It’s high time to raise and to reevaluate excise taxes

There was a time when the federal budget was very dependent upon excise taxes, but those times appear to be in the distant past, apparently never to be repeated.  Nevertheless, there isn’t any real good reason why this government, along with State governments can’t take a long hard look at excise taxes and to make adjustments where they truly need to be made, because as it is right now, the excise tax just isn’t being utilized at close to the level that it could reasonably be used at, especially in consideration that there are certain indulgences that consumers partake of that they really ought to pay an excise tax upon or a higher excise tax for, basically because these things being indulged upon don’t provide any real benefit or good for the person, which is why some excise taxes have been subsequently labeled as sin taxes.

 The very first tax that needs to be readdressed is the liquor tax.  The thing about the liquor excise tax is that while inflation has pushed up the price of just about everything including alcohol, the excise tax for liquor is not attached to inflation but rather is attached to the volume of the liquor so being sold, as in, for example, every liter of alcohol, a fixed amount is collected as an excise tax, which doesn’t change with the times, so that the true percentage represented as the excise tax as compared to the current price of the alcohol being sold, demonstrates that this percentage of this excise tax has progressively gotten lower and lower, almost to becoming an irrelevancy.  Not only does this need to change posthaste, but it needs to be inflation-adjusted so that it keeps in harmony with the value of the dollar and serves well the purpose of its existence as an excise tax.

 Additionally, when it comes to excise taxes, there needs to be a greater concern demonstrated by this government that it should care about what we eat, and therefore, junk foods so defined as having little or no nutritional value, along with sugary sodas and things of that general ilk, need to have excise taxes associated with them, because the bottom line is that the continuous usage of these foods and drinks are harmful to the body and therefore the least this government should do to discourage its consumption is to appropriately apply an excise tax upon it, for one of the purposes of taxation is to modify and to change behavior for the better.

 So too, when it comes to pornography and lascivious adult entertainment, this needs to be subject to an excise tax or a higher excise tax, because quite obviously, there really isn’t any redeeming value in pornography.  In sum, any and all items that have little or no redeemable value should suffer to have an excise tax associated with them, because these things aren’t necessary for a good society and it could be argued that in most of these cases these are not just tending to be harmful to a good society, but are themselves a prevailing reason why society isn’t as good as it could and ought to be.

Respect for our unalienable image

We read in Holy Scripture, “God created man in his own image” Genesis 1:27.  This thus signifies that each one of us, without exception, has the exact same and equal image imprinted upon our being, and thus not only do we owe respect to the other, because of that same image, we also must make it our point of principle that we will not disrespect that image through our subsequent thoughts and actions, yet, almost without exception, we at least, occasionally do.

 Each of us has the exact same obligation, which is to live up to and to do right by our Creator, and those who take on the mantle of the good characteristics that represent our Creator well are those who treat others with respect, justice, equality, goodness, and consideration.  No doubt, in this world we are going to be tried and to be tested, and while nobody gets it right all of the time, the objective should be, to get it right as often as we can get it right, and where we fall short, to take it upon ourselves to make it our point to do better, which is why we are tested, again and again, so that the lessons that we need to learn, we demonstrate that we have learnt, by our subsequent good actions.

 Far too many people, don’t really care to understand that they are made in the image of God with inherent obligations to that image, mainly because they are basically satisfied with their ways, and aren’t in the mood or of the mindset to change much of anything, because this is the way that they prefer to live their life, and perhaps near the end, they will make their confessions, and demonstrate contrition, thus in their minds, having the best of it, without having had to pay any troubling price, which precluded them from having a little fun along the way.

 Look, it’s as simple as this: either those who are Bible believing and consider themselves to be religious live up to their faith, or they can use their faith merely as a token symbol, without much substance.  Each of us is entitled to get what we can out of life, which means that there is a time for frivolity and play, but it needs to be recognized that the point of school and of having good parents and valued mentors is not just to learn what we need to know, but to become the type of person that we ought to become, which should take into fair consideration, that we are made in the image of God.

 Finally, God has provided us with free will, so that the choices that we make are ours to own, of which what we need to accomplish is to balance that which brings us enjoyment and satisfaction with taking into consideration that we also need to be there for others, so as to help them to make better decisions and to lead more fruitful lives, because these are our fellow brothers and sisters, who appreciate having somebody else of value to learn from and to lean upon.

Whatever happened to the rotary engine?

It seems mind-boggling that the piston engine has been around since the 19th century, and while it is true that many improvements have been made since then through the ensuing years to improve its effectiveness, it still seems somewhat unfathomable that the piston engine is still the way that most gasoline vehicles are powered in this modern age.

 Perhaps, this is the way that it should be, but in consideration that never has there been more knowledge to draw and to lean upon, along with more highly skilled and knowledgeable engineers that one would think that at a minimum there would be those that would have a strong interest in thinking outside the box, so as to possibly make a quantum leap in engine design, and to thereby make their mark on the world with something that somehow in some way was better than the piston engine.

 To the credit of the Japanese manufacturer Mazda, they came out with their revolutionary rotary engine in 1978 for their RX-7.  The rotary engine is a much simpler design than the piston engine, because it uses fewer moving parts, which thereby would seem to signify that its reliability and robustness would be superior.  Yet, despite its general success in the marketplace, the rotary engine never really caught on, perhaps hurt by the fact that its fuel efficiency was inferior to that of the piston engine as well as other factors.

