Every decision has a consequence

The decisions that we make in life make a material difference to how our life turns out, but not just for ourselves, but also for others, as well, because there are those decisions that will have consequences that impact others, directly or indirectly, for good or for bad.  This thus indicates that we really do need to pay attention to the decisions that we make, in the sure knowledge that even if we don’t consider ourselves to be of that much importance, still our impact upon those that we know or congregate with can have consequences far beyond what we envision.

 Indeed, we learn by the examples and exemplars that we come in contact with throughout our lives, and when we see people in authority who have made decisions that are immoral, unethical, and selfish, we will feel that impact upon us.  This is why we need to recognize that ultimately, no matter who we are dealing with, that the decisions that we subsequently make are ours to own, which signifies that we are accountable for our own thoughts, actions, and deeds – thereby indicating that we need to be responsible in those very things.

 Far too many of us don’t seem to recognize the responsibilities that we have been gifted or burdened with, and it is our duty to do right by those responsibilities, to the best of our ability.  It is well to remember that this world is a proving ground, of which, each of us will be tested, again and again, providing us with the fair opportunity to prove our mettle, and therefore to show that we have not only learned our lessons well, but that we have appropriately applied those lessons for the betterment of the society that we are an active member of.

 We are thus provided with temptations, not to destroy us or to misdirect us, but rather they are presented to us so as to determine whether we will or will not make the right subsequent decisions, and thereby to garner the best consequences, or whether we will make the wrong decisions, and suffer fairly the fate of having chosen unwisely.  What we become and what we are is fairly determined by the collective decisions that we have made, for few can truthfully say that where they are in life has absolutely nothing or little to do with the decisions that they have previously made, but rather there is a correlation of decisions made, the consequences so of, which must be recognized.

 In fact, the consequences of our decisions may not be fully known to us, because what we do and say impacts others in ways that we may or may not have anticipated.  Nevertheless, we are responsible for all of our decisions, and to the degree that we are cognizant of the consequences of those decisions that are unsatisfactory to us, we need to make amends so as to right the ship, for in the end, the captain of the ship of our life is the one at the wheel.

Promises made and promises not kept

Just about everyone has come to that stage in which they have met their match and have come up short, and thereby in their desperation or of the hope that the door is not completely close, they turn to God, or perhaps to their parents, or even to their self, and make a solemn promise that if this cup would only pass from them, that they would make amends for what they did wrong, or to make good on an event that transpired that was deeply regretted.  Indeed, even the most prideful will find themselves at that point on their knees, in abject supplication, and in apparent sincerity, to ask forgiveness, to make amends, and finally to make that promise that they will reform and make good on that promise, come what may.

 In life, we find that words and intentions are not the same thing as actual deeds, and that therefore promises made are not always going to be promises kept, because quite frankly, not every promise is an easy task, and because a given promise, has its challenges, along with its commitments to what needs to be done, it is not therefore a simple or even straightforward task to get accomplished.  So too, there are many a person that makes promises wily-nilly without any real intention of keeping such, though occasionally they do, and the reason that they don’t keep their promises is that they didn’t really have an intention to do so, but merely mouth the words that they believe will make that trouble to pass, and thereby get on with their lives, without any real concern that they have violated their promise, whole cloth.

 Then there are those others who really do intend to make good on their promise, but because of their addiction, or their lack of determination, or their ingrained weakness, they find that they can’t seem to make good on that promise, even though they give it a good try.  For these people, it is doubly disappointing to know that they have broken their vow, along with having slipped right back into the sinning or back into their character faults, which have caused them so much pain and trouble, and thereby continue to hurt them, and when they duly reflect upon this, they feel immense sorrow and disappointment.

 Finally, there are those who, at the time of their pleading, were absolutely sincere that they would make good on their promise, and had duly sworn to do so, and in that moment, their words and intentions were true.  However, time has a habit of eroding even the best of intentions when the temptation to go back to what we are familiar with still exists and is available for us to rejoin, as well as the fact that we take comfort in doing what we have been habitually doing, even though we know that it is wrong.  These then are the most troubled souls, because when the chips were down, they pleaded and begged, and promised reformation, but subsequently did not reform, signifying that the path they are back on is the same one that is going nowhere and will not ever redeem them.

The federal minimum wage needs to be much higher

On May 1, 1956, the federal minimum wage was raised to $1.00/hour.  That’s right, $1.00 an hour, which goes to show you not only how low that the minimum wage was, but also that quite obviously the value of a dollar was appreciably higher back then as compared to what it is today.  That is to say, smartasset.com calculates that the buying power of $1.00 of 1956 would be equivalent to $11.85/hour in 2025.  Yet, the federal minimum wage has not been raised since 2009, and remains stuck at $7.25/hour, despite the fact that the United States, in whole, is not only a much richer country than it was back then, but that this wage has not kept up with inflation, in addition to the fact that the wealth disparity between those that are very rich as contrasted to those that are not, has arguably never been higher, than it is, presently.

 While each State has the right to raise their minimum wage to take into account inflation, fairness, and other considerations, and therefore are permitted to legislate a higher minimum wage for those that are employed in their respective States, we do so find, that twenty-six States do not have a minimum wage of at least $11.85/hour and that twelve of those States, have kept their minimum wage at the same level as the federal minimum wage, which is exceedingly low.

 It would be one thing if a minimum wage were equivalent to a living wage, but it isn’t that at all. The minimum wage really represents a wage that will put a minimal amount of money into the employee’s pocket, but certainly not enough to make a living on, which is why so many people that make a minimum wage, are the very same, that will take on a second job, because their first job does not provide them with enough income or hours of employment to live on.

