Private wealth for generations

There are all sorts of financial advisors for those that have sizeable assets of which one of the selling points of those advisors is the coming up with a sound strategy so as to successfully pass on one's assets to family members in such a manner that the taxation of those assets is absolutely minimized.  Not too surprisingly, those that are considered by their clients to be the best financial advisors are the ones that are able to navigate those treacherous tax waters in such a manner so as to maximize the legacy so left to one's heirs.

While it certainly makes sense for all those that have assets to want to pass on at least some portion of such to their offspring, as well as to notable others and organizations; when this becomes instead, an  overarching mission to do all that is possible to circumvent fair tax laws in a manner in which fairness is subsequently left at the door, and, of which, thereby we discover that the sole objective of such is to "game" the system in a manner in which, those that have, need not worry about giving up much of anything of their assets, than in short, the American public is ultimately unfairly short changed.

After all, while a given person is alive, the monies that they have earned, invested, inherited, and kept, is typically theirs to do with, whatsoever that they so desire.  However, once that person's physical life has ended, it would seem that in fairness to that country that thereby provided the structure and the infrastructure to aid in its own way that individual's success, that that country should be entitled to reap in monies of an appropriate portion from the demise of that person, of that which is their assets. 

Therefore, the failure of the state apparatus in extracting a fair portion of the money from those that have become exceedingly wealthy, through the means of an estate tax, is thereby the failure to preclude that country which was specifically created with no hereditary titles, from creating its own type of special inheritance privileged class of all those that have done nothing of merit, but to have been born into this land with all the advantages and accouterments of those so born with that proverbial silver spoon in their mouth.

This land has great public wealth, of which the purpose of that wealth being in the hands of the government and its agencies is for the expressed benefit and welfare of the people.  On the other hand, whenever great wealth is in the hands of private people, that wealth is controlled by those people, and often is utilized in a manner specifically to favor their own people, their own interests, and their own desires; but even when such is thereby devoted or diverted to public means, the decision of where, when and how those monies are thereby divvied up, is essentially left in the control of that person or institution that has control of those assets.

Private wealth is not the same and never will be the same as public wealth.  This thus signifies that great private wealth, which is thereby permitted to seamlessly pass on from generation to generation, will invariably lead to a country that will represent in action the great battle of the very few that have, against the very many that have not, and should those very few prevailed, than the mass of people that have lost, will be left with just the table scraps.

Worth dying for

There is a price for everything that we so encounter, though not everything has a monetary price so attached to it.  Further to the point, the value of things is never going to be the same person-to-person; not to mention the fact that things don't necessarily even have the same value, day-by-day for the very same person.  Still, the actions that we do are in aggregate a true reflection of who and what we really are, and therefore fairly reflect by those actions that of which we stand for.  So that, those that state that this is not the case, or that this viewpoint misunderstands them or misconstrues their actions, are often barking up the wrong tree, for that which we do, is what we really are.

So then, those that speak of their courage, but never do a courageous thing are by definition, not courageous.  So too, those that speak up strongly about the importance of this or the importance of that, but when tested on that very thing, find therefore that their voice once so loud, has thereby become silent; so need to question their integrity, for those that only stand tall for what they claim matters dearly to them, when the conditions are favorable for that particular position; yet, run and hide when those conditions have turned decidedly unfavorable, are those that are lacking in good principle.

For life to have any meaning for anyone there has to be something that actuates a given person's life in a manner in which they have found something worth living to, or worth living up to.  Perhaps that is one's family, or friends, or country, or even one's employment, it so varies depending upon the individual, for it is within that sense of purpose that gives that person their meaning in life.  Still, it must be acknowledged, that each day brings us some trouble, or a hint of such, of which, that of which we live so strongly for, will invariably be challenged to some degree by something that will take that which means so much to us, away from us.

This thus signifies, that which we live for, is often going to be the very same thing, that we are also willing to sacrifice ourselves to, and, if need be, to die for, when such is threatened to be unjustly wrested away from us.  After all, if we are unwilling to fight righteously for that which we have valued so highly, when we are called in service to that value to do exactly that, then we are not honoring that which we previously had cherished so dearly.

So then, we find that there is going to come that time, for every single one of us, in which we have a sacred call of duty, and of which, that duty is to risk possibly everything in order to defend and to protect that for which we have lived our lives for, and of which, we may or may not succeed in that battle, but battle we must so do.  When tested, thereof, those then that have integrity will prove such, and will give their last full measure in order to do so, and those that do not -- have failed that which they purported to have been true believers of.

Opinions and the desire for dominance

As they say, everybody has an opinion, and most people desire to express such.  The problem though thereupon comes when certain people get so attached to their opinion that they have expressed, that they don't want to ever give ground on it, and then when someone else, has an opinion that so differs from theirs, this may so present a war of dominance of one versus the other.  To a certain degree, that is to be expected, but when we get to those times when it gets all so serious, in which each party, is thereby determined at all costs that they are right, this thus creates a lot of friction and possibly lasting resentment.  Further, though, the person that believes that their opinion is right, and typically each party so does, often also has a very strong tendency to not desire to actually listen to the other side, because they aren't interested in engaging with the other party, let alone even considering their opinion as possibly have some validity or possibly even being right.

So then, those that have strong opinions are typically the very same people that have closed minds, and closed minds do not listen to what other people have to say, because they feel that they don't need to, for they perceive their mind as being correct.  While there is something to be said, about being consistent, and true to  one's own word, there is also something to be said, about the need to actually have an open discussion with another person who is entitled to state their own opinion, of which, common courtesy and fair play should encourage one another to hear the other person out, which when so done, could lead to some give and take between those parties, leading to a better situation, of which, there would then exist some sort of common ground, that can thereby create a possibility of collaboration rather than of dominance.

