The land of immigrants apparently doesn’t want any more immigrants

Virtually everyone that runs the show in the United States from its inception, is an immigrant to this nation, which is still true to this day, one way or another, such as through one’s bloodline.  So then, the fact that the United States has historically had a real aversion to immigration except from specific western European countries, is indicative that this country is two-face about that which is its essence, and quite obviously by its behavior, contradictory to those that believe that America is the epitome of opportunity, hope, and freedom.  Regrettably, those themselves that were immigrants seem to have forgotten that there isn’t any legitimate reason why the immigration door for others has to be closed, as if there isn’t any more room to fit anybody else in, when, in fact, there is more than enough room in this the third biggest country in landmass in the world.

Anybody with any sort of sensibility knows for a certainty that the mightiest nations in the world are those countries that have the necessary population and resources to exert themselves, and therefore it is never good enough to just be blessed with great natural resources, for without the people so needed to develop such and to improve upon such, nations are prone to stagnation and/or being conquered from that which has both the population and the means to impress themselves upon the other.  This so indicates that in numbers there is strength, and for all those naysayers that preach the false gospel that we live in a world with ever limited resources, we should temper that belief in recognizing that humankind has again and again proved it has both the means and has figured out a way not only to survive but to thrive, even in the most trying of circumstances.

Disappointingly, there seems to be a belief from a sizeable portion of Americans, that immigrants, that don’t look like them, or have habits which are different from them, or are unkempt in appearance, or crossed the border illegally, are somehow not worthy of being embraced as a true American.  While there is something to be said about the need to have some sort of integrity of our borders as well as to exert some sort of control over who so enters this country, a lot of this could be alleviated, if America presented a much more liberal and accommodating attitude to those that are refugees or simply those that are looking for a chance, or an opportunity to better themselves in a country that offers such, by therefore having a far more liberal policy towards those that would immigrate here.

America became a great power, not only because of its Constitution and its principles, but tellingly though the blood, sweat, and tears of its people; and of which, if the population of America had simply stagnated, as in its population remaining at or about 76 million peoples, which was its population in 1900, it seems inconceivable that it would today be the world’s foremost power, but rather one would think, that outside forces would have seen America as a land to plunder, instead. 

Those that would immigrate here or desire to do so, are primarily doing this for the opportunity to better their lives as well as their children’s lives.  Almost without exception, new immigrants are not here to play the “entitlement card”, or for welfare, or to be shiftless in their attitude, but rather, given a fair chance, they are the very stuff that will demonstrate in action, that they mean to be American, in every good sense of the word.

Why do you long for God?

When the ultimate push comes to shove, even the most diehard atheists, will often fall to their knees, begging God for this or that or if very angry, questioning God’s judgment.  So then, whether or not, all people will own up to it, most people have some degree of longing for God, and those that are the best part of any religious faith, definitely have that longing for God. 

The reason for our longing for God, comes down to the salient fact, that we long for that which we belong to.  We are God’s chosen children, and all good children, want to eventually return to the loving bosom of their Creator, for that is the sanctuary which brings the only lasting happiness that anyone could ever aspire to. 

God does not mind her children, being adventurous, for our creation, was never meant for us to be automatons, but rather was purposely done so that we could experience our existence in a manner in which we could take everything in and participate as per our free volition.  Yet, with great freedom, comes great responsibility, and those that work the angles in order to get one’s inheritance so to speak, and then to use such in playing the fool as some have done; should take great solace in knowing that God never takes this personally, but rather lovingly awaits our return with open arms, because God knows that nothing can ultimately replace that which is everything.

So then, we long for God because we are co-heirs to God, and those that are more enlightened and good servants to God, make it their point to be avatars for all those that have lost their way, for the good shepherd, cares for all of his sheep, and will not rest till every single sheep, without exception, returns to the fold.  No matter how long such takes, no matter how many worlds, universes, and dimensions that there may well be, this rescue will never end, until all is as it was in the beginning.

Those then that most long for God, are those that are listening to that still, small voice within and that voice will not rest until we are back with that which we properly belong to.  The word is there for each of us so that we will become cognizant of who and what we really are; and it is only through our willful ignorance or suppression of such that we are able to silence that which is there for our expressed benefit.

Of course, longing for God, is not the same thing as being with God; and therefore, each of us needs to do our part to be one with that which is absolute perfection.  This means that all of what we do and say absolutely matters, for that which is tainted in character, truly needs to be purified; done so, through the challenges and trials that each of us need to successfully face, and of which those that prove their worth in this field of fire, are those that are not just co-heirs with God, but co-creators, as well.

