Preventive healthcare for children should be a free governmental benefit

Each new generation of children should, by all rights, be a healthier and stronger generation than the one before, especially in this the richest nation that the world has ever known.  However, in America, the quality of the healthcare that children typically receive, follows a lot in line with the income and wealth levels of their birth family, so that those children that are fortunate enough to have parents with robust health plans, and in addition, have those parents making sure that their children have regular dental checkups, regular general health checkups, vaccines, vision testing, and similar, are going to have children that not only are healthier in the here and now, but also those children will be well positioned for better health results in the future.

Those that are born into impoverished families and live within environments which are not healthy or ideal to begin with, are clearly disadvantaged, signifying that the least the government can do for those that are the most vulnerable, is to see that these children do not fall through the safety net that the government needs to provide so that these children will have a fair chance of receiving appropriate dental care, healthcare, vaccines, and so on and so forth, so that they can therefore have the opportunity to live healthy lives.  This signifies that in this country, the quality of the healthcare being provided to children should not be overly dependent upon the income of those that are the head of the household, but instead should essentially be a service that the government freely provides or augments – in addition to providing the infrastructure so needed to bring such a service into the poorest and most disadvantage neighborhoods or nearby to such.

It is one thing, for American governance to give up on adults, while it is entirely a different thing to do the same kind of thing to children for simply being born into families that do not have the income or wealth that will allow them to get the appropriate dental and health services so needed for their children.  Further to the point, vaccines, dental care, and health checkups when not done at an early age, and subsequently repeated as so prudently recommended, will reap at a later point, what has been sowed, and therefore for lack of taking appropriate means to provide preventive healthcare for these children, at inception, this will instead have to be addressed as a health crisis, at governmental expense, when these children are all grown up and in unnaturally poor health. 

America has some of the finest medical and dental care facilities as well as personnel in the world, today; yet the result of such, pretty much follows the same script as we see throughout America, of which, those that are well positioned get the best of the best; whereas, those that are the stragglers and strugglers in life get no more than the scraps off of the table of healthcare, if even that.  Our children deserve a better fate than what they so face today, of being overly dependent upon whether or not they receive good healthcare, based upon the family that they are born into, and not the country of their birth.

Truth and justice should be the American motto

The American revolution didn’t really come about because the United Kingdom was absolutely dictatorial and horrific to the American colonists, but rather had a lot more to do, with those colonists desiring to engage to become what each one of us is born with, which is our unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; of which, the very principle of why legitimate governments are instituted amongst humankind is to aid in providing for the general welfare of the people, as well as to see that each of its citizens is provided with the wherewithal of fair opportunity and to be treated equally.

Unfortunately, despite the wise and lofty words written into our Declaration of Independence, as well as into our Constitution and its Amendments, the actually functioning of our society, demonstrates time and time again, just how oppressive our present government is to those that are without power, representation or privilege.  For those then that are the power brokers within America, the laws upon laws so written and thereby selectively enforced, touch them not, because they are either the enforcers of or the actuators of the enforcers of those laws, themselves; whereas, for those lacking in power, as well as also being unconnected to anyone that might provide some sort of material assistance, signifies that often times, no matter how unoffending their demeanor and actions, that they are always guilty of something, and thereby subject to having their freedom wrested away from them, for any reason or no reason at all.

Rather, if this country stood behind justice, and justice at all times, then the very privileges that the mighty are able to use carte blanche as if it is their birthright, would be snatched from their very hands, for in America all laws that are selectively applied or selectively enforced, would be null and void, for either the law applies to everyone, irrespective of their position and status, or it is unconstitutional in its application.  This signifies that the injustice that we see in this country is a direct reflection of the power so held in the hands of the elite, utilized as a cudgel against the people in order to keep them in their place, so as to manipulate them, and to control them.

The only conceivable way that America will ever see more truth and more justice in this country is when those that currently run roughshod over truth and justice, are put in their appropriate place.  So while, it can be said that America was successful in throwing off the tyranny of the English crown, of which this cost the blood and noble sacrifice of numerous good Americans to do so; we now find ourselves suffering under the tyranny of those that have essentially co-opted this country as if it was their personal domain, of which while these elites are living high on the hog, an incredible amount of Americans are unduly suffering in this the richest nation that the world has ever known.  Those that stand with truth and justice, must know that until this illicit power and privilege is vanquished, that we will continue to live in a nation of injustice, violence, and lack, because those with it all treat with absolute contempt those that don’t have a thing.

The superior needs the inferior

There are those people, that despite their accomplishments, and accolades for their achievements, somehow aren’t completely satisfied, unless they are recognized as superior by certain other people, as if somehow that makes them even more superior.  The true superior person, never wears that attitude on their sleeve, because they let what they have accomplished, speak for itself, and simply go about their business and therefore do not concern themselves with a particular unsought label that has no real significance for them.  Those though, that typically proclaim the loudest of how superior they are, primarily do so because in order for them to actually feel superior, they need to be able to point out some segment of civilization, that they clearly dominate and therefore have designated as inferior.

That is to say, in other words, for the superior egotistical person, they have a pressing need to find something that represents a direct contrast to them, that they clearly believe is inferior, while also still needing to hear from respected others that this is true, so as to feel wholly satisfied about it.  After all, if an unenlightened person is not able to recognize the superiority of a given person, it isn’t good enough, that the superior person has already shown why this is so, but rather it is necessary that those others believe, and the best way to demonstrate that the premise is true, is to provide whatever documentation that purports to show exactly that and make sure that everyone reads it, comprehends it, and therefore seemingly believes it.

One might think that a superior person might be satisfied in just knowing that they are superior, while also being grateful for this fact, but often times, that just isn’t good enough for them.  Further, it seems like those that are superior are sometimes fearful to congregate with other like-minded superior people, because they apparently fear being exposed for something that would make them an inferior type of superior person, and that just won’t do, so they seriously don’t want to risk it.  Their preference, instead, is to first deliberately seek and then to find those that are inferior, so that they can prove to these inferior people how clever and how superior they are to the other.  But what of it?  A true person tests their mettle in the arena, in which both contestants, are evenly matched, for if the result is preordained, why would anyone bother to watch?

