We need more employee-owned companies

For the uninitiated and unsophisticated, employee-owned companies almost sound like they are possibly socialist and therefore, in their own way, un-American, but this isn’t true at all.  We find that for a whole lot of employed people, they are nothing much more than an employee, who in many States, are an “at-will” employee which basically means that no matter their length of time at a given company or their need for steady and livable income, that they can thus be terminated by their employer at any time, for any reason that the employer finds suitable.   This type of employment condition is obviously not ideal for the employee, and is arguably the biggest complaint of why capitalism, as currently structured, needs to be modified so that all employees have more of a voice, such as we find in union shops.

 When it comes to employee-owned companies, because everybody that is employed there has a voice, and the right to some percentage of ownership in the company, that the cohesion and teamwork so displayed are often going to reflect a more motivated workforce, because they know that what they really do and therefore their productivity, does matter, and because it matters to their continual employment, profit sharing, and value of the stock that they own, it incentivizes employees to push themselves harder to maintain that success.  In other words, whenever equity is provided to employees, they feel that their personal value is higher, and because of that, they are motivated to do their best, which is not always the case, in those companies, in which, the employee is paid by the hour, and seems to be, in many a case, of marginal value or replaceable to the ownership.

 To believe, somehow, that the best companies are those in which the lion’s share of the ownership is held in the hands of upper management, along with those that have significant shares or options to those shares, reflects a belief that there should be a division between those that are well-positioned and well-compensated, as opposed to the general worker bee workforce.  A management attitude such as that is reflected in why we see so many jobs that could be and ought to be in America, being outsourced overseas, because whenever the objective for upper management is to do all in their power to increase profit, even at the direct expense of American workers, they are going to be well tempted to do that very thing.  It isn’t so much that outsourcing is always wrong, but rather it is the fact that when upper management has specific incentives that push profit as the be-all and end-all of everything that the corporation does, then regular employees are often going to be stuck with the short end of the stick.

 Indeed, when we look at companies of all sorts, it would be healthier for those companies if each employee of the company were vested in it, so that they would thereby not only really care about the success of the company, but would also directly benefit from the success of the company, as well, which is why employee-owned companies are in reality, most in harmony with what America represents, at its finest. 

The “money flipping” easy money nonsense

It could be argued that in this era of cryptocurrency and the prevalence of social media, it has never been easier to convince credulous others that somehow there are those gifted people who are so astute and tuned in that they can take the real money that you have obtained and, over a very short period of time, double it, or even more.  Indeed, those who work the money-flipping angle are quite adept at selling the illusion that they have the skill set to make that easy money for you, if only you would trust them to do that.  The thing, though, is that the most important question is never really asked or answered, which really comes down to the fact that if this person or the social media website which represents them was so skilled at making that easy money, why would they need to have your money to do such -- for those that can truly double money in 60 days or six months, should be able to simply self-finance themselves to millions upon millions, because consistent 100% returns can take a molehill and turn it into a mountain in short order.

 The problem that Americans especially have is that it is considered to be the mecca of financial assets, and therefore, those who desire to run scams or hustles, fixate upon Americans as their ideal target, because the smoothest path to make money, licit or illicitly, is going to be where the money is at.  So too, many people suffer the problem of comparing themselves to others, or believing wholeheartedly in certain social media personages that seem to have everything, and since they don’t really have much of anything, they can’t stand the fact that they lack monetary assets and since their life appears to be a real disappointment, they are therefore susceptible to the siren song of easy money, that will thus resolve what seems to be most troubling to them.

 Additionally, it doesn’t help that our government supports and enables things like lotteries, which sell the story that anybody at any time could all of a sudden have millions upon millions, if only they would participate and buy a lottery ticket that only costs them a few bucks.  The problem with the lottery or any other type of general gamble is that, quite frankly, not only are the odds strongly against the participant, but the very money that could be used or saved for a better purpose is being spent on what is an unrealistic dream that should be prudently avoided.

 We are instructed at an early age not to fall victim for that which sounds too good to be true, but when people have psychologically convinced themselves that they have to have something, which they have yet to fairly earn, and believe in that somebody who appears to be successful and has a convincing story – then far too many people that ought to know better, will put that money into that charlatan’s hands, and the end result is really known from the beginning, which is that money is now gone, with perhaps a lesson learned, or perhaps not, for those that insist upon shortcuts in life, are very vulnerable to getting fooled again and again.

“The People, not the Government, possess the absolute sovereignty.”

The above quotation might even seem radical to those of the present age, as if this came from some Marxist or by the hand of a revolutionary from some 3rd world nation. In fact, this sentiment was expressed by James Madison in 1800, who, as one of our Founding Fathers, would become the future two-term President of the United States.  Madison goes on to say: “The Legislature, no less than the Executive, is under limitations of power…Hence, in the United States the great and essential rights of the people are secured against legislative as well as against executive ambition.”

 Yet, when we look around at our governance, how few believe that the people possess absolute sovereignty.  Indeed, even if certain people somehow believe it, our very eyes tell us that in actuality the people do not possess absolute sovereignty, whatsoever, but seem to be, in many cases, subservient to our legislative, executive and judicial branches, as if our government, answers not to the people, in whole, but has separated itself from the people, to therefore go about its business in a superior way and manner that serves those that are the true power brokers of America, which appears to be the superrich, the well-placed, and in addition, corporate power.

