Scams: the roof for free

There isn’t anybody that ever really wants to replace their roof, for they know that this is not only a major expense, but it’s also one of those expenses that doesn’t have any “bragging” value to take pride in; in the sense, that just about nobody that we respect would ever express their admiration of our new roof, as compared to a new deck, or new addition to the interior of our home, instead.  The thing about roofs, is that, depending upon where a given person lives, the finite life of that roof can vary considerably, based upon the weather conditions, and thereby susceptibility to damage from such.  No doubt, some people do have bad luck with their roof, in the sense that perhaps the work so done was poorly performed, or the roofers utilized inferior materials, or that their roof suffered an undue amount of damage from a hail storm, or similar.  So then, roofs do need from time-to-time to be repaired, fixed, or ultimately replaced, and of which, the replacing of a roof, is a rather large expense, in which, insurance coverage for such, is going to take into account, the actual damage, the normal wear and tear of that roof, the date of the initial install of that roof, the deductible involved, and any other information of pertinence by that insurance company. 

All of the above, indicates that anybody coming up to our door, that has the audacity to state that they from a street level can first of all, ascertain that the roof has severe damage, necessitating the replacement of such, and further indicates that their “company” can provide us with a free roof through our home insurance, is at best, problematic, and is in probability, a straight-up scam.  After all, the person so making this proposal, doesn’t know the insurance so utilized on a given home, doesn’t know the deductible, doesn’t know the background of the person so having that insurance as to whether or not they have had previous claims, nor do they know how long the current roof has been in place.  In short, those that state that they can replace a roof for free, through one’s insurance company, are running a scam, and are not worthy to have a conversation with.

Of course, some people feel, that a free inspection of their roof, has its place, but that free inspection can be and should be performed by the actual authorized representative of their insurance company, rather than some random person from the street, who is basically trying to get over on a given person.  The come-on that those running such a scam, which they obviously believe is effective, is that they claim that they can get us a free roof, of which, it is that word “free”, and the knowledge that people know that roofs don’t last forever, that serves its purpose in potentially getting a real conversation going.  Further, these scams, usually involve these solicitors, claiming that they just fixed a roof for some other neighbor, down the street, without ever identifying the neighbor, or having any proof of the work so done, or the price, thereof, actually being free.

In summary, there are many a thing that are free in life, but to ever believe that some random stranger can provide a roof for free, is not one of them.

Poor diet leads to poor health

The physical body needs nourishment in order to sustain itself; of which the food and drink that we so partake of on an everyday basis, absolutely matters.  That is to say, not all calories are the same, nor are those calories that make up the food that we eat, treated the same within the body.  So then, those that consistently eat foods that have been fairly labeled as “junk food,” because of their lack of good nutritional content or that eat foods that have been manipulated in a way in which the best nutritional parts have been substituted with something that is inferior, are going to, over some period of time, reap what they have sown, which is damage to the physical body, so demonstrated by diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart ailments, and stroke.

The thing about eating is that both the mind and the body can easily be tricked by not only the compelling and enticing advertisements that we see via television and social media, but also by the taste of such, in which, there are lot of food items that have been sweetened or configured in a manner in which the taste is pleasing to us, thereby leading many a person to believe that if it thereby tastes good, it must therefore be good for the body.  Additionally, what we so grow up eating, has a strong tendency to stay with us, so that when we are brought up eating certain foods that aren’t healthy for us, and of which these foods are comfortable to us, it’s going to be a lot harder to break those eating habits at some future point, in order to embrace some other foods, that would be better for us.  Finally, there is the fact that budgets for families in regards to food, varies considerably, in which, some families have a tight budget, that thereby has them gravitate to what they can so afford, which in a lot of circumstances, in regards to those food items, leads to that which is poor in nutritional value, though for the most part, those so buying these items, aren’t really aware of or can do much about, that needful fact.

Those that consistently eat a poot diet, often are able to keep the dogs at bay, for a long period of time, for the eating of that which is unhealthy, typically takes a considerable period of time, to work its damages upon the body, but damages they will so come.  Those then, that wonder why diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and strokes seem to be so prominent, in a nation that is known as the “breadbasket” of the world, seem not to comprehend that those that suffer from poor health, often have the contributing factor that their diet has correspondingly also been poor.

We live in a day and age, in which never has so many food items, been so prevalent, though not all that is currently labeled as food, deserves such a label, for that which lacks nutritional value, shouldn’t really be called food, but rather should be properly identified as being the health danger that it actually represents.  The fact that so much junk food is produced and consumed, reflects that those that are in that business, care mainly about the profits so being made, and apparently are blithely unconcern about the long-term negative ramifications that hurt those that consistently indulge in such.

Status and implicit superiority

As much as America desires to sell the narrative that the United States is a “classless” society, as well as being a country of meritocracy, equality, and the land of opportunity; we do so find that while these words and sentiments do indeed sound noble, the reality of what is really going on in this nation, is pretty much something entirely different.   While it is true that America has never had a formal class system, with titles signifying nobility and stuff of that sort; what it does so have is definitely an implicit class system, in which those that are at the very top of it, lived entirely different lives from those at the very bottom, in every single aspect of their lives, signifying that all those at the pinnacle of the upper class do not see America through the same prism, as those others that are the most impoverished and disadvantaged of the lower class.

Further to the point, those that have high-status, have, by definition, the accouterments that come with that status, such as owning the best homes, living in the best neighborhoods, attending the best schools, eating at the best restaurants, buying the best things, while also having the best networking connections, then everyone else.  On the other hand, those that have the lowest status, don’t have any of those things, but rather are sorely lacking in each of them, and additionally, because they have no status, aren’t in the place or position in which they can by even their own best efforts, reasonably expect to generate the escape velocity to improve their lot, one iota.  