In those situations, in which, people aren't willing to listen to reason, because they aren't even going to bother with the listening; then opinions so expressed really come down to finding those other people, that are in lockstep with one's own opinion, and leaving therefore all those that are in opposition, behind.  While there is merit in unity, there is also merit in diversity, along with the fact that those that will not broker any dissent or honest feedback or open communication are essentially know-it-alls that might not actually know it all.

Each of us is unique as an individual, and in large communities, there can be an incredibly diverse amount of backgrounds, interests, and achievements within that community.  Yet, we have an inherent obligation to not only to be of assistance to our family and to our friends, but also to be of assistance to the community that we are members of, of which, we are therefore obligated as a good neighbor to do our part in helping to make that community a better place for our being a part of it.  This thus signifies that those that insist that it is their way or the highway, so that they therefore are the dominant one, are often the very people that are not repairers of the breach, but rather are the ones that create the breach to begin with. 

Truth is eternally immutable

We find ourselves seemingly living within a construct in which each person, is able to freely proclaim their version of truth, of which, we are led to believe, thereof, that their truth therefore is as valid as any other person's truth.  This type of nonsense brings no good benefit to anyone, for if truth is subjective, or if truth is mutable, depending upon the time of the day, or era, or person, or opinion, then there is, in fact, nothing that could ever be truly defined as truth.

Truth, by definition, is that which does not change its nature, or its tune, upon the winds of time; but rather truth is just as true today, as it was yesterday, and will be tomorrow.  So then, only that which is immutable has the necessary characteristic of truth, and therefore all that which is mutable though it may at times take upon the aura of truth, or may be true within the context of that time and place, it is not, though, in totality, true.

It is important to understand the nature of truth, for if we do not understand truth from a fundamental basis, than we are susceptible to believing all sorts of things that are not foundationally true, and that, thereof, is a very slippery slope.  Each of us has an inherent obligation, to search for truth, and those that do not, or care not to do so, are those that are too lazy of mind, to understand that any endeavor that does not at its heart have the search for and the desire for truth as its abiding principle -- is a venture which is flawed in its concept.

After all, to fight doggedly for that which is false, is always going to be a fight which will bring forth neither lasting peace, nor lasting satisfaction.  This so signifies that the only fight worth fighting for, is always on behalf of that which is good, right, and true; for these together, are eternal and therefore are properly worthy of our time and effort.

So too, because truth is immutable, this signifies that it cannot be contained within a vessel which is susceptible to error or mistakes of perception.  So then, truth, lies outside of our own person, but not outside of our purview of finding such, of which, part of the actuation of any human life, is that innate desire to discover who and what we really are, and therefore the purpose thereof, of our being.

In many ways, life consists of facades upon facades, not necessarily in order to confuse us or to entrap us, but rather such exists as a means of encouraging us to look behind those facades in order to discover the truth of the matter.  It is our curiosity, more than anything, that pushes us to keep on peeling back the layers in order to know that which we must for a certainty know; and when we know the truth, we will be free from that which we thought was true, but was in actuality, a mirage -- so created as a means to test us and to challenge us, but never as a deceit to us.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) and the importance of non-discriminatory labor contracts

While the automobiles so being manufactured today have never relied as much as they currently do upon machinery and sophisticated robotics, that was not the case when it came to the original inception of automobile manufacturing, which when this first began, necessitated a lot of repetitious work, that required a stable workforce willing to buy into that monotonous routine in exchange for decent wages and the stability of having a steady job.  To a large extent, the wages so being paid were progressive for its era, but there came that time when the sheer amount of those being employed, and the power that management had in regards to who got hired, along with the pay thereof, and the consistency of that work and of the hours so worked, led to auto workers recognizing that there was indeed meaningful strength in numbers, that could be best expressed through the efforts of a union, that was united, therefore, as the voice of those workers.

The most salient reasons for auto manufacturers such as Ford Motor Company and General Motors, to see the usefulness of negotiating with the UAW, was to basically preclude "wildcat" strikes, sabotage, violence, and the like within the manufacturing of those automobiles; yet, for instance, Ford Motor was initially quite reluctant to actually sit down at the table to negotiate with the UAW, until they came to the realization of the value of eliminating disruptions to the production of automobiles, as well as the value of staying ahead of the curve in regards to their public image, along with the usefulness of being able to retain their competent employees, which would in summary, make for a more productive and therefore a more profitable corporation.

So then, to the credit of Ford Motor, of which they signed their first union contract with UAW in 1941, this thus formalized the seniority system so created, which meant that black workers, who often were the last so hired, and therefore the first so fired, would because of their work at Ford Motor during the war years, be therefore able to in many significant areas to secure seniority over those white workers, that previously of which would have expected that those jobs would be awaiting their white hands upon their return from having served their nation, overseas.  Instead, the UAW, made the hiring and the firing process, as well as the seniority, thereof, far more transparent; and therefore that union truly did represent a fair union of those workers, so creating the solidarity of its workers, done so in a manner which was far more equable, progressive and fair, than was the case, previously.

The bottom line is that when it comes to labor fairness, that does not discriminate, union organizers, such as the UAW, were on the forefront of doing exactly that, which not only helped to create a vibrant middle class of people, previously so exploited, but also enabled those same people to have a firm foundation to build a decent life upon, as well as demonstrating that when those previously so denigrated by societal elements are provided with a fair and equable chance to make something of their lives, that they will readily accomplish that.

Self-incrimination

Per Constitutional law, no individual of this country is ever compelled by any legitimate force, to essentially be a witness against their own self.  This is the way that it should be, for the state should always have the burden to prove what it is that they are trying to prove, without coercing or forcing the accused to confess to or to make statements that are self- incriminating.  Yet, despite this Constitutional law, the application of justice within this country has situation upon situation, in which those so accused are essentially being convicted not upon the evidence, or of forensics, thereof; but often find instead that their own words, coerced or not, are the main source of their ultimate conviction.