There are plenty of people that want to be part of the pecking order, but only within the caveat, that they have someone to peck upon, for if that doesn’t exist, they don’t want to be in it.  The superior needs the inferior, because they want someone to dominate, to abuse, to embarrass, and to manipulate, for their own personal gratification.  This signifies, that the superior is always searching for the inferior, and to help make the search easier, they create arbitrary constructs that support their mindset, all in service to the superior or what claims to be superior, who goes to the end of the earth, to prove their superiority, never caring about who or what they have to tread upon to get there. 

“Prevention is better than a cure”

America is the land of shortcuts, but shortcuts can get people in all sorts of trouble, so then when it comes to a given person’s health, a lot of times those that have diseases that could kill or debilitate them such as cancer, or heart disease, or a stroke, have not found themselves all that often born into that situation but rather these typically have been diseases of the body that take a lot of time to develop, and the cure for such is often not guaranteed, whatsoever.  This thus implies that any disease that typically takes a long time to develop is therefore a disease of which there should be prudent steps that could be taken in order to prevent its occurrence in many a person.  So then, as the adage tells us, “Prevention is better than a cure,” for those that take the responsible steps to prevent a bad health situation, are in far better shape than those that have to rely upon a cure.

So too, countries that run massive deficits, year after year, no matter the circumstances, and never seem to take the time to get their respective house in order, must know for a certainty that the only real cure for such is going to be extreme fiscal discipline or the re-evaluation of the coin of the realm which can cause catastrophic economic conditions, civil unrest, and even starvation, in order to effect the cure.  Whereas, those countries that make sound fiscal decisions, that may necessitate some tightening of the belt, here and there, while also making it their point to devote resources to those things that will produce meaningful benefits in the future, by investing in good infrastructure and education, while also avoiding as much as possible needless monies spent on foreign entanglements, military killing machines, and the like, will find that doing so makes for the tranquility of a nation by the prevention of having to utilize a drastic cure.  

Additionally, when it comes to our own eternal destiny, those that have made selfish decisions that have hurt others, while lacking also in noteworthy goals and motivation, and have engaged in ill-advised behavior, time and time again, will find that the cure for such, is a destination that they may strongly regret being compelled to go to.  Whereas, those that are selfless in their interactions, are primarily givers and not takers, that have put together goals of merit that they had the motivation to go after, and while making mistakes and errors, have not made any catastrophic ones, while also endeavoring to make good on those errors, will find that by their engaged dedication, the destination that they will be designated for, is reserved for those that had the aforethought to do the right thing, even when not being overtly watched, in the right belief that by doing good and being preventive, has its reward, in and of itself.

America has way too many advertisements that sell the illusion that by having this cosmetic surgery, or by taking that pill, or by attending some fly-by-night expensive seminar, or by listening to some shady motivational speaker or fraudulent preacher, that all will end well, which it might; though, in truth, because of one’s lack of preparation or prevention, it often is too late for that sort of cure to take hold and work.

Are you obedient to God’s will?

Of course, a lot of people, when responding to this question, try to dance around the answer, by postulating that God’s will is unknowable and inscrutable, but this simply isn’t true.  God’s will for anyone has a very specific format which is, as Holy Scripture has taught us, to love God with all of our being, which we demonstrate through our faithful good acts, and by treating people in the same way that we desire to be treated, at all times.  Further, the way that we prove our love for God, is by taking on the virtues of God, in our interactions with others, such as by fortitude, justice, temperance, and charity.  Additionally, we treat others the same way that we desire to be treated, demonstrated by the consistency of our good actions, through forgiveness, and by our fairness in all that we say and do.  Those that have and live that character set, are being obedient to God’s will and those that do not, are not.

To take things a bit further, most people that are trying to be obedient to God’s will, are typically going to need to dial back their ego and view of their self, and instead need to sincerely and humbly petition God through prayer, meditation, or contemplation, to help in the guidance of whether a particular set of actions is advisable or not, and then to listen to that still, small voice within.  Disappointingly, a significant amount of people has shown a strong tendency to do what they are going to do, without bothering to reflect thoroughly of what they are actually doing and thereby the consequences of it, because they have already made up their minds to do what they are going to do and thereby to let the chips fall where they may.

While it is true that we are gifted with free will, it must also be recognized that not every free will decision so made is going to be the best decision, and that for most people, there are those times when clearly a decision made and enacted, is known for a certainty to have been the incorrect one.  So then, those acts done that we consciously know are wrong, are not in accordance with God’s will, which makes us, disobedient.  That said, we understand that our God is a forgiving God, but so too, we know that our God tests us again and again, for this earth is a proving ground, of whether or not each one of us, is faithful to God’s will.

This signifies that whether we are obedient to God’s will makes a difference, not only in this world but in the dimension beyond, and while there are plenty of people that believe that their baptism or faith or something similar seems to provide them with a free ticket (paid through our Messiah) into Heaven, this will undoubtedly prove to those so departing from this world to not be the case, as there are no shortcuts to Heaven.  In truth, those that are obedient to God’s will, time in and time out, are not judged the same as those that are not, of which, the clarity of this, will become clear when the only test that matters, for each of us, is fairly graded.

The disappearance of America’s manufacturing labor

While there is still a significant swath of manufacturing completely done in the United States, that primarily is those companies that are small, unique, or insular in what they are manufacturers of.  After all, if what is being manufactured is essentially not readily producible anywhere else except in America, or the quantities so involved, do not provide economies of scale, outside this country, then there isn’t any prevailing reason for that manufacturing to go elsewhere, as there are intrinsic advantages to corporations keeping manufacturing domestic, in regards to training, quality, and control, so of.

