real priority, and then some, this would help to alleviate a lot of the ills that plague us in regards to climate change.

The United States government and immigration enforcement

We read at americanprogress.org, that the American government in 2012 expended more money on immigration enforcement, than it did on “…its combined spending on the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Secret Service, Marshals Service, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.”  While it certainly makes sense that America should want to keep its borders secure, it is also fair to say, that the immigrants crossing the border, are typically those that are desiring to improve their lot in life, and thereby have a strong inclination to be law abiding and to subsequently work hard so as to prove themselves worthy of being in this nation.

One of the things, that is pointed out, again and again by pundits, is that unauthorized immigration into the United States, is illegal.  However, what we so find, and of which this is somewhat ignored, is that the reason that so many immigrants desire to come to the United States, is because America at its finest, embodies opportunity, equality, fairness, and hope.  So then, it certainly makes sense for people that live in close proximity to the United States but find themselves stuck within hopeless situations that compromises their opportunity for success, or of safety, or of education, to desire to find a sanctuary for themselves and their progeny.

Further to the point, if capitalism and the American way, is the supposed ideal of what a country should want to be and also to represent; then it certainly makes sense for that nation to welcome all comers, because the more people that are denizens of the United States, the more secure and the more economically powerful the United States, so becomes.  That is to say, the more people contained within a nation, that are willing to apply themselves and to work hard at their job, and even to take on jobs that most native-born Americans care not for, the better that will be for that nation. 

America should be feeling good, that so many people are voting with their feet, by desiring to come here.  But rather than feeling good about such, America’s immigration enforcement has determined that the most appropriate way to look upon those illegally entering the United States, is to see them as having violated the law, and thereby to treat them, effectively as criminals, with thereby oppressive carceral conditions placed upon these illegal immigrants in which justice is never swift, and that justice is seldom fair. 

The thing about those that are trying to immigrate to America, without expressed authorization, is that we need to remember that these are not only human beings, but typically are human beings that are quite willing to do their good part in working hard, paying taxes, and thereby being of overall benefit for this country.  To take these vulnerable people, and to treat them in a way and manner in which their humanity is discounted or effectively ignored, is not only not appropriate, but it isn’t even necessary, from this the supposed land of liberty and freedom.

In this land, we are led to believe that those have pluck, hustle, and determination as part of their makeup, are the type of people, that we should admire.  There should then, thereby, be more accommodation of those people that have risked all, to have something of meaning in their life, of which, virtually all those that illegally immigrate to America are not asking for a handout, but merely are trying to get a toehold into that land that claims to welcome those so yearning to be free.

The East India Company and today's corporate power

In 1600, Queen Elizabeth I issued a royal charter to the East India Company, essentially permitting that company to conduct business of behalf of the crown, on a for-profit basis, in which the shareholders would be the beneficiaries of that success, and of which, the English crown permitted the East India Company to create its own army and navy – thereby signifying that it was permitted to take up arms if need be, make treaties, sign contracts, and also to enforce taxation upon other nations as all being part and parcel of its makeup.  In other words, the East India Company could conduct its business, essentially any way that it best saw fit, with the intent that by having that power, it would ultimately be of benefit to its shareholders as well as to the English crown.

All of the above basically makes good business sense, since governments are always in the need of treasure, trade, and monies – so that, it's fair to say that generals are at best, very good at making war, but probably not so good at extracting profit or exploiting resources out of foreign lands; whereas, corporations that are structured in which the shareholders are for a certainty, expecting a good return on their investment, are more flexible in understanding that while a sheep can be shorn numerous times, it can only be skinned, once.

In today's world, corporate power has never been stronger, and never has so much business been done by corporations that are being transacted outside of their home base.  There are many mega-corporations that are absolutely dependent upon foreign trade, foreign resources, and foreign labor; and of which if any of such as that is upset, it upsets their profit and their business model, as well.  Fortunately, for the United States, their military is not only the preeminent military might in the world, but it is also global. Additionally, we so find that for these important mega-corporations, that the military seems to be available for them, at their behest, essentially free of charge; though, of course, the costs for that military has to be borne somewhere, of which, primarily it rests heavily upon today's as well as tomorrow’s taxpayers.