When that government of, for, and by the people, behaves in the manner in which their objective of justice, is to trick, deceive, or to play upon the emotions of a given person, that has been placed into the vulnerable position of having had their freedom wrested away from them, by virtue of their being arrested or stopped, and further of which these persons are thereupon susceptible to all sorts of enticements or promises, forceful or not, or truthful or not; in addition of which they are suffering from the intense stress of their present incapacitation, of which, that lack of counsel, that lack of rest, that lack of perspective, that lack of freedom, and that lack of a fair playing field, are all conductive to the breaking down of such an individual, then it should come as no real surprise, that incriminating statements, true or not, coached or not, come forth.

It is never justice, anytime that a justice system or the process thereof, decides that it has the right to circumvent the fairness of justice, by working the angles that they have in play in order to simply get to the resolution that the state so wants to have, irrespective of whether it is just or not, right or not, or fair or not.  Far too often, the government rather than seeking, first and foremost, to uphold fair justice, in a given situation, are instead looking for that easy way to get a conviction and in their hastiness to do so, therefore prefer the deliberate absence of allowing the other party to have their fair say, thereby precluding that the justice as so enacted is actually on some basic level, a fair and equable process.

Those justice systems that have meaningful laws put into place so as to uphold Constitutional standards for all of the people, but in application, thereof, effectively ignore such, have by their actions, shown the upmost disrespect for their own Constitution.  When the point of the exercise appears to be to get convictions at any cost, so long as such is done in a manner in which there doesn’t appear to be any blowback to that system -- that isn't justice.  Further to the point, when those that should and ought to know better, behave in a manner that reflects that they surely do know better but refuse to abide by their own lawfully applicable rules and regulations, then those that are disobedient to that, which is highest law of the land, should thereby be fairly punished for it.

The etymology of the word "religion"

There are plenty of people that are religious, or claim to be religious, so therefore it makes sense to understand the origin of the world religion.  In Latin, we derive the word religion, through the word religare, which means "to bind" as well as the word religio, which means "obligation, bond, and reverence."  So that, in short, those that are religious, are by definition, those that have a reverential bond to bind one to another in the understanding that those that are religious, thereby comprehend that they are therefore meant to be devoted in unity to something beyond them, that necessitates the adherence to the structure and rules of that religion, so by that common purpose, they have created out of many, one.

So then, while the pathway to religion, or a particular religion, or a belief in a religion, while being to a certain degree a journey that is solo in that it comes from the will of that one person desiring to know truth; it so too, also invites that person to bind together with those other believers in order that they become united, in which, therefore, that religion, can be of greater benefit to the whole.  It is important to note that religion is not to be a blind belief, but rather it is supposed to be liberating for those that are lost, so as to find that which will enlighten them.

All of this signifies, that the purpose of those that are therefore religious, is to therefore, have that religion make not only their own life, one of more purpose, one of more focus, and one of more reverence; but also to join together with others of like-mindedness, so as to bind together into that which makes those that are united, stronger and more vibrant, not only to one another, but to be of more benefit for their community.

It is vital to remember that for all those that are religious, that a true religious call, is always going to require a corresponding commitment upon the person so becoming religious, to value not only the religious vows, mandated by that religion, so as be in harmony with those other believers who are of the same faith, but also that such a faith is never one that is blind, but rather one that is liberating for the person of that faith, because the very purpose of religion is to replace darkness with light.

This thus signifies, that those that bind together, and are bound to the religion of that faith, while becoming united one with another, must make it their point of principle, to thereby see that their most appropriate calling is to be one of uplifting their fellow sojourners, so as to be of the greater benefit for their community, in thereby fulfilling their dedicated calling to be a good neighbor, which is thereby actively displayed in the good deeds so done day-by-day, and with the foreknowledge that those that are most appropriately religious are always those that show their respect to that religion, by helping to make the world a better place for their having  and living that belief.

Religion and age

When it comes to the people that actually attend church regularly, our eyes do not deceive us, as time and time again, the representation of many a given church, skews markedly older than the given population demographic of that community.  In other words, older people are more diligent and spend more time and also make a greater effort to attend church services then younger folks.  While, no doubt, there are a multitude of reasons of why this is so, of which, one reason is as straightforward as the fact that senior citizens typically have more time on their hands, and perhaps less other social obligations that they are obligated to; however, the most salient reason though, would have to be that senior citizens are expressing by their attendance the fact that religious services means something of significance to them.

In truth, those that are young, have a lot of things on their minds, of which the meaning of life and the consideration of mortality typically isn’t front and center of what is upon their minds, though it may indeed come up, from time-to-time.  Rather, many younger people are trying to live life and to work diligently upon achieving their goals and aspirations, while also spending time socializing, and basically trying to obtain those good things of what life so offers to them; thereby, leaving them far less time to spend in activities such as quiet reflection and church attendance.  On the other hand, many older people have often achieved whatever that it is that they were going to achieved, and along the way they have picked up all sorts of experience and knowledge in all sorts of areas, and now at this later stage in life, actually do want to get answered some of the most fundamental questions in life; such as the purpose thereof, and whether, for instance, that they have done enough for others with their given talents or not.

So too, in church, unlike in the material world, there isn't any debate about whether God exists or not, for it is a given, that worshiping in any church, necessitates an eternal omniscient God.  Further to the point, those that feel that their mind is fatigued or wavering, or that their body is beginning to betray them, or both, are going to have a tendency to spend some time thereupon contemplating the inevitable, which is that there will come that point when their physical form will no longer be part of this living world.  This thus signifies, that what is left to ponder, is the eternal destiny of one's soul and those that are old, are going to in many cases, want to place their immortal soul into the most favorable position that they can, because the stakes that are being played for, are exceedingly high.