 Indeed, it could be argued that the people of America are less free today, then they were one hundred years ago, and there does not appear to be anything on the horizon to retard or to stop this disturbing trend, for never have the people of this nation been more surveilled and more monitored then we have today, in which, it would be one thing if those of the criminal class were the ones being closely monitored, but rather we have virtually every citizen who isn’t ensconced in some sort of cave, that the government in conjunction with invasive hi-technology corporations, has in their control just about every piece of actionable information about us, and if so lacking, can retrieve such through a deliberate and comprehensive search of our person through the reams upon reams of information stored about us.

 The salient reason why governments are formed to begin with is not just for the protection of the people, but for the betterment of those people, because hands joined together, with a common purpose, can accomplish much more good than those that are not bound together under a united purpose.  Yet, what we are dealing with, more and more, is a governance that is about feathering its own nest and ignoring the population that it is supposed to serve.  Those in government are supposed to be servants to the people, but instead, the people find themselves to be far too often unnerved, surveilled, and disappointed that things overall aren’t getting better, but are getting worse, with the exception of those who are our elites, who get ever more powerful and richer, at our collective expense.

 It needs to be remembered that the people of this nation courageously fought for their independence, and did so through a great deal of risk, while exhibiting bravery to accomplish this worthy objective.  So too, the point of this fight was for the right of the people to control their destiny, through their sovereignty best represented, by representative government, of which, this has become bastardized over the decades, so that what we have in actuality is not a government of, for, and by the people, but rather a government that runs roughshod over the people, structured to control and to monitor us, so that we become nothing much more than pliant subjects to a ruling elite.

If Walmart and Amazon don’t completely unionize, it’s curtains for those who aspire to be part of the middle class

According to Wikipedia.org, the two largest employers of non-union labor within private enterprise are Walmart, with 2,100,000 employees, and Amazon, with 1,525,000 employees.  While it is true that there has been some notable progress in getting a union into Walmart as well as Amazon, the fact of the matter is that the percentage of unionized employees at either of these companies is so low that it’s as if there really aren’t any union members at all.

 We live in a day and age in America in which the union power that exists, is primarily still here because those unions were created decades ago, back when not only corporate power was less strong, but also when this government of, for, and by the people helped to level the playing field through the expressed belief that all Americans deserved fair pay, reasonable working hours, and safe working conditions. Incredibly, that viewpoint, was held by the government back then, but does not apparently hold true today, because corporate power and the belief that corporations alone should dictate to employees was is or is not tolerated in regards to pay, working hours, and overall safety has effectively become normalized at our workplaces in many a case, thereby leaving employees in the unenviable position of acceptance of the prevailing job criteria, or removal, so of.

 Additionally, when it comes to the pathway of union organizing, it’s going to be easier to get employees organized into an effective union when the work that they are doing, involves some notable job skill that cannot be easily replicated by bringing someone else in off of the street, which is why those that are in trades that are considered to be “skilled” are going to be in a superior position to bargain and to achieve union status, then those that are considered to be in “unskilled” labor positions, in which, the employer feels confident that when they get rid of those that are agitating for unions, that not only will that not hurt the productivity of the overall workforce, but could actually make things better, because of the fear of those employees of becoming unemployed.

 All of the above signifies that in the scheme of things the only conceivable way that Walmart and Amazon will become fully unionized is if this government makes it their point to see that it happens, by passing legislation which stipulates that employers of the size and power of these corporations are thereby mandated to accept unionization -- or else unionization will not occur, because as it stands, Walmart and Amazon simply have too much intimidation power, surveillance, and control that thus does not make them vulnerable to full unionization.  That said, to believe somehow that the unionization of employees for these companies would spell their doom, reads the tea leaves, totally wrong, because in effect, at present, when we take into consideration food stamps, earned income credit, and various other welfare programs, we as a people are already paying for the underpayment of these employees; whereas, the way it should be is private enterprise should provide for those that they employee, a living wage, instead.

An apology without meaningful action is just empty words

People make mistakes all of the time, in which it is understood that we can’t do much individually about those mistakes made by others against us; we can, though, do something constructive about those mistakes and misdeeds that we have done to the other.  To wit, the easiest thing for most people to do when they have wronged the other is to simply apologize to them, but because words are just words, and do not in of themselves represent action, it has to be admitted that to merely be sorry about this or that, and then sulk away, thereby giving the appearance of feeling remorse, is the type of apology which doesn’t do much of anything to make good on what needs to be made good on.

 While there are those misdeeds that are so terrible that there actually isn’t a corresponding action that can make up for what has occurred, we still need to do our level best to correct what we can, by changing our behavior for the better and thereby endeavoring to do what we can do to help to make things better.  Fortunately, most of the time, though, the type of error that we have made, which necessitates an apology, typically permits us to do something of use for those we have offended, to thus demonstrate our sincerity by making amends for what we have done wrong.

 Indeed, it has to be admitted that just about everyone has known a so-called friend who messes up again and again, often in the same way, of which they eventually apologize to us but subsequently do little or nothing to correct their behavior.  That pretty much signifies that their apology means nothing, because when nothing is ever corrected, or even reasonably attempted to be corrected, there isn’t even much point in making that verbal apology in the first place, because nothing of substance comes forth from it.

 To do wrong, is part of the human experience, and those then that acknowledge their wrong and then take steps to make amends are the very same that recognize that we need to take responsibility for what we say and do, or else, we are just people that mouth excuses, without ever taking the time to examine our own self, so as to figure out where we have gone wrong, and what we can subsequently do to reduce such to thereby become a better person for it.