You are not in reality, your ego

While each one of us is an individual, there are some people that identify through their ego a heck of a lot more than other people.  That is to say, some people, are so attached to their ego, that is, their self-image, that this is all that they believe that they are.  Then there are those others, who are cognizant that they have an ego, but do not overly identify with that ego, for they know that their true self-image is not limited to their physical body and mind, or what people say about them; but in actuality their real being is superior to that, for they are ultimately a soul created by the very hand of God, so provided with the opportunity to express itself in a material form on a material plane, of which this world is meant to be viewed as a proving ground, providing each one of us therefore with an opportunity to be of assistance to those that have lost their way as well as to be of material benefit to our fellow sojourners while in this domain.

Yet, the lure of being human is so intoxicating for some, that they are unable to perceive anything other than what their five senses so perceive, and of which, they therefore identify fully with who and what they believe that makes themselves to be.  This means that they often see this world, as a place, in which there are only winners and losers, of which, anything that challenges their good standing in that domain, they take as a challenge to their self, and therefore they will subsequently take the necessary steps to protect what they believe to be theirs, which is the very reason why there is so much conflict and disagreement in this world.

Most of that, which the ego cries out as being absolutely necessary in order to be satiated and satisfied, are, when fully distilled and looked at objectively, not as important as all that.  The things that people will literally fight tooth and nail over, are often in the scheme of things, not all that imperative.  The ego is a tyrant, it wants what it wants, and when such an ego as that meet another ego that wants what it wants, of which there is an overlap between the two, this thus creates a whole lot of trouble.  To those that live for their ego, and believe fully in their ego, everything that they fight so hard for, is the ultimate reality, and to therefore believe that somehow that this mindset is incorrect, they see as nothing more than a mind game.

Yet, each of us is eternal, so to be overly concerned about that which is transitory, is clearly putting the cart before the horse.  In the entertainment world, in order for a drama to work, there needs to be conflict, and in order for there to be an appropriate resolution to that conflict, there needs to be the hero of the piece, doing their part to overcome obstacles as well as to do the right thing.  This signifies, that kneejerk reactions to insults, offenses, putdowns, betrayal and the like, are in reality, situations in which we are given the opportunity to react in kind and play to our ego; or instead, to step up and to recognize that as the great director of our own piece, we are not our ego, but eternal beings of enlightenment, blessed with wisdom and perspective.

Drugs and the temporary escape

People use illicit drugs and alcohol, for a variety of reasons; of which, fundamentally the main reason that people use and often abuse such, has a lot to do with their continual dissatisfaction with some aspect of their personal life, and therefore they use drugs as their crutch to deal with such.  Further to the point, western nations are more prone to illicit drug abuse, simply because those nations in which a significant amount of the population, aren’t overly preoccupied with the complexities of mere survival, have therefore time on their hands to use for their betterment or for something else.

The continuing problem with illicit drug usage is that the “high” or the effect of such, is only temporary, which means that those that use have to keep coming back to it, unless they change their mindset -- or regrettably when it leads to one’s death, in which case, it’s permanent.  So then, illicit drugs are going to provide, perhaps, some sort of temporary relief, or pleasure, or a mind-altering experience, or social satisfaction, or satisfaction on some other level, but none of this is going to be long lasting, so whatever has driven a given person to illicit drugs is never going to be resolved by continuing to use those same drugs.

Whether or not a person, needs to give up illicit drugs, though, has a lot to do with the so-called benefit or effect that they perceive comes from taking those drugs, along with their ability to conduct their lives in a meaningful manner; of which, the sensible person reflects as to whether or not the reality that they have with drugs, is better than the reality without.  That is to say, drugs and alcohol usage, for adults, can be legitimate choices that people are entitled to seriously consider and to evaluate, of which, to state therefore that all drug and alcohol usage is always categorially bad, is simplistic, as this is not always true, but is rather, case-to-case, specific.

After all, adults are entitled to, or should be entitled to make those decisions that they feel make most sense to them, which includes drug usage.  Unfortunately, a huge swath of those that indulge in illicit drugs, do so, not because there is a perceived benefit for them, but fundamentally to escape something that is troubling them; as in something that they did or are thinking about doing, loneliness, social acceptance, a dead-end life, personal failure, self-medication, or just about anything that permits them to, for a time, to escape from that which does not bring them happiness or satisfaction.

Those that believe that they have tried everything, to be happy or to live a satisfactory life, but perceive their situation as essentially an exercise in futility, are going to be far more susceptible to indulging in illicit drugs so as to escape the reality that they care not for, in order then to be in a different time and place, in which troubling things don’t seem to bother them as much, or they don’t feel the hurt as much.  Those countries, then, that have a lot of substance abuse issues, are typically going to be those countries, in which, a significant amount of its denizens feel with some legitimate justification: hopeless, lost, and without a future, so then those drugs become a pathway for them, to escape their daily drudgery, and to a certain extent, to take some degree of control of their often powerless and bleak lives.