 Look, it has to be said, that all those who are not only willing to work, but are actually working, should be provided with a wage that they can reasonably live on, especially in consideration that this is the richest nation in aggregate in the history of the world.  Indeed, suppose America believes that those so employed need not earn a living wage, or even have the minimum wage indexed to inflation, as Social Security is. In that case, it need not change a thing. Still, the result that this country will get will be the result that we currently see, which is a sizeable dissatisfied section of the country, and a continuation of the rich getting richer, at the expense of those who are poor and exploited.

 This signifies that the representatives of this nation need to do their job, which is to do right by the population of this country, and to thereby see that the minimum wage is adjusted to a much higher level that will do something constructive about the poverty and lack that so many working Americans suffer from, and it this nation will not do this, it is to its own lasting disgrace as the so-called leader of the virtues of capitalism, supposedly lifting all boats.

Interest rates definitely do matter

Regrettably, there are a fair number of Americans who really don’t understand interest rates or the cost of money, but they really should.  After all, what we collectively pay for in terms of our student loans, mortgages, credit cards, and various loans comes down to the cost of that money, and the higher that cost is, the greater it impacts our pocketbook.  For a certainty, those who are debtors, strongly prefer that interest rates be low,  because that signifies for them that the cost of that money is going to be lower, regardless of whether they mathematically understand the difference between a 20% interest rate or a 5% interest rate  So then, it is true that those that are debtors are going to desire lower interest rates. In contrast, those who are savers, along with being conservative investors, are going to prefer interest rates to be higher, because higher interest rates signify to them that they can get a better rate of return on their CDs, savings accounts, and money market accounts.

 Since this government of the United States has a massive federal deficit, and continues to be fiscally irresponsible regarding balancing its books, it is incumbent for America to strongly desire that the cost of borrowing money, be trending to being lower, because that means that the monies so being allocated to the payment of that debt, or at least making that debt to stay current is going to be easier to achieve.  This would seem to strongly imply that this government would be a strong proponent of lower interest rates. So too, it follows that we find when interest rates are lower that this typically encourages the general population to spend more and to thereby save less, which is good for the economy, for the advantages of saving have effectively been reduced meaningfully.

 That said, one of the notable problems with lower interest rates and thereby less savings is that we often get more dollars chasing after goods and services, which thus creates the drawback of higher inflation.  Additionally, for those who prefer to passively save their money and to thereby invest that in CDs or similar, they are going to have to add to their risk, because the return on CDs is too low and will not therefore keep pace with inflation.

 All of the above are indicative that interest rates most definitely matter, and that those who are savvy understand well that the best time to borrow or to add to one’s debt is when interest rates are low, and the best time to passively invest is when interest rates are high.  This signifies that those that read the tea leaves best, are the same that are going to get a superior result, as opposed to all those that blithely go about their business without bothering to understand that ignoring the fundamentals of interest rates, will impact their financial well-being, and thereby not valuing correctly the money that they have in hand or that they owe, will be something that they will ultimately regret.

CEO incentives are good for the CEO but bad for Americans

When it comes to corporate America, we find that those that are in upper management, such as the CEO, CFO, President, and so on, are often incentivized by the Board of Directors, with stock options which are dependent upon the stock price rising, which is of upmost concern to those then in management, as well as for those that are its stockholders.  While this might seem to be a win-win for everybody in the sense that a higher stock price, typically reflects a corporation that is both growing and making sustained profits, the problem is that when that incentive is so lucrative and so desirable, that those at the highest echelon of corporate management, are going to be sorely tempted to do things that are unethical, deceptive, and just plain wrong, so that they can meet whatever goals have been set forth before them, and thereby collect their outsized stock option benefits.  That is to say, while it is true that money is a great motivator for many people, we also find that money is a great corrupter for those who are tempted to push the envelope in order to obtain what they believe they have to have.

 Indeed, an argument could be made that if huge stock options for upper management are so beneficial for the corporation, then it thus follows that this would also be beneficial for all those who are employed there to also have stock options, so that whatever is good for the goose should be good for the gander. The thing is though, while it is true that there are a fair amount of companies that do provide stock options for their employees, it is a truism, that most of those stock options for your standard employee, is something that is nice to have, but isn’t going to make them rich, or impact their life so dramatically, that they move up in class and status; whereas, for upper management, those stock options are worth millions upon millions.

 The main issue with outsized incentives for upper management is that there is going to be a strong tendency not to disappoint the earnings and revenue numbers that Wall Street is expecting, quarter by quarter, which thus lends itself to manipulating the accounting books in a way in which earnings are managed and manipulated which thereby makes the best impression.  So too, those that have stock options are going to be incentivized more times than not, to perform what they believe will help to “goose” the short-term profits as opposed to taking the time to make investments now in Research & Development, that might well serve the company a whole lot better.

 Finally, when profit is everything, because one’s large bonus is dependent upon such, this puts one’s self-interest in the driver’s seat, and thereby that which concerns the community, the environment, or in general, doing the right thing, is going to take the back seat to that self-interest, and so to thereby believe that multi-national corporations are going to always do right by the people is belied by the fact that self-interest will always come first, and therein lies the rub.

Let the strong survive, and the continuation of white privilege

Nobody in their right mind truly believes that all races, all creeds, and all national origins don’t matter when it comes to how people are treated in the United States of America.  That is to say, most everyone recognizes implicitly all the advantages that the favored race has in America and continues to have, and to the degree that white Americans don’t completely boss this country in all of its dimensions but have had to cede control in different areas, does not though indicate that whites are somehow no longer the favored race, but rather whites certainly will continue to be the favored race for quite a while, and arguably there are certain races and creeds in America, in which, it doesn’t seem even conceivable that they would ever supersede the white man.  For instance, it can readily be believed that Native Americans will never be in the catbird seat, and this pretty much continues with every other race in America.  So then, all of this is really a prelude to the fact that a significant portion of white Americans somehow are able to believe that discrimination against certain races and creeds has been eradicated, or if not completely eradicated, remedied in this country, but that viewpoint is clearly mistaken.

