A legitimate government needs to be accountable to the people

When it comes to the governance, of, for, and by the people, it is imperative that our governmental representatives from top to bottom, are faithfully responsible to the people as well as to the Constitution that they are sworn to obey and to uphold.  Regrettably, that type of governance does not currently exist in the United States, because the people, to a very meaningful extent, have no real opportunity to know what their government is really up to of that which is of most importance, and thus then hold that government accountable for its subsequent actions and inactions – for our current governance consistently displays a clear lack of integrity, openness, and transparency.  Indeed, too much of present day governance involves all sorts of secrets upon secrets, hidden from not only the people, themselves; but often even hidden from those that should have the legislative oversight to see and to know what is really going on.  In short, this government, cannot be trusted, because it presents itself in a way and manner, in which that government is opaque, not forthcoming, and far too often, purposely deceitful to the people.

The very best of governments, are those that have as their very purpose, to do what is right and what is necessary for the people.  Further to the point, legitimate governments, are the type of governments, that do not obfuscate, lie, cheat, deceive, and misuse their power to the detriment of the people.  Whenever what the government is doing on behalf of the people, is not fully disclosed, debated upon, and discussed openly, then it is not thus possible for the people to have a true voice so as to approve or disapprove of such.  To believe then that the government always has the best interests of the people in mind, is belied by the fact that some of the most meaningful things so being performed by that government are forever secret, unexplained, and never open for discussion or debate with the general public.

All those that exercise the most important democratic power so provided to them in secret, are not true to what that government is supposed to so represent.  While there are certainly going to be those times when secrecy and discretion is necessary, the bottom line is that this should be the exception to the rule, and never the rule, itself.  Additionally, it hardly seems fair or right, that this government has never known so much about its own individual people about who and what they really are then what we so see at the present time – yet, in contrast, never has this government had so much that it so does and performs, be hidden behind closed doors, as pretty much being the normal course of its business.

When any government will not permit itself or has structured itself in a form in which it cannot and will not be accountable to the people, then that government is not itself, legitimate, and has become a bastardization of what good governance is all about.  It has been said, “trust, but verify,” but there can’t even be trust, when there is nothing of substance to be verified, because what needs to be verified, is not even known, or even available to be investigated, properly.  All those then, in positions of power and governance, that want trust and obedience, deserve neither, if they themselves are not open and honest.

Civilization necessitates self-restraint and self-control

For a certainty, there are plenty of people that are overly proud that America, represents for them: freedom and liberty; and not just any freedom and liberty, but pretty much this means that they can do whatever that they want, whenever that they want, forever, if they want.  Of course, even those that profess those thoughts, recognize that freedom and liberty does have to involve some degree of reasonable restraints that are necessitated, because without such, there would not really be any semblance of civilization as we know it, but rather it would basically be chaos.

The main reason why we have so many laws, rules, and regulations, is to temper humankind’s desire for absolute liberty, with reasonable restraints that thus serve to not only help to secure and benefit the public, at large, but also as a way and means to keep people from basically infringing upon the rights of others, that would be violated, if these laws, rules, and regulations were not so imposed.  That is to say, our liberty can never be a one-way street, in which everything that we so desire to do, is ours for the taking, because in a society like that, doing that is going to inevitably create conflict with all those that have different ideas and different desires that they so wish to invoke and indulge in.  So then, without reasonable self-restraint and self-control being exercised within society, we do so find that not too surprisingly, there won’t be enough paper in the world, to thus conceive of all the laws, rules, and regulations so needed, that would fairly take into account every conceivable contingency that would invariably come up.  Rather, what we find is that for a wholesome civilization to exist and to thrive, this thus necessitates that each individual demonstrate their capacity to utilize suitable self-restraint and self-control for the greater good of that society.

That is to say, laws, rules, and regulations, no matter how well written or how sound in structure, have a tendency to be bent, ignored, or not enforced consistently, so that effectively, they aren’t going to be as robust as envisioned or intentioned.  On the other hand, people that have developed appropriate self-control and self-restraint, and further know what they really should or should not be doing, and thus exercise proper discretion in their interactions with one another, are going to help make for a better civilization, as opposed to those that aren’t able to control or to restrain their selves.  

Those then that believe that all we really need in order to have a good civilization is more law and order, don’t seem to recognize that all the law and order in the world, will never be enough to control or restrain any population, if they are unwilling to amend their ways, because they don’t desire to do so, don’t think it’s right, or perhaps don’t know any better.  That is why it is so important, that we properly educate people to know that the freedom and liberty that we so desire to have, has incumbent responsibilities placed upon each individual, and when we appropriately exercise self-restraint and self-control we are thus doing our fair part to make for a better civilization, for all.

High Frequency Trading (HFT) should be banned

A significant portion of Americans have investments in the stock market, via their IRA account, or through their 401K account, or through their own brokerage account.  The current market capitalization of the S&P 500, as of June, 2023, is $36.609 trillion, of which those 500 leading companies, represent approximately 80% of the entire market capitalization of the United States stock market.  So then, as it has been said, the best place to make money at or to take money from, is where the money actually is, and that amount of money as so represented by the S&P 500, is absolutely staggering.

High Frequency Trading (HFT) is something that is of very recent vintage, in which, the buying and selling of stock equities are conducted utilizing sophisticated algorithmic trading, so done at speeds that are measured in the milliseconds, in which these HFT companies, execute trades of buying and then selling the same equities so bought, in a matter of those milliseconds, in which their profit, is extremely small, but the volume of what they are so trading is quite large.  The way then that HFT makes their money, without risk, is basically HFT firms getting out in front, by milliseconds, of legitimate stock orders so being made by institutional or retail traders, and then they make their profit, by getting that equity at a slightly cheaper price, whereupon they then sell such to that institutional or retail trader.  This then, done often enough, can make for those HFT firms, profits in the millions upon millions of dollars, for basically “front running” stock after stock after stock.

