The betrayal of the “last best hope”

We read at historynet.com “By the end of the Civil War, the federal government controlled 850,000 acres that had been confiscated from Rebel Southerners under wartime provisions.”  It must be acknowledged that at the conclusion of the Civil War, that despite the impressive industrialization in the north -- that the southern States, were on the other hand, still primarily a land-based society, depending upon that land producing for them, money and wealth, such as by their agricultural crops, cotton, tobacco, rice, and the like.  Further to the point, the literary rate in the south, which while pretty good for the most part, was still far below today's literacy rate, and in regards, for those that were enslaved, abysmally low.  So too, those formerly enslaved, but now so freed, had in most cases, no material assets at all, except the clothes on their backs, perhaps some tools, in addition to, some pots and pans.  So then, in a situation of an era in which wealth was produced by the labor upon the land, and of which, former slaves, were experts in that field, then the most valuable material asset that this government, of, for, and by the people, could provide for those that had been treated as no more than chattel, would be the fair usage of or the ownership of the land so confiscated from those that had had the audacity to rebel against their own national government, and had lost that bloody war.

That's the way things should have been but history tells us that it is not the way that things worked out, because ultimately those in charge of the redistribution of those lands, and of protecting and aiding the freedman, just didn't have the heart, the mindset, or the willingness to do what was so necessitated to succeed; but rather abandoned those that had nothing, to thereby leave them with nothing, and to essentially give back to those that rebelled, everything.

Now, here we stand today, over one hundred and fifty years later, and unquestionably land is still a very valuable asset in which the average middle class American, has a substantial amount of their wealth tied up in that land, as in the house that they so live in, and of which the black race home ownership rate is leagues behind the white race, which is a significant reason why the wealth of the average middle class white American dominates the same of those that are black.

It is of extreme disappointment, that those that gave their all in the name of freedom and of unity, have seen that dream betrayed, by essentially the ill-advised return of those acres of land to the very same type and class of people who brought this great civil war upon this nation.  That was a grave mistake, of which, those that have suffered enough, have suffered even further.  The past cannot be changed, but the present allows us to make changes to that which must be changed.  That is why, this present-day government needs to do right, by providing the progeny of those that were ill served and betrayed by its national government, at a time when their forefathers surely needed that government's vision, aid and succor, with some sort of modern equivalency of that land so lost, or have that nation meanly lose what it was always meant to nobly save.

The United States is the land of plenty

America is indeed the land of plenty; of which, America so leads the world with its overall wealth, in its equity markets, in its billionaires, by its largest corporations, in its top universities as well as its educational achievements, its top medical facilities, its impressive food production, its technological innovations, in entertainment, and in so many other fields of interest and merit. Yet, America also has plenty of poverty, plenty of incarceration, plenty of excessive military spending, plenty of foreign military bases, plenty of crime along with its accompanying violence, plenty of gun ownership, and plenty of injustice, unfairness, and inequality.

So then, there are two Americas and within those two Americas, there is that plenty which is good and of merit; and then again there is that other America which has plenty of that bad stuff and is of little merit. A truly great country has to be measured not only through its impressive accomplishments and achievements, but also through a careful and comprehensive study of the weakest, and most vulnerable people of that nation; and any nation worth its salt, that is therefore truly worthy of respect and of being emulated, is that nation that takes care of not just the elite and middle class, but does its level best to see that all of its citizens, have the fair opportunity to obtain the accouterments that make for a life that is decent and of self-respect.

Additionally, those countries that have not only the necessary wealth but also the appropriate infrastructure that thereby permits them thus to have the ready capability to take care of the whole of its population in a manner in which none are truly left behind, of which then, that nation subsequently fails to do that, must therefore be held accountable for that failure. Such is the case in America, in which billions upon billions is spent and misspent, for instance, on its military-industrial-technology complex, which benefits some, while harming directly and indirectly quite a few here and abroad, for this ill-advised misallocation of resources.

So too, this nation is the breadbasket of the world, but one wouldn’t know it, by the number of Americans that do not have reliable access to nutritious and affordable food. In addition, despite the amount of money so being spent on healthcare, the end result for those that are denied fair access to that good healthcare, is demonstrated by the high number of Americans whose health is unnecessarily poor. Also, despite its great universities, America, fails far too often with its fellow citizens that live in enclaves of poverty and neglect, so demonstrated by the condition of their pathetic public schools, of which, those that are specifically punished are those that have committed no offense, except to be born in communities without the appropriate resources to provide them with a good and sound education.

For some, America’s plenty represents the best of times, and for others it represents the worst. It need not be that way, the fact that it is, reflects that America at its core, talks a big game, but to date, absolutely fails to deliver.

Money, power and charm only seem to work in this world

People have all sorts of goals, some noble, some not so, but goals they are; of which, some of these people are able to achieve those goals of, for instance, wealth and/or power, which often seems to subsequently provide them with some degree of satisfaction. The thing about wealth and power, is that they aren’t necessarily bad or even evil things, but rather what they so represent in a given case has a lot to do with how such was achieved, of which for all those who adhere to corrupt philosophies such as “the end justifies the means” and similar, are going to find just how hollow worldly material wealth and power, actually is. So too, there is many a person, that relies on their wiles to get ahead in this world, not seeming to recognize that such tricks of the trade, can end up biting that person in their own behind, at the most inconvenient of times.

The judgments so made in this world aren’t always correct -- while also having a strong tendency to be surface judgments, that often reflect that if a given person has the accouterments of success, then they must be a success; and if they do not, then they are not. While indeed, this seems to be the nature of the beast in this world, this isn’t necessarily right; in fact, it is often quite wrong. The respect that so many receive in the here and now, has way too much to do, with the respect so shown to those that have, and the lack of respect so shown to those that have not. These judgments, so made, have not taken into account the full character of a given person, but instead prefers to equate material success with the equivalency which strongly suggests that this therefore represents a good and successful person.