This thus signifies and puts the lie to the belief, that in America, one’s status is not set at birth; for in more cases than America would care to admit to, those that are born with the proverbial “silver spoon” in their mouth, are always in a very good place, and of which, it would necessitate a whole lot of ill behavior by those born into that environment, to ever fall from that grace, though it does occasionally happen.  On the other hand, those that are born into the direst of circumstances, live in the type of America, in which everything seemingly conspires against them, so as to keep them in their poor place, and thereby they are stuck in a construct, in which there is no future, for there is no hope; though occasionally through extraordinary efforts there are a few that are able to break free from that which has previously unjustifiably constrained and bound them.

The thing about status, is the fact that far too many people, associate that those that have material success, have somehow earned it, legitimately; whereas, the truth of the matter not only has far more nuance to it, but often hasn’t taken into fair consideration that those that are privileged and favored to every possible extent, have been provided with an inherent advantage that makes their subsequent accomplishments, far less impressive.  Yet, it is these high-status people, that regrettably hold the power reins of this nation, of which these people, see themselves as the natural leaders of this nation, thereby doing primarily in action that which benefits their class and their status, at the expense of not only the general public, but especially those that have no voice, and no dreams to believe in.

Vaccines and the success of failure

While there isn’t any doubt that vaccines can be extremely beneficial for humankind, even necessary, the fact of the matter is that the structure of how vaccines are paid for, and which institutions that the money thereby goes to, has a fundamental flaw within it.  We read at reuters.com, that “Total global spending on COVID-19 vaccines is projected to reach $157 billion by 2025…”, which is an absolutely staggering amount of money, for just one vaccine.  This would, perhaps, be absolutely fine, if the vaccine so being mandated was nearly 100% effective, or was only necessary to apply just one-time, or if those so producing the vaccine, along with the administration thereof, were done almost exclusively on a non-profit basis.  Regrettably, in the United States of America, vaccines, are for the most part in the hands of big business, and because there is a profit motive incumbent within those vaccines, it doesn’t therefore take any real stretch of the imagination to understand that big pharmaceutical and bioengineering companies, along with their research and development arms, have a perverse incentive that their vaccine be effective in a general sense, but never to be at 100 percent or nearly 100 percent effective, or else repeat business of billions upon billions of dollars will be lost.

That is to say, the intent of any legitimate pharmaceutical or bioengineering company with scruples should be to provide a vaccine that is as effective as it could conceivably be, with an absolute minimization of side effects, along with it having long lasting efficacy, so done on a basis, as a service to humankind, and if there be a profit motive, that profit should be structured in a manner in which the profit is reasonable, and no more.  That may be indeed be the way that it should be, but it certainly isn’t the way that things are.  Firstly, the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, are all public entities, with their stock therefore being traded, and of which, therefore, they must answer to Wall Street, their internal Board of Directors, and the stockholders, thereof, of which, these entities all pretty much agree, that growth and corresponding profits, are absolutely mandatory, and are therefore, above all else, the be-all and end-all of the existence of that pharmaceutical company.  Secondly, vaccines, in their structure, should ideally be something that is both highly effective as well as being long lasting, as opposed to the COVID-19 or flu vaccines, which necessitate yearly re-visits to get re-vaccinated or to have booster shots, which quite obviously, is a reflection that the vaccine is not nearly as effective as it should be, and quite clearly makes those vaccines and booster shots to become, in essence, a steady and thereby reliable revenue stream for the pharmaceutical or bioengineering industry.

Imagine this, that within a particular pharmaceutical or bioengineering company, a group of genius scientists discover a vaccine for COVID-19 or something of that ilk, which is nearly 100% effective, and requires no additional booster shots, ever; of which, this is so presented to the Board of Directors, as being that miracle vaccine that will materially reduce the harm to humans, as well as basically saving the lives of millions; but will also mean that though there would be a very substantial one-time boost to the profit line, that subsequently there would then be a massive drop-off in revenues and profits of such, soon thereafter.  No doubt, as things so currently stand, those genius scientists and that vaccine would be seen as a material threat to the profits and revenues of that company, and thereby this revolutionary discovery would be suppressed, once and for all-time, never to see the light of day.

The United States, a nation under invasive domestic surveillance

In regards to, for instance, the Soviet Union’s KGB, East Germany’s Stasi, and Iran’s SAVAK, there isn’t any doubt that each of these domestic spying operations were invasive, unjust, intimidating, and quite destructive to those individuals that suffered unduly from these operations, leading to actions such as their banishment, imprisonment, violence, joblessness, compromise of such, or even death.  Each of these domestic spying operations were quite good at gathering up information and then using that information as a form of control upon dissident elements of the population, as well as a way to keep those that were prone to unorthodox views, to effectively silence them and thereby better control or manipulate such.  Further to the point, these agencies effectively were a law unto themselves, and pretty much were provided by the government that actuated them with carte blanche to take care of business in any way that they saw as being most effective.

Within the United States, there are several domestic agencies, that perform functions, so explained to the American public, as being necessary for their nation as well as for the people’s safety and security, of which, the biggest and the most prominent names of these departments, are the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Security Agency.  We currently live in an era in which so much of what we say and do, is recorded through digital media, of our cell phone communications, our internet activity, and basically everything that is initiated by us and thereby subsequently recorded through the digital world that we are an integral part of. 

It would be one thing if all this activity so being recorded, logged, and associated with a given individual, was prudently monitored in a way that always the individual rights that are ours by the law of this land, was kept foremost in mind.  Rather, in actuality, this government, through subterfuge, through its witting actions, and through its outright lies, feels that it has the prevailing right to collect whatever that it so desires to collect for whatever purposes that it so desires to use such information for, and does so in a manner in which this is never voluntarily publicly disclosed to the public, but is done and kept secret, instead.

There are plenty of people that are fine with all this, for they are the type of people that are quite willing to give up some degree of freedom and privacy for their own personal safety.  Further, there are those that believe we live in the most dangerous of times, and therefore they have the faith that what their government so does on their behalf, is going to always be essentially those actions that will protect them successfully from enemies, be they foreign or domestic. 

