“He who pleads his cause first seems right; until another comes and questions him”

The above wise proverb comes from Proverbs 18: 17, and is as true now as it was before; and further to the case, it will be true, forever.  We live in a society of which, regrettably, there are plenty of the mindset, that believe that if they can just get their story out first, or their narrative, or their spin, and somehow get a quick judgment from someone in authority upon such, thereby validating their version of the story as the truth, then all will be well for them.  In truth, for those adjudicating such, who are too lazy to investigate, or represent blithe unconcern so that they do not ask needed questions or bother to cross-examine a given story, so as to determine its substance, and further are unwilling to contact and thereby to listen to the other side, then whatever resolution that subsequent so happens, is by definition, unjust.

After all, let’s face it, for many a person, that has done a misdeed and desires to take the easy road of concocting a story that will not make them look too bad, or will, even better, absolve them of any error, and of which, they believe that their story will not be examined, are in the most enviable of positions, for by being first to plead their case, they are thereby enabled to circumvent fair justice, so being applied to them.  Further to the point, the other party which therefore has not been listened to, or arrives at the scene too late to effect any change on a decision already reached, is for a certainty, getting the short end of the stick, which besides being unjust, thus serves to encourages that unfortunate person, to desire to see that in the future that they get some sort of revenge upon the other; for one injustice leads to another, and then to another, ad infinitum.

So too, there is egg on the face, of that personage that renders a poor judgment, for not bothering to allocate the time to have both parties to show up at the same time and venue, so as for each then to have the opportunity to state their case and for that individual that is judging such, to subsequently ask pertinent questions about the event in question; of which, as the wise adage so says, the truth of the event, thereof, typically lies somewhere in the middle. That is to say, that there aren’t really that many times that clearly one person is 100% wrong, and thereby the other person is 100% right, but rather there are often extenuating circumstances, and other issues, that turns what so appears to be a case of black and white, into something more akin to shades of gray, which is why it is a mistake to simply believe the first story so being told, without fairly investigating such.

It is well to remember, that none of us, wants to suffer from a judgment so rendered in which we never were provided with a chance to have our say, or the opportunity to cross-examine the evidence so put against us, or to question that who accused us of this or of that; and further, it also is to be found especially unnerving, when that justice that we so expected to be impartial and fair, hasn’t been that at all, but rather has simply been perfunctory, instead.

Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914

The United States has had over a century of experience in trying to regulate, tax, as well as to control the dispensation and importation of narcotics – so defined in this particular act as being coca-based as well as opium-based drugs; in which, a fair judgment through a century of this type of regulation and subsequent legislation, so enacted, reflects that America has essentially failed in its mission to successfully and constructively deal responsibly with narcotic abuse on behalf of its citizens.  The very purpose of such regulation so passed in 1914, and thereupon subsequently enacted, was for the government to make sure that first of all, the distribution of narcotics was only done through authorized medical authorities, in which, those medical authorities would thereby be compelled to keep accurate records reflecting the distribution of those narcotics so being prescribed to those patients determined to have a need for such, so that those patients, would thereby deal with their pain management in a responsible and medically approved fashion.

So then, it is fair to say, that America has been well aware of the dangerous potential abuse and the thereby the implicit peril of all those medicines and drugs that have been determined to be narcotics in their nature; but somehow, despite this knowledge, has failed to come up with an efficacious plan that first of all deals successfully with the unauthorized distribution and usage of such; in which, further, we so find, that this government has also failed to deal, often enough, with those medical authorities and druggists that clearly have prescribed and distributed far too much of these regulated narcotics, to “patients” that do not have a compelling or legitimate need for this medicine, and then have compounded that error in recent times, by basically treating narcotics as a drug in which the lust for profit by the authorized manufacturers and distributors of such, trumps any sensibility or proper regulation, whatsoever.