However, once a given American company reaches the point in which they are essentially producing a product which can be readily replicated outside America, and of which, the materials needed along with the infrastructure and training are available in foreign lands, of which these countries offer to those corporations labor which is significantly cheaper for those corporations, with environmental laws, along with rules and regulations which are far less restrictive than such are domestically, then it is only a matter of time, before that which was manufactured domestically, becomes during its production and growth phase, manufactured overseas, because in absence of America adding tariffs onto products substantially manufactured outside America, or taxing businesses in a manner in which that which is manufactured overseas necessitates a higher corporate tax, then pretty much nothing will stop the trend of corporations seeking cheaper labor in order to produce goods at a lower price point.

Perhaps all of this foreign labor being contracted for manufacturing work is a net good for America, in whole; but more than likely it is a net good specifically and exclusively for the power brokers of these said corporations, and the stockholders of such, and in absence of robust corporate tax rates or limitations so set for the labor used overseas, a clear net loss for the American public.  When American multinational corporations are permitted to manufacture their products utilizing the cheapest foreign labor that serves their purpose, and do not have to answer to anyone outside of the foreign power of those countries, in regards to how that labor is paid or utilized, and further to the point, are not corporately liable for environmental damages, then almost for a certainty, those so contracted by these corporations (who are often without any meaningful economic power) will get no more than the scraps off the table of those who are effectively ruling the roost.

So too, America suffers from an educational system, that performs poorly for those in the lower income socioeconomic bracket, of which, while there used to be plenty of opportunity for the less educated to find a decent job with a decent wage in the manufacturing sector, those positions have been primarily replaced with poor paying and low benefit service type work, with little or no guarantee of continual employment, and little hope of anything other than a bleak future.  When the most powerful and richest corporations in this country will not hire domestically because it costs them too much, and the governance of this nation, can’t seem to do a constructive thing about that, then the great chasm of those that have it all, as compared to those that have next to nothing, will get ever worse, and that isn’t right.

Each one of us was created for a purpose

The God that created us, did so, because our Creator saw the value of companionship, and further to the point, knew that true companionship, necessitated that that which was so created would have free will, from the beginning.  So too, the creation of us as free will beings, is a reflection that only those that have a real choice, are truly free to walk their own path and to therefore to make their own decisions, for better or for worse.  That belief quite obviously makes for an interesting dynamic, of which, if everyone else also believed this to be true, one would expect that this world would be a better place to live in, in the sure knowledge that each one of us is gifted with free will as well as other unalienable rights, thereby making us all equal.  Regrettably, the misery that we so readily see in this world, is a reflection, that clearly there are many that believe in their own personal free will and their own unalienable rights, but apparently do not believe that certain others, have been gifted with the same. 

Because of all the conflict, hate, and misery that seems to be part and parcel of this world, one might have a tendency to think that the free will decision so provided to humankind, must have been some sort of misjudgment on our Creator’s part.  But, not to worry, for one’s views of such, are tempered by one’s own prejudices, mindset and life experiences, of which, there are plenty of people that are able to see and experience the world and the human interactions within it, in a far more positive way, and further, case after case, demonstrates that there are many individuals that will sacrifice themselves, in selfless acts for others, for they are caring, patient, just, and forgiving.  This thus so indicates that despite all the bad actors and bad actions, that there are also a lot of good deeds so done each and every day, by good actors that voluntarily choose to do exactly that.

Further to the point, each of us is gifted with a good mind, of which, through the usage of our mind, which consists of the knowledge that we have been able to accumulate through our experiences, studies, conversations,  as well as through our own initiatives, have provided us with an opportunity to discover our purpose in life, and through working to that purpose to therefore develop into a better person; for the whole point of our being here is to make the world a better place for our contribution to it.  After all, to everything of value, there must be a purpose, and our purpose, collectively, is to be that which really matters, which is to properly pay homage to that which created us, by emulating the characteristics that make for a perfect creator, such as love, justice, fairness, and joy.  It would be well to remember that we matter deeply to God, because by providing each one of us with free will, God has given us the greatest gift of them all, which is the choice between being God’s good children and therefore rightful heirs to the throne, or to waste what we have in disobedience and riotous living, of which, through thick and thin, no matter the eons of time, those that are lost, will not be forgotten, for the good Shepherd and God’s good children, won’t rest till all have been found.

The right knowledge

Most progressive countries of substance, make it their point, to educate their citizens, and often choose to do so at public expense, because they recognize that an educated population having received knowledge, is going to be more beneficial for the growth, greater achievement, as well as the sustainability of that country and its culture.  Yet, as in many things, not all knowledge is equal, and further to the point, not all knowledge is beneficial for the people, especially when that knowledge is gained, without any corresponding ethics attached to it, that would thereby help to keep that knowledge constrained from doing damaging things to the public.  In other words, knowledge can be a powerful instrument that in the wrong hands and of the wrong mindset, can inflict terrible and lasting harm upon civilizations, both domestic as well as foreign.  This thus signifies that before significant knowledge is even imparted in the first place, a core curriculum of ethics must be taught, understood, and taken to heart, by the students of such, or else, without such ethics, those that are both clever and knowledgeable but lacking a good moral compass can easily create all sorts of nasty havoc.

Additionally, as much as we endeavor to seek knowledge of practical things, such as how to build a better cell phone, or how to provide better healthcare, and so on; there needs to be kept foremost in our minds that the particular knowledge that leads to being of benefit for humankind, is obviously diametrically different than the type of knowledge that is inimical for humankind.  That is to say, we do know for a certainty, that there is good purposeful knowledge so obtained that with its subsequent application are from the get-go, pretty cut and dry; but also, we are cognizant that many a time, knowledge so generated and propagated, can subsequently be utilized or manipulated for either good or for evil.  This thus signifies, that to the degree that such is possible, governments are instituted amongst humankind, to take responsibility that first and foremost, to see that the knowledge which is harmful to the general public, is regulated in a manner in which such is mitigated to the degree so possible, for all those with great knowledge, correspondingly also have great responsibility.