While the surveillance by this government of its own people, at this stage, appears to be one primarily, but not exclusively, of collecting, collating, and of studying such information; recognize this well, that always it is the party that has all of the information, that holds over that party that has little or none of it; for everyone has an Achilles’ heel, and those then that know where that weakness lies, most definitely know how to exploit it, and sooner or later, should it serve their purposes, that respective agency so actuated by this government most definitely will.

Auto insurance and personal choice

One of the most fascinating things about the United States of America, is the fact that it is made up of fifty distinct States, and of which, each of those States has its own peculiarities, rules, and laws.  When it comes to auto insurance, most States as a mandated law, necessitate that car insurance be purchased and thereby attached to the vehicle so owned; and this therefore does not give the option for people that, for instance, own their vehicle free and clear, to opt out of car insurance.  This would seem to be overly restricting, and perhaps reflects, in action, the governmental nanny state that rules us; as the most appropriate way to look upon insurance, any insurance, is to see such as a financial safety shield, to reduce or to eliminate personal financial liability, but such insurance, all things being equal, should be left to the discretion of the individual, where so appropriate.  So then, for those that are confident in their driving abilities, have weighed the risks, thereof, and therefore are of the belief that they will never be “at fault”, the lure or even the practicality of auto insurance, may be the sort of expense, that could be forsaken.  So too, there are plenty of people, that have expenses that they barely are able to meet on a consistent basis, of which, auto insurance is most certainty an expense, and while New Hampshire has specific rules in place for “proof of financial responsibility,”  applicable to those that want to opt out of auto insurance, it would seem that such a statue as that, is subject to not only interpretation, but also, importantly, of no real import, for those that are not ever involved in a traffic accident.

The insurance business can best be seen as a racket, of which, it should be considered to be such, because the business is run on a for-profit basis, and for all those that have ever called in to find out why their insurance has risen, the most typical of answers from these car insurance businesses, is that accidents within that community or State, have gone up; which while unfortunate for those so involved in those accidents, would seem to represent little relevancy to those that haven’t been in an accident, in which, it seems that they have been subsequently financially punished, though they have done nothing wrong, themselves.  In fact, it could be said, that those that go years upon years without an insurance claim, should by all rights, get some sort of rebate or refund for never having a claim, but this isn’t the nature of the car insurance basis, at all; of which, about the only “bone” thrown the customer’s way is that their rate of increase, or so-called “discount” has been adjusted to reflect their loyalty and good driving record.

The amount of money spent on car insurance yearly, is over $300 billion, of which, the biggest losers are really those that are not provided with the fair option, to opt-in or to opt-out, for a strong argument could be made that those without auto insurance, have the highest of incentives, to not place themselves in the position to either get into an auto accident, or to ever be at fault should such an accident, occur.

The invisible and the visible, only one is the master

For many a person, they seemingly believe that we only live in a visible world, and therefore they think nothing of that which is not tangible to them, not measurable, and in theory, not knowable.  Then there are plenty of others, that correctly perceive that the visible only exists as a manifestation duly performed by the invisible, and of which it therefore so follows that the invisible is the master of the visible – of which, all those others then that get so caught up in materiality, are in danger thereby of losing sight of who and what they really are in essence.

The most significant issue that humankind needs to comprehend, is that those that insist upon walking upon the wrong path, and thereby basing their lives, their ideas, and their goals, upon what they so see on that path, are in the end, only fooling themselves as well as all those that so adhere to such a mindset.  Further, those that insist that truth is subjective, or that there are multiple truths, aren’t thinking clearly, and thereby suffer for that delusion in having such a false belief.

It is disappointing that there are so many that believe in what they see as being the only reality worth exploring and believing in; whereas, in truth, even for those that deny spirituality in totality, they recognize or are cognizant that there are invisible forces, such as wind, heat, magnetism, and gravity which for a certainty, exist, yet aren’t visible to the naked eye.  This thereby proves that within the materiality of our physical experience on earth, there are invisible forces, which are undeniable to us, and affect us, and while the scientists of today, can measure such, they aren’t able to properly formulate the first cause of such. 

Further to the point of that first cause, something tangible, cannot ever be created out of nothing.  Those that believe that from absolutely nothing, something can so come, are delusional, and have failed to utilize their reasoning powers in a way in which they are able to get beyond the limitations of materiality, to the point that they acknowledge that there must be unseen forces that they have not taken properly into account.  Those unseen forces are by definition, invisible, and it is the invisible that manifests what we so perceive as being visible, of which once visible, those objects are thereby subject to the basic laws of this material plane.

To believe that those aspects that we seemingly can’t comprehend of the invisible, therefore does not matter, does not invalidate such; and to thereby believe that the only thing worth expending energy and time upon is that which we are able to measure or theorize about has its obvious limitations and flaws.  Those that get so unduly caught up in the show and its corresponding minutiae, never seeming to bother to want to discover the showman and thereby the actuator of such, have become entranced by the creation, to the exclusion of the Creator; or, have been mesmerized by the visible, at the expense of the invisible.

Pride and shame

The United States of America is the richest nation that the world has ever known, of which, television, social media, and our own encounters, demonstrates on a daily basis, just how rich certain people are, which thereby makes some of those that aspire for such, or desire such, feel, with some justification, the shame of knowing that they will never hold a candle to those that have it all.  Further to the point, there is one’s status within a given neighborhood, of which, for some of those people that live within that neighborhood, this represents for them, the be-all and end-all of their existence, for they seldom spend much time away from their neighborhood.  Therefore, one’s status in one’s neighborhood, is, for them, of absolute relevance, further compounded by the fact that those that believe that they have no avenue to escape from such, know for a certainty, how then they are perceived by those that they congregate with, is of some real import to them.