 The fact of the matter is that being white lends itself to all sorts of privileges that other races and creeds will either never have, or have to work extremely hard to earn the respect to be treated in a way and manner that is similar to the favored race.  That is to say, whites don’t have to earn a damn thing for they are born with that privilege; whereas, those of other races and unfavored creeds have to continually prove themselves, and often do so against the odds, because the structure of the institutions in America which once were on the pathway of liberal progression, have reverted to the belief that nobody should be provided with any sort of handout or unearned merit, regardless of their circumstances of past or present discrimination, but rather each should simply run their race, of which, the belief is that somehow all races and creeds are beginning that race pretty much at the same starting line as the favored race is at, which simply isn’t true, whatsoever.

 Look, it has to be said, past discrimination cannot ever be fully remedied, but it certainly can be ameliorated, and for the government of this country to turn its back on those that have been historically discriminated against, and still are discriminated against, demonstrates that America is not living up to its creed of equal opportunity, liberty, and freedom for all.  This is why legislative laws have previously been passed, in order to provide the structure that will help to level the playing field, and to provide fair opportunity for all, thus making this a country that is a sanctuary of fairness to everyone that comes to its welcoming shores, and thereby to do something constructive about the fact that white-born advantage has for far too long superseded the content of one’s character.. 

The anti-abortion delusion

Certain areas of conflict are so divisive that sensible people don’t bring them up when they know for a certainty that the opposing side has views upon the subject which are adamant, unchanging, and unyielding.  One of those seminal subjects of argument comes down to those who are pro-life, who are also known as anti-abortion, as opposed to those who are pro-choice, also known as pro-abortion.  When these two sides get together, civility seems to take a backseat, because each side is convinced that they are in the right;  whereas, it could be said that each side has its reasonable points. 

 One of the things that is most annoying about those who are anti-abortion is their contention that life begins at conception, which thereby means there is no reasonable pathway to ever have an abortion, and thereupon essentially means that women are not sovereign when it comes to their own reproduction, but that their body is essentially controlled by the state.  What makes this position completely untenable is the fact that pro-life people do not correctly comprehend what life actually means.  To believe that life begins at conception necessitates a belief, therefore, that the physical body is preeminent and that if there is a soul, it does not factor into their anti-abortion mindset.  In other words, those who are anti-abortion are the very same who seem to believe that physical life is the only life, and when we are physically dead, we are dead.  The contradiction to this is that many of those who are pro-life are quite religious, which presents this dilemma -- for if it is contended, that we have a soul, it has to be admitted that one’s soul is indestructible, which thereby means that such a soul has neither a beginning nor an end, thereby signifying that the aborting of a fetus does not ever destroy the eternal soul of which, it is the soul that represents eternal life.

 So then, the delusion of the anti-abortion crowd is their belief that they are saving lives, but in actuality, they are, at best, taking control of another person’s physical body, so that the fetus can conceivably come to full term, which they contend creates life.  What it does is create physical life; however, the soul preexisted before the physical body and will exist after the physical body, for souls are beyond time and space, as they have no end and no beginning.  This thus indicates that the argument against abortion should really be about that women, as well as men, need to be more cognizant that sex begets babies, and if they wish to avoid the inconvenience of a woman becoming pregnant, when this is not desired, they have a multitude of options which will preclude this, that they should, as responsible people, take advantage of.

 Additionally, though Roe v. Wade is no more the law of the land, the structure of how abortion was legislated through that decision, was reasonable at the time, and seems fairly reasonable today, of which, the sooner a woman can address her pregnancy and make a responsible decision the better, and there really should be a cutoff point, in which abortion is no longer permitted, such as fetal viability, which is generally considered to be 24 weeks. But to say that pro-life proponents are somehow protecting life seems to ignore the fact that a fetus is contained within a sovereign woman’s body, and that life does not now, nor has it ever begun at conception, but rather life for physical beings begins only when the eternal soul enters the body, which is just before birth.

The Johnson and Johnson corporate credo

The corporation known as Johnson and Johnson was founded in 1886 and incorporated in 1943.  Its chairman from 1932 to 1963, Robert Wood Johnson, wrote a credo in 1943, which if corporations of America actually believed in and followed this credo, this country would be in a far superior position than it currently resides, because this credo is one that demonstrates that corporations have a responsibility to do right by the community that they are an integral part of, and by the people that they employ, along with the customers that so purchase their products.

 For instance, Johnson wrote that the corporation needed to “…maintain reasonable prices,” of which so many corporations of today aren’t especially interested in reasonable prices, but rather desire to get as much out of the pockets of consumers as they possibly can.  Additionally, way before diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) became part of the American lexicon, Johnson wrote that “we must provide an inclusive work environment...”  He also wrote that “compensation must be fair and accurate,” and also “there must be equal opportunity for employment…” Furthermore, we find that Johnson wrote “We are responsible to the communities in which we live and work..” along with “bear our fair shares of taxes,” and also that we need to protect “…the environment and natural resources.”