So then, older people are most cognizant that the bell will toll, soon enough, and therefore they are hoping that within their attendance at church, something of merit will occur that will enlighten them, benefit them, inspire them, direct them, comfort them, or help them.  After all, people are prone to worry about all sorts of things, of which a lot of that worry is over that which is relatively trivial, but that which worries those that are nearing their end, is probably that worry which is eminently worth worrying about, for when one light goes out, surely most people would prefer that a brighter one instead takes its place.

Love requires sacrifice

Far too many people believe that life owes them something, or that they are by their birth or by their circumstance, entitled to something, without having to put forth any attendant effort to legitimately own it.  That really isn't the way that life works and it isn't the way that life operates.  What is important to recognize is that each one of us has to, sooner or later, stand up and to be recognized for something, and that something needs to demonstrate love outside of that particular person's self; for each of us is called forth to the very same thing, which is to find something beyond ourselves, which necessitates sacrifice and that therefore is worth living for, and if it comes down to it, worth dying for.

In today's world, love has been discounted in a manner in which when it is now being expressed represents, oftentimes, something that is rather trite and blasé -- for words said, without understanding what true love really represents is a very cheap version of love; whereas that which is true to love, necessitates always a real commitment and then the necessary follow through to do what needs to be done, in order to do what is right on behalf of that love.

Unfortunately, many people are only too willing to express love one to another, when everything is going well, and especially when things are going their particular way; yet, they are far less reluctant to express that love or to ever consider that their love should somehow be unconditional, when things are most certainly not going their way, or as planned.  That is to say, conditional love, basically means what it so implies, which is as long as that other person is doing what the lover of that person so desires, then they are loved; whereas, when they do not, that type of love may find itself morphing into something more in tune with negative emotions, such as rage, anger, betrayal, hatred, or revenge.

That said, there are plenty of people, that have examples in their life, of sacrificial love, without necessarily being conscious of it, such as parents that go to extraordinary lengths to do right and to thereby sacrifice their sleep, hobbies, interests and many other things In order to be there for their children; or a spouse that accepts the faults of their significant other, or looks pass such, because they care intimately about being together with that other person, for that connection that they have, is seen as a sacred vow, and therefore for better or for worse, they are there for them, come what may. 

So then, when it comes to sacrifice and love, it doesn't necessarily have to be on the big stage, where a given person, for example, takes a bullet meant for someone else, though, of course, that qualifies; but rather it has more to do with those decisions made day-by-day where a given person's ego takes a backseat to what really needs to be done in order to help make things better for a friend, or for an acquaintance, or for a family member, or for a neighborhood, or for a community, or for a country, or for the world, in which that person doesn't have to do the right thing, but chooses  though to voluntarily to do the right thing, as a willing sacrifice to the greater good.  That then, is love.

Hatred

Hatred is not something that anyone should ever want to voluntarily cultivate, and it certainly is not an emotion to embrace; for hatred pretty much always brings out the worse in us, and through that hatred, though we may for a moment, seem to have successfully vanquished our opponent; this does not end the story, for we will invariably find that hatred so engaged, will bring us personal suffering at some point, for having expressed it.  The very first thing to understand about hatred, is that a lot of the time, when people express hatred, they are essentially expressing in essence the fact that they are not getting their way, and because they are frustrated by being denied that which they so desire, they thereupon take that disappointment and frustration out upon others, unconcerned as to whether the other party is fairly guilty of some real infringement or not.

Life should ideally be about letting go of hate, and trying to find common ground, one person to another, one society to another, one country to another, so that through that common ground we therefore have those different individuals, different societies, and different countries working to that good purpose to become united in that which is beneficial for the people as a whole.  This doesn't mean that we need to see eye-to-eye on everything, for unity isn't about everyone having the exact same mindset, but instead has everything to do with seeing that there is a grand purpose in life, of which that purpose is superior to our own individual ego, and that therefore, by living to that purpose, people, societies, and nations, unite together, one with another.

Those that believe that we can silence others, by literally killing them, are mistaken; for the very problems that created that divisiveness and anger, have not been eliminated, but ultimately still need to be addressed in a more sustainable and in a more considerate manner, for that which necessitates the destruction of the other, will not ever bring about lasting peace or fair justice.  This signifies that the issues that we have one with another, need to be dealt with in a manner, in which, we still respect that each individual is sovereign within their own self, and thereupon have the same self-determination that we are also entitled to, and that each individual has the exact same unalienable rights that we do, of which, our objective should therefore be, to see that we are fair and just, one to another, as opposed to ignoring civil discourse, and simply following the corrupt mantra, that "might makes right".

To hate another, is both the facile and the childish way to go about one's business, for those that hate don't actually care about validating the other, but rather just want their way, no matter the cost; and the result thereof we find in the reality of the world as it presently is.  For, humankind has warred upon one another for eons upon eons, and still has not found peace, justice, and fairness; because hatred and destruction that is part and parcel of war, is the pathway which has no good ending conceivable to it.  Rather, for all those that profess that they desire peace and justice, they must first throw down their weapons of war and hate, and thereupon have the courage to understand that e pluribus Unum, only makes sense when we correctly understand that from many there can be a union of one, if and only if, we are each focused upon becoming an integral part of that one.

"Every thing secret degenerates"

The above quote comes from the inestimable, Lord Acton, in which the full quote reads as follows: "Every thing secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show it can bear discussion and publicity." As true as this was back when it was first written, we find that in this hi-tech era of our intrusive government and its agencies being able to watch and to document with what seems to be virtual impunity, all that is occurring within its own domestic borders and therefore such being directed against its own citizens, and subsequently of which that government is reluctant to divulge such to the full extent of, and thereby hides behind what has been classified as being secret, so as to therefore conceal its intrusive actions behind the door of national security, we are thereby left to suffer the inherent dangers, thereof, of secrets so hidden.