The continued evisceration of collective bargaining

People aren’t stupid, and people that don’t have much, have zero interest in ever working against their own good interests.  Yet, in recent times, again and again, union representation votes, when it even gets that far to get a vote, have seen the employer, typically winning such a vote, time and time again.  It would be one thing if those so voting against unionization, were actually in jobs that paid a living wage, with good health benefits, employment guarantees, and ample room for advancement and growth, but that is seldom the case.  Indeed, many “blue collar” jobs without unionization, do not pay all that well, and offer little flexibility for the employee, who are typically treated pretty much as that of little value by their employer.

Unfairly, the most common play used by employers to stymie unionization, is playing upon the “fear factor,” of which they typically threaten that with union representation so being approved, that therefore in consideration that they will subsequently be responsible for additional wages to be paid, that they will therefore have to reduce employment considerably, or hours, or both, and often followed this by the threat that they will likely be forced to subsequently move their facility overseas, or to some other more accommodating locality.  Not too surprisingly, this type of tactic so used by employers often works, because it plays upon the fear that employees have, that the very little that they get from their gainful employment, is in danger of being snatched away, so in homage to “a bird in hand is worth two in the bush,” they thereby vote against such unionization.

The bottom line, based upon the continual steep decline of unionization in private enterprise, is that the tables will not soon turn for employees of such.  Therefore, the only way for collective bargaining to again have any sort of relevancy, is for the federal government to step in, and to establish a minimum wage floor, for all employees, with virtually no exceptions made to that rule, of which, that wage should be on or around $15/hour.  This then, at a minimum, would provide not only a meaningful wage concession in favor of employees, but after a period of time of this being in effect, would put the sword to the lie, that these employers are all going to have to reduce employment, or hours, or to move their facility, elsewhere.   This then, perhaps would serve as the necessary impetus for those so employed, to re-consider the value of collective bargaining, to then take what they currently have as a wage floor, and to go after something of more substance without being so scared of the “bogeyman”.

In an era in which corporations are making plenty of profit, that profit is accruing at an ever-higher percentage to those that are not its common laborers; which we see by virtue of the greater and greater inequality between those that have as compared to those that have not, which is not beneficial for societies, and leads to the uneasiness and uncivil behavior which is becoming more commonplace, by the day.  Collective bargaining is the best vehicle to bring some sort of semblance of sharing to the table of prosperity and employment, and in absence of the success of such, then the federal government needs to do its necessary part to help the powerless and exploited to get their fair share.

Social conformity, conventional wisdom, and unconventionality

There are plenty of things which we consider to be the norm, today, such as women being permitted to get themselves educated, and thereby to have worthwhile careers; which supersedes by a country mile, the previous belief that the proper place for a woman, especially a married woman, was limited to the home, as a housewife and bearer of children. The fact that women can nowadays set their own paths, has brought forth for them a form of liberty and freedom, previously denied to them, and helped to make society, better, for their valued contribution to it.  So too, conventional wisdom, will, for instance, recommend that people follow some sort of set formula for investing, without taking into full account, that past performance is never a guarantee of future performance; yet, many people will follow that conventional wisdom, for that appears to be the safe and proven route to take, not seeming to realize that by so doing, this may result in a very poor result, to their lasting regret.

The reason that so many are so inclined to follow conventional wisdom, and to abide by social conformity, in so many instances, is that, quite frankly, this is the easy road to take; of which, should a given person fail in such, they are still able to take solace that such failure is not theirs to personally own, but rather has a lot more to do with just bad luck, for, after all, they dutifully followed the conventional wisdom, and stayed within the norm of social expectations.  Regrettably, this sort of groupthink is not really beneficial for the advancement of societies, for those that fail to question the why and for what reasons, behind such thinking, aren’t going to be able to develop the robust type of reasoning so necessary to break free from those self-imposed shackles that may serve little good purpose.

Still, it definitely takes a brave soul, to step outside social conformity, and to embrace unconventionally; especially when this isn’t done just to be different or to be noticed or to be difficult, but rather this is so done for the sensible reason, which is that this appears to be not only the better road to take, but, also the necessary one.  Sure, no doubt, those that blaze their own path, are going to leave themselves open to suffering withering criticism, even from some of those that they are closest to, but those that have the strength of character to go where no one else or few have been, are not the type, that once they begin their given task, are going to easily let it go.

Virtually all of the advancement of humankind, has come forth from those that do not follow the well-trodden paths of those that are risk averse and conformists, but rather are the enlightened individuals that recognize that true change can only come forth, from those that are willing to take well thought out calculated gambles in the fair belief that by so doing, this will help bring forth breakthroughs, previously unknown, which thereby becomes beneficial for society.  So then, to dismiss, without proper consideration, all those that are outside social norms and conventional wisdom, is the very attitude, that marks a civilization as being in decline.