In reality, how we get to where we are in life, absolutely matters. Further to the point, this world makes it abundantly clear that from a material standpoint, the game as it is played by so many, is a zero-sum game of a few winners and a whole lot of losers. So then, all those that get to where they are in life through exploitation, working angles, unfairness, cheating, lying, and the like, have got to realize that doing so, is ultimately going to put them in a place in which they will eventually be fully exposed for who and what they really are; if not in this world, then in the undiscovered country that lies beyond.

Those that are driven by blind ambition to have power and wealth, may so achieve such; but that which we are graded upon is how we have behaved and interacted alongside those that we are fellow sojourners with. After all, to gain a great deal, but to do so at the expense of one’s soul, is indeed a very heavy price to pay; of which, more people therefore need to put into their mindset, that God is absolutely no respecter of persons, and cannot be charmed, fooled, tricked or deceived. Those such games, when they work, only work in this world, and not in the eternal world, beyond. Therefore, it would behoove everyone to take into consideration, that this world, is in actuality the ultimate proving ground, determining our true character, which will ultimately be fairly evaluated, and fairly weighed.

Consumer debt and the carrying load that never ends

Americans are in a great deal of debt, of which, as reported by bankrate.com, “the average American debt among consumers at $92,727.” That debt consists of credit card debt, auto loan debt, mortgage debt, home equity loan debt, student loan debt, and personal loan debt, of which it must be stated that those that think that they own a given car, or a home, or things of that sort, don’t truly own such, until that debt is paid off in full. Additionally, it should be noted that consumers are not required by any sort of governmental or societal fiat to actually get into debt, in the first place, but often have a strong tendency to do so, because they have needs to fulfill, and typically lack the ready capital to pay for that which they so desire and want.

Additionally, it doesn’t help matters at all that the United States government, apparently has no interest in getting its own house in order, of which, the current national debt of this nation, is nearly $29 trillion, and of which, if the United States was to be forthright and honest, this amount of money so owed, will never be paid off in full, and will instead at some point, be subject to default, and then the resetting of its currency. In short, whether it be consumers or whether it be the national government, the total amount of debt so being carried, by both, is truly a house of cards.

One might have a tendency to think, based upon all of this debt, that in the natural order of things, debt is part and parcel of what modern societies are constructed of. Perhaps this is true, to a certain extent, but in reality, the consumer debt as well as the national debt, is more of a reflection of people and this nation’s governance, living beyond its means. In other words, people and governments want what they want right now, and because their credit is considered to be good enough to borrow, they do just that; but with personal incomes having become flat or even declining in comparison to the real inflation rate -- along with wages often being insecure and almost never guaranteed, and in conjunction with consumers reaching for more of what they cannot currently afford, debt continues to increase relentlessly by the day.

This sort of debt game can only continue as long as those so loaning the money, believe that their expectation that they will receive their money back with interest, appears to be sound. Additionally, a significant part of this indebtedness has a lot to do with the fact that the superrich have such a high percentage of the nation’s wealth, and therefore the amount of wealth left to the balance of the people, is not enough to sustain for them a reasonable lifestyle. After all, anyone that doesn’t truly make enough money to afford the things that they need in order to have a toehold upon the American dream, are basically forced to borrow what they so need, and then hope that their situation will improve in the future in order to pay that loan back with interest. The problem is, when things don’t improve, that debt continues to increase, until there comes that time when it can no longer be sustained, and then it all falls apart, suddenly.

Global labor exploitation

Goods need to be produced in order for us to have items such as cell phones, medical devices, electronics of all sorts, clothes, furniture, and so on and so forth.  Those that are entrepreneurs typically have a mindset in which they conscientiously look at all sorts of alternatives on how things are presently being created, in a manner in which they are often able through proper aforethought and planning to increase efficiency, as well as to lower costs; of which, one of those costs that they are particularly concern about is the full cost of labor, which takes into account, the benefits and accouterments normally associated with such.

All of this thinking and planning, certainly makes sense from a competitive as well as a profitability standpoint, and those that thereupon look upon this world as getting ever smaller, in which they see that certain goods are typically able to be manufactured overseas at a subset of what those very same goods would so cost domestically, have to take that into consideration, even at the direct consequence of the subsequent reduction of domestic labor and its corresponding logistics, so of.

The problem, becomes though, that when such work is directly engaged in overseas, or more typically, subcontracted out to an institution that specializes in such, is whether or not, the people so engaged in this work, as well as the environment, are exploited by those so contracting for that labor.  Of course, the easy answer to that is that this is a two-way street in which, because each party seemingly voluntarily agrees to the terms so of, that there isn’t any particular thing, which therefore would be considered to be, untoward.  But that, however, is simplifying it way too much, because environmental damage, whether so done domestically or overseas, is damage to the environment, of the same planet, that all live upon.  So too, the outright exploitation of those that have literally no power to demand much of anything in regards to wages, the terms thereof, and the conditions so of, is fundamentally and ethically wrong.

Those that subcontract out work overseas, whether they are some of the biggest and most powerful multinational corporations, or even very modest organizations, have an innate responsibility to own up to the fact that they need to be good stewards of what has so been contracted or subcontracted, which includes the labor conditions, the wages so paid, as well as the environment and how it is treated; and while in fairness, lower cost countries should not make the same real wages as those working in western nations, they should at a minimum, receive a “living wage”; along with appropriate overtime pay, and other typical benefits that any worker in any state, so deserves and has a right to.

To a very large extent, there never has been so much exploitation on a global scale then is so seen today, of which, this is the prevailing reason, why income and wealth has become ever more extreme and ever more concentrated into fewer and fewer hands; because those that have the power to demand this or that, or else such will be contracted or subcontracted somewhere else, are essentially forcing these weaker nations and those that live within them, to undercut one another, of which the biggest loser, is whoever is holding the shortest end of the stick, which pretty much is the voiceless overseas laborer.

What we have in actuality is global labor exploitation, writ large, which should not be celebrated, but rather needs to be seriously amended or just plain stopped.

Money and money lending

We read in Holy Scripture, the following, “The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is servant to the lender.” (Proverbs 22: 7).  As true as this was, back when this was first written, it is just as relevant today.  In America, the amount of money so being borrowed by the general public, has never been greater, as well as having become completely normalized, and those so lending that money, essentially make their money, in one fundamental way, which is the charging of interest upon that loan, as well as by any fees and penalties so charged, for those so borrowing, all of which the borrower must faithfully adhere to, or duly suffer the consequences for such a failure. 