 Not only was Johnson’s credo brilliant in its concepts and his expression of those deeply held beliefs, but all this remains as relevant today as it was back when it was first written, and quite frankly should be part and parcel of what all corporations should be held fully accountable to, because corporations need to be good citizens of the state, which, after all, have permitted their existence in the first place, which thereby means that they need to do right by the employees that they hire, along with being in harmony with the environment that we all live and breathe in, and also serve well the people that are its consumers.  This isn’t really a high ask, at all, but is a reasonable request that corporations understand better that their objective should not be exclusively about money, money, and more money. but rather it should be about providing fair products at a fair price, and to take care of its own in a fair manner.

 Instead, we seemingly live in an age of unending greed, that seems insatiable for a lot of corporations today, of which, the objective of far too many corporations, is to “game” the system, so that they receive from the state, tax abatements and tax avoidance of all types, and seemingly take pride in paying the least amount of taxes that they can thus successfully avert, by using all sorts of financial shenanigans to cheat the system, and thereby put the burden of paying taxes onto the backs of American citizens, throughout this great nation.

 Indeed, it has to be remembered that corporations are artificial constructs of the state, and should thereby be held to the fullest account to their responsibilities of that state, of which, those responsibilities start at the principle that they need to be good corporate citizens, so proven by these corporations being focused not exclusively upon profit, above all, but rather by doing right by all those that they are in contact with, which demonstrates corporate responsibility, for the good of the people, and of this country.

Recessions and the fear of economic slowdown erode union power

Those who are in the corporate business world never seem to let a crisis go to waste, signifying that the best time to undercut or damage a union, or simply the employees of the company that are non-unionized, is when there appears to be the imminent threat of a recession or a slowdown in their business.  This thus allows these corporate entities to pressure unions even though they have an agreement; but it is still insisted that adjustments need to be made, which will in their effect, hurt those of the union, because economic conditions have forced the corporate hand to reduce labor expenses.

 No doubt, there are business cycles, but the thing is, there is something called profit, and the earnings so retained from that profit, of which, if corporations made it their point, that their employees are the most important thing to them, as well they should, then a poor business climate or not, they would be more proactive in coming up with salvation plans that would not first impact negatively labor employment, their salaries, or their benefits, for as it has been said, bad times don’t last forever, so hasty and imprudent decisions made now, have serious consequences for employees which should be averted.

 So too, in this global age, it doesn’t even have to be about a recession to express the belief, for instance, that foreign companies are poised to take market share, or are actually taking market share.  This, then, is indeed a problem of a different sort, of which the very purpose of governments so created, especially when that government has tremendous economic clout to do something constructive about foreign companies, is to take up the mantle to do right by domestic corporations so that they are prudently protected from ceding share to foreign markets.

 The thing about unions in companies, is that a significant portion of corporate management, spend an inordinate amount of time, concentrating on what they can do to weaken said union, which is why when there is fear in the air, corporations are typically already prepared with what they are going to advocate for, in regards to unions having to sacrifice something of merit, so that the company can maintain its existence and strength.  This type of mindset wreaks havoc upon those who are employed, because it, first of all, does not give them a true seat at the table, which would be indicative that contracts so mutually agreed upon aren’t really solid in their construction.

 Finally, when it really does come time for heads to roll, the heads that should be first in line to be eliminated, should come from upper management, for these are the very people that have the highest responsibility to the corporation and the employees that make up that corporation and when they have failed in their foresight about this or that, they should be the ones to face the music, as opposed to those that in the scheme of things, need the consistency of their paycheck, along with job security, which they absolutely depend upon to make their way in society so as to do right by their own.

Corporate responsibility to the community, that they are an integral part of

We, as citizens, have a responsibility to the community that we are a member of, and those who do not live up to those responsibilities are the very same who are not being beneficial to the community but are often hurting it instead.  Indeed, communities are made up of a collection of individuals, so formed that the general welfare of that community can be more readily realized. Those who work together with a collective purpose are more likely to achieve more when not made up of those who contribute little or nothing, or actively cause harm. 

 When it comes to corporate entities, it must first be recognized that corporate entities are artificial constructs of the state, of which their very existence necessitates that they have an inherent responsibility to that which first created what has become their perpetual existence, which can easily supersede the natural life of any one human being.  Therefore, not only do corporations have a responsibility to the community that they are a part of, but because they are perpetual in their structure, it is paramount that they recognize that they have a responsibility to take on their fair share of accountability for the community’s good welfare.

 This signifies that rather than corporations being provided with special considerations, such as a reimbursement or reduction of property taxes, various other tax abatements, subsidies, transportation giveaways, and so on, that they need to pull their fair weight in any community that they are a part of.  So too, the monies so being earned through any corporation, should ideally be spent most prominently to the degree so possible, within the community that they are a part of, which will help to strengthen that community, as opposed to revenues being siphoned from that community to parts far away or unknown.

 The attitude of a corporation within any community should be one of which they deliberately work together with the people of the community for the betterment of that community, which makes for a healthy and satisfying relationship, and in consideration that business cycles have their ups and downs, a community in which corporations have been good to the community, is going to be far more accommodating to those corporations that have done right by their citizenry when tough times come, as opposed to those that simply exploit such.

 Look, it has to be said, that all the laws on the books, probably won’t do much of anything to stop corporate exploitation, if the corporation has simply determined that it is going to do what it does, which is why the best corporations are those that take to heart, that they are an integral part of the community that has permitted them to operate there, and therefore those corporations will act in a manner that is suitable for the betterment of that community.

 In sum, in any community, we expect our citizens to work together for the greater good, which helps to make that community a better and more wholesome place, so it only makes logical sense that corporations that work within our communities should themselves be good to those same citizens, and thereby need to make that part of their mission statement so that they not only live up to it, but are held account to it, as well.