So then, not all that surprisingly, neighborhoods that are filled with people, that see no real prospect that they will ever extricate themselves from such, recognize that their status within their neighborhood, seemingly defines who and what they really are.  This thus indicates that those that have been shamed, disrespected, or dismissed, are going to carry a lot of internal hurt, for the very people that they desire to have respect them, don’t.  So then, in recognition that they have been shamed, rightly or wrongly, those then that hope to right that ship, often feel that the only way to obtain or to regain pride in themselves, is to strike back directly against that which has shamed them.

This thus signifies, that those that have been belittled, but are able to still call up some pride, are going to be tempted to take revenge in some way that will permit them to obtain that pride, which often amounts to some sort of violent reaction; of which, those that do not feel that they have the physical strength to fight hand-to-hand, or the verbal acuity to outwit their adversary, may so demonstrate a strong tendency to look for a weapon, such as a handgun, that in and of itself, not only demands respect, but in its use, is incredibly effective in wreaking destruction against a given target.

Whether or not, using a gun is appropriate, matters little to those that feel disrespected, for those that utilize guns in order to overcome humiliation and dishonor, do so to obtain, what they believe will be pride and thereby respect by those that they interact with, and care little for anything else that may so occur to them at some future point as a consequence.  All of this basically means, that those that have been publicly called out in a manner in which they have been disgraced and belittled, of which, they see no real good civil recourse so available to them to overcome such, will often turn to that which makes a very public statement, which is violence, and violence so done in a manner in which, a price will be so exacted, that thus, at least for a moment in time, replaces disrespect and shame, with pride and satisfaction.

A nation of criminals

We read at techjury.net, that “…over 77 million Americans hold a criminal record,” which certainly reflects that America is indeed, a nation of criminals.  Perhaps this is the way it should be, in the sense that those that commit crimes and are convicted of such, should therefore be forever labeled as criminals, fully deserving of their record and the consequences, so of. 

Of course, not all that glitters is gold, and in the case of criminal records, not all who have such, deserve such a label.  For instance, despite the fact that those accused of a given crime, should be afforded an attorney, in many a case, no attorney is really present, for the adjudication of their case; because such is seldom heard in front of a jury of one’s peers, but typically, instead, the accused has been essentially coerced or pressured into some sort of plea bargain deal, in which pretty much every card is held by the prosecutorial arm; whereas, absolutely no power is in the hands of the person so having been charged.  Additionally, there are misdemeanor offenses that because incarceration is either minimal or non-existence as a penalty for that misdemeanor crime, that therefore the accused has no right to an attorney, even though the conviction of such a misdemeanor crime would thereby become part and parcel of that person’s criminal record, forever.  Further to the point, there are numerous offenses which have been defined as being a crime, of which, these types of crimes which lack a true victim, would be better dealt with as some sort of ticketing offense, such as for those accused of recreational drug use, illicit gambling, public drunkenness, possession of contraband, homelessness, prostitution, and the like.

To the shame of America, it likes to paint a justice picture of black and white, of which, those that are without a criminal record, thereby are seen as being “good”, and then those that have a criminal record are thereby seen as being “bad,” with no shades of gray, between the two.  Yet, what has not been taken into account, is the actual setup of our criminal justice system, which is deliberately structured in a way, that those that are the least powerful, the least championed, and have been born and raised in the least of circumstances, have pretty much be corralled from their birth into a construct in which they have a high probability that they will, at some point, receive a criminal record, essentially for being poor and disadvantaged.

The reflection that so many of American citizens are criminals, is consistent with the fact that America has a huge underclass which suffers from having to bear the burden of the sins of a nation, that has an elite which rules the roost, and are themselves in many ways, the biggest of criminals, by virtue of their, for instance, financial manipulations, collusion, corruption, double-dealing, tax cheating, corporate fraud and corporate pollution, price manipulation, embezzlement, and so on; though seldom are they convicted of such, because this government seldom has an interest in holding them accountable, because that government itself is often complicit in their activities, directly or indirectly.

America is indeed a nation of criminals, but not all those that are labeled as a “criminal” are themselves deserving of such; and not all that are “lawful” are as clean as they like to portray themselves as being.

Property tax lump sum payment

Part of the American dream is owning one’s own home or one’s business, of which, regrettably, for those that own a home or the building of their business, and actually own it free and clear of a mortgage, there is still that annoying annual payment so needed to be made for property taxes.  For a lot of people, they just accept such as being the norm of how property taxes so work and their incumbent responsibility to it, and don’t really think anything further about it.  However, in consideration that property taxes are extremely important to counties in order to properly attend to school budgets, sanitation, parks, streets, and fire and police personnel; it might just make sense for certain counties to at least consider providing the option for homeowners and business building owners to prepay their property taxes for an extended period of time, such as for ten years or even longer, especially, in those types of situations in which necessary monies are needed to upgrade services deemed essential for the community or there are expected shortfalls in making budget – and of which property taxes so set, are restricted in the amount such can be increased upon homeowners or building business owners in a given fiscal year.

The first thought that might come to mind, about the prepayment or a lump sum payment for property taxes for an extended period of time, is that, considering the amount of money that the homeowner or business owner would have to come up with, that not a lot of them would actually be interested in doing that.  No doubt, this is true, but there are those homeowners and business building owners that recognize that provided with the opportunity to prepay something that will cost them a lesser amount of money, now, has advantages over having to pay more of such, at a later time.  Another question that would need to be answered, is what if that homeowner or business owner was to sell the property; of which, the basic answer to that would be that property taxes so having been paid, would logically be attached to the home or building, so that, the prospective buyer would therefore factor in the savings of not having to pay property taxes for a set period of time, against the asking price of the house or building so being sold.  Additionally, many a person, that would desire to prepay their property taxes, are the very same people, that probably are in it for the long term, and therefore have no real intent on moving or selling.

The thing about lump sum payments, is that both parties to an agreement, can see such, as being a win-win, so it is at least something that should be considered by counties as an option that might well make good sense.  While, there are plenty of people that prefer to finance this and to finance that; there are also a sizeable amount of people, that prefer to pay cash in full on this and on that.  Those people that have the cash, and disdain having to pay a large property tax bill each and every year, are typically the very same people, that counties should wish to engage with, especially when those counties see the value of money so being collected today, as advantageous for what they desire to do with it, over a steady stream of money, that takes years upon years to collect, in kind.