We read at businessinsider.com, that “In its IPO prospectus, High Frequency Trading firm Virtu reveals it had one losing trading day in 1,238 days of trading.”  That, in and of itself, is proof positive, that HFT is clearly an unfair advantage so executed by HFT firms at the expense of institutional and retail investors.  Further to the point, those profits so going to HFT firms, essentially represent monies being extracted from institutional and retail investors, that provides no appreciable benefit, to society, at large, but rather an exclusive and unfair benefit to these HFT firms.

While HFT firms should be properly banned from trading, the best way to deal with such, is probably the simplest, which is to impose an extremely small financial transaction fee tax on each and every trade of stock so made on the stock exchange.  This tax, would be tiny enough, that to the institutional and retail sellers, it would not make much of a difference, and such a tax as that, could also be rebated to institutional and retail buyers, if they held onto a given security for at least a period of six months.  On the other hand, a financial transaction fee attached to every share so sold and bought, would severely damage the HFT trading model.  Additionally, if this wasn’t enough to put HFT firms out of business, a new tax bracket should be created, in which equities held for a period of less than one week, would be taxed at a rate of at least 50%, and preferably more.

The thing about HFT trading is that it produces absolutely no benefit to society, but rather serves essentially as a trading model which imposes upon institutions and regular investors, an unfair disadvantage that they cannot overcome because of HFT front running, which thus serves to beat them to the punch, by milliseconds, ad nauseum. 

Land is money

America is a nation with an awful lot of land, in fact, America has about the same amount of land mass as both China and Canada, but the land that America owns and occupies, is more conducive for civilization, agriculture, travel, industry, and overall beneficence.  The only nation, that clearly has more land than America is Russia, but a significant portion of Russian land is uninhabited because that land consists of unrelenting permafrost.

A meaningful amount of Americans are rather poor at history, or perhaps don’t seem to really care much about history, and so then there seems to be a consensus in America, that America has pretty much always been a land that consists of two coasts, along with a border with Mexico, so situated at the Rio Grande; in addition to its border with Canada at the forty-ninth parallel.  The fact of the matter is that America’s landmass was considerably smaller when it was first formed as a nation-state, of which, from its inception, it decided to forcefully take land away from American Indians, primarily through battles and broken treaties.

It is important to remember that America is a nation that compelled American Indians to be removed from their native lands, and then essentially placed those that did not die from an often inhumane relocation effort, to live upon reservations, of which this land, frequently so represented the most worthless of lands.  So too, when it comes to Mexico, a sizeable amount of the landmass of the United States, comes from Mexico having ceded 529,000 square miles of its land, or nearly 55% of what was Mexico, to the United States, from an unjust war, so made upon Mexico, for the expressed purpose to get that land.  Finally, when it comes to those that are African-Americans, these people came to America, involuntarily, in chains, and were slaves, and thus had no right as chattel property, to ever own land on their own.

In short, America became a nation with a large landmass by hook and by crook, of which, that landmass primarily benefited those of the favored race.  That is to say, when it comes to the wealth of White Americans, the seminal dividing line between those of the favored race, compared against African-Americans or Hispanics, is home ownership, in which that home ownership percentage for Whites is 75%; whereas for African-Americans and Hispanics this is under 50%.  This disparity in home ownership as well as the overall value and quality of the homes so owned by these respective races, has existed from the inception of the United States.  That is to say, White people got all the privileges of the opportunity to own land, and to their credit, did something of merit with such; whereas, American Indians, African-Americans, and Hispanics, were historically denied fair access to such, and have not experienced since then anything really approaching a level playing field or any real consideration of reparations, thereof. 

Those then, that own land, essentially have an asset which typically appreciates quite nicely in value; whereas, those that don’t own land have to continually pay the landlord for the privilege of having a place to lay their head upon.  The difference then, is that those with land are the very same as those that have money, and those without land, are typically those that own little or nothing.

Dehumanization is the fuel that feeds racism

It’s disappointing that in the 21st century, that there still is so much racism and prejudice that we still see and feel today in most western nations, of which, we should really know better.  The first part of why there remains so much implicit and explicit racism, for example, in America, comes down to the disappointing lack of knowledge displayed by so many of the favored race, and thus then their overall ignorance which thus leads them quite often to becoming racists in their viewpoint.  In other words, those that are of the favored race and are poorly educated, are going to often lack the capacity to do the research, to think for themselves, and to cogitate, so as to understand better what racism really means and what it is all about.  The second part of racism has an awful lot to do with the hierarchy that America  has represented historically and still basically represents, in which, those that are of the favored race are basically confirmed through our educational system, to be essentially the master race of America, and thus all other races and ethnicities, are hence no better than second best or worse.

That said, to add further fuel to the fire, of racism, it is of fundamental importance to those that are racists, to find an avenue that makes sense to them, that will thus belittle the other, dehumanize the other, and marginalize the other, so that it would appear to these racists, that their racial position, makes logical sense.  That is to say, to fairly judge another of the unfavored race by their actual merits and capabilities, along with keeping in mind other pertinent considerations that are relevant to this very thing, is never something that racists are going to be prone to considering, because that actually might make them be open to changing their mind, or adjusting their opinion, which they are wont not to do.  Rather, their preference is to find something that is common to a particular race and not such of their own, and focus almost exclusively upon that, in a way and manner, which dehumanizes the other, by making the other appear to be less than human, and thus more akin to an animal, of which, those that are thus considered to be animals, are thereby categorized as being under the rightful dominion of exclusively those of humankind.

So too, to dehumanize the other is necessary for racism, because once it has been determined by racists that the other is not human, pretty much anything goes in the treatment of those that have been dehumanized, no matter how diabolical and evil those actions subsequently are.  In truth, while most people can indeed be reasonable most of the time, we do so find, that when their blood is up, that they then are also quite capable of committing the types of acts, that no sane person, would ever consider doing, all done, with nary a second thought.  In short, to eliminate racism, the dehumanization of the other must first be eradicated, and until that has been accomplished and thus thoroughly purged from the minds of humankind, certain those of the favored race, will continue their racist ways, until the very end of time. 