Fascism does not belong in America

America has the reputation, perhaps deserved, perhaps undeserved, of being that beacon of liberty, for all those other nations, to aspire to become in their own right.  Yet, fascism is not something that any country, even one of long standing, is completely immune to.  This thus signifies that the fact that the military-industrial-technology complex is at the present time, tied intimately into the highest levels of government, is clearly at a minimum, the first pillar of incipient fascism, for when businesses and government are in lockstep, this signifies that it is these powerful institutions, joined at the hip, that are thereby determined to be in opposition to all those with the temerity to question the judgement or wisdom of this being good for the continual liberty of this country.

When the federal government along with the biggest and most profitable corporations are essentially on the very same page, then to a very powerful degree, they are interdependent upon one another.  After all, the power to tax, is the power to destroy; and the bigger the budget of any government, the more that there is for businesses to receive in return for their continual loyalty to that government; of which part of that loyalty is providing to that government, actionable information that it so desires, whenever it so desires such, in return for that continual favorable governmental treatment.  So too, those governments that are trending to fascism, aren’t interested in a vibrant and competitive marketplace, of which there are many smaller players, trying to one up one another; but rather their strong preference is to deal almost exclusively with those corporations that are monopolistic in structure or are dominant players, which obviously makes it rather straightforward in coming to sensible plans and agreements that makes sense for all parties, involved.

As for the citizens of this nation, a surprising amount of those citizens, don’t really understand that real liberty, is messy, it is loud, it is inconvenient, and, of which, by definition, it is never dictatorial.  Rather, somewhat regrettably, a significant portion of the population, likes the structure of a strong central government, especially when that government is a great provider as well as a strong protector, for this then provides those pliant citizens with structure and so long as they then have the basic essentials of shelter, healthcare, education, and employment, covered; they aren’t overly concerned about how much liberty that they have.  In fact, a notable number of citizens, truly believe that governmental handouts and benefits should be directly tied to citizens being loyal and obedient to the state.

Anytime that the government is very large in regards to both its monetary budget as well as the amount of people it so employs directly and indirectly; and of which, it deliberately provides a significant amount of business to the biggest and most powerful corporations in the world under purposely structured agreeable conditions for the benefit of those corporations, then that country is clearly on the road to fascism, with really the only thing missing, being the people of this country, saluting that which takes care of them, cradle to grave.

Unfettered financial speculation is insanity

The United States has the biggest stock market in the world and for whatever reasons has decided in recent times to allow more and more financial speculation through hedge funds and the like, which involves derivatives, options, and just about all things that permit incredible amounts of leverage to be utilized, of which these speculators avail themselves of every conceivable angle to get any sort of edge that they can think of, all in order to chase the almighty dollar and thereby to make money, without producing anything of merit or of value.  This signifies that basically financial speculation provides nothing of substance for society as a whole while if anything it increases the instability of the financial edifice.

The business of America should be the business of producing, creating, improving, and sustaining those things of substance that make for a better America, not just done for a select few, but for society, in whole.  Those that make it their business to just lust for and live for the making of money and nothing else, through essentially their cleverness and deceitfulness, without adding one iota of worth to their nation, by virtue of playing a zero-sum game aren’t ever going to be people that are worthy of being emulated, let alone, being respected.  Nevertheless, in a country in which wealth, seems to equate to respect, those that know how to make money through their financial speculations, get way too much respect, despite the fact that as the game is played, they are fundamentally producing nothing, while unnecessarily adding to risk of viable businesses as well as the instability of global financial institutions.

The whole point of rules and regulations in any business enterprise, has a lot to do with the protection of those institutions, from that which is inimical to those businesses.  That which is speculative in nature, has got to be controlled, or it will potentially and unfairly consume, damage, or destroy that which is being speculated upon.  This thus signifies that the first order of business for American governance is to protect, support, and to augment those businesses that are actually creating things of value, as opposed to simply allowing it to be open season for that which is speculative in nature so being provided with the opportunity to put their baleful influence into play upon them.

Those that make money from their ability to work the angles to put money into their own pocket, without correspondingly providing anything of substance, should be closely regulated, and should never be in the position to inflict lasting harm onto a given industry or society, in particular.  Those that do not control that which prudently needs to be controlled, have let through the gates, the seeds of their own future destruction.  The whole principle of hedge funds, should be completely re-evaluated, whether that be an institution as seeded by already superrich people, or something like the superrich endowments such as are at Yale or Harvard, seeded by former alumni and the like.  The bottom line is speculation is the bastard child of investment, and has no legitimate function in the family of capital investments, but should be seen as the sick parasite that it is.