Whether money lenders should be respected or not, is a very debatable question, of which, fundamentally the loaning of money, isn’t a skill and it isn’t providing a good; in fact, it could be said it’s questionable as to whether or not it is a service, though in some way, it is providing a service, but that service comes, for a significant amount of folks, with a very hefty price.  It should also be taken into serious consideration, that the higher the interest rate that is so being charged for such a loan, the more money that is being extracted from the person or organization that has borrowed that money, of which, this form of extraction, is in many instances, a form of exploitation.  After all, those that lack monetary assets, but need such, are left to pay what the piper so insists upon, especially when they don’t see any other good viable options.  Of course, the money lender, then argues, that what they so charge is what the market will bear, of which the proof so of, is in the activity so engaged. 

Yet, the only thing of value that the money lender brings to the table is the money, and that pretty much is it.  Those that believe that without money, that our society would simply just come to a halt, have got it all wrong, for money really represents a medium of exchange, and to therefore put money above the actual labor that is producing goods, or that which is providing a needed service, have truly put the cart before the horse.  Additionally, the celebration of those that work all these various money hustles, be it huge national banking institutions, or their equivalencies, so that they can therefore make money by the virtue of just having money or the privileged access to it, must recognize the absolute absurdity of applauding that which extracts their undue profit from those that lack capital, or the fair access to it.

The place for money in this world, should be the place in which that money is used in order to be of a benefit for humankind, and not primarily as a profit-making institution.  If it is so needed that money lenders be permitted as for-profit enterprises, the least that any good governance should do for the good of its own people is to regulate that business in a manner in which the general welfare of the country so prospers, as opposed to the money lenders continually taking their pound of flesh, in addition to shedding the blood of all those just trying to get what they feel they need to get in order to make their way in society.

All of the thirteen States had Constitutions before the United States Constitution

There are plenty of revolutionaries that declare this and that and have lofty principles, but when they are unsuccessful in overthrowing their oppressor or opponent, then what was so declared and desired by these revolutionaries, doesn’t really matter all that much, except for perhaps the history books.  In America, the colonists rebelled against their oppressor, and ultimately, they were successful in that revolution; but having been successful they then had to face the problem or the issue of the fact that thirteen sovereign States so joined together under a loose Confederation of those States is not the same thing as a strong and united national government.  That is to say, these States were all in the battle, together, so that, it would seem to therefore make eminent sense, that joined together into one body politic would be the best policy going forward; of which, after much thought, debate and interaction, the Constitution was not only drafted and amended, but ratified by all of those same thirteen States.  It is also important to recognize, that what America did not want to devolve into, was a country divided by the conflicting interests of different regions of that country, for a civil war would be disastrous for that nation; of which, as we know, this subsequently occurred.

It is important to note that each of those thirteen States had their own State Constitution, before the United States Constitution was ratified; so then, what was really at issue for those thirteen States was putting together a limited national Constitutional government, with delegated specific powers for that national government; so as, for instance, to coin and regulate money and debt on a national basis, to negotiate treaties and other areas of business for that government, as well as many other pertinent areas of national interest; but also, quite importantly to thereby set aside all the other undelegated powers to the States or to the people, at large. 

What has occurred over the decades since the ratification of that Constitution is what is pretty much obvious, which is that State Constitutions while being still of relevancy to those individual States on some matters, are for the most part, superseded by the power of the Federal Government and its interpretation of legislated laws on a national scale, which therefore has become the law of the entire land, on just about any major issue of interest.  So then, the individual States have over a long period of time, seen their sovereignty compromised and seemingly will not ever get it back.  What is of relevancy in the present day, is whether or not there are any meaningful constraints which still uphold and contend that this is a national government of specific delegated powers?  The general answer to that question, is that there really doesn’t appear to be any.  That is to say, the people, in whole, do not appear to be in charge of their national government; though of course they do have representatives to it; but those so representing that government, seem not to answer to the people’s beat or to their interests, but answer instead to an unelected minority faction of this country, above all else.

Sadly, we are at that place, in which the words so written in our Constitution which appear to be clear and precise, are not interpreted that way; so that what we functionally have is a national government, which never cedes ground, but takes ever more, every single day from the people, and from the States, with no recourse for those people of those States to be found.

“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”

The above quotation comes from the incomparable, Maya Angelou.  It is important for all of us to recognize this important fact, that we cannot change the past, for the past is the past, but we can change what we are doing in the present, and by doing so, we can change the future for our good contribution to it.  This thus means, that each of us invariably receives lessons, of which, probably the most expensive lessons to have received are those past events, that have hurt us or upset us, as well as those other actions so taken that we personally regret doing.  All of us, that will not learn from the past, are prone to walk into and make the very same mistakes, going forward; whereas, those that rightly see the past as offering an object lesson to take to heart, can make adjustments, to therefore make for a better life.

As it has been said, life in this world is not necessarily fair, and the events that we subsequently have to deal with, may seem unwarranted and unjust; yet there they are, all the same.  So then, it is our duty, to be therefore the change that we so desire to see in others, first in our own self; and by doing just that, we are bound to be able to face what needs be faced in the future, with greater courage; so that, when provided with more than one pathway on our personal road of life, we need to take into full account, that knowing where we want to go, is going to make our decision, so of, a lot clearer.

The toughest lessons to learn are, for example, those lessons which involve an action or interaction that is so dramatic, that it not only can’t be undone, but it can’t really be rectified in a manner in which fair justice will ever occur in the present.  Those lessons indeed are a painful burden to bear, but decisions so made, even those lasting no more than a split second, can have profound consequences.  So too, those lessons, in which we seemingly are stuck making the same sorts of mistakes again and again, need to be addressed in a manner in which we successfully pass that test, or else we will have to keep taking that test, again and again, until we are able to come up with the correct response.  In this world, there are no shortcuts, and those so sold to us as shortcuts, are illusions, at best; so, it is up to us, to have the integrity of character, to recognize that we have to earn our way to where we need to go, as well as to have the wisdom to see that there are often notable others of good repute that will help us along our journey, so of, if we only request such of them.