 Still, to the credit of Mazda, they never completely abandoned the rotary engine, and thus it still exists in the present day, through specific models of the Mazda MX-30,  not as a propulsion engine but rather as a generator for the vehicle’s battery, thus extending the driving range of this hybrid vehicle and making it more marketable.

 This would seem to suggest that not only does the rotary engine still have merit, but that those who are in the automobile business are not stuck in their ways, which is why today’s electric vehicles have taken such a remarkable amount of market share away from the traditional piston engine by simply using an electric motor instead.  That said, the infrastructure of so many Western nations is clearly built around gasoline-powered cars, which is why those in the automobile manufacturing business should continue to devote an appropriate amount of money to Research and Development, because it must be said there is still a definite need for a gasoline-powered vehicle that has a revolutionary engine design, to not just maintain relevancy but also to stay competitive.

 Indeed, part of the problem with the gasoline automobile business is that there isn’t much room for new players, mainly because of the massive capital expense required to get into the business, and with many an auto company, having been around for over 100 years, it needs to be considered that those in upper management may not being paying enough attention to other ideas that would entail some degree of financial risk, and thereby being too dismissive of concepts such as the rotary engine, when further study might well be warranted.

France has no permanent USA military bases

While it could be said that having a US military base has its pluses, it could also be said that it definitely has its minuses, as well.  The problem with a United States base on one’s homeland is first of all, a given country wants to believe that it is sovereign in its governance, and when a foreign power, even a friendly foreign power, has a military base within one’s own country, this does pose the problem as to how sovereign a nation really is, because the military presence of a foreign nation makes it all seem a little bit more problematic, and probably is not something that reflects that a given nation is really all that independent, strong, or clearly in the driver’s seat.

 The thing about Charles de Gaulle is that this important and brave general, who later became the President of France, knew an awful lot about war, because he was there during some of the darkest times for the nation of France.  So too, because he believed in the French Republic, he did not see it as being wise to permit permanent United States bases on the French homeland, and in 1966, he withdrew France from NATO’s integrated military command structure, which thereby meant that all US forces would have to be withdrawn, and that subsequently became the case.

 Indeed, we find that major European countries such as Germany, United Kingdom, Poland and Italy all have US military bases, which really does demonstrate that France is a true outlier, which is to their credit, because the mistake that many nations that permit US bases upon their land make is to misunderstood who is the master of those US military bases, in which the words on paper do not really matter, for the master is the United States, and therefore when push comes to shove, the United States will pretty much do what it damn well pleases to do with the armaments and personnel that are on the US bases, and thus cares not a whit, what the home country might have to say.

 In truth, there comes a time when a child no longer feeds at her mother’s breast, and therefore it could be said that all those nations that have permitted or allowed the United States to have a military base upon their shores, should probably reflect that having such a military base represents a dual-edge sword, and in consideration, that not all that the United states does is embraced by a given country, it should be taken into fair consideration, that not every deal made with the best of intentions, is a good deal, and having foreign troops positioned in perpetuity on one’s homeland would seem to be problematic, and at a minimum be subject to domestic debate and review, because at the end of the day, what military actions occurs from a given country’s homeland matters, and when that is determined solely by a friendly foreign power, it might not be in that country’s best interests, at all.

America’s $39 trillion deficit and counting will never be paid back

Since President Clinton left office, the United States federal budget has not had a surplus and has risen to a very troubling $39 trillion and counting, in which, since fiscal year 2008, there has only been three years where the federal deficit was less than $1 trillion, and all the other years it’s been above $1 trillion, which signifies that despite the fact that Clinton was able to have four consecutive years of budget surpluses, that the government at present, has no intention of coming close to balancing its budget or in the reducing of that deficit, but pretty much is going to keep continuing on the same fiscal irresponsible direction, because apparently it can.

 The bottom line is that there isn’t anybody in control that actually cares about being responsible to how the people’s money is spent and further to the point, the manner in which that money is spent seems to be fraught with all sorts of wrongheaded priorities or quite frankly bad decisions that benefit the few at the expense of the many, of which, the most disappointing amount of money being spent has got to be all the aspects of the military-industrial-technology complex, which is bad for the country, imprudent, and for the most part, unnecessary.

 When it comes to taxation, and the raising of that tax rate to an appropriate level, which would in the scheme of things be part and parcel of getting the federal budget under control, we find that the people, in whole, would not tolerate an overly burdensome tax rate being placed upon their shoulders in which their attitude would be, that they aren’t benefiting, and haven’t been benefiting which is why they shouldn’t have to shoulder all that taxation.  On the other hand, megacorporation’s and the superrich who aren’t closed to being taxed at a reasonable rate, because for the most part they do their level best to circumvent paying their fair share aren’t going to step up to the plate to pay what they should, because these represent the true power brokers and elites of America, and they therefore won’t change a thing, because nobody can make them do so.

 All of the foregoing would seem to indicate that not only will this federal deficit continue to grow, but the reality is that nothing of substance will be done to correct such until it basically implodes, in which the consequences for the general public will be harsh, and may be similar in a lot of respects to the Great Depression or even worse, depending on how much pain everyday Americans will suffer, but that is the price that will have to be paid, when those that are our representatives have betrayed the people by not being responsible in that which they were entrusted to be responsible, and the horrible reckoning will come, sooner or later, in which those that are the most vulnerable, will be the very same that will suffer the most from this nation that prides itself as being the land of opportunity and equality for all.