The effectiveness of a good law, really comes down to how it is dealt with in the reality of the situation as it so transpires in the real world.  When it comes to the Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914, the precursor to further laws such as the Controlled Substances Act, we do so find, that despite the governmental recognition of not only the dangers of narcotic usage in regards to dependency, as well as the undesirable side effects, so of, from the continual usage of these narcotics, is that this all seems to be ignored, in the belief, that pain relief, above all, should be the guiding light; while also effectively ignoring the fact that many of those that claim that they are in “pain,” are really essentially seeking to procure a prescription to an addictive drug that provides them with a desirable euphoric feeling.

It is befuddling to believe that somehow, this government was hoodwinked by powerful pharmaceutical corporations into believing that somehow, that today’s narcotics, were fundamentally different than yesterday’s narcotics, and thereby the addiction or potential abuse of such substances, would not re-occur; when the proof that these narcotics being subsequently abused, was fairly in evidence,  from the get go, for all those that would care to look, but decided, instead, to hold their tongue, because in this nation, money and profit, is more highly valued, then the good health or protection of its citizens.

Capitalism at its worse: the consistent lack of fair wages

While there are advantages to living in the richest nation that the world has ever known; that doesn’t end up meaning a whole heck of a lot for those that make up the underclass of people that work in jobs in which the wages so being paid to them, the work conditions, so of, and the hours and schedule, therein, are in reality, unfair to them.  The biggest problem with capitalism and a structure in which companies are permitted to offer wages to potential employees that are in harmony with the prevailing minimum wage and no more than that, is that the minimum wage, does not represent a fair or a living wage for all those that make that minimum wage or are marginally above such.

In point of fact, there isn’t any good reason to have a minimum wage if that wage is not representative of a living wage, for a minimum wage that does not represent a living wage, is by definition, not a fair wage.  There are plenty of economists and capitalists that will argue that the wages so being paid to potential employees, are always subject to the conditions of the marketplace as well as the throughput so produced by that employee; this thereby represents to them, at least, the justification of why wages can thereby be below a living wage.  While that is indeed one way to look upon the issue, it isn’t the most appropriate way – because, in fact, any employer that cannot pay a living wage to every potential employee that they so desire to hire, should be precluded from hiring that employee, and thereby then let the chips fall where they will so fall.

In reality, what so occurs in America, is that the employer is almost always in the position of power, and the potential employee, in absence of a strong trade union, or a mandated living wage, or a skillset that just so happens to be in demand, is the vulnerable petitioner for that employment.  Those that do the employing, implicitly know that people need wages in order to procure food, shelter, healthcare, and the like, and therefore those employers are able to exploit that power to their advantage.  After all, for many an employer, there isn’t any compelling reason to pay a fair wage, when the person so applying for work, is in no position to fight back -- but pretty much has been reduced to accepting whatever wage that is put in front of their face, or suffer the ill effects of no wage at all.

Perhaps there was a time when a mandated minimum wage law, was structured fairly and made perfect sense – but that time, if it ever existed, has long passed.  This thus signifies that the minimum wage needs to be fully and completely replaced with a mandated living wage, which would thereby represent a fair wage; subject, just as Social Security benefits are subject to, a yearly inflation adjustment, so that it thereby remains a living wage, year-by-year.  It is vital to remember this well, no modern-day nation, is worth its salt, if it treats its own domestic workforce as a labor body which should be subject to exploitation -- but rather that nation has an obligation, instead, to provide its laboring people with something of substance, and thereby of respect.

Make sure to apologize by corrective action, so taken

All of us, make mistakes when we are so dealing with others, of which, some of these mistakes are of the nature in which quite clearly an apology is warranted, and many of those that so need to apologize to the other person, actually do end up going ahead and doing that.  Yet, not every apology is equal, and those making such apologies, know this for a certainty.  For instance, when we say that we are sorry to someone, but our body language or our voice seems to express something that is the opposite of such sorrow, then that apology rings quite false.  So too, those that qualify their apology, by blaming it mainly on some other agency, such as drinking, or anger, or frustration, aren’t really serving up a true apology, but rather are making more of an excuse for their ill behavior.  Finally, all those that apologize, and somehow are able to believe that their mere apology without any subsequent correction action or even an honest attempt to make good on an action to help right that wrong, have the hollowest of apologies.