Finally, there is the very type of knowledge that all should desire to seek of, which fundamentally represents that search for the knowledge of the why of our existence, for in that search, we will obtain the wisdom of the ages.  Humankind probably spends way too much time and energy on the pursuit of the kind of knowledge which is not at the end of the day, of any real utilitarian value or of merit, and oftentimes serves to direct us to a dead-end course.  Rather, we need to make it our point to be far more discriminatory as to what knowledge that we faithfully pursue, and further, we need to be driven by the fact that through that good knowledge so obtained that we will not only help ourselves, but also, we will be able to provide meaningful guidance to others, for the right knowledge is always going to be that knowledge which is universally true, just, fair, and eternal.

Why selfishness oftentimes creates so much misery

There is something to be said about going after our own self-interest, for that certainly seems to make sense for a given individual, to thereby follow their own dreams and to pursue their freely chosen path; and while it probably is a good thing that not everybody has the exact same self-interest in mind -- for that would simply make that particular pathway way too crowded -- it is, though, not a good thing that self-interests from one party to another, have a very strong tendency to inevitably collide against one another, of which, those collisions reflect self-interests that are at variance with one another, and thereby the raison d’etre for why there is so much misery, hate, and violence in this world.

For all those that are hoping and desiring for a better world, of more harmony, justice, opportunity, and fairness, this cannot conceivably come about through the implementation of each individual’s self-interest, above all   Rather, people need to step back, in order to get some proper perspective as to what each one of us should actually be about; and if possible to wrap our heads around the need to see all other people as equally entitled to the very same unalienable rights that we have been so graciously gifted with.  This thus signifies that when we are truly able to see other people as equally valid, and therefore we subsequently treat people the same way that we honestly wish to be treated in return by those people, then the divisions between one party to another, that seem to be so divisive will begin to erode away, for by that respect that we have extended to others, will in return, be the respect that we so receive.

None of the above, has anything to do with us behaving in a robotic fashion or doing this or that in some sort of mechanical fashion, as if our humanity and personality must be suppressed so as to not let our errors and prejudices to get the better of our behavior; but rather has everything to do with extending the courtesy and respect that each individual deserves, basically because they have been created by the exact same Creator that so created us.  So too, treating people the same way that we desire to be treated, probably means that when people do something that is wrong, or stupid, that we are less prone to desire cruelty or harshness in response, but instead we become more inclined to be forgiving and reasonable, to the degree and the perspective of the wrong so done.

The only possible way that each one of us can have the exact same thing, is only if that thing so desired, is eternal, omnipotent, immutable, perfect, and just.  Those that seek for something other than that, are going to be disappointed in one way or another, time and time again; for anytime that we place self, above all, we are going to have to fight tooth and nail, against all those others, that have the exact same mindset and won’t give ground on such. 

While life with conflict, may will make for an interesting drama; and while selfishness might just feel really good -- neither one can ever make us feel complete; those, however, that take that higher road of understanding that we truly are all in this together, are going to find, to their joy, though, the only prize really worth keeping.

That which you will not admit to is not going to correct itself

People commit all sorts of wrongs and sins, each and every day.  While different people react in different ways to that which they have done which is wrong or sinful, the most proactive way to deal with such is to take stock of those wrong actions so taken or made, and to then make it one’s point to correct them, now and in the future.  Of course, because each one of us has free will we don’t have to correct any of our ill-advised actions -- in absence of the law or some other authority forcing us to -- even when we know that we should; but those that will not correct that which needs to be corrected, will find, sooner or later to their dismay, that these wrongs will ultimately have to be addressed in a manner in which they are made right.

The very first step in correcting that which is wrong or sinful, is the personal recognition that they are, in fact, wrong.  If, a given person, doesn’t see the wrong, perhaps because it isn’t really wrong, or perhaps because they are perceived to be nuances or extenuating circumstances involved, that is one thing; but in those situations, in which it is all very cut and dry, then that is an entirely different thing.  Sure, there are going to be people, all day, every day, that are going to give all sorts of excuses and reasons, of why they are innocent of this or of that, but those that spend inordinate amounts of time professing their innocence, are often just delaying the inevitable of having to face that which rightly needs to be faced.

When we are unwilling to admit to a personal wrong, then that wrong, is not going to correct itself.  This signifies that those that at a minimum, admit to their wrongs, are at least on the right pathway to correcting such, but to get to where they really need to go, this is going to take a lot more than mere admittance of such.  For the very next step after admitting to a mistake, is to make good on correcting such a mistake, to the degree so possible to do so.  That means, for instance, when we have done a given individual wrong, we need to address our error directly with that individual, and then do what we can to make up for what we did wrong.  While making good on a wrong so done, will not ever undo what has been done, it will be the next best thing to that very thing.

None of us are ever going to be perfect, yet, each one of us has an implicit obligation to be the best person that we can actually be, and in order to accomplish that, we need to make the time for honest self-reflection as well as to fairly take into consideration the evaluations of our character so made by people that we respect and value.  After all, if we don’t care to correct things that we know for a certainty are wrong, and aren’t willing to listen to those that have our best interests in mind, then the nagging dissatisfaction that we feel in our psyche is our own fault, and none other.

The new American business model: subcontract everything

Long gone are the days when employers felt an ethical business obligation to hire directly employees to work for them; of which, that particular business would do its level best to not ever lay anybody off, and took tremendous pride in adhering to that principle, as well as the company making it their policy to pay their employees a fair salary with fair benefits, along with also promoting from within, and finally providing to those employees some reasonable degree of profit sharing.  It used to be that for many middle-class families that they could really count on their employer providing them with the security of a true living wage, that was good enough, to allow the purchase of a home, and to raise a family, with some reasonable degree of certainty that as long as the employees did their part, that the company would do theirs.