This thus signifies that one of the reasons why this government gets militarily involved in so many foreign affairs, is to make sure that something, for example, as vital as oil as it is held in the middle east, is implicitly controlled or managed by the United States.  So too, when it comes to other foreign lands that have critical minerals, it is necessary that the governance of these nations be structured in a way in which, their government is in lockstep and thereby in compliance with American business desires.  That is to say, the game plan of America is to see that all avenues remain open for American corporations, to the degree that such can be accomplished; in which, by doing so, profits can be extracted and exploited from foreign lands, in every way so possible, which makes for good corporate profits, and provides justification as to why America carries such a big stick.

Facial recognition software and the police state

In general, most people, want to believe that just because they are out in public, that they aren’t at the same time susceptible to being tracked via facial recognition software, as to their personal identity. That is to say, most people desire to go about their business, without feeling that they are always being watched, or are liable to being watched. While law enforcement cries out for the continual “need” for this or that tool to reduce crime, or for public safety – we do so find that in reality, what law enforcement wants is often in lockstep of what one would find in the most restrictive of police states and further to the point, a population that is continually under watch, is a population that is not truly free in their movements or their activities.

There are a lot of valid reasons why we should be concerned about the probable abuse of facial recognition software, which is that, by virtue of that facial recognition software, particular people of interest, can thus literally be followed as they go about their business from one place to another, which thereby includes their interactions with other people, who then are also thereby subject to being tracked by that same facial recognition software, ad infinitum. Those that truly believe that life is better, because they will be safer, when everyone of some degree of suspicion is continually tracked, don’t seem to realize that the very tool that could, in theory, be of benefit to them, can also be turned against them, at the most inopportune time, should they themselves or the people that they are associated with, stray away from the prevailing norm of behavior so expected out of them.

Those that are in law enforcement are prone to selling all sorts of narratives, of which, there is always going to be that one more thing, that will help make everybody safer, and will help solve crime; but what is seldom discussed, is the true price that we as a people will pay in regards to the sacrifice of our liberty and of our freedom. Not to mention the inconvenient fact that facial recognition software is the very same tool that clearly creates an American construct in which equality under the law, fairness, and justice, will quite obviously take a backseat to the pursuit of safety, reduction of crime, and the surveillance state.

Those of the public that cry out the loudest for the need of facial recognition software, along with those so utilizing such, as in law enforcement, should themselves be on the frontline of what it actually feels like to be tracked, monitored, and followed, all of the time, when they are out and about in the public sphere. There are many a thing that a given person does, which can be at a minimum, misconstrued by those that have an agenda to pursue. That is to say, those that seem to feel that they have absolutely nothing to hide, might so find, that an embarrassing public conversation so monitored, or an unanticipated confrontation, or a noted visit to some agency or to someone that they thought would be held confidential, are the very type of things that they might well rue being publicized; for when we as a people, are always tracked, everything is subject to being known.

Felony arrest and mandatory DNA

In this nation, one is presumed innocent, unless found guilty in a court of law. Yet, we do so find, that the policing arm of some individual States, or those people that are under federal custody, have effectively added more tools to their arsenal, which serves to place all people within those States or of federal custody under the strong possibility that a given felony arrest, will subject those so accused to mandatory DNA being extracted from their person. To date, we find that for federal charges, as well as in certain States, court law, has determined that DNA samples from those arrested under a felony charge, is considered to be permissible as part of the standard booking procedure by law enforcement within that State or federal jurisdiction.

Again, it is important to point out, that it is one thing to sample DNA from a given person convicted of a crime, and it is an entirely different thing to sample DNA from someone that has not been yet convicted, may not ever be convicted, and in fact, may have the charges laid against that person, be subject to being amended, reduced, or eliminated at some future stage. In other words, it is never a crime to be arrested; or even to be arrested for a serious crime; for not only are mistakes made in regards to who is or who isn’t arrested, but also circumstances of what has occurred or has not occurred in regards to a given crime can easily change, as more actionable information comes to light, or when such is investigated in more detail. Further to the point, when it comes to probable cause, those that create such probable cause, are quite capable of presenting such cause in a way and manner, in which the background of such a decision is skewed in favor of that probable cause being justified, even when in the light of the day, such probable cause when seen by neutral eyes demonstrates such as being mainly manufactured.