Those that are on the receiving end of an apology, while often appreciating that they have been apologized to, will often find that sincere apology or not, that mere words, do not heal well a deep wound.  That shouldn’t be surprising to any of us, for our innate sense of justice, often cries out, that in sympathy to those that have been wronged or hurt, that they need something therefore more fulfilling than mere words to represent well a lasting and soothing balm.  This thus signifies, that the person so providing a sincere apology, must not only freely admit to their wrong, but also must do so without equivocation or excuse, and further to the point, they then must go ahead and couple that apology with the type of action that proves their sincerity and provides therefore the foundation of why that apology represents something of lasting value, by their subsequent good actions, so taken.

Again, to err is human; so too, to correct that mistake is our imperative obligation that we must so attend to, so as to thereby make good for that which was wrong.  Those then that desire to take shortcuts in regards to apologies by taking the easy way out, by thereby mouthing words that sound good or that seem appropriate, but don’t ever take the personal time for self-reflection, or to acknowledge that they have a duty to see that whatever ill that they have perpetuated, needs to be addressed in a forthright manner, haven’t taken the opportunity to learn from their mistake, or to become thereby a better person for having subsequently done the right thing.  In life, there are going to invariably be regretful things that each of us does, that we can’t take back because the action has already occurred; but in which, we can thereby do the next best thing, which is to admit our wrong through our sincere apology, then determine that we will not repeat such, and finally to take positive and correction action to make good, to the degree that we can so do, to ameliorate the harm that we have done.

Batteries store energy, they are not a source of energy

In modern society, we use batteries all of the time, such as for all of our myriad electronic devices, as well as, nowadays, even in our mode of transportation, such as vehicles.  The thing that some people get so wrong about batteries is that batteries are not actually a source of energy, but rather they store energy so as to keep an electronic device functioning, or a vehicle, moving.  This thus signifies, that batteries by their very nature, in the sense that they store energy, need to be carefully dealt with, for energy stored in compact packages, can be susceptible to that very same energy being unexpectedly destructive, as well.

To a very large extent, most of the public, despite whatever warnings that have been applied to devices that utilize batteries, or on the actual package container that consists of the battery or batteries, don’t seem to typically express a lot of concern or worry about those batteries; thereby, leading to those very same people and businesses often being rather cavalier about not only how they interact with those batteries, but also in regards to the disposal of those batteries, as well.  As in many a thing, the government needs to take on more responsibility in doing their good part by informing the general public that the public needs to be more cognizant of the potential dangers of batteries for not only the end user, but also in regards to the proper disposal of; by impressing upon the people, that batteries can be explosive, flammable, subject to being mishandled, and damaged, as well as acknowledging more forthrightly that batteries typically contain chemicals that can be quite dangerous.  Further to the point, through chemical leakage, poor design, cheap materials and the like, batteries can be susceptible to spontaneous bad and tragic events.

Again, batteries are storers of energy, and thereby they must periodically have that energy renewed, typically accomplished through electricity or else the device so using those batteries will soon become inoperable.  This thus signifies that the ease of providing that electrical charge to those batteries has to be universal as well as being readily available, which is typically the case when it comes to batteries in modern, western societies, but isn’t necessarily the case in foreign lands that lack the infrastructure to assure such.  So too, the price of that electricity most definitely is an ongoing cost in regards to batteries, so that, it would behoove governments to provide that electricity as an essential public service that should be responsibly regulated, which we so find is often the case.

Because batteries store energy, but are not themselves a source of energy, it is imperative, that the electricity so needed for those batteries be structured in such a way, that the electricity to these devices be both dependable as well as being robust, for a battery without stored energy, has little practical value.  So too, once a battery becomes unreliable, weakened, or has been completed used up, the discarding of such, should be something that is uniform throughout this nation, as well as being responsibly structured so as to thereby be safe for the environment.