Nowadays, it’s all about money, money, and more money – of which the primary driving force for some of America’s biggest and most powerful corporations is to do what needs to be done to grow, to take market share, to increase profits, and most especially to personally profit those that are in upper management, above all -- as well as keeping satisfied the investors in that company.  When a given company has no real moral compass, except to do what needs to be done in order to increase profits and revenue, it is then very easy for that company to do everything in its power to augment those two very things, at the expense of doing right by their own employees and humanity, in general.

For instance, companies don’t need to worry about the negative publicity of layoffs, if they make it their point not to hire directly those that can be utilized instead in a subcontracting capacity. Further to the point, for any business that has a seasonal aspect to it, the parent company doesn’t need to worry about ramping up or ramping down, as long as they have successfully passed that responsibility on to the subcontractor that they have engaged to specifically address what they need to accomplish on behalf of the company, which therefore means that those subcontractors will do whatever that it is that they need to do.  Additionally, fair labor practices and environmental concerns will perpetually take a backseat when that work has been subcontracted to an outside agency, mainly because there are a lot of subcontractors in an increasingly smaller world, that are foreign based, and therefore subject only to their nation’s foreign laws; additionally, even those that are subcontracted domestically, will never be the personal responsibility of the company issuing the subcontract, but rather it is the subcontractor that has the responsibility to honor the terms of a given contract, not the contractor.

Finally, anytime work is subcontracted, the parent company can exert an enormous amount of pressure for that work to be done per the dictates that they so demand, or else that subcontractor is in danger of losing not only that business but also future business.  This ability to boss subcontractors around, signifies that to a very large extent, the hurdles, the problems, and the difficulties that subcontractors have to overcome, are their responsibility and their responsibility, alone; meaning that those employees that are so employed by those subcontractors are obviously going to have to bear the brunt of whatever needs to be done, while typically receiving peanuts in return, while the contractor, on the other hand, essentially ends up living very, very large.

The government should not be a law unto itself

In America, the government is supposed to be of, by, and for the people; but the very things that this government does, presupposes that there is little truth that the government actually performs for the people what it should or ought to be doing.  Rather, governments have a very strong tendency to gravitate to accruing more and more power over time, typically at the expense of the people, and furthermore, utilizing that power for the benefit of those that are the actuators of that government, as well as for those that are the functionaries of that elite for their service to them.

It is well to remember that the reason why governments are formed to begin with, is to protect the unalienable rights that each one of us is born with, to promote the general welfare and happiness of those people, and to join together into one body politic so as to protect the country from enemies, foreign and domestic. In other words, good governance, makes for a society in which the people are justly and fairly treated, provides those people with good opportunity to become something of merit through quality education and gainful employment, while also helping to create the infrastructure that encourages the people to work together to make for the improvement and the enhancement of that society, ultimately, for the greater benefit of those people.  Further, governments are needed in order to assure that some sort of “fair play” is always taken into consideration, so that one faction, of the few and select, does not come to dominate the majority, by essentially “gaming the system” so that these favored few, rule the roost, so to speak, and thereby leaving just the scraps for the general public to fight over.

So then, it is important that the government has the power to enforce the laws, to enforce the rules and regulations, and in general, to see to it that what needs to be done in order to have a vibrant civilized society, is so done.  Not too surprisingly, to accomplish that, does take to a certain extent, the usage of the “big stick,” but such should be done in a manner that does not oppress the people, unduly; for far too many countries are prone to utilizing the policing and military arm of their respective government, to keep the people in their place, which clearly is indicative of an “us vs. them” mentality – as opposed to acknowledging that legitimate complaints and concerns, necessitates the courtesy of that government actually listening to the people and thereby responding to those people in a meaningful and constructive way. 

In today’s world, far too many governments have aggrandized onto themselves incredible powers, both explicit and implicit, as well as gathering reams upon reams of actionable information about the individual people that they ostensibly are supposed to serve.  When that governmental power is further enhanced by their coordination with the biggest multinational corporations that the world has ever known, joined together in their common cause, so as to exploit, to control, and to primarily benefit these specific entities at the expense of the people – we then are living within a construct in which that government does not represent the people, but rather is an agency, which effectively answers to no one, and of which those people, therefore, are not free but are, in effect, servants to that power.

We are so much more than just our five senses

Most everyone is aware that we are born with five senses, which are commonly known as touch, smell, taste, hearing, and sight.  Because we perceive the world through those senses, we have a very strong tendency then to define reality by just those senses.  That is a grave mistake because not everything that exists or that can exist is something that our senses are able to rightly perceive.  In other words, if we don’t perceive something through our five senses, and thereby dismiss such that has not been perceived, we have done ourselves and society a great disservice.

To believe, that somehow that humankind is the measure of all that life or consciousness could possibly be conceived by, is a delusion.  Rather, the fact is that there is far more to the construct of this world than meets the eye or any of our other senses, for that matter; of which, we simply lack the mindful capacity to fully comprehend all that is about us, which should be our very first clue that far more of us, need to spend far more time in the contemplation of, and the humility to, what consciousness and life thereby beyond just this physical form might so represent. 

Again, to get locked into a concept in which we only relate to that which is discovered by our perceptions, and thereby to dismiss all that we cannot comprehend through our five senses and our mind, as of no relevancy is a clear hindrance in our understanding of who and what we really are.  At a minimum, this world proves to us again and again, that there are forces within it, that are relevant, and not all of these forces are we able to measure with our human instruments or to fathom within our mind; yet, they are forces all the same.  So too, there are plenty of concepts and theorems, that the average person has difficulty in comprehending, yet, these are valid in their own right, despite a given person’s lack of understanding.

Additionally, we need to take into serious consideration that when we are just reliant on our five senses, along with the thoughts that come into our mind, and nothing else, then clearly those domains that lay outside of these, are going to be a difficult proposition to even consider or to conceive of, and thereby impossible to fully comprehend, because we are limited in our understanding of such.  This signifies that those that have the audacity to declare that there is no God, and that all that we are is limited to just this physical sphere, along with the brief consciousness that we have here upon it, are really, at best, barking up the wrong tree.