As Lord Acton, so wrote, nothing truly is safe, if that which is being done, even ostensibly for the benefit of the people, is not subject to public discussion and thereby publicized for what it really is.  Sure, no doubt, there are those things and areas that the government is involved in, which legitimately necessitates some degree of secrecy and discretion, but this has over time, relentlessly become bastardized into becoming a government in which the salient point of all these secrets, as well as their outright deceptions and misdirection, is to preclude the public from really knowing what is actually going on, and to quite obviously suppress the full disclosure of actions so taken that are of questionable merit, of questionable legality, and of questionable purpose, so as to protect those government officials and their actions from being held accountable to such.

When any government, is permitted to hide what it is really doing, so as to essentially do what it is not permitted to do by any reasonable interpretation of its own Constitution, than that government is quite clearly no longer a government of, for, and by the people; but rather it is a government that marches instead to its own desires, rules, and interpretations that protects what it is doing, under the cover of a secrecy, which is unpublicized, un-divulged, and un-debated.

So too, the more that is gathered and then secreted away from the public purview, the more such is going to involve that which is clearly wrong and at odds with what this country should really represent; for those that are devilish in their desires are the very ones that know that in order to keep doing what they so do, they need to keep it secret.   This thus signifies, that almost by definition, the more secretive a government is, the more it is up to no good; and further to the point the more that a government insists that it needs to keep things secret so as to uphold national security, means almost for a certainty, that it is up to no good.

The bottom line is that while discretion and secrecy have their necessary place; there never has been a time when there should be less secrecy than today, because in this hi-tech world of massive amounts of data information so being accumulated, sorted and analyzed, the citizens of this country have a right to know what is being done to them and supposedly for them on their behalf, and thereby to see that those that spend so much time and energy watching and monitoring them, are in turn, answerable in full to those citizens, who are the ones who instituted that government in the first place.

The false freedom that so many believe in

Many of those that profess the loudest of the importance and the value of freedom, really don't know what freedom at its core, actually encompasses, means and signifies.  For those, that believe that ultimate freedom, is the freedom to do whatever that a given person so desires to do, limited only by not infringing upon that same concept of freedom of another, they will find themselves to understand, sooner or later, that this is foundationally wrong.  That is to say, true freedom is not doing whatever a given person so desires to do, as if this is the highest possible calling of humankind, but rather true freedom first involves the comprehension that by being gifted by our Creator with free will and thereby the freedom of thought and movement, that therefore our abiding desire of being granted thus with this gift, is not to thereby to abuse it in self-aggrandizement, or ego fulfillment, but rather to control it for our own good, and for the good of all those that we interact with.

Of course, as in many a thing, when we are children, we are going to have a strong tendency to indulge upon great gifts in childish ways, and thereby to push our freedom in ways and manners that test the waters of the value of doing whatever that is what we so are please to do, and occasionally suffering the full consequences so of.   The point, though, of such an exercise, is to develop our mind and our being in such a manner that when we do become an adult, that we understand the corresponding responsibility so thrust upon us, and those that have learned their lessons well, are going to understand the nuances and obligations that we have to that which provides us with a power that could be used for that which is right, or for what which is wrong.

So then, our freedom signifies that we are not automatons, that we are indeed, freely able to be that which we so desire to be, subject to those others that are also freely able to act upon their desires, limited only by the skill-set each has developed, of which the upshot of all this, is invariably that we will find others that through their own unrestrained freedom will actively oppose us or work against us, for freedom without appropriate restraint, necessitates the collision, sooner or later, of two or more parties, exerting that freedom one against the other.  This then unfailingly means that freedom without its attendant responsibility creates unending conflict, of which the only successful way to end such a conflict, is not to wage endless war against one another, but rather to find that common ground, that enables each of us to do what we ought to do, by volunteering subsuming that freedom into that which is beneficial and right for the greater good.

Because we are free, we are never compelled to give up that freedom, or even to restrain such, but those that do not do what they should ethically do, will find themselves trapped within an unending cycle, of misery, occasional happiness, and a drama that begins to wear on one's weary soul, until such truthfully surrenders to that which is Wisdom, and thereby frees itself from the delusion and the chains of having bought into that false freedom to begin with. 

The unintended consequences of price controls

In mature and stable nations, such as the United States, price controls are typically anathema to that government and thereby its desired rules and regulations.  After all, the United States, likes to pride itself on being an open market, and thereby that through those market forces, competition, and the like, that there isn't any real reason for the government to impose price controls over much of anything unless under the most extreme of conditions, such as might occur during a war or a pandemic.  Of course, this assumes, that the marketplace in regards to its current structure is open, honest, fair, and truly competitive, at all times, of which, the truth of the matter is, that there are significant areas of the economy in which there is either no meaningful competition, or that the market is effectively controlled by just a few dominant players who basically whether implicit or not, collude one with another, in order to boost up the price of their goods and services, so as to undeservedly obtain more profit.

So then, there are cases in which the government does have its place in the implementation of price controls, because of the absence of a truly free market, or of competition, or the active collusion, thereof; so as to step in for the good of the people.  That said, price controls, should be truly seen as a last resort, for anytime, the give and take of the market in regards to what should be produced, what is being produced, and therefore what is being bought and consumed, and the price thereof, is disrupted by governmental fiat in regards to what the price has to be, then the market will suffer, sooner or later, from the ill effects of that government interference, no matter the good intent, thereof.

That is to say, when businesses are not able to obtain the price so needed or so expected from the products that they are producing to sell, then they quite obviously are going to have to make some adjustments to that product, of which, one of the simplest adjustments to make is to simply produce less of that product, thereby leading possibly to layoffs, and/or the reduction of the quality of those products, so of.  Another, workaround, is that those that are driven by profit and the lust for money, so of, will have a tendency when facing perceived to be unreasonable price controls, to risk taking actions, of debatable legality, in order to circumvent such price controls, and thereby they will take their chances, therewith, utilizing their legal staff and the like to ameliorate any adverse reaction from the government, if it so comes to that.