It’s all about me and the alienation, so of

We seem to live in a modern society, in which never have so many felt entitled, privileged, above it all, special, and selfish.  That is to say, there are an awful lot of people, especially those that should know a lot better, in which because of their status in life, or their money, or their willful ignorance, are pretty much all about their own self, and thereby these are the very same people that are thus only interested in their own personal satisfaction, above all else.  In other words, it seems to be, especially for those people, a race to the proverbial bottom, of selfishness, narcissism, self-centeredness, and just about anything that continually validates their own self, without much of a concern or care about anyone or anything else.

Not too surprisingly, when our sole focus is pretty much upon getting ours and our satisfaction, then everything else must thereby take a back seat to our desires, or must be subservient to our desires, or else ends up being used for our desires.  This thus signifies, that those that are especially selfish, have by their actions and by their mindset, pretty much separated themselves from society, to live instead in a world of their own, in which in that world, the only thing that really counts, is them, and nothing else.  So then, at a certain point, those that are solely self-absorbed, whether they consciously recognize this or not, increasingly become more and more alienated from humankind, because they are not part of the social milieu, at all, but rather are part of a team of exactly, one.

Any society in which a significant portion of its membership, involves people that aren’t interested in contributing anything of value or of worth to that society; but rather see that society as nothing much more than as an instrument to exploit, or to take advantage of, or to use for their own purposes, and thereby believe that this is justified, because they have been endowed with free will, have not examined their own life in any meaningful way; for those that are in it only for themselves, must so recognize, that if everyone else was to have that same sort of attitude or mindset, then the inevitable fall of that society would be imminent; for we are, in actuality, social creatures, so created with an implicit understanding that we have a duty and an obligation to do our fair part of helping to make society better as our just obligation to such.

While each of us entitled to follow our own chosen path, those that insist that they wish to concentrate solely upon themselves, and on no other, are invariably going to come to that point, in which those that engage with them, are only those that are either compelled to do so, or those that are in their own way, extracting value from the other.  So then, we find that in a selfish person’s most honest moments, that they must so admit to themselves, that all is vanity; unless they are able to forthrightly find someone or something that is bigger than their own limiting ego.

The banking system should be non-profit

Logic would seem to tell us, that the loaning of money to people and businesses, should be one of those things, in which a small but steady profit should be made, by those banking institutions, and nothing much more.  That is to say, in a truly competitive environment in which banks, credit unions, and the like are truly competing against one another, the access to that money so being loaned would have to be competitive, and thereby the cost to the consumer and businesses to obtain those loans would be reasonable, and hence the cost of that money to those receiving those loans, would be manageable.  That, at least, is the theory, but the reality is completely different.

What we so find is that first and foremost, any business enterprise in which the biggest players within that enterprise are thereby designated by this government as “too big to fail,” are clearly implicitly dangerous in their construct to that nation.  In other words, the current situation in which when times are good, that these mega banks are thereby enabled to make billions upon billions of dollars in profit, through the mere loaning of money, or via leveraged investment schemes – in which, in addition, we find that the biggest and largest of these mega banks, have been effectively backstopped by the federal government, so that when those loans go bad, or those leveraged bets run against these mega banks, that they are thus bailed out by that same government -- effectively makes these mega banks the most desirable of all businesses, because these mega banks can never lose; of which, in essence, the profits so made are functionally privatized, representing thereby a form of monetary extraction from the pockets of one’s own citizens and businesses -- and when these mega banks subsequently suffer massive losses to the extent of insolvency, they are, in essence, made good by those very same citizens as so authorized by that government.