As the inestimable Shakespeare wrote, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”  It would be well to remember also “what a piece of work is man,” he of the most noble and ignoble thoughts and deeds, of which the more that we learn about ourselves, the more that there is to learn, of which, this is an area that we do not yet have full appreciation of – especially, in regards to all of the respective intricacies about how everything works, or even why it works the way that it does work.  All those that are capable of introspection, have an obligation to, ponder, why it is that we are here, and further, who we are; for that then leads us to enlightenment.

The lure and the comfort of material possessions

As it has been said, we are “living in a material world”.  Of course, not everyone buys into that, but then again, in America, it sure seems like an awful lot of people not only buy into it, but truly live their lives in a manner in which they absolutely believe it.  For those, that see this life as the only life that they will ever have, then for a certainty, for them, having and accumulating material possessions allows them to have some sort of comfort and pleasure, in the here and now, especially as contrasted with the fact that certain death will come, either before its time, or later when one is old and decrepit. 

Additionally, when it comes to material possessions, some people are drawn to the accumulation of such, and subsequently the displaying of such, as a form of getting or earning social status.  That is the reason why, some people, whose finances are somewhat suspect, will purchase an expensive purse, or pocketbook, or even a luxury automobile, even when it doesn’t really make any good financial sense to do so; of which, they are drawn to doing exactly that, in order to project themselves to the outside world, as someone that is successful and thereby deserving of a certain respect, that others without such visible accouterments are therefore unable to personally display, implying that these others are not worthy of the equivalency of that status.

So too, material possessions can bring us not only comfort, but also some degree of happiness, because material things often have real utilitarian value.  For instance, those that have good air conditioning, and are using it on an absolutely brutally hot day, have a possession well worth having. Additionally, those that have very useful things, are able to not only derive the benefit of having a really nice phone, for example, but are also able to take in the compliments from those that wish they had the same thing, thereby being essentially twice blessed.

Clearly then, those with a fair amount of material possessions of which these items are providing them with good value and satisfaction, are seemingly in a really good place, that would appear to place them well above all those others that lack those material things, and especially those others, that not only lack such, but really wish that they had such.  Yet, despite it all, hanging over the heads of those that overly appreciate material items, is Damocles’ sword, for what cannot be avoided is the finality of physical death; and while certain material possessions can be passed down from generation to generation, those that were once owners of such, even though they can direct as to where and what so happens with those possessions, cannot conceivably anticipate, after their demise, unanticipated perils or complications, thereof.

So then, it could be said, that one’s lure for material possessions are to a certain degree, for some people, the “comfort food” for those that believe that our physical presence is all that we will ever be, and believing that, they take solace in having things that provide them with some degree of satisfaction and happiness.   That said, the very tricky thing about material possessions, is that often times, the satisfaction and happiness of having such is rather fleeting, and thereby the desire to have more, or to have something else, creates a construct in which the selfishness of a given person, invariably meets the selfishness of another, and that conflict, could be said, to be the salient reason why there is so much misery in this world.

American and European war entanglements

Nowadays, with America getting involved all over the world in foreign entanglements, it could be said that this must be the natural order of things -- of which such is commonly known by society as being an empire.  Yet, it really doesn’t have to be that way and upon the founding of this independent republic, the United States of America really was wholly independent, and made it public policy to be that way.  It would be well to remember, that European nations upon the inception of the United States, had been warring one with another, for centuries, and would continue to do so for decades afterwards.  That fact, that European nations were forever battling against one another, was beneficial for our American revolution, for France and Great Britain were clearly on opposite sides, which is why France came to our aid, for “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” 

Soon thereafter, France suffered through its own bloody revolution, and thereupon with Napoleon coming to power, France along with its allies, soon thereof, sought to expand its domain, and was inevitably met by Great Britain with its allies, so creating a battle royale, one against the other. No doubt, France as well as Great Britain, could have utilized the resources of America on behalf of their respective goals and desires, but America refused to be dragged into this European conflict and thereby remained neutral and disentangled; content instead to concentrate upon the making of America to be a great nation, in its own right. 

To this wise philosophy, America continued to be true, until that time, that it got pulled into World War I, which was thereby subsequently followed by World War II.   Upon the conclusion of World War II, America had a fundamental decision to make, as to whether to claim the European mantle and thereby to take those additional incumbent actions to become an empire, or whether to leave such alone; and like President Washington, at the height of his powers, simply retire to its own domain, and thereby to be relieved of the potential troubles, difficulties, and peculiarities of the burden of international dynastic power.

History tells us, that America decided to become an empire, and further not to just have entanglements in European affairs, but rather to have entanglements all over the entire globe.  No doubt, some people see this as a good thing, but whether it is good or not, is superseded by the fact that the intent of those founding this nation and of its Constitution, was for America to be a land of domestic tranquility, to promote the general welfare of its people, and to secure the blessings of liberty for them.  Instead, America is stuck in all sorts of nasty foreign affairs, and thereby has created enemies and resentments all over the world, thereby impugning its image as a nation of liberty and freedom, by replacing such with the image of a greedy and unjust world domination oppressor.

Those that insist upon sticking their noses into other people’s affairs, and then to act upon such as per their wont, are prone to suffer the blowback of those people that resent being told what to do, how to behave, as well as not appreciating being schooled by a bully.  In foreign affairs, not every door needs to be opened, not every battle enjoined, and all those that still decide to venture in, are those that soon become so entangled that they do not know how to properly extricate themselves from the trouble that they have bought themselves into, but can’t seem to ever un-buy themselves from.