In other words, when companies do not get the monetary rewards of what they expect to get from their sales, due to the government imposing unexpected rules and regulations, they often are not going to accept such, lying down, but rather will typically do everything within their power, to find exceptions to such, workarounds to such, circumvention to  such, ignoring of such, and will make adjustments as needed to their business model so as to obtain the monies that they feel that they are unjustly losing from those unsolicited imposed price controls.   So that, while government officials can often point to simple charts with simple mathematics, of how much the public will save and how fair that all the above is for the general public, what is happening behind the scenes will typically erode a lot of that good, so expected.

Organized crime can only flourish in a corrupt environment

Organized crime exists in one form or another, all over the world; in which the disappearance of such does not seem to be in cards because there are too many people, companies, police and justice officials, as well as players within the state apparatus that personally benefit from the existence of organized crime or have been intimidated into the countenance of organized crime, and therefore do not do their necessary courageous part to eradicate such.  So too, some of the decisions that ostensibly have been made by governmental decree to reduce criminal activity or to improve the character of one's citizens, have instead, paradoxically been the impetus for the strengthening of organized crime; such as what occurred during prohibition, in which, by making liquor illegal, this did little or nothing to stop those that still wished to imbibe in alcohol, but rather forced the sales and distribution of such, underground and thereby controlled to a large extent, by organized crime.  So too, America's "war on drugs" so initiated in 1971, did little or nothing to stop the usage and distribution of illicit drugs, but rather emboldened those already in the business, to be more sophisticated as well as to become more connected with those others in strategic positions, in order to thereby stay successful and to ultimately boost the sales of their illegal business.

The fact of the matter is that when laws are so written in which the proclivities of a given population, have now been rendered illegal or forbidden, this does little or nothing to change what the people already have a strong inclination for, but rather simply creates an alternative world, in which, that which the people want, is readily available, but the price to get such, has risen in order to cover things such as the enforcement of "street law" throughout the sphere of influence of organized crime, as well as to cover the price to "grease" the palms of all those that are only too willing to look the other way, or to acquiesce to that business being so conducted.  This thus signifies, that organized crime, needs two conditions in order for it to flourish, of which, the first one is that there must be a desire from the people for that which has been so designated as being "forbidden," and the second is that some of those that are responsible to enforce the law, thereby march instead to the corrupt beat of that "easy money" so provided to them.

While the media wastes an inordinate amount of time, reporting on the news events of drug busts and other illicit businesses being taken down and thus justice so being served; it does a very poor job of actually following up as to why at the end of the day, all the illicit activities so supported by organized crime, never actually goes away, but ever keeps on standing and even strengthening its hand.    That is because, regrettably, organized crime is entwined with those important others that make and enforce the laws, so that because those that make those laws are corrupt or, at best, possibly indifferent, organized crime exists and will continue to exist until such a time as those that are responsible for the equal application of law, enforce such, while also recognizing that "victimless crimes," are not a legitimate interest of the state.

Income, bills, bills, bills, and misery

The bottom line is that it takes income in order to pay or to try to stay current on bills -- as well as all those other responsibilities that adults have to successfully address, of which, whether that money is there to do so or not, those bills and incumbent responsibilities never seem to ever disappear or go away.  One of the biggest bills, if not the biggest bill for most people, is the rent, or the mortgage (for those that own a home), which has to be attended to on a monthly basis.  In recent years, home prices, have steadily been rising, typically making the home affordability index, less and less affordable and consequently problematic for many, but with historically low interest rates for those with good credit, this is somewhat mitigated.  On the other hand, for those that choose to rent, or pretty much have to rent, as reported by cbpp.org, from 2001-2018, the median rent (including utilizes) when taken into account inflation rose 13%, whereas the median household income when taken into account inflation, has essentially been flat, with just a minute increase of .5% during that same time period.  This so indicates that in a construct in which educational costs have skyrocketed within this same trim frame, as well as the same steady increase so occurring in healthcare, that the upshot is that a significant swath of the population are currently faced with trying to find some way to make ends meet, and must attempt to do this with income that has not materially improved.

Thus, what is happening for millions of households in America is that they are struggling mightily to make ends meet, because the wages that they are currently making, aren't in actuality, living wages; but in reality are just enough to give them the illusion that it is enough to perhaps make ends meet, when it really is not.  Further to the point, when a multitude of households are teetering on the edge of insolvency, it only takes one unexpected negative event, to turn things from bad to much, much worse.  This then creates the misery that should not be occurring all that often, for all those good people that are doing their part by laboring hard to have a piece of the American dream, but just aren’t able to achieve any sureness or stability to securely obtain such.

This is the richest nation that the world has ever known, but far too much of that wealth is tightly held in far too few hands, thereby leaving millions of Americans, without; and subsequently vulnerable to the misery of broken dreams, unpaid bills, evictions, bad health, and the like.  While countries can be evaluated and measured by a multitude of scales, one of those measurements, should be how the average family is actually doing in the present day, and how much security that family has in regards to their income and especially in consideration of their debt obligations and bills that they are responsible to pay.  In truth, all is not well in America, which is reflected in the divisiveness, fear, and incivility so often reflected in this modern age,  which is indicative that too many good people are struggling to make ends meet, and are feeling the palpable hopelessness that it won't get better for them, anytime soon.