The decline of affirmative action

History tells us that the progressive Johnson administration first initiated affirmative action. Regrettably, as it stands right now, affirmative action has effectively been marginalized by previous State Court decisions, as well as an important Supreme Court decision, in addition to the Trump administration’s Executive Order of 2025 -- all of which is quite unfortunate, because the very purpose of affirmative action is to provide a viable pathway for those that have been historically discriminated against, and are still being discriminated against, to get a fair opportunity to achieve the American dream.

 While there is something to be said about utilizing a strict merit-based system for admission to colleges and for employment applications, what has to be taken into fair consideration is that America consists of many enclaves of absolute poverty and lack, of which, the school systems in those areas often do a poor job in the education of children, and therefore those subjected to those conditions, are going to often not be as prepared for higher education as demonstrated through their weaker test scores.  That indeed is a fact, but what is not taken into account, by those who believe merit should trump everything, is that those who come from disadvantaged circumstances deserve a fair opportunity to prove themselves, and should thereby be accorded a fair handicap to achieve such, for without such aid, those that have historically been the greatest beneficiaries of America largesse, will in many respects, remain the same.

 If we desire to see the same winners of the same race and the same class status continue to be the outsized victors of prosperity in America, then we should turn our back on affirmative action, which clearly seems to be the pathway that those in powerful positions have embraced.  That, though, is not in harmony with what America represents at its best, and is not in keeping with what America owes to those who were previously enslaved, and have consistently been denied fair access to all the accouterments that the favored race of America takes as its birthright.

 There needs to be in this nation a mandated correction for not only past injustices, but also for our consideration that the more representation we have of those who have not had a fair shake, but thereby are seen in positions of influence, prosperity, and success, the more this provides hope for those who desire those very same things.  So too, this country must lend a hand to all those who have been provided with nothing much more than a raw deal, and until such time as our primary and secondary schools are equalized in the sense that students of all backgrounds are actually in an educational facility that will educate them, then this nation needs to make up for that lack of foresight, by providing motivated students with potential, a fair pathway structured specifically for them, that will permit them to have equal access to the type of opportunities and success that has been provided to all those fortunate enough to live in enclaves of prosperity, serenity, opportunity and success.

 Indeed, until such a time as the harvest of opportunity and success includes all who are part and parcel of this country, we will have neither peace nor justice, because that lack of fair representation breeds discontent, above all.

Towards a single world language

The Bible tells us that there was a time when humankind all spoke the same language and read the same words, but because of humankind’s arrogance in creating the Tower of Babel, humankind ended up having no longer just one language, but instead were stuck with a multitude of languages, which is still the situation we so find today.  While it is true that English is the international language of business, and that to a large extent we are still able to communicate effectively with one another, despite our language differences, because of our ability to translate one language into another, there is, though, no one language that all people know.

 It should be recognized that just about every language has its place, as well as its own nuances that makes such a language of interest to us, in the sense, for instance, that descriptions of what we observe can have different layers and be more poetic and comprehensive as found in different languages; but that doesn’t mean though that in our hunt for one single language that we need to eliminate all those languages that currently exist, because truly each has its place; but rather we should keep in focus all the advantages of having just one common language which would more readily lend itself to us understanding one another better, while also providing us a more efficient avenue to share knowledge with each other.

 This thus signifies that we should try to have an international language, so as to make it our point to see that as many societies as possible are literate with that language, and the best time to work upon this, is during our primary and secondary school years, in which, quite frankly, the United States has done an exceedingly poor job in its citizenry learning any other language competently, other than English.  To learn another language isn’t going to be overwhelming if the effort to do so, and the importance of accomplishing this achievement, is a top priority of a given nation or society.

 Indeed, those that desire peace throughout this world, have got to realize that one of those things that serves to divide us, is not just that we have different backgrounds and different creeds, but also that we have different languages, and because so many of us, don’t implicitly or explicitly understand the words so being spoken or written, it creates a divide between one another, that can more easily be exploited by those that have their own agenda in mind, which isn’t an agenda which is good for the harmony of this world.

 In short, there are many objectives in life, which will necessitate not only concentrated effort to achieve, but will also take a considerable amount of time to accomplish, which thereby doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t attempt such, but rather signifies that in order to progress to a single world language, this needs to be a priority, and the sooner that we fully address this, the sooner that we will achieve such, all done for the betterment and advancement of the human race.

What we choose to measure is what we value in society

In any modern society, measurements are taken of all sorts of things, such as our physical condition, measured through our blood pressure, weight, height, cardio capacity and so on; as well as all sorts of measurements done in regards to economic activity and prosperity, and thereby how we measure society has a lot to do with what those measurements are telling us, good or bad.

 Of course, not everything of value can be measured, because we cannot measure how much, for example, we respect or love someone, but still in an indirect manner we can, based on our behavior, how we relate to the other, and the things that we do with one another, are all very helpful in demonstrating how much we care about each other.

 Nevertheless, from a societal standpoint, the main reason why we take the time to measure activities and things that we are doing, is to get a good idea as to whether or not, society as a whole, is progressing or whether it is regressing, which thereupon lets those in authority and influence to know what items we need to attend to more diligently, so as to bring those measurements up to par.

 So too, while it is possible to keep track of just about anything that lends itself to being monitored, not everything is deserving of such attention, because the resources of any nation has limitations due to the instruments so being utilized, monies allocated to such, along with the fact that priorities need to be set, so that the most important areas of interest are being kept tracked of, as opposed to that which is trivial or of little importance.