 In sum, there are plenty of lessons to be learned in our lives, of which, those that learn those lessons best are the ones that make good on their past mistakes and thereby create the framework not to stumble in the future and are true to it; whereas those that are insincere, are reduced to making weak excuses for their misdeeds, of which, probably some of those excuses have legitimacy to them, yet that just isn’t going to be good enough, because at the end of day, words without constructive actions behind them, have little merit and never will.

Those that are free: think, and those that are unfree: obey

Each of us is gifted with a mind, and the choice that we are blessed with is to utilize our mind as thus representing our inherent right to think independent thoughts and thereby to do things which may not be in conformance with what society either expects of us, or what we believe we have been taught to do.  That is to say, it is imperative to recognize that we are freewill individuals and those that fail to recognize this truth are the very same that will find themselves often going with the flow, which by the way is what we see with dead branches and debris in a river, or whether we will at least consider going against the flow, which is what we see in a river of those that are in a rowboat and that are willing to use their oars against that flow.

 To ignore or to not develop our mind so as to think our own thoughts is to our discredit, because it needs to be recognized that a lot of the progress so accomplished by humankind has not come forth from those that simply toe the line and comply with the beliefs and orthodoxies of the day, but rather progress is often developed by those that question those orthodoxies and thus examine what is believed so as to ascertain the full truth of the matter, and further to the cause, to take to the next logical level that which has previously stood the test of time.  Indeed, the unquestioning soul is the same that does not help bring progress to any civilization, though they may well do their part that contributes to that civilization by their labor; but in order for that civilization to make a quantum leap into that which will be of more benefit, there needs to be those that will not only think the thoughts that others have not considered, but successfully develop such, often with the aid and help of additional free thinkers.

 Those that are animals and nothing more than an animal can typically be trained to obey because they are not thinkers, but rather are obedient to those who are in authority.  We, as human beings, are made of different stuff, which permits us to think and because we have the power to think, it signifies that we are thereby held to account for what we do or don’t do with that which we have been gifted with, for not all those who think, actually think thoughts that are beneficial to society and thereby just to think doesn’t mean that good things will result, which is why we have laws within societies to keep therefore those that think the wrong thoughts and thereby do bad things are consequently held to account.

 To think is to recognize that we have a responsibility to where those thoughts take us, which signifies that we must answer for all that we think and do; whereas, those who don’t think will simply be asked the salient question: why, when they were gifted with thinking power, did they refuse to develop it and subsequently to use for the betterment of their self as well as the society that they were a part of?

Should journalism just be the mouthpiece of the establishment?

We live in a day and age in which all of the mainstream press that we see online, in print, or via the medium of television and the like is all owned by corporate entities whose only apparent desire is profit.  This thus signifies that journalism of today is not going to be primarily about holding the establishment to account and thereby exposing what they do not wish to have expose, or challenging conventional wisdom, but in many respects, journalism has devolved into simply spinning narratives that are in accordance with establishment desires and decrees, as if this somehow represents all the news that is fit to be disseminated, when it really isn’t.

 This country is supposed to be by, for, and of the people, which thereby signifies that those that are journalists highest and most noble duty is to do right by those people, and whenever there is a conflict between what the establishment wishes to see professed, as contrasted to the truth of the matter, then those journalists need to be on the side of truth, even when such truth is inconvenient, and thus hold the establishment’s feet to the fire.

 Instead, far too many of those that claim the mantle of journalism, aren’t really journalists, at all, though they may well proudly wear the title, but what we really have, are nothing more than well-paid lackeys to the establishment who write and speak only those words that have been preapproved with the hope that the narrative so spun will be good enough to fool Americans.  Fortunately, we find that as it has been wisely stated while “you can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.” 

 Indeed, in this era of social media, and independent non-legacy media, there are a multitude of voices that represent the renewed and reinvigorated journalism, serving the people’s purpose of challenging the establishment and their stories, thereby holding those entities in powerful positions to account for what is really happening, providing to the people the necessary counterpoint to that which is being propagandize to the people as representing the truth, when at best, it is a partial truth, and in many a case with the establishment, no truth at all.

 In sum, those that are our journalistic outlets that, for all practical purposes, are nothing much more than a mouthpiece of the establishment deserve not a minute of our time or our care, because they provide nothing much of merit or interest for us, for they are trying to condition us to believe in that which provides little benefit or good purpose.  The establishment wants us to believe in their lies when the truth cries out that we are being sold a very bad bag of goods, and those then that are responsible for the telling and retelling of deceptions and misdirection of all sorts have no worthy place in society, because they are not contributing to our search for truth and accountability, but are instead doing the very opposite in the hopes that by doing so, they can mold us into citizens that don’t question authority but rather just are obedient to such

Silencing of the voice for the supposed protection of the people

Those that have power, such as governmental or corporate or personal power, have a strong tendency not always to desire to embrace the freedom of speech or freedom of expression, for the salient reason that they aren’t interested in dissent or inconvenient facts, so their strategy to silence or to control the voice of the other, is to put their arms up in the air, whenever they hear what is perceived by them as being unorthodox and harmful, decrying that this voice must be silenced for the safety and protection of the people.

 Each of us is blessed with a thinking mind, of which the most important part of having a thinking mind is to use it to think, and in that thinking, it thus provides us with the opportunity to learn and to search for the truth in all things.  To believe, somehow, that there is certain type of talk that is so dangerous that it needs to be silenced is to not understand that the whole purpose of thinking is to provide us with the individual power, to discern whether what we are seeing and hearing makes sense, so that we can react in the most sensible way, because the bottom line is no matter how much censorship that there is, not every contingency can be dealt with ahead of time or in real time, so that those that are not prepared for those voices and opinions which may misdirect them from what is good and right, thereby haven’t developed their mind in a way and manner that provides that person with the knowledge to react correctly to such.