The logical reason why minorities have a desire to live in white neighborhoods

As much as there is talk about the need for integration in communities, of which this talk has been going on for decades; the reality of the situation towards achieving that integration, is disappointingly bleak, as in many aspects, America communities remain as segregated today as they were back in the day in which minorities were functionally precluded from living in desirable white neighborhoods.  And the prevailing reason why minorities have a desire to live in white neighborhoods, has absolutely little or nothing to do with minorities necessarily liking or even preferring the company of white people, but almost everything to do with the massively improved access to the superior infrastructure so contained predominantly in white neighborhoods; which notably consists of better public schools, less crime, better parks, better social amenities, libraries, less pollution, restaurants, employment, healthcare, universities, and the like.

The truth of the matter is that back in the day when segregated facilities existed and were truly separate, they were never equal to white areas; and as true as that was back then, it is just as true today.  This thus signifies that it is hopeless to believe that the current set of circumstances in which America talks about equality of opportunity and integration, has actually substantially been improved over what it once was, though, sure enough, there has been some notable improvement.  That said, to take it to the next level, America needs to actually do a far better job of providing fair amenities and opportunities within those zones of poverty and decline, that are receiving little of notable substance, often than basically crumbs, from that bountiful table of American munificence.

So then, tax dollars so utilized to benefit the public in whole, need to be better allocated to actually improve those areas of communities that are most lacking in good amenities, of which, by providing better resources for those communities now lacking such, opportunity and hope will correspondingly increase there.  Instead, because this is not now occurring, we are left with the continuing desire from minorities that are trying to do the best for their family and for their life, to therefore "piggyback" their way into having some of those necessary amenities that white communities often see as their inherent privilege; thereby minorities end up preferring to move into white neighborhoods in which that infrastructure already exists, just to get a fair chance at the good opportunity to make something of merit in their lives.

The fact that America talks a good game, but fails to live up to that good game, is indicative that the system as currently exercised, is fundamentally unfair.  Because this government does not do what it has the power to do per its own Constitution, in order to ameliorate and to correct what has been historical discrimination against minorities; as well as continuing to keep the favored race of America in control and privileged, we are left with a country that is not united in purpose or in principle.  After all, people aren't perpetually credulous, and when they see for a certainty that the grass is truly greener on the other side, they are going to keep on aspiring for their fair share, rather than simply being ignored and thereby always being left behind.

Full disclosure by all public companies should be mandated by governmental law

The United States has over 4,000 corporations that are designated as public companies, and therefore are permitted to list their common shares through a stock exchange, thereby permitting the investment of money from outside sources, including, of course, individuals.  While public companies divulge an awful lot of pertinent information to the public, as required by law, one of the most important disclosures which is not being done at the present time, but so needs to be done, is the full disclosure of all criminal convictions, fines so issued, and sealed deals so done with prosecuting authorities; all of which subsequently should become part and parcel of what is fairly divulged to the public in regards to these public companies, along with any current litigation that is still in process.

Further to the point, all advertising, all annual reports, and all publications issued from public companies, should as a matter of course, list every single conviction so enforced against said company, such as for pollution, financial chicanery, price fixing, and so on and so forth.  Additionally, agreements so done which have resulted in a fine should be fully disclosed, as well as all those deals so finalized in which subject corporation has paid a fine in exchange for criminal charges being subsequently dropped as part of that negotiated deal.  In other words, just as pharmaceutical companies are required to warn the general public as to the bad side effects of a given drug, so too, these corporations should be required to divulge fully all of their bad actions so having occurred.

After all, it is quite common for individuals to be asked as to whether they have a criminal record or even if they have been arrested as a condition for their consideration of employment with many a company.  Therefore, those so considering purchasing the common stock of a given company, or seeking employment at said company, should have divulged to them, all of the convictions and all of the fines so having been imposed against a given company, along with pending litigation addressing similar concerns.

Additionally, it must be recognized that judicial law has determined that companies are considered to be defined as "corporate personhood", and therefore this is even more justification that public companies must appropriately have their feet held to the fire, and further to the point, should be held to the highest possible ethical standard, since unlike real human beings, those that work within corporations, are typically never personally held accountable for any egregiously bad behavior.

Those that invest their hard earned money, and those seeking fair employment, should have fully disclosed to them, before such investments and before such employment is finalized, who and what a given company really is, as compared to the public relations smokescreen, so often provided to the general public by badly behaving corporations, that all is well and good, when all is definitely not.  Those that are criminals complain again and again, that they have to keep on paying for that which they did, previously, over and over again, through the discrimination that they must deal with day-by-day by virtue of that conviction.  Why then, would we as a country, permit corporations, to not have to walk the very same line?

Matthew 7:18

We read in Holy Scripture, "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit." (Matthew 7:18).  This scriptural passage makes eminent sense, for that which is good is going to procreate good fruits, thereof; and that which is corrupt, will not have the capacity to propagate fruits that are good.   That said, the more that we contemplate upon this passage, the more that we can begin to understand it at a far deeper level, of which, the very first thought that comes to mind, is that this scriptural passage is not really literally about the fruit of a given tree, but rather it is all about the quality of the figurative fruit so produced by each one of us.  That is to say, each one of us is called upon as members of society, to be good for something, and thereby to be of good value to our fellow community members, by the good deeds that we so produced on behalf and for the benefit of those others; and of which, those that are too selfish, or lack direction, or drive, are those that create little or nothing of benefit for their community, and often are the ones that harm such by their bad actions or lack of attentiveness.

What we are, and what we thereby subsequently produce, has an awful lot to do with our perception of life and its incumbent duties, so of; as well as the discipline and drive to do what is consistently right to do.  In other words, it isn't so much that we are what we think, but rather what we are has a lot to do with the desires and goals that we are driven by and the subsequent deeds so accomplished, day-by-day, and to the degree that those desires and goals, are for the greater good, then the ensuing fruits so being produced are going to be, in one form or another, of benefit to the greater whole.  As for those, that think wrong thoughts, such as wishing that the world would bend to their selfish desires, we find that within that construct -- fairness, peace, justice, and harmony will be sorely lacking, personally and for the community; for that which is so produced from that sort of self-absorbed mindset benefits, at best, the person so willing it, whereas, it does little or nothing of merit for others.