The slow implementation of our Bill of Rights

Most everyone, knows that the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution, which were ratified in 1791, are collectively known as the Bill of Rights.  Those rights are of immense importance to the people, for from those Bill of Rights, we are provided with our freedom of religion, of speech, of press, of petition, and of assembly, as well as each of us is accorded due process of law as well as equality under the law; in addition to many other rights so enumerated by those Amendments, or as reserved to the people, as per the Tenth Amendment.

Yet, as in many things, there is the law so written, and then there is the law so enforced; of which, these two things are not the same, whatsoever.  For the most part, the Bill of Rights, were pretty much not part of judicial court cases for the first one hundred years of its existence, and so, it was not then until the 20th century that actual court cases, addressing one’s freedom of religion, of press, of petition, of due process, began to really be adjudicated by the judicial branch.

The prevailing reason why the Bill of Rights was pretty much ignored for so long, has an awful lot to do with the fact that those that were in power throughout the government of the United States, didn’t expressly identify typically with those that were denied some part of their Bill of rights, because these other people, often represented a milieu or a class of people, that the governing class did not come from or pretty much cared not to address, and hence they were for all intents and purposes, without a voice to champion their cause.

However, progressive voices began to come to the forefront of the United States, and they knew that denying the whole people, and especially those that were disenfranchised, was anathema to what the Constitution and the Bill of Rights was supposed to really represent.   This thus meant that concentrated actions by those with a legal background began to be made in order to put to the courts, seminal cases that would adjudicate the meaning of those Bill of Rights.

So then, a lot of the rights that the general public has obtained in recent history, really goes back to this nation finally leaving up to its creed of its Constitution along with the Amendments to it.  After all, governments, even good governments, have a strong tendency to just want the general public to be obedient to its dictates; whereas, those that have read and have truly comprehended the Bill of Rights, have a strong desire to see that those rights are lived and are breathed in through everyday interactions so done for the betterment, benefit, and the good welfare of the people.

Those then, that have been part of that battle to secure those rights so provided to the whole of the people, deserve our appreciation, for rights without corresponding action, are nearly the same as rights that have never been implemented; and for any government to believe that it is of, for, and by the people, they then need to treat those people as their co-equals as opposed to treating them as if they are subjects.

Pharmaceuticals: All profit and no liability

This government, of, for, and by the people, has a rather bad tendency to not take into proper consideration that they have an incumbent duty to be good stewards to the population that it serves – of which, instead this government has often demonstrated that it has a strong inclination in some of the most important areas of life, to adhere and to agree to the desires of, for instance, pharmaceutical companies at the direct expense of the public and society.  That is to say, when pharmaceutical companies are allowed to charge the government, or the general public, for that matter, for a given vaccine, in which the agreement so granted by that government is that the pharmaceutical companies will have no liability to such, this thus creates a “sick” construct, in which private profits are made, without the pharmaceutical company risking any accountability to that product so being sold; which signifies in other words, that there is no discernible downside, and a great deal of upside for profits, for that respective company, that can easily run into the billions upon billions of dollars.

That type of concept in which pharmaceutical companies are permitted to mint private profit, but risk no liability, does not serve this country well, and therefore this is a grand disserve to the people that make up this great nation.  If, this government believes that a given pharmaceutical product is of vital importance that it so desires or agrees that such should have no liability and hence no recourse for people to get redress for injuries so incurred, then for an absolutely certainty, those pharmaceutical products should have all of the profit erased from such, and essentially this should be provided at cost, for the expressed benefit of the public. 

While one could argue that without profits, pharmaceutical companies would not therefore develop a given vaccine, that argument can easily be countered by saying that those companies that will not make a sacrifice for their nation, which actuated their existence in the first place, in order to provide a necessary service to the people, should either be sanctioned and therefore effectively at risk of losing their license to do business, or they should be subject to being nationalized for the greater good of this nation.

The current status of providing carte blanche for these pharmaceutical companies to make money without subject liability is good only and exclusively for those pharmaceutical companies; and as for those pharmaceutical companies arguing that it wouldn’t be fair to be compelled by law to provide products at cost -- one could make the strong counterargument that if these pharmaceutical companies are convinced that they must so make a profit, then, in fairness, they should therefore be permitted to be liable for those products so sold and utilized that end up being detrimental to the people, as determined through a court of law.

The thing about businesses in a capitalistic society is that any business that has no risk to their business model is either essentially a monopoly and therefore has monopolistic powers, or it is a company that has been deliberately favored or protected by the government so that it need not worry about liability, which is demonstrative proof that companies that have no real risk, deserve no real profit.

Corporate profit at the public’s expense

The business of public corporations is pretty much concentrated upon the making of profits, and the continual growth of that company’s business.  When it comes to the making of money, bonuses, stock appreciation, and earnings, there is always going to be a temptation for many a corporation, to do only what is necessary to keep the “dogs at bay.”  This so signifies that those that visit upper management with ideas that will increase the bottom line are going to be listened to; whereas, those that come to management in order to remind them of the important responsibilities that the corporation has to the environment, and to society, are typically going to be unwelcomed, if not actively ignored.

There are all sorts of businesses that create some degree of pollution; of which the responsibility of those that are polluting is to mitigate the extent of such per the applicable governing laws; of which, these businesses should then never make it their point to shirk responsibility to such, or to utilize subterfuge, distortion, or outright lying, to evade their corporate responsibility of being a good steward to society.  In point of fact, many a corporation, does everything possible that they can conceive to do to obfuscate, delay, negotiate, buy, or manipulate their owning up to their responsibility to the pollutants so caused by them, especially when such will both negatively impact their bottom line and would necessitate that the company comply with the intent and purpose of the law at their expense.