 While there is something to be said about our parents or mentors wishing to protect us from those who don’t have our best interests in mind, at least with them, we know that their intention is for our betterment and protection.  When it comes to our government or that which employs us, their agenda is something that can easily conflict with not only what is right and good, but also conflict with what we know to be correct, because power in the wrong or indiscriminate hands, has its own agenda, which often trumps what is right, so that it therefore follows, whenever any power source that has influence upon us, insists that certain thoughts or ideas will not be permitted to be spoken or disseminated, it is important to look under the hood, to understand why they have taken that position, especially when it appears to be wrong.

 Indeed, government and other institutions of influence and authority have a desire to censor what they do not wish to hear, because what is being said or distributed by certain others is not in accordance with their desires. Therefore, they make it their point to impress upon the people the need to censor others who have what appear to be unorthodox or inappropriate thoughts, so that it becomes easier for those in authority to control the narrative in a way and manner that is beneficial for them, at the expense of the people’s freedom, done under the false flag, that censorship is necessary for their continual safety.

The deliberate misdirection when it comes to the reality of antisemitism

This government would have you to believe that in 2025, the biggest hate threat that this nation is currently experiencing is antisemitism.  To believe this to be true, is to believe in a lie, and to ignore not only the reality of the situation, but also to discount or to dismiss American history, which is only too clear that there certainly was a time and a place when antisemitism was pretty much the norm of the United States but not only is this not true today, the reality is that there has never been a better time to be a Jew than presently, which is why it seems so strange that this government should be calling “wolf” when there truly is nothing to see.

.The reason why this government declaims antisemitism again and again can be no other than misdirection, because while we might wish that all are equally treated under the law, this is not the case today, and in fact, has never been the case.  This signifies that for those who are truly seeking justice for those discriminated against, they need only to open their eyes to recognize that this government, in many aspects and actions, is anti-black, anti-brown, anti-Muslim, and anti-immigrants who are non-white or non-Christian/non-Jewish.  Yet, all the pressure that this government exerts when it comes to free speech, free assembly, and the higher education study body and administration, revolves around none of those parties that are truly being discriminated against, but rather sells the story that Jews are somehow under attack, when in actuality, to be Jewish, is to be the most protected type of person ever in America, making them to be the favored protected class of people.

 There is indeed a religious aspect to the special protection that jews get in America, which comes primarily from evangelical Christians as well as orthodox Jews, which is disappointing because in their reading of the Bible and thus their understanding, so of, they can’t seem to comprehend that to believe that some are created more equal than others, is the very opposite of what Jesus preached and taught, as well as it being at odds with the Old Testament, which thereby signifies that none are so blind as those that willingly will not see.

 As stated above, there is plenty of discrimination in America, and to the degree that American governance desires to do something constructive about such, so much the better, but when that concentration is essentially protecting and thereby enhancing those that need neither protection nor enhancement, it demonstrates that this government has surely lost its Constitutional vision and purpose.

 The reality is that to be outside of the favored white race, or outside the favored religious class of people, places you in a position of being essentially treated no better than a second-class citizen, and in a lot of cases significantly worse, because to be unfavored, makes a person vulnerable to all sorts of liberties being taken away from them, never to return, which is discriminatory and anathema to what this country is supposed to represent at its heart. 

If you can’t get along with your family members, that doesn’t bode well

Not everybody gets along well with their family members, and few, if any, get along with their family members all of the time.  However, that said, it is of vital importance to do one’s best to get along with family members because a whole lot of life’s lessons are represented through the microcosm of how we interrelate and deal with our family members, which is ultimately expressed writ large, in our relationships outside our family dynamic.  In other words, disappointments, conflicts, betrayal, and the like are part and parcel of the real world, and if we aren’t able to handle such within our family dynamic, this doesn’t bode well that we will be able to handle such with aplomb in the world outside our family.

 It has to be acknowledged that some people have very troubling and toxic family relationships which is no real fault of their own, and of which, they then must do what they need to do to correct or to step away from that which is creating such trouble for them, for there isn’t any good reason why a good person should go down with the ship, when the best route is to abandon it, because some situations are unresolvable when the other party simply isn’t going to do their necessary part to correct what needs to be corrected on their end.

 Nevertheless, it needs to be recognized that those who are unable to forgive their own family members or themselves are the same who are susceptible to not having good relationships with other people, because every relationship is going to have some degree of tension, failure, and disagreement. Those who are mature and wise recognize that we don’t need to and ought not to seek those who are mere cookie-cutter cutouts of our own selves, because that would seem to be redundant.  Rather, we need to comprehend better that everyone is entitled to their own viewpoint and opinion, and that which we owe the other when we disagree is to respect where they are coming from, without having to agree with it.

 As much as some of us believe that the world and, therefore, society revolves around ourselves, the truth of the matter is that it does not, and because it does not, we need to come to the table with others, recognizing that we are all inherently equal and therefore entitled to the same gifts as everyone else.  So too, in recognition that we don’t always get it right, we need to therefore provide space to others because they are not going to always get it right, either.  After all, spending an inordinate amount of our time belittling the other, criticizing the other, and so forth, has no good purpose behind it, because the same could be done to us, and the ultimate result is not beneficial.  Indeed, the best start to a productive and healthy social life in our interactions with others begins at home, where it could be said, we learn from those interactions what does or does not work, and from there we can carry our best characteristics to the outside world, which will bode well for us and the society that we are a member of.