Fiat money never lasts

The United States dollar isn’t backed by specie of any type, though it is backed by the “full faith and credit” of the United States government, which in consideration that this government is now consistently running governmental deficits of at least one trillion dollars yearly, would seem to suggest that this full faith and credit probably doesn’t mean all that much, especially should a devastating worldwide financial crisis come.

 The problem with fiat currency really comes down to its credibility. When businesses and people no longer believe the currency has lasting value, they will look for alternatives that offer greater comfort and safety.  Indeed, as long as this government can simply print money, willy-nilly, and the people aren’t any wiser to the game, the more that this will continue, until it can continue no longer.

 So too, the reason why $1 today is not the same value as $1 ten years ago, has everything to do with the debasement of the currency which seems to be deliberate on the part of this government, because if this government really prioritized its fiat currency it would do everything within its power to make fiscally responsible decisions that would stabilize its currency as opposed to being fiscally irresponsible.

The most important thing to recognize about fiat currency is that the value of the currency is only as good as those who utilize it, give value to it, and when that value goes down, for they don’t want to be stuck holding dollar bills, because they have no confidence that it would be financially sound to do so, it weakens the dollar even more.

 While the United States dollar makes transactions of all types pretty much seamless, that doesn’t mean that an alternative source of money representation might not be more suitable, especially considering that for those who have their assets locked up in paper currency need to be cognizant that should that paper currency be severely devalued, it would not be good for them.

 In this day and age, there are alternatives to dollars, such as in basic commodities, specie, crypto, and pretty much anything that has intrinsic value.  The best of these is not going to be crypto, because crypto isn’t all that much different from fiat currency, but rather the best of these alternatives are going to be items that have intrinsic and often historical value, such as gold, silver, oil, and the like.  That is to say, there isn’t any reason why a contract could not be written up in which the payment is based upon specie, oil, or some other commodity as contrasted to the United States dollar. So too, material goods always have value, so that those that are cash short, but property rich, are going to be in a heck of a lot better position than those that simply have cash, because housing, vehicles, and other worthwhile material goods have value, and will always have value.

 Those who are paying close attention to their assets need to understand that fiat currency should properly be something to be avoided when it comes to counting up their assets, because it is only a matter of time before the United States dollar will be significantly devalued, and those holding dollars will have definitely backed the wrong horse.

The truth never lies

The most important characteristic of truth is that there is no lie in truth; therefore, truth never lies, because it is the truth and nothing but the truth.  Of course, the above might sound rather trite, but the thing is that there are plenty of people who really don’t understand what truth actually is, and thus we hear things such as “my truth” as contrasted to “your truth,” as if there could be two really true nut different truths in regards to the same thing, which is especially problematic when there is a fundamental conflict between each of these supposed truths. What seems to be lost in all the noise is the salient fact that those who believe that there can be a multitude of truths that seem to contradict one another but nevertheless are still true just need to comprehend that they have not dug deep enough, for if they had, they would thus recognize that the ultimate truth does not have any conflict or contradiction within it.

 So then, one of the main areas that more of us should concentrate upon, is that search for the ultimate truth, because whenever we perceive that truth is subjective or isn’t clear, then we haven’t done our level best to find the root of the truth, which is something that we should consider investigating, because the closer we come to finding the truth, the more enlightened that we will be, and enlightenment is the same as wisdom, and those that are wise are the very same, that are ever close to the truth, and nothing but the truth.

 So too, in this world it is important for each of us to recognize that because truth never lies, those then that declaim that they always tell the truth, or have proclaimed that they know the truth, but yet there are chinks within their armor, signifies that they are not truthful, and our discernment of this is important, because that which isn’t true is probably that which we should not wish to emulate. After all, truth is the highest good, and knowing that highest good should be the driving force of our lives.  That is to say, those who pursue something that at its core is a lie have clearly pursued the wrong thing if they continue along that same path, because nothing is higher than the truth, and it is this truth that all should diligently seek for.

 After all, life has a purpose and if we do not know what that purpose is, or believe that we do know but seek after that which is lesser than the truth, then we haven’t made the right choice, because the pursuit of truth, above all, is the most appropriate pursuit to engage our efforts upon, and in that pursuit we will be inevitably met by many naysayers and thus who desire to misdirect us for their own reasons, but those then that keep the faith, and do not relent in their pursuit of truth, will ultimately find it and in so doing, will thus have completed their journey to its most appropriate endpoint.

Examine yourself

Each of us should spend some time examining as to who and what we really seem to be, and the best way to accomplish that is through self-reflection, in which we take an honest accounting of where we are at.  The fact that so many people blithely lead their lives in a way and manner that they never really get around to examining who they are, is a reflection that our priorities aren’t correct, because the only true way to recognize whether or not we are the person that we desire to be, or that we are on track to be that person, is to periodically examine ourselves, and if lacking, to make corrections to get to where we need and ought to go.