The Congressional War Powers Resolution Act

The power to declare war is one of those very important powers, that those that debated upon our Constitution, were well aware of; in which they well understood the importance and the dangers of such.  Therefore, the fact that the power to declare war as written into our Constitution, clearly stipulates that this power rests specifically in the hands of Congress, as per Article 1, Section 8, of said Constitution, proves unequivocally that this country did not wish to have the power to declare such war solely in the hands of just one person, as in the Executive officer.  Yet, America has been in one war or another, for the entire 21st century, as well as having two undeclared wars, the Korean and the Vietnam war that cost the lives of thousands upon thousands of United States soldiers.

In the waning time of Nixon’s reign, Congress, decided to pass the War Powers Resolution Act, and despite Nixon’s subsequent veto, Congress successfully overrode that veto.  Basically, that Congressional act, though arguably, not necessary as the Constitution already authorized war as being the sole domain of Congress, provided, what appeared to be, some well needed redundancy, so that America would not utilize its military force in foreign conflicts, without the expressed approval for war by that Congress.

Yet, as in most everything, there is the law as written, the legislation as passed, and then there is the reality of the situation as practiced; of which, America continues to engage in war after war, without bothering to consult, let alone receive an actual declaration of war from its Congress.  So too, the Judicial side of our three-branch government, in regards to weighing in on Executive declared wars, finds itself, perpetually just sitting on its hands, doing nothing, adding nothing, and seeing nothing, untoward.  Therefore, it can only be in a construct in which Congress actually decides to show some spine, by standing up as one against the Executive branch, in regards to these undeclared wars, that the Constitution, as well as the War Powers Resolution, would have any relevancy in the real world, and until that is done, absolutely nothing will change.

Of course, for those that are cynical, they might just believe that the real reason why Congress has ceded their power to declare war to that Executive office, has a lot more to do with the fact that their lust for getting elected and thereby getting re-elected, signifies their clear willingness to not stand in the way of what the military-industrial-technology complex so desires, and what they desire, is constant war; which makes for constant growth and good profit.  So then, in a time in which Congress sheepishly steps aside, and with the Judicial branch demonstrating no interest at all, this thus means that only one person, the Executive, needs to greenlight our ever-constant wars; of which, perhaps that Executive wouldn’t even be in office, if it wasn’t an absolute certainty that they would be obedient to that military-industrial-technology complex, which exerts an immense amount of persuasive power, all under the guise that only war will bring lasting peace – though it that was true, profits and growth for that  military-industrial-technology complex would correspondingly go way, way, down.

Either it is world domination or it will be world sharing

There is only one superpower in the world, today, and that superpower has already stated back in 2001, that “Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists.”  Yet, as clear as this statement is, it doesn’t actually say that being with the United States, means sharing in the fair benefits of such an alliance, but rather it would seem to indicate, that there is just one empire, and thereby all other nations have a choice between paying appropriate tribute to that superpower, or to suffer the sad fate, of seeing that fury potentially unleashed against all those that have the temerity to profess their right to their own self-determination or to respectfully disagree with the voice of that superpower.

Regrettably, America relies far too often upon its domination and thereby through exploitation to make its money upon those that do not have the power, resources, or negotiation skills to do much but to humbly kowtow to its demands; thereby providing due benefit for its multinational enterprises, which are dutifully backed up by America’s awesome military force.  There is, of course, more than one way for America as the sole superpower to interact with other nations, and especially those nations that it is allied with, which is a construct in which there is less outright domination and bullying, replaced instead by sharing, respect, and fairness.

All those that insist upon their way, solely because they are the ones with the power to have their way, must recognize that sooner or later, there will come that time, when the power of that nation, will begin to invariably erode, then that nation will stumble and slip, and it so follows that all those that have been oppressed for so long, and thereby have been used, discarded, and exploited, will soon enough find the wherewithal to press their newfound advantage in a way in which because they have received no quarter from that dominant superpower, that they will in return, give none.

It doesn’t have to be that way, for countries, just as in people, have many choices that they can make.  So then, if one nation insists that it is everybody’s superior, and therefore that everybody else is its inferior, this will not have a good result for that nation when the tables are thereby turned.  While it is true, that the battle may not initially go to those that are gracious, kind, considerate, fair, just, and accommodating, it is well to remember, that those that live by the sword, must know for a certainty, that they or their future generations, will certainly die by that very same sword.  On the other hand, those, even those that have been tyrants for generations, but later have consciously made a real sharp turn in the road, to thereby live in a manner in which they see the value of sharing their wealth, their knowledge, and their power with all others, might very well find that the world becomes a safer, better, and saner place.

All those that preach liberty and unalienable rights, have a sacred responsibility to be that very thing, or else they will one day be humbled and then as sure as the night follows the day, they will receive their just deserts.

Multinational companies are taking advantage of labor

Unions have been in steep decline in America for decades.  Perhaps, this might be okay if the incomes of those so working had kept pace with the increase in productivity during those same decades, but clearly that is not the case, as corporate profits are quite strong, but wages so being paid, are not.  It must be remembered that human beings need income in order to live and to support their family obligations, and in absence of any individual labor power, those seeking employment are pretty much in no position to bargain for a fair wage, let alone a living wage, and with the government offering little of substance to help those that labor for a fair wage, the result is the ever-greater disparity between those that have it all, and those that have little or nothing.

The biggest reason for why domestic labor is in such sour shape at the present time, lays at the feet of those multinational companies that this government has continue to permit, almost without restriction, to produce and to manufacture their goods in those countries that are favorable for cheap labor and lax environmental conditions and then to thereby sell those goods all over the world, with a minimum of tariffs, duties, excise taxes, or income taxes, so applied, whatsoever.  Obviously, for those companies so creating goods outside the borders of this nation, in which, the playing field of how much it costs for them to manufacture such a good, is not a level playing field -- they see such manufacturing done under their aegis as both a way to stay competitive, and also clearly as a way to increase profits for the prime benefit of those that are of upper management as well as for those equity investors in said companies.