 Therefore, when we look at society, and the governments that run such societies, we should pay careful attention to what is or is not being measured, because what is being measured is that which society feels is of most value, and when that seems to be out of sorts, it is up to the general public, along with its representatives, to make the changes so necessary so that we address those particular areas that have been monitored and measured, but for whatever reason are basically being marginalized or not robustly dealt with, so that they are prioritized appropriately, permitting therefore an improved agenda, in which improvements or adjustments can thereby be made to concentrate on correcting or amending those important things.

 Indeed, the very point of measuring this or that within societies should not be solely out of curiosity, but rather it should be to provide the data so necessary to be properly examined, and in those instances in which the results are unsatisfactory, to thereby come up with a workable solution that will get those results to move in the direction so desired and needed, because that which we measure, is of interest to us, and the objective of taking those measurements, is not only find out where we currently are at, but also where we desire to go.

The requirement for a common body of knowledge

The proper education of one’s citizens is the responsibility of any good government, of which that education needs to consist of a body of knowledge that is in conformity with common sense, as well as being truthful in the knowledge so being disseminated to students.  In other words, it’s important that children be educated in a way and manner that is consistent throughout America, so that there is a common body of knowledge that all have acquired, or at least have been exposed to.

 This signifies that the principal subjects so being taught, need to be consistent to one another, no matter the school district or the location of such, and while there should be room for variations depending upon school systems and their interest of emphasis, there must though still be a core foundation of knowledge which is consistent throughout our educational system, or else we will find that the unity, belonging, and inclusivity of what America should be, has been diverted to something else that creates unnecessary conflict within this republic.

 There definitely is a need for a foundation of knowledge that all students should be not only challenged to learn, but that they should also be tested upon so as to ascertain whether or not they are knowledgeable about the things that they should know.  After all, the more knowledge that each of us has, the more effective we will all be when it comes to collaboration and a basic understanding of one to the other.

 Indeed, it has to be acknowledged that America is in so many respects, a melting pot, of which people have different backgrounds, different habits, different wealth, and are of different national origins, which thereby necessitates that for all citizens of these United States, there has to be a common ground of knowledge that pretty much everyone agrees is sensible, worthy, and of merit to be taught.  This is why the Federal government needs to do its part to see that those who are in primary and secondary schools not only have a common core curriculum to learn, but that this curriculum has been properly vetted, as to whether it represents the best that America can do on behalf of its students being educated.

 It is of supreme importance to this nation that just because somebody is born here, or has become naturalized here, that they also have a basic understanding of what America stands for, and how it came to that viewpoint, and the importance thereby that each of us contributes our fair part on behalf of America, by each of us thereby doing our best in contributing to its continuation and its strength.  After all, this nation is only going to be as good as its people, great Constitution or not, which means that it is incumbent upon this government to educate its citizens so that they know their responsibilities to that government of, for, and by the people, best accomplished by having a common objective, so built upon the common knowledge that all have learned well in school and beyond.

Truth in advertising should be applied to our taxes

While there are a few people who are only too happy to pay their fair share in taxes, we do so find that a whole lot of people aren’t too thrilled about paying much of anything in taxes, and do so begrudgingly, or you could also say, compelled by law, they do so.  When it comes to taxes, one of those things that the government needs to do a far better job of accomplishing is to be not only as transparent as possible as to where those taxes are being allocated and how they are being spent, but also to provide such information which consists of the most detailed data as possible, so that people, along with journalists could get a deep look into how our taxes are utilized.

 Look, it has to be said, that part of the reason why people aren’t wanting to pay their taxes, is that they don’t really know what personal benefit that they are getting from those taxes, of which, it is really the government’s responsibility to let the people know exactly how they are benefiting from those taxes, such as the fact that these tax monies are thereby being used for the national defense, social security, health care, as a safety net, transportation, education, and so on.

 One of the things that troubles certain Americans is the fact that a significant portion of Americans believe that they are being mandated to pay taxes of which that money pretty much directly goes to those that aren’t necessarily deserving of such, as in those that are forever jobless welfare recipients, and for food stamps for those people that could work, but refuse to work, because they rather get governmental handouts.  To the extent that any of the above is true, it should be explained more clearly why a safety net is necessary and why the money spent on those people and agencies is justified.  That said, the government needs to look at alternatives to help those who are the most vulnerable to assist them in having the opportunity to have a decent life, including those people who could and ought to work, who should be put to work, even if that means the government becomes the employee of last resort.

 While some people view taxation as akin to a form of robbery, they wouldn’t hold that viewpoint as often if they knew more about how their taxes are allocated and had a greater voice in how those taxes are spent.  In fact, providing taxpayers with a form in which they could designate their preference as to the areas in which their taxes would be utilized definitely would have its place, because it would provide taxpayers with the feeling that they do actually have a voice, and probably some program like that could be constructed, which would achieve this objective.

 In this modern world, taxes are necessary, and more people would “buy in” to the payment of taxes if they had a better understanding of where those taxes were being allocated and the reasons why this is occurring.  Further to the point, in those areas in which the taxes being paid appear to be utilized in a way and manner that seems imprudent, dumb, or just plain wrong, the taxpayer should have a forum to have their say, and to the degree so reasonably possible, to see that their tax dollars are more appropriately spent.

Making billions in profits, but still having the audacity to lay off employees

High-technology corporations comprise some of the most obscenely profitable companies in the world. The best of the best of them consistently make billions of dollars in profits, making one to believe, that for those fortunate enough to get employed there, that they should fairly look upon their jobs as being absolutely secured, because of all the money being made, but in actuality this isn’t true, for we find that Google AI tells us that Amazon cut 27,000 jobs in 2022-23, Alphabet (Google) cut 12,000 jobs in 2023, Meta (Facebook) laid off 11,000 employees in 2022, and approximately 10,000 more in 2023. Microsoft laid off 14,000 employees in 2014, along with an estimated 10,000 in 2023, and announced further job eliminations of 9,000 in 2025.