 The type of questions that we need to ask ourselves really comes down to whether or not we are exhibiting the type of behavior that we are trying to achieve, such as being more caring, more patient, more mindful, and more thoughtful in our actions one to the other.  To the extent that we believe we are not making progress, we need therefore to attend to those needful things to thus make progress in what should be of prime importance to us, as opposed to being distracted by the day-to-day activities that serve to keep our eye off the ball.

 Indeed, the sooner that we take a true accounting of where we are at, and further to the point, do something constructive to stay on the right path, the better our chances are in developing into the type of person that we want to be, because the longer that we take to get around to where we need to be, because we aren’t paying enough attention to that which should be of paramount concern, the harder it is going to be to be the type of person that we aspire to be, for well-grained habits that are not beneficial are hard to replace or overcome if we don’t make the effort to do exactly that, and by examining ourselves we place ourselves in a better position to make those necessary adjustments in the living of our lives.

 How far we get in life has a lot to do with whether or not we are even on the correct pathway, because detours and wrong turns can take us far away from where our initial objective was.  That said, it is true that there are plenty of people, that don’t really have any meaningful goals, mainly because they haven’t bothered to think clearly about their long term objectives but rather they live in a construct in which they think that mere “wish fulfillment” will get them whatever that it is that they have on their mind, without seeming to comprehend that worthwhile goals and good character traits are attributes that we need to not only concentrate on achieving, but need to be apply ourselves diligently to the doing of so.

 So then, in sum, it really comes down to two things, which consist of first taking a fair account of who and what we are at present, and then doing those things that will get us to where we want to be, and thus becoming a better and a more complete person for having done so.

The judgmental mirror

In life, we do find that most of us are inclined at least some of the time to make negative judgments about the other, thus labeling these people as something that makes us to feel better than them, because in that judging, we serve to push them down, while correspondingly lifting ourselves up.  Whether or not this is a true reading of the situation seems not really to be of concern, but rather it serves to make us feel superior to the other, and thus to be their better.

 The thing about judgments is that we typically don’t ever look into the mirror to actually reflect about how we judged the other, not just from the perspective as to whether we were fair or not, but rather whether the faults that we have labeled them with might have some relevance to our own character faults.  That is to say, when we determine that somebody is selfish, it might well be, that per the criteria that we have defined as selfish, they fit the bill, but what is left unexamined is the fact that the real reason we are upset about their selfishness has a lot of do with basically feeling that they aren’t generous enough to our self which is thus the very area that we wish that they would change in our favor.  In other words, they are selfish because they are not serving our needs.

 When it comes to our relationships, it is vital that each party feels that they are receiving from the other, something of substance, which thus helps to make each of our lives to be better and when that is lacking, the judgmental part of us is going to come into play, because we don’t feel that the other is actually listening to us, or paying us enough mind, whereas on the other hand, we believe that we are doing them right in our actions, even when it could be adjudged, that we have in our way, let them down, as well.

 When it comes to judgments, it needs to be recognized that this is a two-way street, and further to the point, those that feel that they are not getting what they need, should probably in a considerate way, address that issue with the other person, because it could well be, that the other simply isn’t aware that there is even an issue, and it is also possible that they need some sort of wakeup call from us, or else nothing will change, and that which constantly bothers us and thereby is never successfully dealt with, is something that is only going to continue to fester within our being.

 Those that are quick to judge, or even insist upon the need to judge the other, should understand that judgments are best left to those that are in the correct position and frame of mind to render a fair and impartial judgment, because when that is lacking, we each have a strong tendency to see the other as failing us, when in actuality, we too, through that same lens, has failed them, which is why we need to be more aware that is often our unmet needs that lead us to make the judgments that we duly make.

A time to learn and a time to do

There is definitely a point in learning about what our obligations are to the society that we are an integral part of, because for the most part, we need to know what we should and ought to do, and the reasons why -- which thus makes for a better foundation for us to be successful in the doing of our fair part which we perform as our obligation to the community that we are a good member of.

 So then, at some point, the lessons that we need to learn, we have learned, and therefore the next logical step is to take that knowledge and do something of merit with it, as compared to those who know what they should do but never seem to get around to actually implementing any of it in the real world.  That is to say, there comes that time when we are supposed to get done what we should get done, and those who do not, despite having been taught what they need to know, are basically behaving in a manner in which their inability to get vital things done reflects their laziness of character.

 Indeed, it needs to be recognized that the point of knowledge is to actively apply it for the good of the society that we are part of, and those that misapply such are obviously on the wrong track, but not too far behind them, are those that don’t apply it, because of their basic indolence, represented by their clear inability to apply themselves to the necessary tasks at hand.

 For all those who listen to that still quiet voice, we recognize that we are intuitively compelled to do our fair part to help make our community a better place for our good participation in it, which quite obviously indicates that we need to participate, of which there are a multitude of ways to enact such participation, typically left to our discretion to thus get those important things done. 

 Whenever we find in our community that good people are basically sitting out their obligations to that community, because of various distractions or a general listlessness, then that society is going to suffer from their lack of input, because in order for a community to be the best that it can be, it needs a buy-in principally from those that are ethically and morally strong, and thereby through their leadership or their teamwork demonstrate in action the point of taking their knowhow and knowledge and thereby applying it for the greater good.