Life, as it is, is going to be different for each one of us; and further to the point, the only person that can walk the line for a given individual, is specifically that person, and none other.  Recognize this well, the prize that we so greatly desire, is the exact same prize for everyone; yet, the pathway to earn that prize is a unique experience for each person.  Therefore, it is imperative that each one of us, finds the strength of being, to carry on and to successfully get pass whatever obstacles that are there, so as to therefore get to where they need to be, so they need not begin again as if they had never lived before.

In reality, what sort of government do we really have?

In the scheme of things, this government, is a government of, by, and for the people, by the consent of the governed, and we, in whole, are those people.  Regrettably, with the exception of elites as well as well-placed governmental officials, this government, is, in effect, not in the hands of the people, and does not honestly answer to those people, nor is this government, truly transparent to the people.  We have, in effect, a government that rules us, to its own purposes, and through the power of its extensive and documented knowledge of each one of us, is able to, by the day, grow ever more powerful at our expense.  So then, to a very large extent, our government is, for all practical purposes, behaving more and more as our master, and we as its servants.

How many people can honestly answer this question in the affirmative, which is, does this government responsibly answer all of their questions and concerns in a satisfactory manner?  On the other hand, how many can honestly say that they find their government to be obtuse, confusing, unorganized, unresponsive, and unhelpful, especially in those situations in which help is need at its most urgent level?

Anytime that the government behaves in a manner, in which we fear to tread upon its public offices and engage in its public affairs, for we tremble inside -- then that isn’t good governance.  A government that is in tune and in harmony with its constituents, is that government that is responsible, considerate, patient, and helpful in dealing with the day-to-day affairs of its constituency.  Unfortunately, our government while getting ever larger and ever more powerful, has taken upon itself, to place itself in the position, in which it seemingly holds all of the cards, in regards to, for instance, dealing with those that are impoverished, such as in healthcare, housing allowances, food stamps, educational choices, and general welfare.  So that, in effect, those that are impoverished but are sufficiently obedient to that government, will get just enough, to survive; but never enough to thrive, as well as not being provided with the means to ever extricate themselves meaningfully from their rather dire straits. 

So too, for the middle class, this government will continue on the course it has set, which is basically to allow the largest and most powerful corporations that the world has ever known, to outsource as much work and employment that they so desire, with absolutely no consequences for their doing so; which thereby permits these corporations to make even more money and become even more powerful, at the expense of the middle class, who despite their great work ethic, are finding it ever more problematic to secure good and stable jobs, with adequate benefits and a wage large enough to afford the American dream, but rather are seeing such inexorably slipping away.

This is quite frankly, a government of the privileged for the privileged; and those that are privileged, have never had it any better than what they so have, today.  The vast majority of Americans have been sold an absolute lie, which is that this is a government so created for the general welfare of the people; when, in fact, this is a government that cares only for the welfare of the privileged people, and none else.

“The purpose of the slum is to confine…”

The above quotation comes from the inestimable Martin Luther King, Jr., of which, that quote continues with: “The slum is little more than a domestic colony which leaves its inhabitants dominated politically, exploited economically, and segregated and humiliated at every turn.”  Regrettably, the slums that existed back when King first made this speech in 1966, still exist today, and arguably are even more segregated, more oppressive, and the people that live within them, are in an even more hopeless state.

While on the one hand, humankind has advanced tremendously since King’s time, in the sense of its technological, material, and other impressive achievements; what has disappointingly not occurred in this country subsequently, is its governance making it a true priority and therefore putting forth the effort to do something of real substance to ameliorate and to correct the pitiful conditions that so many Americans are born into and live within.  Clearly, this is a reflection, that the highest levels of governance cares not a whit about the poor and disadvantaged in this nation; and that the commercial enterprises that make billions upon billions of dollars in profit, each and every year, invest none of it, in uplifting those that need to be uplifted, the most.

How is that this country can devote billions upon billions of dollars to the killing of foreigners, in these endless wars, and not want to actually put some teeth into its own “war on poverty?”  In reality, America, desperately needs to get its own house in order.  The hypocrisy that “God blessed America,” is exposed by the fact that Christianity, by definition, is that religion which is founded upon the principle that we are to love our neighbor as ourself, which in America is belied by the fact of all of those neighbors that are confined to the slums; of which, they are apparently both out of sight and effectively out of mind, with the sole exception of those so exploiting them for their personal benefit at the expense of those that are ill-educated, disadvantaged, and un-championed.

The energy, the perseverance, and the drive to take our slums and to thereby actually make something out of them, is something that this country, with all of its wealth, and all of its hard-working well-educated people, should be able to achieve, in a reasonable period of time; if only this country and its people, devoted and concentrated the necessary resources to fundamentally correct and to ameliorate the situation as it is, right now. 

The poor and the disadvantaged are deliberately segregated from the population at large, in the futile attempt to pretend that they don’t actually exist, when they most certainty do.  America needs to fully recognize this must important and salient point, which is that every healthy newborn child has the innate disposition to explore, to learn, and to become something of merit; and what kills these childhood dreams in the slums, more than anything,  is the surroundings and the infrastructure that they are trapped within and inundated by -- which consists of unsafe neighborhoods, police harassment, injustice, dilapidated and poorly functioning schools, as well as broken families – all this, while also typically being devoid of any meaningful employment of any real worth within their neighborhood.

This country already incarcerates hundreds and hundreds of thousands of its own citizens; of which, if we fairly designated slums as another form of incarceration, this then becomes millions upon millions of our citizens, effectively treated as something which is less than human, and therefore of no real concern to the state.

Why we seek perfection

A perfect score is a perfect score, as you can’t do any better than perfect, because if you could, that wouldn’t be perfection.  So then, to achieve perfection in anything, is the absolute highest level that a given individual can be at, and if it is so possible, a truly worthwhile and noble goal.  The correct motivation that makes us seek for perfection, is never going to be our ego, or for some sort of peer recognition, but rather it is us being true to an inner feeling that propels us to be the best that we can be.  So too, we seek perfection for the very salient reason, that God is perfection, and the greatest tribute that we can provide to God, is to be the finest person that we can be in all that we think, say, and do.