It’s better to make mistakes when you are young

As fallible human beings, each of us is going to make mistakes, for that is part and parcel of human nature.  That doesn’t mean that we should desire to make mistakes; it merely indicates that because we aren’t perfect and because we are susceptible to all sorts of character faults, as well as ignorance, that mistakes are pretty much going to be inevitable.  Therefore, this signifies that we shouldn’t feel shame when we make a mistake, because everybody, regardless of how much respect we have for that person, mentor, or parent, also makes mistakes or has made mistakes.

 The advantage of being young is that young people are typically more willing to try and to experiment with various things and activities that many older people would not dare to attempt.  Additionally, older people are quite capable of carrying a grudge for years, or even decades, against an individual; whereas, younger people, though they might say the ugliest thing possible to their friend, are only too willing to forgive and forget the very next day.

 The above basically indicates that younger people are simply more flexible and also more forgiving, primarily because their ego is not yet fully developed, and also because they recognize that they are still in the learning stage.  This means that when we are young, it is acknowledged by those who are older than us that mistakes pretty much come with the territory, and even those types of mistakes, as in various crimes, are typically treated differently for juveniles than they would be for adults, because this country recognizes that it is a mistake to give up on the youth, too soon, especially for youthful indiscretions that can be subsequently turned around and thereby overcome successfully.

 Additionally, the best mistakes are those that serve as object lessons, in which, because we have made the mistake in our youth, and have learned from it, this thus indicates that we aren’t going to make the same mistake when we are older.  This signifies that those that do wrong when they are young, but never are punished for it, or caught, may rue the day that they didn’t have to serve justice when they were young, for the same types of wrongs so done when they are older, could conceivably get them into a lot of trouble and thus having to pay a much higher price for their mistake.

 Finally, although we seemingly live in an age of “helicopter parents,” it has to be recognized that young people need space to go about their business, and to thus experiment, or put something of personal value at risk, to thereby know the consequences of these actions -- for though mistakes do invariably occur, it is also has to be acknowledged that when there is nothing ventured there thereby is nothing gained, which means that a complaint child in all things isn’t necessarily the best thing, because children need to be taught to think for themselves, and for a certainty, recognize that what they do has consequences, of which not all of those consequences are desired or good, and to thereby learn from this missteps to thus become a better person as an adult.

It’s only a matter of time before the government will pay you to euthanize you

Presently, there are twelve States, including the most populous State, which is California, that permit what they like to call “physician-assisted dying,” which is, in essence, despite the semantics, euthanasia.  In truth, it shouldn’t even be called euthanasia because that seems like a rather sanitized term for the deliberate and premeditated taking of another person’s life, either assisted or not, but rather it should be seen for what it really is: state-sanctioned physicians being legally permitted to kill the patient, humanely, supposedly done via the patient’s uncoerced choice.

 When it comes to the estimate of how much America currently spends on end-of-life care, it is estimated by debt.org that 10% of the $4.3 trillion spent on healthcare for 2021, which is $430 billion, was allocated to end-of-life healthcare. In consideration, that America is a nation that runs massive federal deficits and seems to be overly concern about reducing benefits to the general public, such as medical expenses, then it is no real leap of faith to believe that sooner as compared to later that this government is going to come up with financial incentives to get end-of-life patients to end their life sooner, so that the government can thereby save itself money and basically remove from their sight, those that have little or no utility to the government.

 For all those that don’t believe that government would ever pay an end-of-life patient, money, that could thereby be subsequently allocated by the legal recipient(s) of such to whatever suited their purpose, they don’t seem to knowingly comprehend that the die has already been cast, by virtue of the fact that a significant amount of States are already in the business of killing patients through physician-assisted dying, in which, quite obviously, structured in the right way, potentially a whole lot of end-of-life patients would sign up to be euthanized if the money was right and thereby provided a benefit to their love ones as basically therefore representing their final will and testament to them.

 Indeed, in this country which is so fixated upon money and seemingly nothing but the money, it makes logical sense that in this era of which never has there been so many old people, in rather poor health, with demographics that shows that we have fewer and fewer workers to carry the load of the expense of those older people, that it makes reasonable sense to concentrate on that segment of the population, so as to propagandize to them, their duty to simply call it a day, and thereby die for a price that seems sensible to them.

 So too, it has got to be recognized that the day that this nation first permitted on an individual State level that it was absolutely fine for physicians to kill end-of-life patients, is the same day that this government determined that it wants to take it to the next level, and simply make it a numbers game, because it certainly isn’t about ethics, morality, or the inherent dignity of human life.

ICE and the road to tyranny

When it comes to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel it has to be recognized that because this department only answers essentially to one party of this nation and to the President, that this thereby permits ICE to be used as a cudgel against undesirables, which at the present time, are those people that look like immigrants because of their skin color not being white, so that then we have a situation in which the United States has surely placed itself upon the road to tyranny, for when the people of this nation, are treated unequally and those that are simply about their business, recognize that at any time, they could be subject to arrest and subsequent deportation, without due process of the law, then this nation has bastardized its Constitution and replaced it with the form of tyranny.