 We are, in the skeins of time, only as good as the various tasks that we accomplish, for while talk has its place, it isn’t good enough to simply talk the talk, if corresponding good actions don’t come forth from such, which is why we need to learn that there is a time to learn, and there is a time to do, and those that don’t get around to the doing, the way that they should, are the same that have taken their talents and essentially discarded and thus buried them.

Deepfake videos need to be labeled and regulated

We live in a day and age in which what we watch or listen to may not reflect that the people that we are viewing or hearing are actually those people, and the words being spoken are actually their words. While entertainment has its place, it needs to be recognized that deepfake videos go well beyond just entertainment, for they can contain important personages as well as highly-respected individuals appearing to say and do things that they did not do – in addition to even seeing folks like ourselves placed in the unenviable position of being compromised by deepfake videos which they did not authorize, did not desire, and are untruthful.

 The technology behind deepfake videos is so good that, in many cases, we are fooled into believing they are true, and if not, it is only because we intuitively know they can’t be true.  That, though, isn’t good enough for the protection and the upliftment of the people, because deepfake videos of all sorts should be clearly watermarked to provide to those watching such, that these are fake and are not real.  Yet, that still isn’t going to be good enough, because the first people that we really need to protect our own selves, signifying that we should always have agency over our personhood, image, and voice, which means that deepfake videos that take our image or our voice and then are publicized, without our consent, should never be permitted, which if this was the law, would clearly cut down on deepfake videos that impugn our character by making it appear that we are saying and doing things which many people would see as being demeaning, offensive, overtly sexual, or similar.

 The thing about laws and regulations is that they have a strong tendency to be behind the times when it comes to addressing hi-technology and the like which is why those that governed us need to stay on top of things so that we are protected from living in a construct in which truth and lies blend together, so that we aren’t able to clearly draw the line between one from the other.  Indeed, to live in a society in which images and videos can be manipulated to such a sophisticated extent that we are at a loss as to what is real is to take that society and begin to erode and unravel it, because we are no longer able to ascertain truth when we are being inundated with lies, deceptions, and deepfakes.

 Whenever our eyes deceive us, because the image that we are seeing has been manipulated and structured to deceive us, we need to be able to hold accountable those who have done so, because each of us is fairly entitled to see things as they actually are, as contrasted to seeing things as they aren’t. This thus signifies that deepfake videos need to be acknowledged as being a bane that impinges upon what a good society needs so as to function at a trusting and transparent level, because without this, we devolve into a sea of lies, and are in danger of drowning.

Cash provides anonymity

 We find presently that more and more transactions done every day are accomplished through some sort of medium, which is digital at its core, such as in credit cards, debit cards, and various apps on our phones to perform those transactions.  For those that don’t really care that every digital transaction creates a digital record and therefore those that obtain access to a given person’s transactions have a clear bird eye’s view of how they conduct their personal as well as their business activities, have clearly made the mistake of not seeming to comprehend that the more that our financial transactions are available to those that may not have our best interests in mind, but rather desire this information to exploit us or simply to know us, have failed to acknowledge that information is a form of power and those that do not at least attempt to do their part to be discreet where discretion is warranted have done so to their own harm.

 When it comes to cash, it has to be admitted that cash money while having an identification to it, as in its unique serial number, that this should be of no real concern to us virtually all of the time, unless we are involved in doing some sort of compromised illicit deal in which specific money has been recorded by governmental agents and those actors are caught with that same money, thus making this the exception to the general rule. Other than that, we do find that cash transactions are anonymous because there isn’t any tracking information attached to dollar bills, whatsoever.  This signifies that those who conduct their personal and business affairs on a cash basis are able to maintain not just their anonymity of how they spend or receive their money, but also maintain their agency to be about their business without government or private enterprise corporations knowing what they are doing.

 The main reason, therefore, that we see the government pushing for a digital currency and digital transactions to replace our physical dollars has absolutely everything to do with monitoring and ultimately controlling the general public.  Further to the point, those that conduct their affairs in a way in which their assets, because they are digital, could be frozen by the government, need to understand that assets that are frozen, are a way and means for the government to assert its dominance over the other, because those that lack access to money are the same that are in a poor position to maintain their personal sovereignty.

 Indeed, cash has its place, especially for those who simply believe that privacy has its proper place and thereby do not desire to live their lives essentially in a “fishbowl.”  Those who do not properly understand that privacy does more to protect one’s freedom and liberty than the laws that are on the books of their government are putting themselves into a rather vulnerable position, because when that same government, in conjunction with private enterprise, knows everything about us, they aren’t going to store this information in order to be of benefit to us, but rather they are deliberately doing so to have the ability to compromise us, especially if for some reason we decide that we want to do something or back something that the government has determined it need not countenanced.

The right to free speech

Each of us is provided with a voice to express ourselves, and in the absence of that voice truly presenting a “clear and present danger” to somebody else or to others, it is our right to say what we desire and want to say, which may or may not be welcomed by others, but that is the nature of free speech, for we will be subject to hearing things that we don’t want to hear from time-to-time but that is part and parcel of free speech.

 So then, those that make it their point to suppress free speech, through whatever tactics that they find that are conducive to accomplishing that, are actively working against our right to free speech, and when our speech is suppressed so that we cannot express ourselves without being subject to some sort of punishment, then those that wish to say what they would like to say are basically being silenced and thus being pushed underground and suppressed, as if what they have to impart, either has no importance, or cannot be countenanced.