Additionally, perfection by definition, means that there is no room for error, for doubt, or for improvement.  So then, this is what each one of us should strive for; though, no doubt, in the scheme of things this may appear in certain situations to logically be impossible or seem to be impossible, yet, we have an obligation to do all that we can do to be our best, and this is the reason why we shouldn’t easily settle for that which we know is not all that we can do, and refuse to settle for less than what we know that we can and should accomplish.

Our drive for perfection, is also meant as a loving tribute to God, and the best way to demonstrate our sincerity to that purpose is by our actions.   As for those that don’t buy into this mindset, they are functionally people that presently aren’t willing to strive towards that excellence, of which, they are actually quite capable of doing so on some level, but have apparently given up and petulantly don’t feel like doing better.  In life, we are defined by the choices that we make and while we can essentially “opt-out” at any time for any reason, that isn’t going to be a pathway that is going to get us to where we ultimately need to go.

There are all sorts of things that drive people, such as money, honor, power, envy, and so on and so forth; in which, those that strive to be the best that they can be, ultimately will find that the most satisfying motivation in doing what they end up doing is because it is the correct thing to do.  The highest calling that any of us has, is listening to that still small voice within; which in and of itself is not so easily accomplished, nor is it the easiest of things to be obedient to; however, those that are true to that voice thereby follow it absolutely faithfully. 

We want to be perfect, because we want to prove to God, that we truly love God, for God is perfection.  This is why then, we find ourselves being challenged by all sorts of tests in this world, for this allows us to successfully develop the wisdom to become that which we were created to be, co-creators with God in Heaven.      

The real criminals

There are a significant amount of people that completely and unequivocally buy into the “law and order” mindset, but don’t seem to realize that the biggest criminals in the world, are not people like Al Capone, Ted Bundy, or Charles Manson, but are almost exclusively powerful head of states as exemplified by Stalin, Mao ZeDong, and Hitler; as this represents the difference between someone that alone or with a few others commits a few dastardly and notorious crimes as compared to that who through the power of their position and with the compliance and aid of thousands upon thousands that are their faithful followers, kill hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people. 

The above serves to help make the point, that those that put on the uniform, as in an officer of the law, or of the military, have an innate responsibility that always and will forever supersede the human or governmental authority that they answer to; which is that they are above all, responsible to a higher natural law, which states that it is always wrong to commit crimes against humanity, no matter what the orders and directives so of, stipulate.  That is to say, all those that claim that they hate Hitler or Stalin, or people of that ilk, must obviously understand that Hitler and Stalin could not have wreak the terrible inhumane havoc that they so did, without the complicity of thousands upon thousands of soldiers and underlings that performed for them, the dirty work, so successfully done. 

This then clearly indicates that the real criminals, the ones that we should always fear the most, are not the “lone wolf” type; but rather those that put on that uniform and comply with orders so given, without bothering to think through the consequences of their subsequent actions, so taken.  After all, our law officers, are supposed to protect and defend us, not persecute and batter us.  So too, our military is meant to defend our nation, not so meant to make violence upon others, civilian or otherwise, without some sort of reasonable and humane “rule of engagement” so enacted and adhered to.

This country, as in many other countries, is almost always very reluctant to prosecute officers of the law, or military soldiers, no matter how bad acting that they have been; probably under the belief that such prosecution will serve to undercut and to undermine the loyalty and the obedience of these uniformed officers and soldiers.  The problem with that mindset, however, becomes the problem of all those that know that whatever that they do, good or bad, right or wrong, will not ever be subject to prosecution; so that the consequence to this is that they will therefore not be held accountable for any of their actions, so performed; inevitably devolves into a situation in which thereby, everything is permitted under the color of law.  No wonder then, that so much state sanctioned violence is therefore initiated and faithfully implemented, for those so performing those deeds, typically fear no personal ill consequences, except, perhaps, for a guilty conscience, which often is drowned out through drugs or drink.

When our officers of the law, and military soldiers are basically provided with blanket immunity, no matter what they so do, not too surprisingly, they will do some really terrible things; and the more that they do which is morally and legally wrong, without the personal suffering of fair consequences, so of, the less will be the legitimacy of that state of governance.

The right way to defend freedom

America likes to claim the mantle of being for freedom, liberty, hope, and opportunity.  It could well be those things, but its military-industrial-technology complex appears to run this nation and it behaves clearly in a manner that belies that well-meaning sentiment in its totality.  The greatest hypocrisy so propagated again and again by these United States, is its innate belief that might is always right, and therefore whenever there is trouble brewing, or conflicts that somehow the United States feels it must engage in, it skips diplomacy, it skips being reasonable, it skips having an actual dialog, and it skips an true international consortium of nations putting their heads together; to basically instead, have the United States do whatever it prefers to do, wherever that it wants to do it, which is almost exclusively against non-western nations, and thereby through its great awesome display of the use of its killing armaments, “shock and awes” whoever is unfortunate enough to get on its “bad guy” list, and cares not a whit, about the consequences, immediate or otherwise, of what so thereupon subsequently occurs.

Those that believe that freedom is defended best by killing other people, civilians or otherwise, and by bombing infrastructure as well as the people that just happen to be around that infrastructure, have no conception of what freedom actually is.  To wit, freedom is never defended by the use of arms; it might be necessary to use arms from time-to-time but that usage of armaments is never a means to defend freedom, but rather, at best, it is a necessary act in order to defend the nation from enemies, whether domestic or foreign, of which, the hope is by defending one’s nation, that the end result, will be that the freedoms so ingrained within that nation, will not be sacrificed to that defending; for if freedom is lost to that government in the name of necessary safety and security so enacted, then it is submitted, freedom has not been defended, but rather has been taken away unjustly from the people.