The presumption of innocence, is an important right, contained within American law, and therefore any and everything that takes away from that presumption of innocence, is one step further away from liberty and one step closer to a police state. Again and again, those agencies and institutions that have information and of which, the general public is not privy to that data, or even how that information is subject to being utilized, are at an extreme disadvantage to all those agencies having such data. A given person’s DNA is a form of identity, that is unalienable to them, and therefore should be theirs to decide as to whether or not they so desire to divulge such, to policing agencies, or any other institution, for that matter. So then, to be compelled by State or Federal law, to give up one’s DNA, for a felony arrest, is a very dangerous precedent, that should not be countenanced, under any circumstances.

In short, the more DNA that governmental agencies are allowed to collect from people, no matter what the circumstances are that permits such, the easier that it thereby comes for that government, to thereby decide to collect as much DNA evidence that can be collected at a given crime scene, and then utilize their DNA database to arrest any and everyone that shows up upon that list, of which, each of those people, aren’t really going to be presumed innocent, at all; but, in fact, are by those policing agencies, presumed guilty, with now the burden of proof of them, to explicate why their DNA was there

Governments save corporations but won’t save their own citizens

There are all types of businesses in America, and all types of business conditions to deal with for those businesses; of which, throughout the history of the United States, there have been crises of one type of another, in which some of those corporate institutions are backstopped and thereby saved by that government; whereas, some others are not saved and thereby go bankrupt. The given reason why any banking institution, or auto company, is saved, is said usually to be based upon the stability so needed for the continuance of the country’s economy, and to a lesser extent, to “save” jobs. While indeed it might make sense to save some of these corporate entities, a very strong argument could be made, that corporations that are functionally insolvent, no matter the excuse, should in a capitalistic nation, go bankrupt; with the only real option for governments to avail themselves of, instead, is for those corporations that are deemed to be “too big to fail,” or of national significance, to be nationalized as their just punishment for their failure to maintain prudent business practices so as to remain solvent.

So then, we so find that those well-placed corporations who have undue influence upon important governmental officials, and that are also able to create a narrative that makes sense, have a fairly good chance of being saved by that government, which is obviously very beneficial for those saved corporations, because, unlike a given individual citizen, they are afforded the opportunity to thereby continue as a going concern. When it comes to the common people of America, we do so find, that the people, are virtually never bailed out, ever. Rather, if a given person is suffering credit card debt, which they are unable to timely pay, they then will not only have that credit revoked, but are subsequently subject to being harassed or even sued to collect the funds so owed to that credit banking institution. So too, when a given person is unable to make their car note payment, that vehicle is subject to being taken from that individual’s possession, and then to subsequently recover such a vehicle thereby requires the payment of corresponding repossession fees and other assorted penalties, and if that payment is not forthcoming, the individual has forfeited that vehicle, along with being subject to being harassed or even sued to collect the funds so considered to be owed upon that vehicle. Additionally, should a homeowner fall behind on their mortgage payment, the mortgage lender, has the right to foreclose upon that homeowner, and thereby to evict the homeowner from the home and then to take over possession, of that home. Finally, for those with student loans, that have been unable to make their mandatory student loan payment, and have no forbearance upon such, we do so find, that a lot of those students’ loan monies are subject to being extracted from Federal IRS refunds so being expected for that taxpayer.

In short, many individuals, have debts and obligations, somewhat akin to what businesses have to deal with; with the important exception that some of those businesses have received bailouts of one trillion dollars, or thereabouts; but individuals on the other hand, are left to suffer their own fate, without often any consideration be taken into account of extenuating circumstances, the economy, the wages so being paid, unemployment, their health, or anything else of merit. What we so find, is that when it comes to well-placed mega corporations, they are permitted to make as much profit as they can when times are good, and when they mess up, the government has their back; but when it comes to the common man, the only deal that they seem to get is always the same “raw” one.

Is this really a government of, for, and by the people?