“The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions”

The above quotation comes from the inestimable Senator Daniel Webster, in 1837; of which it almost goes without saying that a good Constitution, by definition, protects the population from bad intentions.  Yet, we should always be on the alert, that those that are our representatives, having in the best of times, good intentions for the people that they are pledged to serve, do not necessarily make decisions that despite their good intentions, thereof, are ultimately beneficial and helpful to the people.  For instance, the government has department upon department, institution upon institution, that are pretty much opaque to the people, with the good intention, that such secrecy is necessary in order to appropriately defend our country from enemies, both foreign and domestic, but such secrecy, in addition to the billions upon billions of the people’s money so being spent, creates an inherent danger to the people, because of that hidden power which has not been appropriately vetted and certainly is not under the control of those that have a right to know.  Further to the point, never has the government, had more actionable information in regards to its own individual citizens, that by virtue of this information, perhaps obtained with the best of intentions, can be utilized in order to monitor, to control, and to manipulate that population, which serves to undercut the very freedom and liberty that each are entitled to.

We do not really know whether this present-day government, has good intentions at all times for those so governed – but clearly, we find that the people are to a very large extent, living within a construct in which what has been sold to them, is that they as a people need to sacrifice some of their precious liberties in order to have safety.  Perhaps the intention behind this sort of tradeoff, is well meaning, but the danger of such, is that this population thereby lives under the impression that there are dangers that are imminent to their safety, that must be met by governmental actions, of which, they as a people, are not cognizant of the whole truth, behind such actions, and hence lacking that full disclosure, do not know whether this is the right or appropriate response so being made for their alleged safety or not.

Indeed, there is also the fundamental problem of those that have the best of intentions as opposed to all those that do not; for those that know their intentions are wrong, can at times, change their mind as well as their behavior, to that which is right, or perhaps even lose heart in what they are doing, because they know that it is wrong.  On the other hand, those that believe wholeheartedly that what they are doing is right, of which that is their absolute intent to do so; may well find that being driven by the belief that they are in the right, it becomes, for them, well-nigh impossible to be knocked off of their present course, for their course, once taken, is fixed and unchangeable.  This thus creates the quandary of those with good intentions, that are unable to recognize the danger of their actions, of which without a robust Constitution being actuated against them, this can thereby destroy from within, that which has stood tall, against all from without.

What plan are you following in your life?

Of course, in answer to this question, above, there are going to be some people that simply don’t have a plan, don’t have time or an interest in having a plan, and don’t care to plan.  Then there are those others, that certainly have the time to reflect upon what their plan should or should not be, but go about working their plan in a haphazard and inconsistent way, ultimately to their lasting regret.  Further, there are those that most definitely have a plan, and through their persistence and effort are successful in completing their plan, which may or may not, as the sands of time run short, have been the best of plans.  Then there are those, that take seriously their obligation to really examine their own self, and from there, to discover that the greatest purpose of their life, is to live such a life that is in harmony with the force that so created them, in the beginning.

Within this world, as it is, there are all sorts of temptations and lures, that compete to get our attention, for not all that glitters is gold; in fact, most that glitters and therefore entices us is that fool’s gold.  Additionally, life is full of distractions, serving to take us off course, and by the time we get back on course, we may be so far adrift, it seems almost futile to do something constructive about our predicament; which is why so many of us, go with the flow, never seeming to realize that it is only those that go against the flow, that are exerting their free will volition, that they truly have a free choice, and that it is well-nigh imperative that they exert such, or else they will not become what they really need to become.

People believe all sorts of things about this world, some of it true, some of it not.  But recognize this, even the most cursory of thinkers, must know for a certainty, that none of what we see and are a part of, could have possibly just have come forth out of complete nothingness.  This signifies, what every sentient human being implicitly knows, that because we were created, there must be behind our creation, the omniscient Creator.  So then, this world, should best be seen for what it really is; which is a proving ground of our character, when so provided with absolute free will, by that which created us, of which, this thereby presents us with the fair opportunity, to do something of merit with this freedom, or not.

All sorts of people, like to talk a big game, about this or that, of what they are going to do or what they could do, but really, whatever the circumstances of a given life, our responsibility is fundamentally the same; which is to do the best that we can within our situation, and to make it our point to help to make our family, and our community a better place for our having been part of it, and this we must do, day-by-day, through our successful interactions with others -- so done by our display of our concern, patience, helpfulness, love, and fairness; all in the good understanding that we are all equal in the eyes of our Creator, and that the greatest tribute that we can make therefore is to be true to this, which makes for the best of plans.