In order for business transactions to seamlessly be accomplished, the coin of the realm, as thereby represented by our currency of dollars that are utilized physically as well as electronically via interactions between businesses and people, so occurs  This thus signifies, that those institutions that control those dollars in the sense of the availability of that money, the cost of that money, such as in interest rates, and the liquidity of that money, have an incredible amount of influence over not only the general economic conditions of that nation, but effectively over the people, themselves – because the people thereby need fair access to such in order to successfully conduct their affairs and take care of their responsibilities.  In other words, banks, have untold power over the people and businesses, in which, for whatever reason, this government, enables those banks to extract profit and thereby to have dominion over the people and those businesses; whereas, sensibility tells us that a far better way for the people and businesses to relate to the coin of the realm, would be for those banking institutions, to be within their structure, non-profit, and thereby never conflicted about what they should or should not do, as opposed to our current corrupt state of affairs, in which the game is permanently fixed in favor of those mega banks for no good reason, whatsoever.

So how do you feel about that?

It’s important to ask ourselves pertinent questions so as to discover what our underlining feelings are in regards to a particular important event or issue; or in absence of our own self-evaluation, then to have a good friend help us to inquire about what is really going on, so as to add their insight or wisdom on behalf of us.  When we are dealing with issues that are having an impact upon us, for either good or for bad, we should want to investigate such, so as to get a good grasp of how we are actually feeling about that event, absence of overwrought emotions blocking us from a fair evaluation, so that we can thereby get the most out of that experience, for our benefit.

All sorts of things transpire in our lives, of which, perhaps a significant portion of such, are fairly routine events or are of things which we are fairly accustomed to; but then, there are also those seminal events that are of real significance to us, and that are the type of things that have a meaningful bearing upon us, as well; so that it would thereby behoove us to desire to know how we should honestly feel about such.  After all, the things that make us feel worse or involve outcomes that are negative, should be the very same things that we should, if it is so possible, want to avoid in the future, or to mitigate or to even overcome if such avoidance is not possible.  So too, those things that make us feel good, and are positive in their impact, are not only things that we should try to luxuriate in, so as to maximize such a feeling, but also should be the very same things, that we should so desire to repeat or even to enhance, if this is within our power.

It is important that we do self-reflect upon those things which carry real meaning for us, of which, further to the point, we should also want to know why we feel that particular way about whatever that it is that has impacted us.  In short, we do need to question why our feelings are a certain way as compared to not being some other way, and thereby to contemplate not only why this is so, but also as to whether such a feeling that we so have is reasonable, all things considered, or whether, perhaps, there are other legitimate feelings that we could have, or ought to have, instead.

Since we are a free will people, it is vital to remember that a lot of the satisfaction or dissatisfaction that we so experience in our respective lives, actually rests not only in our own hands, but also in our mind, and thereby how we react or feel about something is obviously quite meaningful and thereby influences our lives.  How we so feel about something, is indicative of who we are as a people, of which, why we so feel that way, is yet another piece that helps brings us clarity.  So then, it is thereby up to each of us, to examine our feelings, of which, by that examination, we may so find out a lot more of who and what we really are, which is to our lasting benefit.

Power, privilege, and control

There are all sorts of ways to look at nations and societies, of which, one of the more succinct and appropriate ways to understand such is that in many a case, those that have power and privilege, are effectively those that are the overlords of those nations and societies, of which, they often are determined to not only maintain that status, but to enhance such, so done through the control and influence that they thereby wield against all other parties and agencies through the effective use of that power.  That is to say, people and institutions that are in powerful positions, are the very same people and institutions, that most definitely not only look over their shoulder, but they also have a very strong tendency to vacuum up as much actionable information as possible about those that they do business with or upon, so that they can better control and manipulate them for the expressed benefit of the powerful and privileged.

It would be nice, if we so lived in a world and a society in which the mainstream mindset was really one of “all for one, and one for all,” but that alas is a pipedream, and thus this isn’t really the actual way that society and institutions so operate.  So too, it would be desirable, if the construct that we live in and of which each of us is a part of, really did believe in the absolute value and merit of truth, justice, fairness, openness, equality, and team spirit, but though there are many good people and even societies that nobly try to live up to this ideal, what we so find, is in actuality, that those that are the most powerful and privileged amongst us, often don’t have any real trouble in seeing that such worthy attributes as that, end up being of no real import in what thereby subsequently transpires day-by-day.