People that live within a capitalistic society, should intuitively know that those that are in the business of making profit and have immense pressure placed upon them to do so, along with also having immense incentives to make that profit; must surely recognize that the greed of making that money for those corporate personages is going to often tempt those of weak character to do what they believe they can essentially get away with, in regards to pollutants so caused by their corporation, and thereby they are prone to doing exactly that.

We live in an advanced age of wonderful creature comforts that have come forth from the inventions and corresponding innovations so made, of which, a great deal of what we interact with on a daily material basis we see as being necessary for the obtainment of a good life.  That, in of itself, does not mean that society has therefore the attitude, of “whatever it takes;” but rather the typical attitude of society is one of desiring to see that the processes so involved for that good life, are always responsible and that they do not then advertently or inadvertently have ill effects upon that same society and its people.

This thus indicates, that though there is little that can be done about environmental pollutants of the past, that ail us and therefore has been left to the government and hence the general public to cleanup; that it is vital that government enforcement of environmental laws of today be properly enforced, and further that specifically those corporation entities that are in industries that are known for or are prone to pollutants, must be aggressively monitored and dealt with responsibly, so that we do so not have corporate profits being continually funneled into private hands, while the aftereffects of their pollution is left at the public’s expense and hurt.

The Constitution and the right to dissent

There are a lot of people that believe that we live within a Constitutional republic, or basically a democracy to such.  On paper, that may well be true, but the test of any Constitution so written and the test of any government so created of, for, and by the people is how that government behaves in times of a real crisis; for if that government at the those trying times when it needs most to provide a fair forum to the people to voice their concerns, of which, that government is sworn to protect and to serve, such; instead, does everything possible to quell reasonable dissent that the government has perceived as being a hindrance to what those that run the government so desire, than the people have been effectively betrayed, by a counterfeit government, that cares only for its agenda, above all else.

The whole point of having the right of free speech, along with the right to peacefully assemble is to have a public forum to express grievances as well as suggestions to that government, of which, that government is supposed to be a good steward to the people, and not its master.  If, in point of fact, the government for the most part is accommodating and considerate to the people, that indeed merits respect; but, however, when that government is put to the test of a real Constitutional predicament, in which in response, that government proceeds to put the hammer down upon the people, along with  its heavy boot upon the people’s necks; then, in whole, the people are subservient to that government, and apparently will only be accorded respect and some degree of liberty, when they are in conformance with the orthodox dictates of that government, and that alone.

There should be a true rule of law in this great nation, of which, the value of the judicial branch of this government, is to properly enforce that rule of law.  Yet, tragically, the Supreme Court of this country, has proven repeatedly during its history, that time and again, when push comes to shove, of which, that court has had the vital opportunity to take a stand on behalf of the people’s right to free speech and dissent, that the court, has consistently, folded its hand, and thereby negated the very Constitution that it has sworn to uphold and to protect.

Those that effectively run this nation, are not fools, and they will therefore seldom broker any meaningful dissent for any appreciable period of time.  In fact, they will, if their perception so warrants, do everything possible, to control the narrative, to stamp out what they determine needs to be stamped out, and will be absolutely relentless about doing so, and therefore they care not a whit what the Constitution stands for, or stands against.  So too, those entities and people that are dependent upon the government, either directly or indirectly, in some way, form, or manner, are therefore easily susceptible to having to toe the line of what that government so demands of them, for those that have essentially sold their souls for profit, or for security, will themselves obey, such, and care little for what so needs to be imposed, as long as at the end of the day, they are made whole or better, by that government.

The universe, cosmos, and consciousness

Not too surprisingly, in a construct, in which many people are so self-centered, that they can’t readily see beyond their own needs and desires, and of which, even those of passable intelligence, are content to confine their belief to their existence as something in accord, only with human beings as being a special creation, or a truly exceptional evolution, or as the unique creation of God, and therefore they consider everything else in the universe, to be for all practical means for them, of no real concern or purpose.

The thing to know about the universe is that it is estimated that the size of the universe is around 93 billion light-years.  To believe, then, that in that entire universe that there is no other intelligent life, should boggle the rational mind, as being both irrational and stupefyingly dumb.   This then, is the type of belief that comes forth only from those that are not deep thinkers, or the simple-minded, or the narrow minded, because to believe that the cosmos has no real purpose or design behind it, doesn’t make any real good sense to any active thinker.

So too, those that express their dismay, that humankind has, in theory and to date, not been able to definitely discover alien life forms, should be of no real concern; for in truth, many a society and civilization has been built around a certain core belief that is unassailable; of which, when evidence is presented that successfully challenges that belief such is typically suppressed, often, for as long as possible, for the supposed good as well as the stability of that society.

The thing about the cosmos and other life forms, is that it is far more logical to believe in the existence of such, and therefore to then recognize that each of us, in turn, correspondingly needs to probably express more humility; for humankind is in all likelihood, not the highest or the greatest intelligent life form in existence.  We intuitively know that this is true, just based upon the fact that in the thousands upon thousands of years of humankind’s existence, the tale that has been written has often been one of deceit, war, pain, suffering, selfishness, injustice, intolerance, and hate. 

This would seem to indicate that until humankind is able to rectify and to resolve its ways in a manner in which it can peacefully coexist with its own kind, that its exploration and direct contact with alternative life forms, and them to us, will be necessarily minimal; for until that time when the belief that “might is right” is replaced by the sensible knowledge that we are all created equally and are therefore all equally entitled to the fruits of this sphere, then humankind’s advancement forward will continue to be stymied.

The true purpose of this great cosmos, is never going to be one of conquest and enmity, but rather it is the universal bonds that we have together in the sense of our core being, of which, those that self-identify only with the physical have clearly lost their way; for what we really are, is that consciousness that actuates us, and which seeks always to connect with that which represents the universal and eternal harmony.