Organized crime and the rise of drug trafficking

That which we call organized crime, has been around in one form or another, since civilizations were first created; in the sense, that there is almost always going to be some sort of underworld activity going on in a given society, because many a person or organization, has a preference to make their money, or their livelihood, not by doing something constructure, but rather by taking advantage of other people’s proclivities or weaknesses, for the expressed benefit of that organization, that performs such.

America is a nation that leads the world in the amount of prescription drugs so consumed, which thus also lends itself to being a nation with a tendency to desire to ingest illicit drugs of all sorts, in the hopes that by taking these drugs, prescribed or not, that they will thus receive some desirable return from such.  Additionally, America is the richest nation in the world, of which, a significant amount of its peoples, have time on their hands to indulge into whatever that is of interest to them.  Also, America is a rather large country, with borders that can be readily crossed by land, sea, or by air, and of which, based upon the sheer amount of humans successfully trafficking themselves into this nation, proves then, that crossing the border with illicit drugs, is not going to be all that problematic.

When it comes to organized crime, the main business that organized crime is actually in, is the business of making money.  So then, while organized crime, has historically concentrated on prostitution, loan sharking, gambling, bootlegging, and other assorted activities that are seen as being both immoral and illegal, the bottom line is organized crime doesn’t care so much about what the business proposition is, but rather cares more about the best way to improve their gross margins, with the least amount of work and legal concerns to deal with.  The thing about drug trafficking, is that business is not only highly lucrative, but also we do find that the actual goods being trafficked are, with the exception of marijuana, compact and very small in structure, which thus lends itself to far more ease and flexibility in trafficking those drugs from one destination to another.

So too, when it comes to illicit drugs, that business is going to be desirable, because the “high” off of illicit drugs, only lasts a fairly brief transitory period of time – signifying that the person that so buys today, is going to be very susceptible to buying tomorrow, or if not right then and there, then next weekend, when they go out and party again.  Additionally, the overall price of illicit drugs per the dosage so consumed, is typically very reasonable, which is good for not only repeat business, but also good for the solicitation of customers in the first place. 

All of this clearly indicates that drug trafficking is the place to be for organized crime, because there is not only a very willing consumer base that wants such, but also of high importance, the profitability of the drug trafficking is excellent, which thus makes it easy to utilize that money so being made, to pay off, as necessary, those that need to be paid off, so that this relentless cycle can continue, unabated; of which, the only people typically being caught for drug trafficking are “nobodies” without connections, while the real money is being made hand over fist, by organized crime.

To be poor in the land of the rich

We are told that there is no shame in being poor, but in reality, that is situation dependent.  In other words, when you live in a very poor country and are basically surrounded by fellow poor people, then there truly is no shame in being poor, because just about everyone else is also poor, and further to the point, those that are in communities of impoverishment, typically work together in order to sustain and uphold themselves from an even worse fate.  However, when you are poor in the richest nation that the world has ever known, and of which, each day you are inundated with all sorts of social media posts, advertisements, and entertainment videos, that constantly celebrates the material success of other people or its accouterments, thereof; then being poor, is really a rather difficult lot to bear.

So then, while there are plenty of people that talk about how the poor in America, have so much more than what the middle class had back in the day – what they are really talking about are material things such as cell phones, televisions, ready wear clothing, indoor plumbing, the internet, refrigerators, and other items that simply didn’t exist back in that day and age—of which, if they had so existed for a given individual, back then, this would have marked that person as being very successful, indeed.  In point of fact, the poor often feel miserable and disadvantaged, not because they have absolutely nothing, but because what they so have, basically represents the bottom of the barrel in the hierarchy of the United States; and further to the point, because each of us is also prone to comparing ourselves to one another, this thereby becomes an almost unbearable discomfort to them.  Additionally, those that are poor in America, often are poor, from day one, in which, because they lack the necessary ingredients for success, such as a stable home life, a good education, healthy outlets for their youthful energy, as well as gainful opportunity, are pretty much consigned then to a substandard life, especially in comparison to what so many others have, in this the land of plenty.

Because America loves to toot its horn about how great that America is, we do so find that for those that have not experienced that greatness, whatsoever, that being a poor American is a rather bitter pill to swallow; for though other peoples in other nations, are cognizant that not everyone in America is a material success, they still do typically believe that America is that golden land of opportunity, and have thus bought into the belief that hard work in America will bring success.  Rather, it would be more honest to state, that hard work will bring success, but not necessarily to that person so working hard, because America doesn’t believe in paying a living wage, nor in having a good public educational system for all, nor in affordable healthcare for all, nor in safe communities for all, nor in  justice or equality for all.  Instead, America believes it needs the poor, for deliberate exploitation purposes, so that the privileged can live better, at the poor people’s expense.

Theodore Roosevelt’s Square Deal

Theodore Roosevelt was President of the United States, more than one century ago, of which, the square deal that Roosevelt was a strong proponent of, seems to be something that not every American is actually receiving as being part of this land, of, for, and by the people.  Roosevelt stated that “A man who is good enough to shed his blood for the country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards.”  And further, Roosevelt, said “We must see that each is given a square deal, because he is entitled to no more and should receive no less."

What Roosevelt had to say, hardly seems controversial, in which, first of all, those that serve their nation through the armed forces, or through civil service, or through other public based professions which are conducted for the betterment of the people of this country, deserve to receive in return, a square deal, which should include a living wage, healthcare, and a society to live in, which is safe and vibrant.  So too, all those people that work hard, deserve for their labor, a square deal, as well, for they are helping to strengthen the economy, and deserve no less from this the richest nation that the world has ever known.