The only conceivable way to actually defend freedom, is to in all actions so taken, make those actions consistent with the nature of freedom.  Each of us has been gifted with free-will, which is our unalienable right; therefore, signifying that any agency that seizes our freedom, or limits our freedom, in order for that act to therefore be legitimate, must have something that is occurring, that necessitates the temporary sacrifice of freedom, or the constraint thereof, for a purpose higher than such freedom so represents.  There are those times, when freedom and our liberties must so take a back seat, such as through a natural disaster, war, famine, and the like; of which, those exigent circumstances necessitates that we bond together and make contributions for the greater good.  All that is fine, for freedom, by its very nature, requires constant vigilance from those that so desire to hold on to it, of which, we need to therefore hold properly accountable those that would take our freedom away.

The right way to defend freedom, is to honor it, in our interactions day-by-day, in the recognition that the freedoms that we so desire, are equally applicable for all others, whether or not we like or dislike them.   Therefore, we each need to judge less, be slower to retaliate, and know that we are all in this together, of which, each one of us, is meant to be free.

The forgotten 9th and 10th Amendments

The Bill of Rights, includes 10 Amendments, but somehow through the course of history, the 9th and 10th Amendments to that Constitution, have not been as materially effective as they were meant to be.  The 9th Amendment makes it clear that the people are the ultimate sovereigns of their Constitutional government, and therefore the enumeration of certain rights in regards to the people so listed in that Constitution, is never meant to be limited to just those specific rights.  The 10th Amendment echoes that point by stating that those powers not specifically delegated to the United States government, are reserved to the States or to the people, which basically signifies that the Federal government is prohibited from aggrandizing onto itself, more and more undelegated power. and therefore, more and more control of the population at the expense of the people; but rather good government is that government which provides for the common welfare of those people, above all else, for the primary purpose of government is for the beneficence of those people.

The nature of governments, well intentioned or not, is to inexorably increase its influence into all areas of its citizens’ lives, typically done under the guise of being a necessary or appropriate thing on behalf of the people, or perhaps so done under exigent circumstances; but once the population has ceded control of certain aspects of their lives for safety, convenience, or whatnot, that government, seldom relinquishes its newfound powers, once that crisis is done and dusted, or continues on instead for iteration after iteration.  Further to the point, governments and the people that are their representatives, have a strong tendency to want to be seen as being helpful, and often have the self-serving belief that in order to be most helpful, they need to know just about everything about their constituency, and therefore with this newfound knowledge they will then be able to be of more assistance to that populace, which seems like a good thing, but in reality, almost always is not.

When the government has the power to tax, the power to arrest, and the power to rule on that which is ruled upon, then that government is clearly superior in its powers, explicit and implicit, then a given individual is; yet, that government is supposed to serve the people, not rule in a manner in which the people do not seem to have a voice, especially, when that individual voice is theirs by right.  The point of the 9th and 10th Amendments is to keep the government, well intentioned or not, subservient to the peoples’ rights, and not therefore for the people, to have to keep giving ground, year after year, decade after decade, only to therefore find themselves ultimately in a position in which they are seen as a resource to be exploited by that government, for the benefit of those that are the actuators of that government.

There isn’t any doubt, that since the Constitution was ratified in the 18th century, that the Federal government, let alone any State government, is far more powerful than it was back at its inception, of which, the only pushback that the people really have in their arsenal is the 9th and 10th Amendments, and if, in effect, the 9th and 10th Amendments are basically treated as if they don’t exist, then the people are no more than subjects of that government which day-by-day, is becoming more and more authoritarian, in which that government’s way is clearly one of ever limited choices for the people and their only desire of those that are its subjects, is obedience.

The betrayal of the middle class

One wouldn’t necessarily know it, by virtue of the stock market hitting ever new highs, seemingly on a weekly basis, and by the fact that America is still the richest nation that the world has ever known; but there are serious cracks in what has occurred in the pocketbooks for the core of Americans; that is, those that aren’t superrich or just plain rich, as well as those that are not poor, or just plain dirt poor.  While there are lots of ways to measure the greatness of a country, certainly one of those is how the hard-working middle class is faring vis-à-vis historical records, as well as how they are doing in the present day.   Regrettably, the middle class in America is regressing, not because they aren’t working as hard as they ever have, and not because America isn’t producing buckets of profits for many of its biggest and most influential corporations, but rather because the allocation of that income and monetary pay is heavily skewed progressively ever more to those at the top of the pyramid; with those that are middle class as well as the poor, progressively falling ever further behind, and of which the progressive income tax code, is effectively, not even close to being robust in the re-distribution of that income and wealth.

We read at epi.org, that the productivity growth and typical hourly worker compensation in the years of 1948-1973, were pretty much in lockstep; demonstrated by productivity growing at 96.7% during that period of time, and with hourly worker compensation, growing at 91.3%.  We then discover that from the period of 1973-2013, while productivity continued its growth at 74.4% during that period; that on the other hand, there was a huge disconnect with hourly worker compensation which only grew at an anemic 9.2% pace during that same period.  This so signifies what is fairly obvious to those that look at the growing wealth gap between the pinnacle of the top in America, as compared to those of the middle class, which is that the wealthiest, the elite of Americans, have taken almost full control of the lion’s share of profits and income, and left the scraps for the middle class to fight over, thereby leaving that middle class, in a far worse position and of much more vulnerability, financially, then they were back in 1973.

For those that somehow believe, that this is okay, or is some sort of normal process or outcome of the capitalistic system, they are wrong.  What this reflects, more than anything, is that those in the highest echelons of power and governance within this nation, are either outright corrupt or compromised in such a way that their decisions are consistently those decisions that favor a small subsection of Americans at the expense of the middle class and the people in whole.  Further to the point, it isn’t healthy for any country for just a small elite to have such a significant amount of its wealth; in fact, this is something that is expected more from a corrupt and backward nation, not from that country which prides itself as being the emblem of a Constitutional republic, with a vibrant democracy.

The fact that so few have so much at the direct expense of the majority of Americans, is indicative that our governance has failed us, and until such is corrected by those that have the vision and the courage to do right by the people of this land, things will only get progressively worse.