The consolidation of rental properties is inevitable

According to Zillow.com, “American renters paid a total of $485.6 billion in 2017,” and nmhc.org, states that in 2018, the largest rental apartment owner was the corporation MAA which owned 99,972 rental units.  Additionally, the 2015 American Housing Survey, indicated that there were “nearly 48.5 million rental units in the United States.”  All of this combined, serves to demonstrate that the rental property business is absolutely huge in regards to not only the units so available, but the monies to be garnered from the renting of properties.  Further to the point, property owners are well aware of all the tax advantages that owning rental property entails, such as: mortgage interest deduction, depreciation of said property, deduction of property taxes so paid, as well as the expensing of repairs and upkeep. All this in a construct in which most rental properties will usually increase in value at a higher rate than inflation, along with the landlord being able to raise rents typically at a rate that is favorable for their investment, and of which to buy rental properties, does not necessitate having all of the cash available, but rather often involves a considerable amount of leverage being negotiated and approved for, which can thereby be intelligently utilized for the owner’s benefit, especially when their credit is impeccable.

One might argue that the consolidation of rental properties into fewer hands might be beneficial for those that rent, in the sense that cost savings so generated, from economies of scale would thereby trickle down to renters, in addition to the fact that landlords with deep pockets would have a stronger tendency to keep their properties in pristine condition.  Regrettably, that probably will not occur, for the one thing that those that own a lot of anything do not desire to see happen, is to have to battle against ruthless competition in which there is essentially a “race to the bottom”, thereby impacting profits, safety, and cash flow.  Rather, big conglomerate landlords, would in all candor, prefer to have markets in which they have enough force and strategic position to essentially dictate the prices of the rents so being charged, by utilizing sophisticated algorithms, surveys, demographics, feedback, as well as at a minimum, an implicit understanding with other big players, that to undercut one another, serves no good purpose, or, even better, they will strategize to simply corner the market, wherever so possible.

The bottom line is that in a day and age when housing prices have never been more expensive and of which it is an absolute truth that people need a place to stay, that landlords see this market as an opportunity that will further separate those that are fortunate enough to own their own property and then some, in contrast to all those that can’t afford to, and probably won’t ever, thereby leaving these people susceptible to what the market will bear for their rental needs, of which, that market as it consolidates will desire an ever greater percentage of a given person’s income.  As they say, “you can shear a sheep many times, but you can only skin them once,” of which, all those that have to rent, are by definition, almost never in the driver’s seat of demanding much of anything from a given landlord, and therefore pretty much have to accept the best deal that they can get, and when that market is controlled by a local oligopoly, or similar, the rich will get richer, and an ever-higher percentage of a common laborer’s paycheck will go to cover that rent.

All rights, no duties?

In America, especially, people are quick to talk about their rights, but seldom are they so quick to talk about their corresponding duties to those rights.  Perhaps this is the case, because the first Ten Amendments to our Constitution are collectively known as the Bill of Rights, and of which there isn’t thereafter subsequent Amendments known thereby as our Bill of Duties.  Yet, clearly the rights that we have as given by our Constitution, or through our Creator, have implicit within those rights, a responsibility and therefore a duty for those that wish to faithfully exercise those rights.

The fact that there is a significant swath of the population that either are unawares, or act unaware, that they ever have a responsibility to their governance, in regards to their rights, is the primary reason, why there is so much selfishness and confusion in society, today.  For instance, the right to our freedom of speech, has a corresponding duty that such speech cannot, for example, be utilized to incite imminent lawless action or of fraud, for without such limits being imposed upon that freedom of speech, then civil societies could easily be torn asunder.

So then, every single right, comes with a corresponding duty, and further to the point, every right, necessitates responsibility to that right.  That is to say, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, has quite obviously a corresponding duty that such arms so kept and subsequently utilized, must be done in a responsible manner that does not infringe upon the people’s liberty to be about their business as well as also precluding lawless, illegal and threatening actions by those with those arms; in addition to the salient fact, that such arms are not to be used as part of a rebellion to that government of, for, and by the people, but instead must be utilized in the defense of that liberty.

As it has been said, freedom is not free, but rather necessitates eternal vigilance, of which that vigilance is part and parcel of the duty and thereby the responsibility that each citizen is obligated to perform on behalf of their government, in order to do their fair part in maintaining and enhancing that freedom.  A country in which the people are constantly pestering their government, or one another, about this right or that right which has been compromised or trammeled upon, must realize that it is only when those that have those rights, have taken upon themselves their duty to those rights, that we are best able to maintain that which is a right, which is why each right so granted, needs to be successfully championed by the people and its representatives, or we may just find such, as if it never was.