All governments seem to have citizens that complain about this or that; of which, in some of those governments, because they are totalitarian, dictatorships, or similar, such complaints are often done sotto voce; whereas in republics and democracies those so complaining are prone to being rather vociferous and demonstrative in their complaints.  However, it may so be, we do so find that complaining about governmental policies and implementations, is something that seems ever endless, often without any real satisfaction, for any party, as if those that are our elected representatives, aren’t ever listening to those that voted them in.  That is to say, in those governments in which the people have the ballot box, the elections are free and open, and the debates are part of the process, would seem to be, all things considered, the type of construct in which at a minimum, the people of the party so winning, would be satisfied; but such satisfaction when it does so come, typically seems transitory and never secure.  In other words, part of the continuing tension and discord that one sees in a country such as the United States, is the fact that neither of the two major political parties, seems to be in complete lockstep with its adherents, and further to the point, the people of those parties, often feel almost irrelevant to such.

So then, what we so have is a situation, in which, despite the vote, that for all intents and purposes, the government so in charge, isn’t really of the people, by the people, and for the people, at all; but seems to have a mind of its own, instead.  That is also the very reason why all the desired change that people expect and want, year in and year out, never seems to ever occur, because those that believe that they have voted for that change, clearly themselves aren’t personally in charge, nor do we so find that the legislative representatives so meant to represent the people, are actually doing what was so expected of them as their sworn duty, by their constituency, either.  Indeed, then, the reason that there is so much complaining, which never goes away, really comes down to the fact, that the people have been cheated out of their own governance, which is the very first principle of what such governance was appropriately created for in the first place.

In truth, governing isn’t really all that difficult, when such governance takes into full account that its primary purpose is to promote the general welfare of the people.  For if that government was doing that very thing, then the complaining so being done, would be getting ever less in volume, for a satisfied people is the very same people that not only have no compelling reason to complain, but also are the very same ones that will praise the wisdom and fortitude of that good governance.  So then, a nation of complainers, is an unhappy nation; and further to the point, represents a nation, in which the people are not an integral part of such governance, which thereby makes them ever prone, with justification, to complain.

The forgotten Kerner Commission of 1968

In response to the 1967 inner-city riots, President Johnson created the Kerner Commission to ascertain as to what the problems and exacerbations were that served to create the foundation for inner-city violence and their subsequent destructive riots, and thereby what could be successfully done by that government to ameliorate such in the future. The Kerner Commission was the best of commissions in the sense that the government really did want to know what could reasonably be done to help make America a better place for all of its citizens. The Kerner Commission report made it clear that discrimination, segregation, lack of opportunity, ill-education, poor housing as well as inadequate infrastructure, along with a police force that often conducted itself in minority areas as an occupying force were the elements that led to the frustration and thereby the kindling of those riots; of which, we do so find, that over fifty years later, that a lot of the very same problems so identified by that esteemed commission, have not only not been rectified, but are arguably even more entrenched and worse, then they were back then.

It isn’t so much that America hasn’t made any progress in regards to the fair treatment of its minority citizens, of which, there are many areas that can easily be pointed to that are indicative that progress has indeed been made. The problem is that, there are apparently intractable issues in regards to the purposeful segregation of those that are the poorest and most vulnerable of our citizens, into enclaves of ghettoized poverty, devoid of hope, devoid of promise, and devoid of opportunity. For these citizens, that are caught in an endless cycle of poverty and dreams denied almost at birth, we find that no good progress has been made, whatsoever.

It is well to remember that this nation is the richest nation that the world has ever known, but to its lasting disgrace and shame, it tries to paint the picture that equality, justice, opportunity, and fairness is really part and parcel of its everyday life, when in virtually any major city within this nation, there is quite obviously a subset of its own citizens, that are treated in a manner in which they are not respected, and these people are absolutely forlorn in every possible definition of that word. These poor discriminated people are the forsaken and the forgotten -- except when it comes to making quota on arrests so done by the policing arm of the state.

A lot of the success or lack of success in America, really comes down to the neighborhood that a given individual grows up in. All children are born with a desire to learn, and to become something of merit in their respective lives, and when that desire is properly nurtured and has the infrastructure that supports such, mostly good things occur. On the other hand, when those dreams are basically snuffed out in the cradle, then what so happens, is a significant portion of those that live within this construct of American democracy, have a promissory note that not only has not been paid in full, but basically have a promissory note that is bogus, fraudulent, and without legal standing, whatsoever.