 Look, the bottom line is that when a mega corporation such as those shown above that consistently makes billions of dollars in profits, somehow believes that it is right to lay off employees when in actuality they really don’t have an overriding financial demand that this need be done, is quite unfortunate, because corporations have a duty and an obligation to treat their own employees which have help create for them billions of dollars in profits in a way and manner that respects their input and contribution, of which, this means that corporations should be savvy enough, to keep employed those that were hired in the first place, or at a minimum, provide to employees the option to voluntarily to terminate their employment, with a generous severance package.

 While there are legitimate reasons why just about any company, without robust union representation, is entitled to lay off employees, it really should be something that occurs only when the economy or the overall business outlook presents these companies without any real good choices, and thereby laying employees off is one of the choices that can be made in order to reduce expenses.  That said, though, for those corporations that have not only booked billions upon billions in historical profits, but are continuing to make billions in profits, to lay off employees should be seen as a betrayal of the labor force and unbecoming of a legitimate corporation, which is an artificial construct of the state.  In other words, mega corporations that make billions and lay off employees should be fined by the government that legislated them into existence, and further legislation to the effect that lay-offs are not permitted unless under certain specific conditions should be passed, in order to protect employees and thereby protect their continued employment.

 In this capitalistic system, there isn’t any guarantee that business conditions will remain the same, for they could get worse, then again, they could get better, but it has to be taken into fair consideration that the mega corporations such as Microsoft and Meta (Facebook), are not going out of business in the near future, or possibly ever, so that they therefore have an absolute obligation to the country that has permitted their existence to do their necessary part to be fair to their employees, by treating their employees as a high priority, and not seeing them ever as an expense, and thereby to be treated any which way that the corporation feels it can do, of which, the best way to make sure that this does not occur, is to make it governmental policy that in return for their corporate existence, that these mega corporations, without exception, will be held accountable to that government of, for, and by the people.

Oil and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union

The Soviet Union is no more, and while there are various reasons as to its demise, certainly one of the most proximate reasons, if not the primary reason, why it all collapsed, probably comes down to the price of oil, which was and still is of extreme importance to Russia, and as it was for the Soviet Union.  We find that during the 1980s, after an impressive rise in prices in the 1970s, that the Soviet Union projected that oil prices would at a minimum maintain their price of the 1970s, or probably increase, but that prediction was tragically wrong, even though oil is the engine of virtually all economies in the world, of which, without oil, countries duly suffer economically because oil is the go-to choice for transportation needs, and plays its part in electricity, heating, and for chemical concoctions of all sorts.

 In the 1980s the price of oil declined for six successive years from 1981-1986, perhaps because there was a perceived overabundance of oil, and when the government of a nation has structured their budget around a much higher price, and find thus that the price has gone down, this is going to place immense pressure on that nation, of which, because the Soviet Union was overly dependent upon their main export, oil, providing it with the necessary funding to not only keep their economy humming, but to pay for necessary things such as goods and food, we find that in absence of receiving those vital things, decisions had to be made, of which, letting go of the satellite nations that made up the Soviet Union was the decision so made, for better or for worse, because at the end of the day, the top governmental officials of the Soviet Union, were Russian, and so this meant that the priority of that government on behalf of the Soviet Union was to first take care of their true motherland, namely Russia.

 To doubt that oil is a major contributing factor to wars, rumors of wars, and the rise and fall of nations is to not properly comprehend that, without fuel and energy, nations are going to be forced to make difficult decisions.  History tells us that Germany, Japan, and Italy, which formed the core of the Axis powers during WW II, are countries that all had a vital need to obtain oil, for without good access to such, they would not be able to wage war or conquer other nations.  This thus signifies that embargoes of oil from certain nations, or the threat to do so, are going to have consequences, not only to the possible stability of the governments so affected, but the decisions subsequently made.

 Indeed, in all probability, had oil continued its assent upwards in price, during the 1980s and beyond, the Soviet Union would still exist, and would also be a more formidable economic power, because oil exporters are the same that bring in an abundance of revenue for the benefit of the nation; whereas, those that must import such at an unfavorable price or without an ironclad guarantee that the oil will continually flow to them, have a much harder time of it, signifying that oil has an outsized effect upon worldwide affairs, and should be seen as often being the most significant reason as to why nations rise and nations fall.

When the government and private enterprise team up

Government is meant, above all, to be of beneficence to the general public, of which part of its duties is for the aid of and the creation of the necessary infrastructure that we so often take for granted, such as roads, electricity, schooling, waste management, water, and so forth.  This is why utilities that serve the population are not only regulated by the government, but are structured in a way that ensures the primary purpose of these utilities is to provide the necessary service to the people at a fair price with a high degree of reliability and good service.

 While there may be a lot of good reasons of why private enterprise structured for profit and the government should team up, the problem with such a combination is that often the government foregoes its task of regulating private enterprise and becomes more of permitting private enterprise to do what it feels it has to do, essentially unimpeded by robust governmental oversight.  In other words, private enterprise has a strong tendency to take driving control of what it has been authorized to do, with the basic attitude that the government should just take a back seat and let the enterprise lead the way in what it believes is the correct course, and therefore for the government to serve the sole purpose of just legitimizing whatever actions and activities subsequently occur.  Further to the point, in any construct in which private enterprise is for all practical purposes, the sole source of what is has been contracted to do by the government, then there is, for example, a strong tendency for private enterprise to pad their expenses, so that it might seem as if they are only making a modest profit, when they are actually making out like bandits.