We live in an age, in which there is an ongoing battle, between those that are the elite, versus all those others, that are not so privileged.   Quite obviously, since the powerful are so few in number, and so obvious as to who and what they are, one might reasonably think, that the sheer numbers of the population in whole, would be able to successfully unseat the powerful; or if not, at least have some semblance of a seat at the table, in which a civil debate and discussion could thereby so ensue – yet, for the most part, this for all practical purposes, doesn’t occur.

The thing about the privileged and the powerful, is that they are never interested in the sharing of power, for they see absolutely no benefit in doing so.  So too, the alternative appeal to the elite’s sense of fair play and justice, will not ever work, because fairness, equality, and transparency are all anathema to them.  This thus signifies that the only thing that will bring about change, and thereby to take down the elite status quo, can only come forth from a well-informed people, that are not distracted by various trivialities and miscellanies, but rather are concentrated and dedicated upon seeing that truth and justice nobly applies itself so as to finally vanquish power and privilege, so accomplished by the unrelenting pursuit of that very aim, until the end of time.

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of free will

Each of us is provided with free will, which is an unalienable right, that all are equally entitled to.  This thus signifies that any government, that operates in a manner, in which that free will is unjustly compromised, has done a grand disservice to all those that have thus suffered from that limitation.  We have each been granted and thereby graced by our Creator with our own mind, to thereby take responsibility for better or for worse, for progress or for regression, in the actions and thoughts so initiated by the use of our free will, so of.

The best government is that government, which supports and helps to backstop our unalienable rights, with the expressed understanding, that governments are a necessary creation so done for the benefit of those same people.  Regrettably, no matter how good a constitution is, and of the noble words so written and sung about, a government is only as good as it is in its actual operation; and many a government, best intentioned or not, has a strong tendency to wrongly take from the people those attributes which are part and parcel of free will, and replaced such with obedience and compliance, instead.

The best citizen is never going to be that which unquestionably obeys the preferences and dictates of the state, but rather the best citizen is that which questions, when so appropriate, that governmental authority, and above all, impresses upon its governance, the critical importance and necessity of that government always being transparent, open, just, and fair with the people.  There is an inconvenient truth, which cannot ever be denied, which is that coercion, deception, violence, and intimidation by the government, utilized against one’s own citizens, outside the norms and bounds of the rule of law, cannot ever be justified.  Rather, the government, must always first and foremost, respect that each of its citizens is entitled to think for themselves, so as to in their own right, be their own person; for each person has their own free will, and thereby must ultimately so answer foremost to that which first created them, for their actions.

The main problem with governments today, is not the fact that governing millions upon millions of people is so ungainly, but rather that many a government, has seemingly lost its way, by forgetting, in essence, the very purpose, of its legitimate existence.  Our government is meant to provide a level playing field, in which all are treated the same, and thereby through its delegated powers, to see that interactions between not only its own people, but also the world, at large, are above board, fair, conscionable, and right. So too, for one individual to impose their will upon another, without the consent of that other, is the same wrong, that a government so does, when it imposes its will, without consent, upon its citizenry.  That which governs, must be limited in what it can or cannot be authorized to perform, and any government that takes upon itself that somehow it has the right, to unjustifiably supersede the people’s free will, has clearly gone beyond its permissible bounds.

In a global market there are no safe havens

Centuries of business has told us that trade is the key to economies growing and being therefore of benefit to the people so doing those trades.  That is to say, whether such trade is done intrastate, or interstate, within one country, or globally, the purpose of trade, is for both sides of that trade to benefit; in which, quite frankly certain products, minerals, labor, food stuffs, and the like, are cheaper or more abundant or more efficient in one locale than another—thereby leading to not only a fair trade between those parties, but the very reason why such transactions are so done. 