 To believe, somehow, that by the control of what people are entitled to say, to write, and to express outwardly will thus create the foundation of a healthy civil society is not to comprehend correctly that restraints upon the people which do not permit voices to be expressed, especially about that which is of pressing concern to them as well as to possibly others, is at odds with justice, peace, and harmony, mainly because silencing a voice does not resolve what ails the other, and therefore the supposed quiet that subsequently occurs, will not forever remain quiet or compliant to those that impose their unjust restrictions upon the other, because the urge to express one self, has not disappeared.

 Indeed, people need the right to vent, and they need the agency to express what they desire, or else there will be uneasiness within their being. So then, to hear what the other has to say is important to society, because without such being expressed, we won’t know what is on their minds, because none of us are mind readers, which signifies that communication is necessary in order to hear the other, and those that silence voices that have the right to be heard, are clearly asserting the wrongful usage of authority to have the type of control that they do have the right to take from the other.

 No doubt, some voices are annoying, inconvenient, and unwelcome, but it has to be admitted that other voices have it right, are timely, and will help to bring clarity to the issues and problems of the day.  Nobody gets it always right, which is one of the reasons why we need to hear other opinions and viewpoints, because collectively, when everybody has their say, it makes for the opportunity to come to an agreement that makes more sense and is thus better for everybody and to the society that we are part of, which is why those that suppress free speech, are the same that want to have things their way, but somehow insist upon silencing those that have the same right, as if their voice is lesser than their own, of which, they are wrong for their belief in that.

The Axis powers and their relentless need for oil

 It has been said that “an army marches on its stomach,” and as much as this is true, it has to be recognized that in the warfare that became World War II, that the Axis powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan, could not successfully march without an ample supply of oil, because the engines of war necessitated that oil, which is why the non-aggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union was broken by Germany, despite the obvious issue, that a two-front war was something that Germany did not desire, yet, this is what they did, ultimately to their own destruction.

 Indeed, the lessons about the need for oil when it comes to warfare should never be discounted, and when we look at the locales of where the biggest disputes of today are, it often revolves around oil and the control of that oil, because not only does the machinery of warfare depend greatly upon oil and all the uses of that oil, including chemicals and plastics, so of, but there isn’t anything readily available to replace that need and therefore the access to a ready supply of oil is paramount.

 It must be acknowledged that history may well have been different if the Axis powers had a ready supply of oil, because they were well-positioned to accomplish their objectives, in which, Western Europe could easily have become controlled by the Axis powers, and in all likelihood, an accommodation of some sort could have been worked out with America, in which the United States would have sole control of the Americas, whereas the rest of the world would be in the hands of the Axis powers and their proxies.  This though, is not how the war ended up, because Germany made the fatal error of a two-front war, which wasn’t prudent and clearly had not been fully vetted and thought through, but alas, that is part of the problem when those that are the aggressors find that everything is going their way, without comprehending that situations are subject to change, even drastic and unwelcomed change.

 So too, there is a lesson there for the world of today, which is that those who are oil dependent are invariably going to be seeking a way to avert such a dependence, through perhaps alternative energy sources, or through strategic and trade alliances, or through aggression of some sort.  That is to say, countries that have a pressing need for oil are quite capable of making decisions which they believe will take care of that need, which may involve subterfuge, interference in the domestic affairs of another country, or some combination, so of, because those that are dependent on oil, do not desire to be placed in the unenviable position of a possible embargo or similar, without at a minimum, having a ready response to such a contingency, of which, no doubt this was the case for Nazi Germany, which knew what it wanted but went about it in a fatally wrong way.

Coercion, intimidation, and bullying

As much as we might want to believe that the world that we live in consists of people living in a civil society in which none are coerced into behaving in a certain manner that betrays who they really are by having them do something that they do not countenance, that, though, isn’t the case at all.  Indeed, those who have been intimidated or bullied into behaving in a certain way that goes against their values resent it.  So then, while we might like to believe that people always have complete sovereignty over their person, the actuality is that many a person does not, and thus has to cede control to somebody or something else, who may or may not have their best interests in mind, of which, this occurs because they aren’t in a strong enough position to maintain their agency.

 While there is a place for coercion in the sense that sometimes the urgency of a given situation, necessitates compliance without hesitation, we do find that most of the time those that intimidate and bully us are doing so, not for our benefit, and not for our greater good, but rather are doing so for their own reasons which typically do not well align with our desires or preferences.

 So too, those that insist upon obtaining obedience from the other, and care not for any pushback, are the same that are using coercion as a tool to control or to mold the other, which creates a construct in which those left with little or no choice, may well be obedient in their current actions, but they aren’t so obedient in their mind, which is why we see those that have been pushed too far and taken advantage of, eventually react in a way that may appear to be extreme, but in actuality is a reflection that they have reached their limit and have thereupon hit back.

 All of the above signifies that healthy relationships necessitate a form of give and take, thereby affecting respect from the other, which comes forth when each is accorded a fair say, rather than one entity intimidating another to comply with their wishes or else the other will suffer some sort of imminent harm.  Indeed, obedience in the sense of duty has its place, but obedience achieved through relentless intimidation is not the same thing, and those who get their way through coercion need to understand that there are different degrees of compliance, and those who resent what is happening to them may yet have their say.