Problems, challenges, and solutions

Each one of us is going to invariably have to deal with difficult problems as well as unwelcomed challenges in our lives.   Those problems and challenges are never meant to overwhelm us, but rather they are far better viewed as stumbling blocks meant for us to overcome, through our good efforts, diligence, and concentrated actions.  For all those that do not wish for any problems or challenges, at all, recognize that a life without obstacles to overcome, is perhaps a life that the person so leading it, has not challenged themselves, enough – therefore lacking in the important opportunity to prove their true worth and value beyond mere theory, and therefore never really knowing where they truly stand.

It is important to visualize this world as the ultimate proving ground, of which each one of us, has been tasked with a particular journey, unique to us, that we need to not only take but ultimately to succeed in.  This so signifies, that the problems and challenges that we face in our life, are part and parcel of that necessary experience, providing us thereof with the opportunity to prove our mettle in the field of battle.

So then, when we come across a particular difficult challenge, rather than tucking in our tail, and running away, we need instead to face squarely that challenge and try to figure out a way to overcome it.  This so necessitates that we have a real need to call upon our mental and spiritual strength, as well as to utilize our experience in order to best figure out a way to resolve that which troubles us, and thereby precludes us from getting to where we need to be.  This clearly signifies, that not every problem is going to be successfully resolved in one day, nor does it indicate that we should not take the time to thoroughly study what we are dealing with, so as to come up with the necessary armament and strategy to subsequently conquer such.

So too, it is not reasonable to expect, that even the best laid plans, are never prone to fail; for rather, those of true character are the ones that are able to dust themselves off where they have failed, and will therefore try and try again and again, adjusting as need be to what the situation so warrants.  In truth, that which creates a problem for us, may appear intractable and even immovable, but given enough time, effort, and concentration, may indeed be broken down, bit by bit, and piece by piece.

Our greatest days are never those days, in which we faced nothing that challenged us, and had no problems; though those may indeed have been good days – but rather, our greatest days, and our greatest moments are those times when we took on that which first appeared to be a bridge too far; yet, we were eventually able to successfully cross it, despite dangers, fears, and setbacks, of which we never gave up in trying to capture that prize which laid across that river of trouble, and for that seminal accomplishment, this has made all the difference in our getting to where we need to be, so determined from the beginning of our journey.

The injustice of “Time served”

People are arrested all of the time in America, of which, some of those so arrested, are able to relatively easily be released, soon thereafter, on their own recognizance or through some monetary bail amount, reasonable or unreasonable that they thereby have found the means to secure; and then there are all those others, who typically are already disadvantaged, ill-educated, poor, defenseless, and without good reliable resources to turn to in their time of difficulty – for these people, even what appears to be a reasonable bail amount is not reasonable, and in absence of some sort of progressive acting judge or legislation, they are basically left in an incarcerated state, pending the outcome of their trial, plea bargain, or other adjudication procedures, which can take days, weeks, months, or even longer.

The first thing to recognize for anyone that is incarcerated pending judicial procedures, irrespective of their culpability or alleged crime, is that anytime a person is placed into a position in which they no longer are free, but are bound instead to the criminal justice system, basically just about everything in that person’s life begins to erode, decay, and to come apart, in very short order.  For example, those that are employed, and are unable to show up for work by virtue of their incarceration, are prone to being dismissed; and some are dismissed simply for having been arrested, so seen as a violation of their employment terms.  Additionally, all those that have family obligations, pet obligations, utility bills, car notes, credit card bills, and just about anything that so requires being addressed in a timely manner, of which, this subsequently is not successfully addressed, is going to wreak havoc on that person’s credit, that person’s livelihood, and that person’s life.  All this, for those so being incarcerated, without the ready means to bail out, and having been convicted of nothing.

So too, those that are incarcerated, are never in the catbird’s seat when it comes to any sort of negotiation with the prosecuting arm of the state, and are quite obviously vulnerable as well as being susceptible to getting no more than the short end of the stick from such.  This thus essentially signifies, that an individual that is in a state of incarceration, and unable to bail out, doesn’t have any good options, nor does that person have any leverage with anybody in the justice system, for they are locked up, and therefore time is not their friend, whatsoever. 

Not too surprisingly, in a justice system, which is all about volume, and never about quality or fairness, thereof, prosecutors see those so unable to bail out, as the easiest of targets to pressure or to coerce into making a plea bargain deal, and so when that prosecutor offers the seemingly most sensible of deals, of the punishment being no more than “time served” this sure does seem like a tempting offer for that person currently locked up.  Yet, while it does provide some sort of “freedom” that freedom is paid through a fairly hefty price, which reflects firstly that there wasn’t any trial, and implicit within this offer from the prosecutor is often an inkling that their case was weak or of little merit; in addition to the fact that those so pleading guilty to that “time served” are now convicted of a crime, with probation usually attached, a possible monetary fine, as well as possible community service.

It is rather amazing how so many are convicted to “time served” as if somehow the justice system gets it just right, not too harsh, and not too lenient; but this is the illusion, and never the truth.

The Homestead Act of 1862, updated

The Homestead Act of 1862, was some of the most important legislation so passed by Congress, which thereby permitted, United States citizens, freed slaves, and even new immigrants so intending to become naturalized, to own 160 acres of western land, then owned by that government, of, for, and by the people; upon the salient condition that such land, be improved by those so paying the filing fee to own it. No doubt, the lure of all that free land was a tremendous incentive for those that went after that offer --who not only saw the opportunity to have that land but thereupon seized such with the necessary commitment and the drive to make that land viable in one way or another, or else to die trying.

Today’s government, still owns about 640 million acres of land, of which, the vast majority of that land is held in the western States.  It is important to acknowledge that land, even undeveloped land, most definitely has value, and of which, there are millions of Americans that do not own any land, whatsoever; and of which, given the right circumstances would be interested in the opportunity to own some.  In consideration, that even the best legislative acts, such as the Homestead Act of 1862, were in their time, “gamed” by America’s favored race, this thereby signifies that plenty of worthy Americans have still never been provided with the same sort of fair opportunity; and in addition, a significant amount of Americans have a background in which they were brought to this nation, against their will, and in a position that they were not their own person, but were considered to be property of another, as in, chattel slaves.