Further to the point, part of having a square deal, is for this government, to step in, when so necessary, to see that each American is provided with the basis to live a good life, by having fair access to a good public education, as well as a safe community to live in, which thereby consists of amenities such as public parks, playgrounds, the arts, and libraries.  So too, every American deserves the fair opportunity to be employed, and, if so necessary, to be employed by that government, for sensible public endeavors so created for the improvement and addition of necessary infrastructure, for remediation of environmental damage, and for just about anything that will thus provide a material benefit for the people.

The objective of any good governance that believes that its people truly deserve a square deal, is to actively put together the necessary ingredients for this to thus become actualized.  After all, words on a piece of paper, or when we express the best of sentiments, that subsequently are not diligently addressed meaningfully, aren’t going to do all that much good for anyone.  The question that ought to be asked, is why hasn’t this nation done more to fundamentally improve the lot of those people who are its most vulnerable and thus exposed to the toxic effects of being marginalized, and effectively ignored by the “last great hope of humankind.”

The fair measure of any nation, should never be about what the superrich, elite, and privilege, so own and control; but should rather be the overall character of that nation – thus best represented by the people, in whole, from rich to poor, from urban to rural, from the west coat to the east coast, and everything in-between.  If this really is the United States of America, what better way to be united than to be united in the abiding principle that every man, woman, and child is deserving of the fair opportunity to have a square deal, for that so represents the very foundation of what makes a nation great, and always will be.

Kids got to play

Those of us that are adults, have thus gone through the childhood stage of life, and of which, if we have been fortunate, that childhood stage helped to set us up to develop the good habits and the necessary capacity to become mature and well-rounded adults, that thereby make good decisions and are a good credit to the society that we are an active member of.  The thing about childhood, is that children have to go through a multitude of stages in order to reach adulthood, and of which, those stages can be challenging and troublesome, especially for the most vulnerable amongst us.  So then, as much as parents want to do their best by their children, we live in an age, in which parents are often committed to not only working outside of the home, but also don’t necessarily have the same schedule, each and every day.  In short, the days of children coming home from school, to the awaiting arms of at least one of their parents, to talk about their school day and so on, are the exception and not the rule.  Additionally, most children, have not only a lot of energy, but they are also curious about the world and their neighborhood – signifying that children have an innate desire to discover things about the world and about their own self, so accomplished through various means, including play.

There are twenty-four hours in a day, and of which, the school day only encompasses approximately seven of those hours, so naturally, children are going to have what amounts to being, a fair amount of time, that are left in their young hands or that need to be structured for their benefit, by adults.  That is why it is so important that public schools, must have in close proximity to such, public libraries, public parks, public playgrounds, public museums, and public activities.  Children need an outlet to explore the world, along with having the opportunity to make decisions when interacting with other children, so that they can learn things that aren’t necessarily taught within the confines of a schoolroom.

Those children that are provided by adults with activities that helps keep them engaged and interested, or are provided with the public space for them to take in, on their own, what so interests them in a safe environment are going to be in a far superior position to develop into responsible adults, as compared to those others, that do not have the opportunity to engage with a safe environment to explore in, and thus are susceptible to being left to the baneful influence of older misbehaving teenagers or young misfit adults that rule the roost, of their particular neighborhood.  In short, kids need safe outlets to test who and what they really are, and when parents are too involved in their own lives, or livelihood, or just don’t have the time or resources to properly supervise their children, then those children are going to turn to whatsoever seems to be available for them in their neighborhood, good or bad.  That is to say, children need constructive outlets to develop their personalities in the best way for them, and when those outlets are not constructive, but rather tend to being destructive or are meritless, then those children will be place upon a path that is not only bad for them, but bad for society.

Human beings are social creatures

It might seem rather obvious that human beings are social creatures, but by all the discourtesy, violence, and deliberate social isolation demonstrated by a fair amount of the population, this seems to make the case that we are social creatures, not so clearly obvious.  Yet, the fact of the matter is, that for better or for worse, human beings need and desire to interact with one another; and further to the point, the whole reason why families are created, and then societies are formed, is for the expressed purpose of making the lives of human beings, better and more satisfying, for their valued interaction with one another.

This thus indicates that the very basis of any good society, and of any great nation, is first and foremost to have as its principle purpose, in regards to a particular legislative act, or activity, or education, is that in its form, structure and implementation have such be for the betterment of that society, in whole.  In other words, the type of decisions that need to be made by those that are our representatives and leaders, should always be in conformance to whether or not these decisions are for the betterment of that society, of, for, and by the people.  Additionally, because we are social creatures, it is imperative, that as part of our civil education in our schooling, that each of us thus needs to be taught, how to appropriately interact with one another in a civil manner, and thereby the importance of valuing the other, even when we may have a disagreement with one another.  After all, it is far better to try to work out our differences or disputes in a civil manner, rather than to besmirch our character by violent fighting, or insulting words, which does not help in maintaining good social cohesion.

A civil society, by definition, needs its people to behave in a civil manner with one another, by demonstrating the respect that each person is entitled to, by their humanity.  That is to say, those that are destructive, ugly, hateful, and disrespectful are the type of people that build division and divisiveness within societies, and while there may indeed be legitimate reasons for such behavior, it has to be tempered by good judgment, rather than being primarily fueled by overwrought emotions.

In consideration, that we aren’t always going to see things the same way and further that the way that things presently are – does not necessarily mean that they are actually legitimately right, there thus is a real validity when certain segments of the population respond to such injustice, of not fairly being heard, and of not seeing necessary changes enacted, by exhibiting civil disobedience.  Each of us within society, should have a voice within that society, for those that are without a voice, or without a belief that they are considered to be a valued member of that society, are going to strike back at that society, for those that see themselves as outsiders to that society will have their say, one way or another – which is why the best societies are always those that are not only fair and just to all, but make it a point to reach out to those that have been left behind, as the necessary social act so needed to help keep society vibrant and healthy.