Those that understand the importance of rights, must do their loyal part, to maintain those rights, for far too often that which we take for granted, such as our unalienable rights, will be sundered from our very hands, by powerful forces which do not care for the people to have all those rights; but rather would prefer that the population be frightened into forsaking certain rights, and hence their duties and responsibilities to those rights, in abject obedience to that which has no legitimate right to such.  

Either all of life is interconnected or it is not

Those that truly believe that all of life is interconnected, must therefore make it their point and principle, to thereby conduct their lives in a manner which truly reflects this, by all that they think, say, and do.  On other hand, those that don’t believe our lives are interconnected are the very people that make for so much hatred, divisiveness, violence, destruction and all those other negative attributes that harm us; for their willful failure in not comprehending that injustice done to one entity, is in reality, injustice done to the whole.

When we believe that we are separate one from another, believing that we cannot be whole, one with another, we thereby run the real risk of having lives which reflect the despair of that mindset.  That said, not all separateness is perceived as bleakness, especially for those that separate themselves, who have done so in a manner in which they believe that they are the superior, and make sure to act the part in all that they say and do.  This makes for a hierarchical society, which might indeed be beneficial for those that are at the very top, but surely undercuts our innate interconnection for everyone else, as well as vacating each of us as being equal beings, by replacing such with the superior, so served by the inferior.

It must be comprehended and taken to heart that each of us has been equally created, which signifies that all of us have not only equal value but that we are all interconnected by virtue of that creation.  This signifies, that we are all in this together, and the sooner that we awaken to this concept, the sooner we can be about our business to live and to conduct our lives in a manner which reflects that very thing, of which, that which is united together in one strong principle, which is built upon the rock of sound unity, will not ever be broken, no matter what comes and challenges it, for that which is bound together with many strands, is well-nigh unbreakable.

Further to the point, all of the heartache and troubles in this world, is built upon humankind warring against one another, for this or for that, as if this world, is forever limited, when in actuality, those limitations are self-imposed and are primarily perceived as limits because of the conflict so generated, of one force against another, butting heads.  Those that will not stand for justice and therefore the peace that so follows thereof, have no hope of finding such justice or peace in any other dimension, for those that sow disharmony, will not reap harmony.

In truth, we are all interconnected, of which, rather than seeing this world as some sort of zero-sum game, of which for every winner, there must be a corresponding loser; it would be far more productive to see this world as a place in which the harvest to be had is incredibly bountiful, but to date, the laborers are few.

The indigent, traffic tickets, bench warrants and incarceration

While nobody likes to get pulled over and get a traffic ticket at any time, these things invariably happen, because police officers are basically compelled either formally or informally to issue a “quota” of traffic tickets each and every day.  Those that have money see these traffic tickets and fines as simply the cost of doing business, and for the most part do not pay any real mind to it, of which, most of those with the ready money to pay such tickets do so in the convenient way of paying their fine through the internet or via mail and then just get on with their life.  Those though, that are less organized, cash strapped, and perhaps intimidated by just about anything involving the justice system, are subject to faring rather poorly by not fully comprehending that fines that must be paid by a certain date, have consequences if so missed, and often do not comprehend how bad a given situation can thereby devolve, for not having dealt forthrightly with a traffic ticket to begin with, irrespective of whether they have the money or not.

While it is true that different States have different laws and hence different consequences for unpaid traffic tickets, the bottom line is that in some situations people that have failed to initially pay their traffic fine, will thereby have issued against them, an actual bench warrant for having failed to appear in court, so generated, by virtue of their non-appearance and of having failed to paid their fine.  Once a bench warrant is issued and a fine not paid, one’s driver’s license is subject to suspension and when that happens that will incur yet another monetary fine as well as probable incarceration when caught driving on a suspended license which will thereby necessitate another mandatory court appearance as well as the expense of the towing and subsequent storage of one’s car.

A significant amount of people, really don’t have the extra cash to pay traffic fines, especially in a day and age, in which those fines have gone up considerably from where they once were, and of which, these fines so issued should be seen for what they are, a form of taxation, in which, that taxation is in itself, a regressive tax, for no matter the income of the person so being ticketed, the assessed fine is exactly the same.  Then there is the issue that lower economic areas of cities have been documented to show that they receive a higher percentage of traffic tickets so being issued, which is indicative in all likelihood that the poor and disadvantaged are specifically targeted, because the monies to be made off of them, typically will end up exceeding the amount that would be garnered from those with means, as well as it also being a tool to keep the indigent and powerless in their place.

Regrettably, a traffic ticket, can for the indigent, be the downward spiral that makes that which is already a difficult life, even more problematic.  The fact that such an initial ticket, can morph into something far worse from a monetary standpoint, as well as the possible incarceration, isn’t fair, and it sure isn’t right.