Bombing and the real serial killers

When most people think of serial killers, the names of Jack the Ripper, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Ted Bundy come to mind.  No doubt, these were serial killers, but in point of fact the number of individuals that they so killed in comparison to the United States military and their indiscriminate bombing of civilians, which has been going on for decades upon decades, absolutely pales in comparison.

For instance, the two nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killed well over 150,000 civilians, combined.  So too, the indiscriminate bombing of North Vietnam, killed well over 100,000 civilians; and finally, as estimated by Airwars, America’s war against terrorism, to date, has killed upwards of 48,000 civilians since 9/11/2001. 

Whether one desires to classify the bombing of civilians, in some nonsensical way, as in “collateral damage,” or “inadvertent casualties,” or something along these lines, the truth of the matter is that the nature of American bombing, by definition, is typically going to have some civilian casualties, and in many a case, depending upon the target so selected, it is for a certainty going to have civilian casualties.  This thus signifies, that by virtue of America continuing to bomb what it has defined as being their enemies, as well as conveniently providing itself the exclusive right to define who, what, and where those enemies are, that the American military through its bombing operations, is by all reasonable accounts, a serial killer of civilians.

By definition, a serial killer is somebody or some entity, that deliberately targets and murders an individual or a group of such, and then after some lapse of time, goes ahead and does it again and again and again.  This, in a nutshell, is the traditional bombing strategy of the United States of America, which should by all accounts be held accountable for crimes against humanity for having been a serial killer, for decades.  Yet, no world government or tribunal will ever put America on trial, because America not only is the sole superpower in the world, but also because America has not been defeated in a manner in which they would be susceptible to an actual war crimes trial.

Those that are serial killers, are egocentric psychopaths, that lack guilt, empathy, or concern for others, for what they have so done in their cold-blooded killing of civilians.  Not too surprisingly, America will use just about any word that it can come up with or invent so as to obfuscate that it has actually killed real non-combatants, as in civilians, by their bombs; for they prefer to believe that on some degree or level, that those so killed, were not really human, but at best, subhuman, and further to the point, deserving of their fate.

While America weeps crocodile tears for their own civilians killed, such as by the 9/11 terrorist attacks; somehow, they are able to completely compartmentalize what they have so done in response, and believe that they are in a sense, blessed by God, in their indiscriminate bombing and killing of civilians in return.  The fact that nothing ever changes in the thinking of the military minds of America, about bombing and its appropriateness, is indicative that serial killers and the American military are one and the same. 

Owning up to personal responsibility

There are all sorts of excuses put out by both adolescents as well as adults to explain away their various failings and faults, of which, within those excuses, there may indeed be some justification, and in some cases, a lot of justification for such errors in judgment; but, at the end of the day, those that do wrong, that makes mistakes, that fall in with the wrong type of people, have primarily only themselves to blame, and none other, despite their excuses so used.

For instance, it is somewhat amusing, though in reality, pretty disappointing, when people indicate that the problems that they have has a lot to do with them meekly following the wrong crowd, or the wrong advice, or the wrong this or the wrong that.  Yet, somehow, within those that fall into this following of the wrong leader and things of that ilk, there doesn’t come to mind, that somehow these same people weren’t able to follow the dictates of good parental advice, or good mentoring, or good wisdom from the good book, itself.  In other words, those that claim that they are prone to being so easily led, and find such thereby leading them into trouble; somehow, weren’t able to be so easily led, by those that exemplified the doing of good works, the value of following good rules, and of doing right.

In reality, each of us, has a personal responsibility that we are responsible to own up to, and while we might well try to put the blame, or at least a significant portion of it, on others, the bottom line, is that in many a case, we are solely responsible for the actions that we have taken.  After all, the ability to say “yes” or to say “no”, is typically at our volition, of which, no doubt, that answer, may indeed come with consequences, but nevertheless, a choice has been made. Those others then, that claim that they have made no choice, or had no choice, have by simply going along with what they were in direction of so doing, have by their actions or by the following so of, also have made their choice.

In point of fact, what leads more than anything to people getting into trouble, is not necessarily that they fall in with the wrong crowd, though, that has its significance; but rather that they have a bad habit of simply going along with the flow, without taking into proper consideration, exactly where that flow is leading them, and whether or not that is a good place to go to.  The main danger in going with the flow is that far too many people, just put their mind into that somnolent state of auto-control, which seems typically like a really bad idea, especially, in consideration that our mind was made for thinking.

So then, to stand against the crowd, takes some degree of courage as well as pluck; so too, to walk away from those that are one’s peers because the ideas that they are proposing seem imprudent, does take resolve and determination.  Still, these very actions, must from time-to-time be seriously considered and then if appropriate, so enacted upon, for each of us has an innate responsibility that only we can personally answer to, for better or for worse.

Anonymity within cities and communities

To a very large extent, America has become an urban nation, of which, that relentless urbanization, continues to grow, year-by-year.  This exists, despite the fact, that America is an immensely large country and could in consideration of the sheer amount of its land space, have instead, much smaller, manageable and vibrant communities, as compared to these dense, often impersonal, highly populated cities. 

There are, of course, some immense advantages in the having of large cities, especially, in the sense of economies of scale, activities, infrastructure, and the like, but the thing is that bigger is not always better; along with the salient fact that the bigger the size, the more intractable corresponding problems and the solution to such, will often become.  So too, part of what attracts people to big cities, is the fact that people, for better or for worse, can reinvent themselves, and further to the point, they can engage with the general public, or disengage, as per their inclination, in which those that are neighbors, have often no real justifiable reason to infringe upon the given privacy of a family or a particular person.

When it comes to a smaller community and especially of a community that has had generations of people that have lived within it, there is the knowledge that those people have of one another, which seldom is possible or even conceivable of ever existing within a large city.  This thus signifies for those that live in those smaller communities, that oftentimes within those communities that there is a certain comfort in the knowing of their neighbors, and the fact that their neighbors also know them, which can serve as a meaningful balm so as to not feel corresponding anxiety and alienation, one to another, especially when each person’s relative success, and ownership of material things, seems to be about the same. 