The only thing that you take to Heaven is who you have become

In this world, people concentrate their desires and wishes upon all sorts of things – of which, those that overly concentrate upon the material aspects of this incarnation, such as in that which provides them with pleasure, or power, or status, or very nice material objects, have got to recognize that what we so obtain in our hands upon this earth, legitimately or not, are never transported with us, when we depart our physical body, upon our death.  In other words, there are no special fiefdoms in Heaven, for there is only one King -- there are no materially rich people in Heaven, either; nor are there ghettos ,or in contrast, streets paved with gold.  That is to say, all the prizes and symbols of success so found in this world, are not carried with us into Heaven – for we are fairly judged for who and what we really are, in essence; and therefore, the courts of this world, the judgments of this world, the prizes of this world, are of absolutely no relevance in Heaven.

There are a multitude of people that do not desire to be fairly judged, for they know that to be judged fairly, will probably be catastrophic for them.  Yet, it doesn’t need to be that way, for all that we think, say, and do are our responsibly to own up to, and if we are unwilling to “face the music” by those choices that we have made by our own volition on this earth, recognizing that we may well fare poorly from such, then we should seriously consider amending our ways, in the here and now. 

In truth, the only attribute that we take to Heaven, is the very essence of what we have developed into and have become in this incarnation on earth.  While it may indeed be difficult for most of us to step outside of our own self, and therefore demonstrate the capacity as well as the capability to fairly reflect upon our own character – we should, though, still take the time to try to truly examine our own life; of which, if we won’t bother to do so, then that error of judgment lies on us, and not on anybody else.

In this world, we will be tested, and the result of all of those tests, is the person that we so become, for better or for worse.  Those that complain that there are extenuating circumstances to what has so occurred within their lifetime which thus serves as an excuse for their supposed failures  and errors –-have got to realize that as true as that might so be, it is for a certainty, already recognized on their behalf.  So too, for those that have been gifted with a golden spoon in their mouth, will find, undoubtedly, that they will be held to a higher standard, for the more that we are gifted with, the more that is expected of us to have been accomplished for the greater good by our hand.

So then, what judgment we so find in Heaven, has an awful lot to do with who and what we really are, and what we have correspondingly made of ourselves in this lifetime; of which, each good deed so done on this earth, is held as one important step closer to the only destination that eternally matters.

The importance of good character

We are ultimately defined by the decisions that we so make, which may or may not be consistent with the things that we claim to believe in and to represent.  After all, good words without the corresponding actions that reflect those words, are indicative of someone that does not have the character to follow-through of what they have so said and claimed.  So too, actions that belie the words so spoken, are indicative that there is a wholesale inconsistency between those words and those actions.  Those then, that are of good character, have first of all the right ethical values – and further to the point, will uphold those ethical values, when put to the test of such.  In other words, to be of good character, one really does have to walk the walk that is consistent with that talk.

Those that are of good character, are the very type of people that we can trust will make the best decisions that need to be made, and will not then, waver, in those most difficult of times, when it is of the upmost importance to do the right thing.  On the other hand, there are plenty of people, that have pretty good character, most of the time, but when really put to the test, in which this so defines who they really are, and thereby their actual worth, find themselves in the most trying of cases, far too often failing to do the right thing, because of cowardice, or fearfulness, lack of integrity, or of selfishness.  Then there are those others that aren’t of good character, most of the time, which we so find, that because we know such, we therefore are, at least, not fooled by them.

To be of good character is to be about as good as a person can really be; because, in life, there is always going to be a plentitude of fair-weather friends, or those that are loyal to us, until they are not; whereas, we find that with someone that is true, we will, at a minimum, know where we stand, and whether or not they stand with us, based upon what is so involved, so of.  In life, we are going to be tested, again and again, and it is in those tests, that we truly define who and what we really are. Those then, that fail to be a stand-up person, are going to thus have to keep facing what needs to be faced, until they learn how to do the right thing, or else, go down to defeat, in the sure knowledge, that when provided with the opportunity, to prove their merit, did not.

One can judge a given person’s success, upon an awful lot of things, of which, for some people, they are prone to doing so by observing the accouterments of that person’s material success, or perhaps their social status, as well – in which, the true character of that person, good or bad, takes a back seat to the perceived prosperity or social success of that individual.  On the other hand, a far more meaningful way to judge a given person’s success, is by their character, so demonstrated by that particular individual in the things that they so do and say, day in and day out – and, of which, for those that are known by their good character, they have thus achieved and obtained the most important characteristic of them all.

The problem with believing that you and your people are the “chosen ones”

Religion can be a very powerful influence upon a given people, as well as for individuals.  So too, certain politicians and leaders can be especially adept at proselytizing that certain peoples are inherently superior to others, because of, for example, their skin color, or their background.  Additionally, those that are considered to be royalty, are not adverse to believing that their authority comes from the very hand of God.  In all of these cases, what so occurs, is that certain peoples are considered to be superior to others, not because of their character, but rather, as pretty much their birthright.

The problem with any philosophy, in which, certain peoples are thus considered to be the “chosen ones” and of which, these chosen people, often justify themselves, by leaning heavily upon Holy writings which are considered in their interpretation to be applicable, of  which, this thus serves to seemingly support such; is that all those other people that are not considered be the chosen ones, are then, by definition, classified as something “less than” the chosen ones.  This, not too surprisingly, creates a construct in which those that are not the chosen ones, are frequently prone to resenting those that are the chosen ones, which thus creates an ongoing tension between these two divided peoples.

No doubt, those that are considered to be the favored race, or the favored religion, or supposedly designated by God as being the chosen representatives of the people, might well believe that being the chosen one, is simply the way that it is, and that this is thus the way that it should be.  The problem, though, is that in absence of every member of that chosen people, being heads and tails above the non-chosen people of the world, so demonstrated through the actual merits of those chosen ones so accomplished on a level playing field, is that in things, big and small, those that are chosen, typically are rather flawed human beings, themselves.