 Additionally, it needs to be said that those who feel that they have been bullied into compliance are going to be far less inclined to do all that they could do when called upon, as resentment breeds some degree of contempt, and those who feel contempt are not going to willingly go above and beyond in whatever that is expected of them, but rather are going to do only that which they can get away with, because they refuse to be treated as someone not deserving of the respect, that all are equally entitled to.

“My country, right or wrong,” is wrong

The problem with believing that we should back our country, no matter its behavior to friends or foes, alike, is mistaken, because it needs to be remembered and fixated into our minds that a wrong is not ever going to be right, until it is either amended, rectified, or corrected; which thereby signifies that wrong actions by our country should not be endorsed, but rather need to be corrected, or else we will lose our direction, and thereby lose the good principles behind the purpose of our founding.

 While we might want to believe that we never make a mistake and therefore it follows that our country never makes a mistake, the bottom line is that neither case is true, and the sooner that we admit that we are on the wrong path, the sooner it will be that we have the opportunity to correct our direction and to thereby do the right thing, which is why it is imperative that we have those inconvenient voices around that remind us that when we are wrong, we need to amend our behavior and to thereby do the right thing, no matter how difficult that task might be.

 Those who are most patriotic are not those who believe that whatever their country does is right, but in contrast they do their fair part to hold their country accountable to the good purpose of its governance, because when we fail to label that which is wrong as wrong, we have directly or indirectly contributed to that wrong, and a wrong cannot ever become right, until there is a sure recognition that it is wrong and therefore we need to make it right.

 Whenever our government is led by those who deceive us, lie to us, and betray our founding documents, then the end result is not going to be one of integrity and good, but is instead going to represent something which is unbecoming of a country that prides itself on freedom, liberty, and justice for all.  This is why each of us needs to do our good part to firstly commit acts of righteousness and secondarily to hold to account and to question misbehavior and wrong actions by our governance, because at the end of the day, this is a government of, for, and by the people, governed under the consent of those same people, and when that government is wrong, it reflects that the people have essentially countenanced to that wrong.

 We should always wish the good of the other, because that is what we should hope that the other desires for ourselves, thereby signifying that our contribution to our country should be based upon us doing right by our governance in the expectation that our country will do right by us, and whenever we are on the wrong path, we should be held accountable to such, just as our country and its actions should be held accountable to the people, who have actuated its existence, purposed for the betterment and upliftment of the people, in whole.

The Gregorian calendar and February

In the 16th century, Pope Gregory XIII made the Gregorian calendar the default calendar of the Catholic Western world, which was eventually accepted by virtually every country in the world.  The calendar has a leap year day designated in February, every four years, though we find that every 100 years we skip a leap year unless that year is divisible by 400.  The thing about the calendar, though, that is perplexing, is the fact that every month of the year is either 30 or 31 days, but for some reason, February is just 28 days.  Logically, it would make more sense if every month were either 30 or 31 days, and thus the calendar would consist of seven months at 30 days, and five months at 31 days if this were the case.

 The thing about the calendar is that the lunar cycle lasts about 29.5 days, so there was a desire for a calendar month to be about 29 or 30 days long. However, since the time for the earth to revolve around the sun is about 365.25 days, it meant that a calendar couldn’t be produced which fairly took into account both the lunar as well as the solar schedule to thereby present a consistent yearly calendar in tune with both the lunar as well as the solar, because twelve months at an average of 29.5 days, does not contain enough days to make for a complete year, which if this was the format, would make for the agricultural seasons of the year, not being consistent from one year to the next for they would get progressively further out of sync. Hence, this meant that a compromise had to be reached, but it doesn’t seem reasonable that to reach that compromise, necessitated February having just 28 days.

 That is to say, it is perplexing why February is just 28 days, and the fact that this has become industry standard throughout the world would seem to signify that this isn’t going to change anytime soon, which is unfortunate, because if months were limited to 30 or 31 days this would align better with our obligations when it came to bills as well as our paychecks, because those that pay rent in February have essentially been shortchanged, whereas those that are paid on a monthly salary basis are being paid more for having labored less in the month of February.

 Indeed, it has to be admitted that just because this has been the way that it has been for centuries, it doesn’t mean that it needs to continue to be that way, so that those who contemplate our calendars and how we measure time, should have their say, of which, the very first thing to look at should be the month of February, because those so creating the most efficient calendar, true to our solar cycle and secondarily in harmony with the lunar cycle, would in all probability, not keep February at 28 days, which is something to consider, as humankind continues to evolve

The elites are above the law

In a fair and just society, the government would be one that operated under the consent of those so governed, and of which none would be above the law, and all would therefore be equal under those same laws.  To believe, somehow, that this is the actual case in the United States of America is to believe in a myth, because the bottom line is that this is not true, and because the few are essentially above the law, it is not only disrespectful to the people, in whole, but it makes for a very bad impression upon them, also.

 Quite frankly, those in an enviable position of wealth, connections, and power typically behave in the manner in which they do not desire or believe that they should be held to the same standard as the common folk, which signifies that the laws so written, should not apply to themselves, but rather should only apply to those that need to be reminded in a forceful and meaningful way that they should stay in their place.  While it is true that the elites do occasionally suffer the ill effects of the law being rightly applied upon them, this is typically only because their grossly egregious behavior has forced the issue, or they have upset too many of their fellow elites and thus are made to pay for their misbehavior and indiscretion.