This thus signifies that in absence of robust unions, that domestic labor will continue to be underpaid, underappreciated, and underutilized in America, for multinationals clearly have alternatives to domestic labor which they have availed themselves of, again and again.  So then, there should be some sort of reasonable rules enforced by the government, applicable to those multinationals that do a significant amount of their manufacturing and production overseas, of which, these companies, for instance, would be taxed accordingly so that we wouldn’t have a construct in which a privileged portion of the private sector reaps all of the benefits, whereas the government ends up stuck socializing all of the costs so as to take care of their own in this country.

No matter how efficient domestic labor is, they cannot compete on a cost basis with third world nations.  So too, appropriate environmental laws and safety concerns so imposed in America, are easily circumvented by the moving of manufacturing overseas to third world nations, that typically do not have the same sort of restrictions and regulations for their environment, let alone their labor, as America does.  At this point the only possible hope for domestic labor to get some sort of fair deal, going forward, is for its government to take a more active role in seeing that labor is considered to be an institution worth defending -- because clearly this is not a fair fight, and in consideration that this is a nation which is of, for, and by the people, our government needs to demonstrate in principle the living truth of those words, or continue to live the lie.

Free speech and the workplace

Just about everyone is familiar with the concept of “free speech,” and further believe that it entitles them to say whatever that they want to say, with the exception of speech that is likely to incite “imminent lawless action.”  That certainly seems like a reasonable restriction to have, of which, the value of free speech, though, cannot be overstated, for we each have our own free thoughts and many people have a tendency to desire to express them to others, some with self-censoring and some not so much.

The thing about free speech, is that free speech is subject to being restricted at another place where many of us spend a significant amount of our time at, which is that inside private workplaces, the employer of such, has the right to restrict free speech while those that are so employed are working.  This means that employers can prohibit conversation between employee to employee, and therefore those employees do not have the intrinsic right to speak one to another while they are working.

Those that are used to being able to speak their mind, especially in a nation that prides itself as being the land of the free, would probably be rather dismayed in being restricted in their being ability to talk, especially when they have to devote so many hours in a given day to work.  Yet, that is the law as currently interpreted, which thankfully isn’t of real relevance in most workplaces, especially those workplaces that white collar workers are employed at.  However, in those workplaces, that blue collar workers are employed at, they could well be subject to such a rule; and then as for those workplaces which are known as sweatshops, those so employed there could easily be subject to such a rule.

In consideration that those that have to work under the most trying of conditions, in which they pretty much are dealt with as human machines, is in itself, a very tough construct to deal with -- and then to not be able to talk with a fellow employee that is just a few steps away -- so as to at a minimum, connect one to another as human beings, is a toxic workplace, which dehumanizes people.  That said, regrettably, those that have little or no choice, have little or nothing that they can do about their present bleak situation, except to hope that it can be overcome, in some way or manner, directly or indirectly.

For a certainty, society has a role to play as well, and those products made under conditions in which the employees are not paid a living wage and further are not permitted to have a basic conversation one to another, are perhaps those products that we should not purchase.  After all, those that are privileged enough to have a voice, should use that voice, and if we will not speak up for those things that matter, then we have voluntarily silenced ourselves when we could well have made a meaningful difference.  It is unfortunate, that sometimes we do not appreciate the freedoms that we do have, until such has been sundered from our very hands, and of which, once gone, can be very difficult to get back.

America: Apartheid Nation

Sometimes, indeed, the emperor wears no clothes.  To wit, we are told by the groundbreaking author, Michelle Alexander, that “…there are more Black adults incarcerated and under correctional super­vision than were enslaved in 1850,” and further that “By November 2012, the US held a higher percentage of its black population under lock and key than south Africa did during apartheid.”  These facts cannot and should not be ignored, and while it can be said, that for some blacks, this nation does indeed seemingly provide for opportunity and fairness; this quite obviously is not true for the whole of this nation, in which this country summarily fails to live up to its guiding principles of egalitarianism, hope, and justice.

No nation, can truly live and be successful, half free and half oppressed, for that which is wrong, cannot possibly outlive that which is right.  Further to the point, all children are born innocent, and therefore what they ultimately end up becoming has a great deal to do with the environment and opportunity that surrounds them as they grow up.  Therefore, those communities which are bereft of hope, harassed, disadvantaged, despised, dilapidated, with wretched infrastructure, and poor educational facilities are going to have a strong tendency to produce people that are not going to be beneficiaries of the positive attributes that America has to offer, for that sort of offer to them, is for the most part, null and void.

The deliberate segregation of those of color, and especially those of color that are impoverished, is a disgrace to what this country is supposed to stand for.  Those so born into those ghettos of despair, are disadvantaged from day one, and all those that live there suffer through the indignity of knowing that they, for the most part, do not matter to mainstream America, for if they did matter, this country would be far more proactive in addressing the poverty and hopelessness that these poor segregated communities are filled with.

America’s sick answer to those that are the most hurting, that are the most discriminated against, and therefore the people who are not heard, for they are lacking in substantive power -- is to pick on them, day in and day out, without mercy and without a care, and to add to this disgrace by functionally blaming them for all of the crime and all of the troubles that America so represents.  The prisons therefore are filled with people of color, because they are the easy targets to go after, for the poor and ill-educated cannot conceivably fare well in any court of law in this nation.

While America likes to get up on their high horse when it comes to other countries and their sins, injustices, and troubles; they seemingly are incapable of their own proper self-evaluation, for as bad and as discriminatory as some of these other nations are, America is itself, no shining beacon on a hill.  America likes to say that the reason why so many people of color are incarcerated is because it is those people that commit the crimes.  Yet, the real reason for why this is happening is effectively ignored, for the main crime of those so convicted, is foundationally the crime of being of color and poor.  Those that are responsible for our governance, that will not testify to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, are destined to keep making the same errors -- and until such a time that this country recognizes that to take away another person’s dignity, their self-respect, and their hope, is a gross error with material consequences, nothing whatsoever will change in this Apartheid Nation.