The reality of the situation is that we are all equal creations of God, signifying that anybody or anyone that stipulates that they are greater than everybody else, has got it all wrong.  The supposed greatness that a particular person has, or that a certain civilization so represents, really comes down to the salient fact of the thought processes and therefore the deeds so accomplished by them, which in their effect, represent harmony with the characteristics of that which is good, true, and just. 

Those people that best represent the traits that are fair and considerate to all, that are giving in their service to others, and further, that recognize that there is a Higher Power that all must so answer to, are the very ones that have chosen the correct path.  This thus signifies, that there are not pre-existing “chosen ones” but rather, those that have through their application and through their merit, have chosen to take the only path that will lead them to liberation and enlightenment, have chosen the better way, and because of that they are the ones that have chosen, correctly.

The bible is not inerrant, nor is it possible for it to be inerrant

The thing about human beings is that some of those human beings just have to be right, all of the time, and want therefore for the words that they so speak, and the things that they so do, to be considered, by every other human being to be right, no matter what.  There are plenty of people that state things with 100% certitude, of which, in truth, some of those things so stated, are untrue.  So then, for a certainty, human beings are not infallible, they are not inerrant, and the beliefs that they so have, are not necessarily correct.  Yet, while, most human beings, in their more honest moments, will admit to the fact that they don’t always get it right, there are still some people that insist that they know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, which they are privy to because of their wholesale belief in the Holy Scripture – which they believe is the literal truth, for it is the inerrant word of God.

It is true that God is absolute perfection, and for a certainty, the actual word of God is absolutely true.  Nevertheless, to believe that any book so transcribed by human beings, of which, such a book, has many authors, many years in its creation, many translations, and has been subject to the approval of certain well-placed human beings, so as to become an authorized canon of such, tells us for a certainty, that the Bible cannot be inerrant.  Consider this well, even those special few, that are in actual direct contact with God, of which, God is speaking to them, are going to find that, even when they try their very best, that when they attempt to put down into words what God has so spoken into them, that those words are not going to necessarily easily flow into any known human language so being spoken or written – because the bottom line is that despite the many advantages of language as a form of communication, it is still an imperfect way to communicate, because it is subject to error, misinterpretation, miscommunication, and misapplication.

The fact that the Bible is not inerrant and that it should not be taken as the literal word of God, does not mean that its basis is not the inspired word of God – but rather it indicates that human beings are prone to, subject to, and inclined to, misinterpret the word of God, wittingly or not, for their own purposes, sound or unsound  The best way then to look at the Bible, for each of us, is to understand that the Bible serves as a vital spiritual foundation for us, so as to encourage us, to do our part to make contact with God, so as to better understand what the very purpose of our existence really is, and from that knowledge, the most appropriate way that we should interact with those that form the society that we are an active member of.  There is, undoubtedly, a moral code in the Bible, of which, our duty is to find that code, and then to follow through by living to that code,  so demonstrated best by the two greatest Commandments propagated by Christ – which are, to love our God with all of our heart, and to treat our neighbor as our own hidden self.

The superrich are gaming the system

America likes to present itself, as being a capitalistic nation of meritocracy, as well as being a democracy, in which the people choose their representatives, their President, and have a say in the legislative acts so passed and enacted upon.  So then, it is supposed that those that are the superrich deserve to be there, because they have fairly earned their place, and to thus question that orthodoxy, is almost considered to be un-American.  Yet, the fact of the matter is that never has there been a time in America in which so few have become so incredibly wealthy, which is indicative that the governance, the legislature, the laws, the taxation, and the justice within this nation are all either functionally compromised by the superrich, or are ineffective, in their real world application.

When it comes to superrich individuals or incredibly wealthy mega-corporations, the only possible entity that can match these people and corporations in its power, influence, and effectiveness, is that government, of, for, and by the people.  However, when that very government, is essentially, itself either “captured” by the superrich, or are themselves, superrich or close to such, then there is absolutely nothing that will stand in the way of the superrich having whatsoever that they so want, for however long period of time that they so want it.  It would be one thing, if this nation made, at a minimum, a determination that upon the death of a superrich individual that the estate tax of all their assets would be significantly high enough that those monies so being extracted from the superrich would make a notable impact to the Treasury receipts so received by that department, but that isn’t typically the case, at all.  Further to the point, because corporations are artificial creations of the state, that are for all practical purposes, without end, then it is mandatory that this government, appropriately tax those corporate entities at a rate higher than they so charge, those that will at some point, meet their demise, through physical death.

The thing about many superrich individuals as well as mega-corporations, is that they are incredibly adept at circumventing the tax codes of this nation, and additionally, are quite skilled at bending the law, and thus having laws interpreted to their particular benefit, or simply seeing that the effectiveness of a given law, is delayed for such an extended period of the time, that such a law so meant to constrain them, does not. The superrich and mega-corporations have thus “gamed” the system, so that they will exclusively benefit, at the expense of the public, at large.  This is why, the rich get ever richer, and thereby the wealth of this nation becomes ever more concentrated – of which, those of great wealth, are able to often utilize that wealth to not only get their way, but to maintain their way.  Further to the point, a whole lot of blame of why this is the way that it currently is, must rest upon all those that service those superrich and mega-corporations, in which, these people and institutions know that what they are so performing for the superrich is unfair, unjust, and damaging to the fabric of this nation – but do so, because they have sold themselves for what they consider to be a fair price, to the superrich.