Each us needs to look at our own desires and goals, and seriously contemplate as to whether such makes eminent sense or not; for that which is not sound to begin with, will surely reap to its ultimate regret what it has duly sown; whereas those that are focused upon that which encompasses something outside of just their own egotistical domain, and takes into consideration, not only what they are trying to achieve, but also how such will effect others, are on the pathway of sowing that which will give forth a bountiful harvest, that feeds well not only that individual, but others.

It's up to each one of us, to find a worthwhile cause that is worth achieving for the betterment of society, for we are meant to help make our community a better place for our having been part of it, for that is the very reason why those that are fruitful desire to do that which is what they so forthrightly do.

In defense of drug dealers

The United States, has waged a futile "war on drugs" since the Nixon administration, of which, the upshot of all this, is in essence, a whole lot of incarceration for those at the lowest echelons of society, in which, somehow, despite this, the eradication or really even the slowing down of illegal drugs so being sold and consumed thereof still has yet to occur.  The bottom line is that a significant portion of Americans, desire illicit drugs, and those that deal in those drugs, from the streets to the nightclubs are to a very large extent, providing a service for those that so wish to indulge.

Additionally, and of immense relevancy, society in America, has in virtually any city of some size, areas of impoverishment, neglect, ill-educated people, bad housing, poverty, discrimination, and harassment -- all of this with no real job opportunity, and no real future for those that are stuck there.  Those that live within those communities do live and breathe, just like everyone else, and with 24 hours in every day, with seven days in every week, and not a lot of money in their pocket, people are going to have to consider all sorts of things in order to bring in some sort of income, or to have some semblance of hope in a situation that gives every appearance of being hopeless.  So then, drug dealers, are the entrepreneurs of the street, doing what they can to make the best of a situation that entraps them into very limited choices, and the seemingly best of that bad lot, entails real risk.

Of course, there are plenty of people that don't buy into any of this, but most of those people, have not taken the trouble to actually look at the reality of the unfair construct in which billion dollar corporations are permitted to ply their licit drugs over the airwaves and through commercial advertising of all types, so as to push their pharmaceutical drugs onto people that often don't really have the knowledge to understand the inherent dangers that typically go with prescribed drugs, including unintentional addiction, dependency,  and the alteration of a given person's mind and body.  Yet, these legal drug dealers, make billions upon billions of dollars in profits, and seldom are ever held accountable for the bad consequences and abuse that so incurs.

Instead, the overwhelming amount of pressure and incarceration falls upon those that have little resources, and a whole lot of vulnerability to being hurt on the streets where they do their deals, or locked up, or both.  Drug dealers are vilified by most people, when the truth of the matter is that they are providing a service to all those that so wish to indulge in these mind altering drugs.  The dangers, thereof, are absolutely real, because unlike licit drug dealers that earn that easy money and typically make a respectful career and are well remunerated for it; the street drug dealers take all of the risks, to gain the smallest of footholds, of what they hope is at least a portion of the American dream so desired; but instead get nothing much more than the hypocrisy of the police, justice, and those law and order types, that use these drug dealers as the scapegoat for all that is wrong, even though they that make the rules and therefore should know better, in truth, do not faithfully represent what is right.

Not in my neighborhood and the affordable housing problem

Everyone within this nation, needs to have a physical place to live in, and in consideration, of the massive income disparity of the population within America, it would behoove State as well as the Federal government to make it their point and principle to be more forthright in dealing with this all important issue.  For instance, the Federal government has all sorts of rules and regulations that are applicable to all sorts of businesses throughout this nation, that thereby supersede local and community desires for control; so that it therefore seems surprising, how much local and county control that there is in regards to housing within communities.  While, one can understand the mindset for rules and regulations so being contemplated and subsequently passed by local or county legislatures that address the need for having a certain percentage of undeveloped land, or to limit a particular percentage of land to a particular use, or to preclude land ever being used for certain industries, of which, on paper at least, all of this seems reasonable and sensible.   The problem though, is that when each locality is able to impose what they will or will not accept in regards to the housing in their particular domain, that this without a doubt, drives up the price of future housing within those communities, while also helping to subsidy or to augment those that are already home owners within those neighborhoods, by virtue of the fact that when supply is limited, and/or additional rules and regulations are effected which impacts adversely the costs so associated with building future housing; than those that already own, are effectively protected from any sort of oversupply or anticipated adverse actions negatively impacting their home investment.

The additional problem to this, is the issue of "not in my neighborhood," of which when localities make a determination that they will not accept housing less than a certain amount of square footage, or that they will not accept high density housing, or that they will not accept apartment dwellings within their community, than they have categorically and deliberately eliminated a significant percentage of Americans from being able to live within their communities.  This thus signifies, that what is actually so occurring, is that these communities are consciously precluding people that they consider to be "suspect" or undesirable, from becoming members of their community, under the belief that by blocking these people from their neighborhood, that their own quality of life, will be better and more secure.

The upshot of these limitations upon housing, so imposed by local and county communities, is that developers are thereby limited to developing high density housing and apartments only in those areas of communities that are prone to accept such; typically because those communities are amendable to any sort of investment that they can so garner within them.  Additionally, this also serves to segregate the poor from those that have money, and thereby consistently creates ghettos of poverty, which thereby typically results in the negative issues and the downward spirals so created by that concentrated poverty.  Still unresolved, though, is that none of this substantially addresses the real need for more affordable housing, because the effective pricing of that housing so being constructed, and the short supply of such, still ends up by consuming too much of the income of those that need housing, and of which the good options for those that are impoverished, are sorely lacking.