 For those of the white race, and that clearly are perceived as being white, there is going to be a certain comfort, in the knowing that ICE specifically goes after those of color as well as those that appear to be unfavored Asians, such as the Chinese, which in its implementation signifies that ICE isn’t going to ever go after whites, even though, there are people of the white race that are illegal immigrants, but because of the consistent favoritism by both parties as well as the Executive branch that the white race is the perennial favored race of America, they need not worry about ICE and can see therefore ICE as being not some sort of menace, but in a sick way, an agency designed to put terror into all those that are non-white and thereby to keep the other races in their place of subordination to whites.

 While it could be argued that ICE has its place if it truly concentrated on dealing with illegal immigration in a way that conformed to the laws of the land, the agency as exercised doesn’t do that, but rather cuts straight to the chase, and gets right to the locking up and thereby deportation and cares not a whit about what a particular court or justice has to say, though to a large extent, those courts and justices often do their good part in staying the hand of the injustices committed by ICE. 

 Nevertheless, the die has been cast, and the overwhelming numbers of ICE personnel are obedient to the dictates so demanded upon them, of which, there are plenty of ICE agents only too happy to put their boot upon alleged illegal immigrant’s necks, with the understanding that they will not themselves need to worry about any sort of pushback from the administration that supports and defends ICE, because this essentially is what they want.

 While the optics of ICE makes for difficult viewing for those that believe in the Constitution, equality under the law, and that America should represent the preeminent “melting pot” of the world, it is on the other hand, a delicious delight for those primarily of the white race, who are quite satisfied in seeing that the clock can indeed be turned back to those times in which the white man need not respect a damn thing about those of color, and can’t believe their present good fortune to be back high on the hog, as if they never left it.

History is written by the victors

Indeed, history is written by those who control the narrative, and those controlling the narrative are typically the victors, and seldom the vanquished.  That is to say, there are plenty of people who believe that when it is all said and done, that the history of today will be rewritten to reflect a more honest and nuanced view of the events that transpired, thereby vindicating those who were not accorded their proper place and consideration at that time.

 As much as we might desire to believe that truth will always win out, in this world, it can be said with absolute certainty that truth is far too often superseded by those in authority who have their own agenda that they wish to propagate, and will not relinquish such, unless they are overcome or neutralized, somehow.  So then, when we look upon history, even recent history, it has to be recognized that even in those countries that stand for free speech and the freedom to dissent, that without any true power championing their cause, their voice will be effectively silenced as if it never existed.

 This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t pay attention to history, but rather we need to understand that even when it appears that multiple viewpoints are seeming to have their day, it still is not going to be the same thing, as the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, because even the most even-handed of historians falls victim to spinning their narrative in a way and manner that supports how they wish things to be projected and considered.

 Therefore, when it comes to history, more people need to pay close attention to human nature, in which, many a person when their feet is held to the fire, are still not going to admit all that they have done which is wrong, because their own self-respect and dignity won’t permit them to do so, especially in consideration that in fairness to them they should be able to also proclaim the good deeds that they have done, as well. 

 Additionally, it has to be recognized in regards to history, that it’s difficult to place ourselves in another’s shoes when those shoes are a person who comes from a different era, a different background, and a different perspective than our own.  In other words, too many people have the unfortunate habit of desiring to place the mores of today upon what has happened in the past, which isn’t fair to those events, because it doesn’t take into account the differences between back then and now, which means that our interpretation is going to be faulty.

 All of the above signifies that as much as we might desire to see that our history is perceived the way that it really was, it just is not ever going to happen, but that isn’t so important – what is important though is that we learn from the past to thereby in the present create the type of history that is becoming of an intelligent and forward-thinking civilization, which will bode well for the future and the history thus created, so of.

It’s always about the oil

Serious and bloody wars are fought over oil, and strategic partnerships are created because of oil between countries; in addition to powerful countries, such as America, exerting pressure and influence upon major oil-producing nations as a power play, which is part and parcel of how things are played in the real world when it comes to oil. For instance, we find that Saudi Arabia has a strong alliance with the United States, not necessarily because they desire to have one, but in recognition that at the present time, this thus makes most sense for them, because firstly it secures the country from any sort of domestic overthrow while also keeping the spigots of oil flowing smoothly into the monetary accounts of Saudi Arabia. 

 That said, what would surprise a huge number of people is the fact that when it comes to the largest proven reserves of oil in the world, the country that has the most is not Saudi Arabia, but rather is Venezuela, which is the proximate reason and probably the only reason why America has such a high concern about Venezuela in which the desire of America is pretty much to either have a compliant leader of Venezuela in their pocket, or to secure a solid relationship in which Venezuela conforms to the professed dictates of the United States of America.

 Indeed, there are lots of countries in Central and South America, of which some of these countries are completely compliant with American desires, as well as there being others that pretty much comply, though they really don’t desire to.  Then there are those recalcitrant nations, as in Venezuela, that are defiant to America, which thereby signifies with an absolute certainty, that Venezuela is not only not going to be economically stable, without appreciable outside help from other nations, so that they can more readily extract oil and sell such from their oil fields, but also that those at the pinnacle of power within Venezuela have absolutely no security that they won’t be overthrown through the purposeful interference of America, done undercover, indirectly, or directly.

 When it comes to oil, and therefore the prevailing control of the availability of that oil, along with pricing, so of, just about every nation of influence and power that is aligned with America, has a strong desire to see that oil flows smoothly and at a fair price, which thereby signifies that whatever that America does to Venezuela will not be protested in any real sense, by those nations that count upon oil, but rather is only going to be questioned by those nations that are opposed to American interests, and perhaps a few nations that find it offensive that America would interfere in the sovereignty of another country.