That is to say, where everybody knows your name, there is a corresponding greater sense of familial relations or its equivalency, of which, of course, it must be added, that some of the very worse arguments and discord can also come from such; but in general, the good of being known, and thereby being accorded due consideration by community members, way outweighs the bad, along with those that truly know one another, typically end up being more forgiving, as well.

It is a common trait, to desire to be respected, as well as to want to be liked and loved, and of which, in bustling cities in which everyone seemingly has something that they need to attend to, always, and oftentimes don’t feel as if they have the right in invade another person’s privacy; many a person, can feel some degree of alienation, for suffering from that lack of communication and intimacy, which may so lead these people to being more inclined to drown their sorrows and concerns in drink or drugs. 

There is a huge difference in being able to easily walk down the street so as to drop in on a friend or a neighbor, that a given person has known for years, has grown up with, and has connections to, as compared to that same basic construct simply not existing.  Those then, that lack community ties, and are surrounded instead by a lot of hustle and bustle, may indeed find themselves, with their anxiety levels rising, for we are social creatures, that need meaningful relationships in order to get the best out of life.

Real love has no falsity to it

The Holy Bible, has lots of words in it, of which, it could be said, that nothing is of more importance and therefore of more significance than what is so written in Luke 10: 27, “So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”  Yet, how many millions of people have read this very same passage, heard it preached upon, but have paid in essence, not a whit of attention to it.  Those then, that speak of love, that claim that they love, but aren’t true to that love by their thoughts, actions, and deeds, have nothing more than a counterfeit love, of which, its value is minuscule, at best.

Everything that we deal with on this planet, and our interactions, thereof, in which we question as to what we should or should not do in a given situation, has a known sensible response within our being -- as to what our appropriate response to such should actually be, though many of us pretend that we do not know.  There is no greater attribute than love, of which, not all that profess such love, or consider such, actually are true to that love.  That which is real love, has no falsity within it, no hidden agendas to deal with, and does not put the self before another; for to do so, presupposes that one person has more value than another; whereas, all, without exception, are equally loved by that which created us in the first place, and therefore have the same value, the same worth, and the same entitlement.

For those that claim love, as in for this person, this country, this entity, or this or that; they all, therefore, must be held accountable to the rules of that love.  Those that love, and truly love, cannot on the one hand say that they love someone unconditionally; yet, somehow, when things break disappointedly differently than expected, they then, on the other hand, revoke such love.  Further to the point, the individual behavior of that which we profess love for, whether good or bad, right or wrong, cannot change our love for that of which we so love, or else we have been false to that love.

Those then that make their love, conditional, as if God, or anyone else, for that matter, can be dealt with on a quid pro quo basis, and yet still call this love, are truly lost.  To actually love, is to rise above the limitations of one’s self-centered ego, to understand as well as to comprehend, that each soul, so created by our God, is part of the whole of God, of which, together, we are meant to be one with God, and that therefore each soul has an equal and inviolable right to that oneness with God. 

To have true love, is not the easiest of things to accomplish, especially, within the domain and constraints of this planet, but that is indeed, what each of us must aspire to achieve.  All the song and dance, the bread and circuses, the ups and downs, the war and peace, that surround us, serve to distract us from the only thing that we need to rise up to, which is to love; of which, those then that are able to do that have truly broken free from the illusions that appear so real, so as to embrace that which is the unending reality and the highest truth of our continual essence.

The rise of America since 1945

In 1945, World War II came to its conclusion, of which, if it wasn’t already accepted as being true, America was perceived by those in the know, as being the most successful and the most powerful nation in the world.  Yet, as we read at www.digitalhistory.uh.edu, in America, “…. A third of the country's homes had no running water, two-fifths lacked flushing toilets, and three-fifths lacked central heating.”  This was the status of that nation back then, which had been successful in fighting and conquering the Pacific theatre as well as the European theatre on behalf of the Allied powers.

Since 1945, running water, flushing toilets, and central heating, are not only common to have in virtually every dwelling in America, but they are also considered mandatory, and further they are part of those things that are nowadays pretty much taken for granted in America.  All of this is indicative that America has come an awful long way from where it was in regards to the nation’s wealth along with personal wealth, since 1945, and so much of what we now have in this modern era, are basically treated today as common place items and accouterments, without often really the acknowledgment that such that we have, is really of relatively recent vintage.

Those then that long for the days of the middle of the 20th century with touching nostalgia thought, are often looking at such through rose-colored glasses, for the comforts that are readily available, today, even for those of the lower class, are so much more, than what was available back then.  That doesn’t mean that all is good in the 21st century, but what it does signify is that the coziness of our living conditions, along with the immense increase of entertainment options, ease of travel, the knowledge at our literal fingertips,  and so on and so forth, is far superior to what it was back then and much of the credit of what we so have in this great nation, must be accorded thereby to all those people, institutions, as well as good governance that have helped bring such luxury to this fine land.

That said, it must be recognized, that no nation of real worth, should ever settle for resting upon its laurels, for when a nation does that, they thereby lose the urgency and the drive to become even better than what it so currently represents.  This signifies that in a competitive world that has gotten ever smaller, that for America to maintain its preeminence as the greatest nation in the world, it must continue to lead the way and do more therefore to demonstrate to its people and to the world, that the foundation of what so matters for a good civilization, such as housing, employment, wealth, safety, opportunity, income, education, health, and the like – still must all signify that America is at the top of its game.

So then, there isn’t any way that America can remain the greatest nation in the world, if it doesn’t do a more comprehensive job of seeing that a higher percentage of its citizens are knowledgeable, engaged, and dedicated to the importance of not only personal success, but also in contributing their good part to help maintain America’s status and domain, here and abroad.   As good as it is in America, there is always room for improvement, and those then that together strive for that improvement, are those that will continue their rise; whereas, those that do not, will begin their fall, and those that fall from very great heights, don’t fare well.