It’s high time to replace the minimum wage with a living wage

America, has the audacity to claim that is the greatest nation that the world has ever known, and that its capitalistic economic system is the best such that so exists.  Yet, even the most cursory of looks, indicates that this isn’t true for the whole of the population, never has been true, and never will be true.  In America, those few privileged people that are the top of the food chain, absolutely have the best of it – but there is an incredible amount of Americans that don’t have any semblance of the American dream, or of opportunity, or of a decent education, or of a safe and healthy community, or even a reasonable chance of ever to experience a decent life.  For those people, America is an abysmal failure, and the fact that this governance has apparently been subsumed by the elite persons and mega-corporations of America, is a crying shame and a gross injustice.

There was a time when America was more forward thinking, recognizing, that the people of this land deserved a fairer and a more just nation, and therefore a “new deal” – of which that new deal would be initiated by that national government, to thus assure the people that no special or private interests would preclude such  legislature from being the law of the land.  This thus meant that as part of that new deal, a minimum wage would be structured for the benefit of the people, so that they would not suffer unduly from the exploitation of those with capital as well as the control of the jobs so being offered to them. 

Today, while the national minimum wage is still in effect, for all practical purposes, the minimum wage doesn’t represent anything much more than a substandard wage, which is, in its application, typically unfair to those so being paid such, and unbecoming of a nation that claims such greatness.  In our modern era, in which those so being employed are individually identified by their Social Security number, and of which, this government has proven through its stimulus payments, that it actually has a competent grasp of the identity of its citizens, as well as their bank accounts, and their addresses, we thus have an opportunity for this government to implement a living wage, so done through the process of that government stepping in to do what businesses have failed so often to do.  At the present time, the national minimum wage is a paltry $7.25/hour of which legislation should thus be passed to raise that minimum wage $1.00 per year until that wage reaches $15/hour and then subsequently to have that minimum wage be indexed to inflation, and thus be considered to be, at that point, a living wage.  This thus provides to influential corporate interests, plenty of time, for them, to adjust to an ever higher minimum wage.

Lastly, the final piece of the living wage puzzle, is that, in consideration that the people have been suffering from such a long and extended period of time of being cheated out of receiving a living wage, is then, for that government, of, for, and by the people to step in, so that all those that are currently making less than $15/hour would receive a stimulus payment, monthly, issued by the federal government for their exclusive benefit, that would cover the shortfall of their current wage so as to reach thus the compensation wage of $15/hour.  The effect of this money getting into the hands of those that so richly deserve such, would be a boost to the economic growth of this country, because those that are struggling day-to-day are the type of people that will spend their newfound wages upon goods and services of all sorts.

World War II and the changing face of domestic labor

Wars always have intended and unintended consequences, of which, America, was still suffering from the pangs of the Great Depression, when World War II broke out; of which, that war necessitated a military force as reported by Wikipedia.com, of “…12 million men and women…of whom 7.6 million were stationed abroad.”  Not too surprisingly, in consideration that so many Americans of a young age were now stationed abroad and in reflection that the population of the United States in 1941, was approximately 133 million persons, this thus meant that jobs previously held by white men, or historically set aside for white men, would have to engage women as well as minorities, which so did happen.  In fact, we read at encyclopedia.com, that “…employed blacks rose from 4.4 million in April 1940 to 5.3 million in April 1944,… By 1945 more than 8 percent of war industry jobs were held by blacks, up from 3 percent in 1942.”

So then, with women and minorities being employed in the war industry as well as for other industrial jobs, of which, those jobs typically paid a fair and living wage – this thus signified that previous jobs so held by those same people, of domestic help, agricultural work, and things of that sort, would have to thus offer those that remained in such positions, a better overall compensation package, or fear losing such to better employment opportunities.  In other words, there is something to be said of the idiom that a rising tide does indeed rise all boats, big or small, which is what so happened via World War II.  Further to the point, once businesses became cognizant of the competency, productivity, and skills of women and minority workers, they soon recognized that these people, previously ignored or marginalized, were quite capable of putting forth an honest day’s work for an honest day’s wage.  This thus indicated, that owing to a significant extent to World War II, this was the proximate reason, why the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, saw the strong emergence of and the strengthening of the middle class of America, which was far more inclusive, than previously known.

In truth, it is in those days of labor shortages, that businesses have to seriously consider putting together compensation packages that are of better benefit to those that they so desire to employ.  Also, it is healthier for the economy when the money so being made is not held primarily by a small sliver of the population, known as the elite; but it is better for that economy and its growth when more of that money has been distributed into more hands; because, a very rich person can only eat so much, and only buy so many clothes and other accouterments, to use such on a regular basis – whereas, we find that on the other hand, that those of the middle class and below are only too happy to expend the monies that they so earn upon those necessary things, as well as to earmark, when so able, a certain percentage of their earnings to the purchase of a home.

The satisfaction and the growth of the economy of a nation, has a lot to do with the opportunity, as well as in the fair distribution of the monies so being earned – for whenever certain segments of the population are effectively treated as 2nd class citizens or even worse, makes not only for a very bad brew, but makes that country and its people, less than what they could and deserve to be.

Favored interests and eminent domain abuse

The concept of private property is supposedly held in very high regard in the United States.  In fact, the 5th Amendment to the Constitution makes it clear that private property cannot be taken from any entity without due process of law, “…nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”  The important thing to consider is that societies are meant to be structured in a way in which the people are able to best be benefited by being an integral part of that society.  So then, to the extent that roads, bridges, dams, and other meaningful governmental infrastructure projects need to occur and thus be constructed, for the greater good of the people, then there are certainly going to be those situations in which the government has a reasonable right to utilize eminent domain in a fair and open way, to compensate the private property owner for the selling of that property to that government, for the public use and benefit of the people.