So then, in consideration that native Americans, as well as other people of color, have historically been denied or cheated of their Constitutional rights, and in the sure knowledge that this government has plenty of land that could, in fact, be provided, free of charge or at a nominal charge, to its own people, there should then be legislation so drafted to do exactly that, which could be of great material benefit to those previously left behind.  After all, this good earth has proved again and again, to have natural resources which so developed has produced a great deal of wealth; and in addition, that which is developed and built upon this available governmental land is quite capable of providing good jobs and income for those that have the imagination, drive, and diligence to create businesses that provide needed goods and services for the people.

The Homestead Act of 1862, jumpstarted the development of what was considered to be the “west” at that time, of which its subsequent success was based upon the logic that those that have little or nothing, almost always want something; especially if the deal is as good as it actually appears to be, while requiring in return, no real capital other than blood, sweat, and tears.  There isn’t at the present day, any good reason why this United States government can’t demonstrate that same sort of foresight, as was done more than one hundred and fifty years ago, and thereby to do right by the very people that need to feel that this really is the land of opportunity, freedom, and hope.

Perfection does not change and does not know time or space

The very first problem that humanity has is it seemingly measures everything in relation to something else, which thus forms the basis of the reality that it so perceives. Further to the point, virtually every human being believes for a certainty that in this world, there is both time and space; without taking into consideration that what is viewed as time and space, comes from the standpoint of human measurements, human conceptions, and human limitations.  Further, this also means that everything that appears to be subject to time as well as space, is by definition, imperfect; for that which is by its nature subject to change, makes it imperfect, which therefore means that such cannot be the actual essence of God, for God is immutable.  So then, it appears that we are imperfect and living in an imperfect world, though permitted to have within that world the use of our own free will, and of which everything that we do and interact with, seems very real.  That said, we also are able to acknowledge that God is forever complete, and therefore because God is complete, it doesn’t seem to make sense that we could ever even be a creation of God, if we are, in fact, forever changing through time and space, along with the salient fact that actual creation, by definition, is a form of change, with a beginning which therefore necessitates an end.

All of the above is a puzzle, perhaps unsolvable, perhaps not; but it leads to the very next point which is that there must be a dimension, beyond both time and space, in which everything is in the ever present, never changing, and therefore never subject to time or space.  That dimension is God, and we are at our core, each one of us, Spirit of that God, which makes us therefore begotten of God but with the important caveat that we have always been in existence with God, and always will be.  Because we are at our core, never the physical, but always the spirit, this means, that this world and everything in it, is and must be an elaborate illusion, that we have bought into, but it is not who we actually are, for we are complete, and that which is complete, knows not time or space.

Again, it is important to recognize that God is perfect and immutable, in the ever presence, so then, it is not therefore conceivable that this world and everything in it, is somehow actually the master reality, when it cannot be.  It so follows that the perfection that so many of us seek for, is God’s way of getting our attention focused on that which is the sanctuary of sanctuaries, as compared to those poor substitutes that entice us but that will never satisfy us -- as well as keeping us trapped in seemingly endless cycle of birth, death, and re-birth.

This drama, that we voluntarily participate in, is created in such a way, that we perceive that there is good and evil, light and darkness, right and wrong, so meant to beguile us ever deeper into the play that we are actors in, but never is it meant for us to forget the essence of who we are; for those that will not search for the answer to their reason for being, are in a state of confusion – too caught up in that which is meant really as the impetus for them to find the necessary curiosity to peak behind the curtain so as to then recognize Perfection. 

Those that are anti-immigrant are unpatriotic

There are those that are just plain against any immigration, legal or illegal; then there are those that support some immigration as long as the people so immigrating, look a lot like they do; there are also those that believe that there should be some sort of limit on legal immigration with all sorts of rules and regulations to adhere to, and absolutely no illegal immigrants, at all; and then there are those that would like to see more immigration, with less restrictions, and more consideration taken of worldwide trouble spots in regards to people suffering from abject poverty, environmental disasters, conflict zones, and the like, of which these potential immigrants often see America as truly being the land of opportunity.

Those that are most vociferously anti-immigrant are typically those that also wish to wrap the American flag around their body, and declaim that they are the true Americans, who are patriotically defending our nation, from foreign invaders.  That is the story that they like to tell, and perhaps that is the story that they personally believe; but within that story is absolute hypocrisy, for those that most fervently wish to slam the door on future immigrants, are, almost without exception, descendants of immigrants themselves, legal or otherwise.  This thus signifies that all those that perceive that being anti-immigrant is patriotic, are wrong, for it is, in fact, unpatriotic; for this is a nation of immigrants, so built around those immigrants, embracing the American ideal and dream. 

America would not be the nation that it is today if it wasn’t for all the immigration that has occurred over the decades, both legal and illegal.  So too, those that decry the loudest about illegal immigrants don’t seem to comprehend that the millions of illegal immigrants that are presently in this country, could not conceivably be here, if it wasn’t for the inconvenient fact that certain powerful people as well as well-placed corporations, have benefited immensely from that illicit labor, which they often exploit to the absolute maximum.

Further to the point, America strongly believes that its Constitutional institutions and aspirations so implied, are the greatest edifice so founded upon in the entire history of all humankind; of which, one way to impress upon all the other nations that this is indeed true, is to truly open up America’s gates to let all those that desire to immigrate here to immigrate here.  After all, the greatest component of gross domestic product growth, comes down to consumer spending, of which, quite obviously, the more consumers that there are, domestically, the greater that growth rate. So too, all those that hate America, can no longer hate America, when they come here, and end up falling in love with this land of opportunity and meritocracy, and therefore become themselves part and parcel of the great fabric of this unique nation.

Those that hate immigrants the most, are typically those that match the color and privilege of America’s historically favored race.  They hate immigrants, because apparently, they aren’t themselves good enough, smart enough, or dedicated enough, to be able to fairly compete against them; but alas, it really is not a competition, for the bigger the American pie so gets, the more that there is for everyone.  All those that support fair immigration to this fair land, are those that are the true patriots; and those that do not, are the counterfeit patriots who represent a blight upon this shining light of freedom and liberty.