 So too, elites make it their principal point to focus the law on the underclass of society, and impress upon the population that nothing is more important than the safety of the people, and therefore, the people should willingly give up some of their lawful rights for their own good and protection.  What the elites fail to state, though, is that a significant amount of societal problems has a lot to do with the fact that those that are denied a good education and fair opportunity, and further to the point, are not provided with a reasonable pathway for success which would enable them to live a decent life, are going to be placed in the unenviable position of having to make their way to being something of substance through means, that either skirt the law or are outside the law, especially when they feel the pressure to be successful, because America is the richest nation in the entire world.

 Indeed, those who essentially demonstrate contempt for the laws ever been fairly applied to them are the very same who are unpatriotic to their country, because they do not believe that they should have to answer to the law as written, because they are, in essence, above the law.  This signifies that a nation in which the few are above the law, whereas the many are under the law, is a nation that will not have peace, justice, or equality, because it has clearly separated the sheep from the goats, made even worse because those that could put a stop to it, have essentially been “captured” by the elites, thereby closing the door to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for a significant portion of Americans.

What would you do were you to receive a premonition of your imminent death

For an absolute certainty, none that enters this material world will ever have eternal life in this world, for that which is born to this world dies to it, as well.  This thus signifies that all of us will have to meet our Maker, sooner or later, of which some of us are aware of our imminent demise based upon our poor health or other dire considerations. In contrast, a significant portion of us leave this dimension unexpectedly, and without warning, thereby leaving us no time to address concerns of import or to congregate lovingly with family and friends.  Therefore, to receive a premonition in which, in no uncertain terms, it is known that we will die within the timespan of one week would seem to be the type of message that would wake us up. Therefore, the question becomes, what would we change, do, or accomplish in that interim?

 Those then that are facing their imminent death would clearly have the opportunity to address firstly those items of high importance, such as tying up loose ends in their personal affairs, with not just with family that they are close to and have a healthy relationship with, but also other family members and friends in which there has been a parting of ways, so as to bury the hatchet, and to thereby let things go that should be let go, so that everyone is best able to find peace and comfort in that meeting of minds.

 Indeed, it has to be recognized that very few people would see their imminent death as the opportunity to wreak havoc, destruction, and payback to those who have angered them, though a few might well do that very thing.  The reason though, why virtually no one would take that path is because it solves and resolves nothing, and does not serve to bring any real or meaningful satisfaction, because at the end of the day, to be destructive just isn’t what we were meant to do, and when facing our own death, we will realize this truth, more than we did before.

 So too, the thing about an upcoming death is that most people would behave in a manner that would be far more forgiving and considerate than they were previously, because they would be better able to see the big picture which is that the petty complaints and minor troubles of the day, should never be blown up out of proportion, and that life is better when we see the brighter side and do not overly dwell upon that which is a distraction and trivial, instead.

 In sum, when we contemplate what we would do should our death be literally around the corner, we find that we would be more loving, more considerate, while also being more mindful, which thus begs the question, which is if this is what we would do should we feel that our time was nearly up, shouldn’t this then be what we should be doing in the here and now, as opposed to letting our frustrations and disappointments to distract us from being good to others, and thereby doing the right things?

Reading between the lines

The art of conversation and the proper interpretation of such, really is a skill, that not everybody ever achieves, or even tries to achieve, because those that believe that the words spoken should always be taken in a literal way or that we should immediately react to what has been said, without forethought or contemplation, represents a person that is not utilizing their thinking and their experience to try to come to the correct interpretation and understanding of what has been said.

 It has to be admitted that there are those occasions in which people are emotionally charged and say all sorts of cruel things, and thereby, what we need to do is calmly try to see through the emotions to try to get to the crux of the matter, which can be problematic when what we are hearing is insulting, hurtful, or threatening to us.  Nevertheless, we need to try, which is why it is important to actually learn to read between the lines so as to thereby discover what it is that is really meant by the words that we have heard.

 That is to say, for example, the hurtful words being expressed can often be attributed to that person’s frustration, in which the words being spoken are a reflection of that frustration, which should signify to the listener that the best way to respond to that frustration is to not let those emotional words overwhelm us or to take it personally, but rather to try to discover what it is that has frustrated the other and to the degree that we can help to address that frustration, to aid in doing so.  This means that we need to understand that behind hurtful words is typically a hurting person, and the solution to resolving that hurt is to work together on alleviating it.

 So too, those that are good listeners are the same that do not make snap judgments in regards to the character of the person so speaking, mainly because that doesn’t help the situation, for by labeling the other as selfish, rude, wrong, and so on, doesn’t do anything to deal constructively with why they have a particular ugly feeling, but rather we should listen to what they have to say and reflect back to them in a fair manner, what we believe that they have said, to get clarification that we are on the same basic page, for to assume that we understand one another can be the type of assumption which isn’t correct and can thereby lead to even more frustration.

 In this world, we deal with each other through various forms of communication, of which people who are upset typically are going to exaggerate their feelings because they have let their emotions get the better of them, which is why we should try to remain calm, which thereby provides us with a better opportunity to be of service to them, by finding the hurt that they are expressing and then helping to find a way to alleviate that hurt through our thoughtful and considerate response.