Before the era of global markets and global trade, what happened within one country or one locale, obviously only affected that one particular place, for better or for worse, and thereby had no influence or affect upon another distant place or locale.  In today’s world, the largest economies in the world, are frequently intimately globally connected, which signifies that because of that interdependency, what happens to one big player within that construct, is going to have ripple effects, for better or for worse, to everyone else.  In other words, in a true global market, when bad storms come, there really isn’t going to be any safe harbors, because of that interconnectedness.  This truly does signify that in today’s global market there aren’t any safe havens for those that invest in equities, businesses, and the like, for global trade, tariffs, wars, and monetary policy are all integral to whether one’s investments continue to do well or whether they do poorly.

Additionally, what so happens in economies has a lot to do with the confidence level as well as sustainability that business as usual, will or will not continue as normal.  Further to the point, nations as well as multinational corporations, have bills and responsibilities that they must so attend to, and when there is a noticeable fear in the air, about this or that, justified or not, each of those parties has a tendency to desire to reduce their personal leverage or exposure to financial markets, or basically any market or vulnerability, that could adversely impact their nation or business, in a substantial way; and when these markets are vulnerable on a global scale, this obviously can easily turn into a situation in which something that is sort of bad, devolves into something that could reduce the edifice that nations and companies depend upon, to ruin.

All of this thus signifies, that highly unexpected and unanticipated changes to business as usual, can easily create a construct in which there is a liquidity squeeze and thereupon a rush to a safe haven; of which, in all likelihood these havens themselves, aren’t even necessarily all that safe or stable.  At this point in history, we are essentially all in this together, and when nations and mega-corporations get nervous, and thereupon find themselves under siege, all sorts of bad things can and do happen; in which, even the most neutral of countries and societies, are themselves subject to being towed under, for when unsuspected chaos so occurs, it can all so suddenly change from civil to uncivil, in a blink of the eye.

Capitalism and the desire for monopoly

Those that love capitalism believe it is the best economic system, ever conceived of.  Yet, even if we were to grant this premise as being true; the fact of the matter is, that capitalism, in order for it to be fair and of good service to society, must have necessary governmental oversight, as well as appropriate rules and regulations, imposed upon it, or else what capitalism could well devolve into, is something that is primarily going to be of immense benefit to the few, and of far less benefit to the many.

The basic fundamental problem with capitalism, is that those that are the biggest proponents of capitalism, in the sense of being industry leaders and influencers of such, are often by their actions so taken and intent upon, contradictory to what capitalism is actually supposed to be about.  In other words, the best of capitalism, is the competition between businesses, that never seems to end, and thereby encourages these competitors to not ever to rest upon their laurels, but rather to constantly improve themselves, in order to remain relevant and competitive, so as to maintain or to improve their position vis-à-vis other competitors, in a battle that is ever ongoing.

That is to say, it is that competition that forces companies to take calculated risks, to continue to innovate, to expend money on R&D, to hire the best and the brightest, and to be responsive to their customer base as well as to market conditions.  All of this, is to the good, but in reality, what we so see, is that many of the biggest and most influential corporations aren’t really interested in competing, day in and day out.  Rather, these mega-corporations are looking to at worse, create a consortium or an oligopoly, and preferably a monopoly, so that the thing that they fear most, which typically is the lost of profit or of the desired gross margin of their products so being sold, are never in play, but are rather, in their corporate control, at all times.

So then, to maintain or to enhance corporate profit, corporations are always looking to purchase other competitors, as well as to buy out innovative companies that have products that will help augment those products so being currently sold, or contemplated upon.  Further, the goal of the exercise, if monopoly power cannot be achieved, is to at a minimum, reduce the amount of competitors to a reasonable number, and thereby to have an implicit understanding between them that the object of the exercise for these supposed competitors, is for each of them, to primarily make a good and sustainable profit, by an understanding so reached with these other corporations that are in the same basic type of business, of the rules and grounds implicitly agreed to.