 So then, life in Venezuela is certainly not going to get any easier, because defying America is one of those things in which the power structure of America, as exercised, will not willingly tolerate, and while America would prefer that a deal be made that permits Venezuela to still appear to be independent and sovereign, the reality is that America is going to get its way, by any means so necessary, sooner or later.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has its place

The bottom line is that DOGE could have its rightful place in governmental services if it were first structured in a bipartisan manner, with congressional oversight, and secondly, if that Department actually concentrated on where it could best save money on behalf of the American people without harming those very same people.

 The national government of this nation is so gargantuan at the present time, that there surely needs to be some sort of robust oversight of where the monies so being allocated are being expended, in addition to discovering whether or not such money is being spent in a purposeful and principled way.  So too, whenever it comes to a budget, the very first thing to take a careful look at is the biggest expenditures that exist, so that when it comes to the United States, while there are plenty of big budget items such as Healthcare and Social Security -- there are also big budget items such as Net Interest spent on the debt so incurred by the Federal government, as well as the Department of Defense which lend itself more appropriately to being thoroughly examined.

 We find that, as listed at pgpf.org, Net Interest for 2024 was estimated to be at $880 billion for the fiscal year 2025, and that the Department of Defense was estimated to be at $874 billion for that same fiscal year, which are incredibly large amounts of money being so budgeted.  When it comes to Net Interest, the first thing that stands out is whether or not the United States is paying too much in interest for the money being borrowed.  That is to say, this is the United States, the preeminent superpower in the world, of which, since the United States likes to throw its weight around, one would think it could thereby get the most competitive interest rates in the world, bar none.  Second to this is the salient fact that loan agreements should be subject to thorough negotiation, especially when the terms aren’t as favorable as they could be.  For a certainty, the United States could save money in its interest expense if it investigated that expense more thoroughly and thoughtfully.

 When it comes to the Department of Defense, it has to be admitted that the United States is honestly not being attacked by any nation-state, and that whatever so-called war there is against terrorism is something that could be addressed at a level far below the expenditures being allocated to such presently.  Additionally, as the world’s policeman, the United States should never be in the position in which it is expending billions upon billions getting ocean lanes clear and being present in all areas of the world, just in case its miliary force is needed, unless it is also getting “tribute” from those relevant nation-states, assorted agencies, corporations, and so forth that are being protected.  Not receiving tribute means that the American taxpayers are picking up the bill, and that whoever is being protected is not therefore paying their fair share.

 Indeed, if DOGE wants to start with Net Interest and the Department of Defense and then work its way through other inefficient areas, there would not only be meaningful savings in the budget, but there would also be more efficiency in those monies being spent.

The price of freedom is the consequences, so of

For everything there is a price, which thereby means that freedom has its cost, and those who do not pay attention to that most important fact are the same who are going to probably find out the hard way that freedom of choice always has consequences, and those exercising such freedom have to answer for it.  That is to say, for every action that we take, there is going to be a consequence to that action, of which, in some cases, we may not have a good idea of what that consequence may be, though in many a case, we do have a real good idea of what the consequence will be, and need thereby to be cognizant of such, before we take that action, especially when the consequence is ultimately going to be bad and undesirable.

 In this world, it would appear for some people under some circumstances, that they really can get away with it, in the sense of getting over on society or the other, and this has been proven out again and again, because there are many instances of people that not only aren’t getting punished for their bad actions, but rather are being praised or appreciated, instead, under the misimpression that whatever has occurred, is to their credit.   While this may well work in the here and now, it has got to be recognized that in the skeins of time, there will be a fair reckoning, and those that do not pay the appropriate price in the present for their misdeeds will for a certainty pay that price in the future, for in the end, justice will be served.

 All of the above signifies that life should be seen as a challenge, in which, given free will and free choice, the possibilities of what we will or won’t do seem endless.  However, the way that the rules of the game are structured is that, however we use our freedom, the actions that we have taken have effects upon others as well as our own self, of which, we should strongly desire to pay attention to those effects so generated, so that in that knowledge we can subsequently make adjustments to our freedom so that we will not end up building the wrong edifice, which will revert back to us in some other form or way.

 Those then that understand that with freedom comes responsibility and acknowledge that they are indeed responsible for all of their actions, good and bad, are the same that have placed themselves in a more knowledgeable position to do right, but just because we know what the right thing is to do with our freedom, does not necessarily mean that we will do the right thing, for there are millions upon millions of people that know right from wrong, but somehow can’t seem to help themselves from doing that wrong, when they know that they should do right, and it is those people, especially, that will understand, sooner or later, that freedom has its cost, and that cost must be paid.

The continuing need for positive role models

While there are many ways to learn, we often find that the amount of knowledge or advice, good or bad, that we gather from those we look up to is somewhat discounted or dismissed, though it should not be, because it is often quite influential.  This is why it is incumbent upon society to desire to see that there are good role models for those growing up to aspire to emulate, because when there are no good role models, those who are impressionable are going to end up emulating undesirable characteristics, which is not good for society and not good for their person.

 Regrettably, as much as we might want to believe that America is fully integrated and of which all are equally treated and thereby equal under the law, this isn’t true at all.  Rather, we live in enclaves in which some of those enclaves have an abundance of the accouterments that represent success and of which there is also an abundance of opportunity, counseling, and often good role models to lean upon; whereas, on the other hand we also have those enclaves of poverty, lack, and hopelessness, in which the amount of good role models to be found in those places is not only limited, but when found, these role models may only be around for a limited time before they move on to somewhere else, more accommodating and positive for them.