 So too, whenever private enterprise and the government combine together to address the general needs of the public, in which that government no longer seems to serve the purpose of monitoring private enterprise, but rather seems to be co-opted by private enterprise, then nobody neutral is minding the store, but rather the people are thus supposed to just trust that private enterprise in conjunction with the government are doing the right thing, when they may well be taking advantage of the public’s credulity.  Additionally, the structure of government is to set the rules and standards that all must follow, and to impose fines or injunctions against those companies that have not followed those rules, and therefore, when the government has teamed up with private enterprise, we find that this check and balance, so necessary, is no longer fully in play.

 After all, it has to be remembered that private enterprise is driven by its lust for profit as well as for an increase in revenue, year by year, of which, the government’s job is to see that in capitalism that there is fair competition, a level playing field, and that the general public is provided with the required information to fairly evaluate where they should consider spending their money, and when those choices are constricted to that which provides them no recourse with their government, because that government has teamed up with private enterprise, then the general public has effectively been cheated.

Superrich and famous people are elected because the people love backing a known winner

We read at https://www.cambridge.org/ that “Over 11% of the world’s billionaires have held or sought political office,” which is a remarkably high statistic.  The fact of the matter is that most people would be surprised that any billionaire would even consider running for office, when they already have all the money that they could possibly ever imagine and have more than a fair use for; yet they go ahead and run, perhaps for the betterment of society, but probably because winning public office, permits them to more readily consolidate their wealth, along with providing them with another form of influence and persuasion, which is power.

 Similarly, numerous famous athletes and actors have ventured into the political arena, with a significant number achieving success, such as becoming mayors, Governors, Senators, and even Presidents.  This signifies that superrich and famous people definitely not only get elected, but there has to be something that they have in common, for having that collective success with the people, and that would have to be the fact that people love backing a winner, and in particular, those that don’t have a whole lot of success in life, seem to especially favor voting for someone that is perceived to be a winner, for apparently the vicarious reason that because they voted for that candidate, or favored that candidate, that somehow their candidate’s success and prestige thereby rubs off on them.

 Indeed, name recognition as well as the usage of a lot of money in politics, serves those candidates that have an abundance of such attributes, quite well, because a lot of candidates so running for election, don’t have a particular high name recognition, and some of those that do, have perhaps been around the block so long and done or said certain things, that their name recognition is not favorable, whatsoever.  So then, a candidate that is running for office, who, because they are famous or superrich, but don’t have much of a track record when it comes to political views, may very well have an advantage over more seasoned candidates because they don’t have any of that negative baggage that would apparently hold them back.

 The fact that the superrich and famous are able to get elected is a reflection not of their political views or experience, but simply because people like them, or admire them, or wish they were them, which is probably not so good for America, because those who run for political office really ought to be people who know their stuff, can debate well, and are people of principle, that stand for something of value to the general public, as opposed to simply being likeable or extremely wealthy.  One of the things that the general public doesn’t really comprehend is that those who are inexperienced in the political arena aren’t going to be skilled at all the interplay, compromises, and the give and take that politics typically consist of, and will find to their dismay, that just because their candidate has been elected, does not necessarily mean that their desired mandate will ever come close to coming to fruition, which is why superrich or famous elected politicians, don’t seem to ever really change a thing

Eleanor Roosevelt was the greatest first lady ever

No doubt, Eleanor Roosevelt was not only the greatest first lady ever, but she was also the longest-serving first lady, as well.  There are a multitude of attributes to admire about Eleanor Roosevelt, of which the first is the fact that she made it her point and principle to have her say, and did not permit the conservatism or orthodoxy of the day to negatively influence her beliefs or viewpoints, for she knew what she stood for, and thereby not only made her stand, but also pressed forward as to why what she believed in and fought for, was the right course for the good of America.

 In an era in which women were typically seen but seldom heard, Eleanor Roosevelt held her own press conferences during her husband’s Presidency, while also writing a newspaper column that expressed her opinions and viewpoints on vital subjects of the day. So too, back in those days, when segregation was common throughout a significant portion of America, Mrs. Roosevelt made it clear that she was against that segregation, and made it a point to connect with black people in a way and manner that had not previously been done by any other first lady.  Mrs. Roosevelt believed firmly that this nation could not fairly consider itself to be a democracy when so many minorities were essentially precluded from having the vote, and were typically discriminated against in just about every way possible.

 Mrs. Roosevelt strongly believed in social justice, and her words and actions consistently demonstrated this conviction.  Indeed, for the first lady to stand strong for those who were so often dismissed and un-championed, was to her immense credit for it could be said, that her voice, because of her position, had a great deal of influence in the subsequent actions of legislation submitted and passed, along with also influencing the Truman administration, because of her outspokenness in the defense that America could not consider itself to be a land of liberty and of equality of opportunity, when it so often denied those very things to its own citizens, because of the color of their skin or previous national origin.

 So too, Mrs. Roosevelt made it her principle to support the oppressed of all types and that this government of, for, and by the people had an inherent responsibility to the least amongst its citizens, to see that they were provided with a fair chance to become something of merit. In all things big and small, Mrs. Roosevelt stood strong and was not afraid to take public positions that her husband was either reluctant to take or believed that he could not take, because of his concern that it would not be countenanced by those who helped to empower him into the Presidency.

 A first lady with the gumption and strength of Mrs. Roosevelt did not previously exist, so that she was a true trailblazer, signifying to those of her gender that women should not be trivialized or ignored, but were entitled to have their say, and further to the point, that women, as well as all minorities, were entitled to no less than equal status with those historically favored, and thus deserving of their own life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.