If there are no moral absolutes then there will never be any fair justice

Some people like to believe or perhaps take solace in believing, that morals, change as the times change; but as pleasing and self-serving as that might be to some people, that would indicate that the Lawgiver, would thereby be subject to change, and therefore mutable, which simply isn’t conceivable or true.  So then, for a certainty, there are moral absolutes, of which it is the duty of humankind to know those moral absolutes, in order therefore to live their lives in a manner that is in harmony with their Creator and therefore become rightful heirs to their Creator.  So too, there are those clever or not so clever people that misunderstand moral absolutes, in a manner in which what has so occurred, has to be judged in a certain specific, by the book, and unchangeable way, without taking into account the full and complete picture as well as all of the nuances thereof.  All of this basically indicates, that because humankind does not have a firm grasp on moral absolutes and therefore are not enlightened enough to judge such appropriately and at all times, that there cannot ever be fair justice in this world.  This though, doesn’t reflect that humankind should not make the effort to judge correctly, or not to search faithfully so as to better understand moral absolutes, because progress as a species is our sacred obligation to our Creator, for it is in the trying and then the successful application, thereof, that we walk ever closer to the light.

Understand this well, in the end, there will be fair justice, as it cannot and will not ever be denied, no matter how long that it takes.  Further to the point, there is a known moral compass that rules this world and beyond, and it is our duty to not only to discover those rules but to live by those rules, for in doing so, we will help to make this world in the present a better place to be, which is our highest obligation so owed to our fellow humankind.  This indicates that in the skeins of time, the march of humankind is successful whenever those steps are in the direction of peace, harmony, patience, kindness, and justice, no matter the missteps and slips that invariably happen, for this is a destination that we must so reach.

The fact that there are moral absolutes, should give us comfort, because this indicates that not only is the arc of the universe bent towards justice, but that there is fair justice, at the end of that arc, so that all will surely end well.  Those though that insist that moral absolutes do not apply to them, or care not for them, or wish to distort them, have played the fool, of which, the penalty of such is to recycle in and out, over and over again, until the fool, wakes up to the reality that the world does not revolve around their misrepresentations and lies, but is based instead upon unchangeable truth, of which only that truth, will set those that are in chains of their own making, free.    

Tear gas should be solely defined by the chemicals that it is

It is a strange world where international agreements are made, signifying that there are certain elements, such as chemicals and gases, that are not permitted to be used any longer in warfare, but yet, warfare, itself, still continues all the same.  So too, tear gas, is a misnomer, for it really is not a gas, but rather better defined as a mist.  Additionally, the word “tear” does not come close to describing or defining how painful, dangerous, and toxic this chemical agent really is.  In the modern age, what is known as tear gas, is primarily made up of 2-chlorobenzalmalonitrile, or dibenzoazepine, or chloroacetophenone, or something similar or a combination of these dangerous chemical agents.  In addition to the extreme discomfort, and occasional lethality of these chemicals when used on human targets; it must also be taken into account that when these chemical agents are deployed, they then disperse themselves over the area without there being any effective control upon such dispersion, which therefore makes this chemical so being used on people, indiscriminate. Additionally, when law enforcement engages citizens with these chemical agents, they have, almost without exception, not taken into account, whether those in the crowd, or ill, infirmed, babies, or people with compromised immune systems, but simply just shoot and let it fly.

While there isn’t any doubt that these chemicals as utilized on people, is effective, in causing a great deal of extensive pain, as well as being harmful and extremely discomforting to the body, while also being bad for the environment, it must be said that it does appear to do its job, though, in an inhumane way, by neutralizing those human beings, so targeted.  Whether or not these chemicals should ever be utilized upon people should be subject to a robust debate, but the bottom line is that law enforcement utilizes chemicals on citizens primarily because they have the legal right to do so in those situations ascertained as being riotous, of which, as it currently sits, there seems to be no superior governmental agency that ever really holds law enforcement to account for whether these actions so employed were done in a situation that clearly and unequivocally met the terms of a riot.  Therefore, in absence of reprimands and analysis of how, why, and the comprehensive study of the actual aftereffects of chemical agents being utilized against human beings, being objectively analyzed, there probably isn’t going to be a change in this uncivil law enforcement policy anytime soon.

However, the thing that can be changed is the narrative so propagated by media of all stripes, in which in lieu of using tear gas as the operative word, it would be far more accurate to call out the chemical agents so having been deployed, and to make it a point to state that citizens were fired upon with chemical agents in order to control them, and of which these chemical agents are inimical to the human body, as compared to something that just creates “tears”.  While there probably are times when law enforcement needs to avail themselves of something in order to restore order or quell a riot, there isn’t any good reason, why their first choice is to basically enact chemical warfare against their own citizens that they are, after all, sworn to protect and to serve.

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.