 Indeed, those that do not see or are unable to find successful role models in their community are going to be hard pressed to be successful, or as successful as they could be, mainly because it is hard to believe in something, and even harder to believe in yourself, when there doesn’t appear to be anyone else of your age bracket, or your complexion, or your creed, that is a paragon of virtue and orthodox success within that community.  This is why it is so important to provide those who have so little with representatives of people that look like them, and have also come from a similar background, for these adolescents to respect and to desire thereby to emulate, for without these role models, it’s hard to break out of the mold that confines people to something unbecoming of their innate ability and potential.

 We find that while there are plenty of people who have a generic belief that they can indeed be something of merit, they need help, though, in overcoming their unbelief, mainly because they lack positive role models to lean on and learn from.  This is why society needs to look carefully at communities and see where they can be an ever-present help in trouble, by deliberately making it their point to take the brightest and best amongst them, and doing their good part to help them in the achieving of success, so that these future community role models can become the foundation for others of the same ilk, to look up to, with the sure knowledge that because it has been done before, they too can do the very same, if not even better.

What we believe should directly impact how we behave

It would seem logical that what we believe impacts how we behave, because, quite frankly, our beliefs are the driving force in our lives.  Yet, as sensible as that might sound, we do so find that there are plenty of people who profess themselves as, for instance, believing Christians, or moral agents, that through their actions and their behavior belie that very thing, by clearly doing those things which are inimical to those beliefs.  In other words, they are not only hypocrites but clearly also lack the discipline and integrity to do right by their beliefs, or in some cases, don’t really care to.

 This thus signifies that it isn’t good enough for children, for example, to go to a good school or to just have good parents, that teaches them the difference between right and wrong, and impresses upon them an ethical guideline about what is or isn’t appropriate, if at the end of the day, despite believing in the goodness of such instruction, they end up behaving in a way and manner that is at loggerheads to what they have been taught to believe in.  This means that as much as one might wish that the right beliefs are going to make the right citizens, in actuality, how we end up behaving has a lot to do with the character of our person, in tested action.  This is why we need to hold those that we care about accountable to the good beliefs that they have been taught, and to therefore correct that which is in error, before it becomes an ingrained bad habit or character flaw.

 That is to say, to simply know the difference between right and wrong has its place, but if that person thus consistently does the wrong thing, then there is something there that needs to be fixed, because if not, they will continue along the same pathway, which is bad for them and bad for society.  So too, whenever we take the time to reflect upon our behavior, and recognize that we have drifted off course, wittingly or not, we need to make it our purpose to make amends to return to where we ought to be so as to become that which is consistent with our good beliefs, or ever fall further into that darkness which harms our character.

 It has been said, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22: 6).  Yet, this may not be good enough, for lessons learnt can also be lessons lost, signifying that we as parents, or as a society, need to make sure that the lessons we believe are so important to make for a good and productive life, have indeed been ingrained into the being of those so taught, for if it is not, then the result will not be what we desired to see, which isn’t good for the person, isn’t good for society, and isn’t what we had strived to accomplished when we made up our mind that we had an obligation to get the right beliefs into our children and friends, but somehow it didn’t end up turning out right.

The laws, as structured, make everyone susceptible to arrest

The problem with having so many laws, of which some of those laws are so open-ended, such as in loitering or disturbing the peace or disorderly conduct that these can thereby be adeptly applied to just about everyone, which signifies that everyone is at any time, susceptible to being arrested, and while spurious laws that are structured to capture anyone may not hold up in a court of law, they are, though effective in getting someone arrested and thereby taking away their freedom, while also intimidating and inconveniencing them, along with potentially negatively affecting their employment, their necessary obligations, and their life, for to be arrested even when all charges are subsequently dropped, still means that this arrest will in all probability be part of the public record.

 Indeed, being subject to a spurious arrest does separate the sheep from the goats, for there is many a person who has been arrested by the selective enforcement of the law, that through that experience will be far more reluctant to engage in whatever behavior that made that person to be subject to that arrest, and therefore because of that arrest, this takes away their freedom, for no justified reason.  This thus signifies that whenever the policing arm of the state has the tools of the trade to arrest anyone under the umbrella of laws that are so broad that they are applicable to everyone, it essentially makes that policing arm to create what is a police state, which thereby impinges upon our freedom.

 The worse part of the people being subject to being arrested on a bogus charge is the fact that this permits the policing arm of the state to target those that are considered to be not really enemies of the state, but rather those that are irritating or inconvenient to the state, to thereby to get these people to settle down and to behave per the desires and dictates of those that are the power brokers of the state.  In other words, freedom is a great power of the people, and whenever that government determines that such freedom conflicts with their desires, they thus, through that policing arm, put the hammer down and especially target those that they consider to be the most vulnerable, in being unable to handle law enforcement pressure.

 It is unfortunate that we now live in a day and age, in which our government, through its policing arm seems to be one that isn’t there to protect and to defend our Constitutional rights, but rather is structured in a way and manner to try to control and to manipulate the population, so as to favor the few and well-positioned over the many.  This is why all sorts of real crimes, financial, ethical, or criminal that are committed by the elites are so often treated with kid gloves, with the exception of those that are well-positioned but have fallen out of favor with those elites, because the law, as applied, protects the elite establishment and targets especially those that get in their way or that annoy them.