Yet, regrettably, when it comes to the United States, it is always a mistake to discount the overall corruption, unfairness, and power of those that have lots of money and influence to take a law that is clear and obvious, to thus make that law bend to the will of that powerful interest, and especially to private for-profit interests.  Certain of those with money and influence, are prone to using such in a way and manner that will benefit them, and because of that money and influence, they recognize that just because a particular law is on the books, and has been historically interpreted within narrow bounds, does not necessarily mean that this will always be the way that it will be.  That then, is why it is that nowadays those that own private property, that is considered to be in the way of such nebulous objectives such as “urban renewal” or  for private industry development that will, in theory, increase the tax base and thereby be a more efficient usage of such space, or as a required necessity to remove blight from a given area, are all considered to be a fair and proper use of eminent domain, as per specific court decisions.

The reality of how eminent domain is currently utilized, is the salient fact that those that have little or no power are no match for those that have a whole lot of power and influence – so that the upshot is that the government thus plays favorites, in which, those that are on the losing side, have their private property taken from them against their will, and that property so taken, has not be taken for a public use, in any fair sense of that purpose, but rather has been taken from them, to accommodate private enterprise, in conjunction with the prevailing governance of that community, not for the public benefit of the people, in whole; but rather for the anticipated profit of the few, and thus almost exclusively for the private benefit of those few and favored.

In America, there are deals, and there are raw deals – and it is always a raw deal when one person’s private property can be taken by the eminent domain of the government, so as to clearly favor influential private interests at the expense of the former private owner, with the public use justification of such, of no real consideration or concern.

Compensation to the slave owner but never to the enslaved

America is a nation that has evolved over time, of which, some of the principles and rights that we now pretty much take for granted in America, were the type of thing that were well-nigh impossible back in the 18th or 19th centuries.  So then, to our modern ears, it does seem strange, wholly unfair, and just plain wrong, that when it came to slaves and slave owners, back in that time when slavery was legal within America, that propositions having to do with slaves, slave owners and freedom, basically only considered the viewpoint of what sort of compensation or incentive could be provided to that slave owner to thus encourage them to relinquish the “property” that they owned in human persons.  The answer seemed to be, to provide monetary compensation to those slave owners, of which, we do so find that in Washington DC, that in 1862, President Lincoln signed a legislative bill that emancipated those slaves in Washington DC, in which the slave owners that owned those slaves and were also loyal to the Union cause, were suitably compensated.  In other words, the policy of the United States at its highest governmental level was to compensate the slave owner but nary a dime to those so enslaved.

No doubt, it certainly makes logical sense that for people that owned property, legally, that the only conceivable way to get them to relinquish the hold of that peculiar property, would be to provide them with some sort of compensation to such.  After all, when it came to slaves, those slaves, were sold for a price, and subsequently many slave owners invested time and energy into their slaves, thus signifying that to voluntarily relinquish their right to a healthy slave would necessitate some sort of compensating benefit to those slave owners, for having done so.  None of that, seems especially unreasonable – what is unreasonable, though, is a failure to recognize that enslaved human beings that owned nothing, and were enslaved for no other reason than humankind’s inhumanity and greed to its own; deserved and necessitated either some sort of compensation for having been enslaved or, if not that, fair access to the tools of the trade for them thus to make good on their life, through valued accouterments such as land, livestock, or similar.

What has to be recognized, is that freedom is not all that, when the fundamentals of what a given person needs to be at liberty, are not at their disposal – especially when they have been precluded from being property educated, have no monetary assets, no tools, no land, and pretty much no means to make an independent honest living, because there is no real opportunity for them to do such.  That type of freedom is a false freedom, which does not reflect well what America is supposed to so represent.  The problem, then, that America seems not to understand, is that which is unjust and is never rectified or corrected in a suitable manner, lends itself to becoming not only a cancer upon the soul of America, but also an ongoing injustice that needs to be dealt with forthrightly, in the here and now, for that which is wrong, still needs to be made right.

The economic reason for lynching

Although those that were formerly enslaved, became emancipated, and eventually legally freed through the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, making them thus entitled to all the rights that such a Constitution so stood for – the reality of the situation is that blacks were, especially in the South, in constant danger of their rights being trampled upon by the favored race, which so occurred on a fairly routine basis.

In order to instill terror into the black man’s hearts, those of the favored race, were prone to public displays of their impunity, by lynching blacks, purposely done for public display and through public mob participation as a way of demonstrating that the white race still had meaningful control of blacks, through the fact that such lynching was done in the open, and that the favored race was pretty much permitted to exact their type of justice with nary a worry that there would be negative consequences for them, ever, to face.

It is believed that the most common crime to accuse the black man of, that would rile up the white folks enough, to thus commit a lynching, was any sort of inappropriate alleged contact between a black man and a white woman.  This then was often the trigger to get the emotions of the white man to run high, and for them then to find the presumed perpetrator and to then do their best to completely dehumanize the black man, so as to take an especially perverse joy and satisfaction in carrying out the lynching as a form of necessary community service.

Yet, the reality of lynchings, demonstrates that there was an often hidden economic reason for why particular persons were selected to be lynched, that had absolutely nothing to do with that black man, not knowing their place in regards to their dealing with a white woman; but rather had an awful lot to do with certain black businessmen, who were conducting their transactions mainly with non-white people, of which, through their hard work these black businessmen became successful within their black community; though, not infrequently, at the expense of white businessmen who felt that their business was losing out because of this competition, and thus felt the indignity of being fairly outplayed by a black businessman.  In other words, the freed black men, living in segregated black communities, typically conducted their business with one another, which helped to strengthen that black community by keeping the little money that they had, flowing within that community – whereas, the white businessman felt that they were entitled to the black man’s money, and wanted such, in order to maintain their control and domination of those blacks.

So then, lynching was sometimes a form of economic retribution against successful black businessmen, so done to send a very specific signal to black people and their communities, that the money that they so had, should be spent in white-owned businesses, which might well have a front of a black proprietor, and such business, thereof, should not be transacted within black businesses, that were truly owned and operated by black people.  That is to say, lynching, had an awful lot to do with the favored race maintaining their control of blacks, so accomplished, by not just keeping them terrorized, but also by wresting from the black businessman’s hand, the money that they had fairly earned.