Finally, mega-corporations know the wisdom of basically co-opting the government in a way and manner, in which governmental contracts so issued to these same corporations are written in a format that clearly favors just one particular vendor, as well as often providing these same corporations with rules and regulations structured in a way that the barrier for entry for any future competitor is prohibitive.  In short, those that sing the praises of capitalism the most, often are the very same entities, that have done their level best to see that they can game the capitalistic system for their expressed benefit.

“For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead”

The above quotation comes from Holy Scripture, James 2: 26, and it is vital for each of us to know within our respective hearts, that faith, without corresponding actions that are consistent with that faith, represents no real value, whatsoever.  That is to say, it isn’t good enough to know what is right, if we don’t concentrate upon doing those very things to make sure that we too are doing right.  So too, those that claim that they believe this or that, but have no works to demonstrate that belief, in tribute to such, are essentially living contradictions to that belief, or in reality, unbelievers to that which they profess to believe.

Our most sacred assignment in life, necessitates our intuitive knowledge of what we should be doing --which we thereby accomplish by putting forth the effort to learn what we so need to learn, to experience what we so need to experience, and then to take that effort and experience to utilize such as our basis to realize what we so need to realize, so as to thereby then successfully create good works.  To know what we should do, but to never have the works to demonstrate that we have done so, signifies that we haven’t even reached the halfway point of where we really need and ought to be.  It could be argued, that those that claim that they don’t really have faith or belief, or are somewhat blithely unaware of such, but within their life, have demonstrated time and time again, compassion, justice, generosity, consideration, throughput, and the like – have through their actions, in essence, demonstrated by their works, that they implicitly do have faith, for what they have so accomplished, is consistent with those that have faith.

Those that claim to have faith, but can’t ever seem to wake up to that faith, have failed themselves, and have failed the society that they are a part of.  Each of us, has a duty to do our best, within the skillset that we have been blessed with, and all those then that are content to rest on their laurels, aren’t doing anybody any favors, as well as not accomplishing all that they could and should do.  We are meant to prove our faith, and to validate our belief, by actually getting into the arena of life, in which, we may so be battered about from time-to-time, but that shouldn’t ever stop us or preclude us from doing what we can so do, to help make this a better world for our presence and our works within it.

There are plenty of those, that talk a good game, while also having some very good words of wisdom, but some of these very same people don’t seem to ever desire to get down and to get accomplished their fair part in life; which is especially disappointing, when we take into fair consideration, that they have the talent and the intelligence to actually do so.  All the great accomplishments that we so see and experience around us, have always come forth, from those that put their nose to the grindstone, and thereby by their works, accomplish that which faithfully makes society better.

The need to feel wanted and appreciated

One might think that when we ask a fellow co-worker or a neighbor for a particular favor; such as for them to proof read an important proposal that we have worked on, or when we ask that neighbor if we can borrow their bush trimmer, that when these are the very same people, that seemingly don’t like us, or that seldom seem to have time for us, then we will invariably be turned down for asking them for that favor.  After all, when provided with the opportunity to help us, those that don’t care for us, would seem to be in the pole position to simply say, “No,” and to thereby take some degree of satisfaction in their denying us their help.  While, that does seem to make intuitive sense, the thing is, that in many a case, people’s desire to feel wanted and appreciated, often overrides their desire to be punitive and petty.

In other words, sometimes the best thing to do, when it appears that there is some inchoate or unknown issue that is precluding us from having a civil conversation with someone, or a friendship, or just some basic respect – then, the fact of the matter is, that whatever has been attempted to date, clearly hasn’t been effective and thus isn’t working, so it thereby behooves people in that type of situation, to consider that there may well be alternative avenues to investigate and to attempt, so as to progress pass whatever barrier is in the way.  The best way, then, to do such, really comes down to demonstrating one’s humility or perhaps lack of personal omniscience, by requesting the other person’s aid in a matter of some importance, in which, that request makes it clear to the other person, that we really are seeking their help.  While a lot of people, might well suspect, that in the making of a request such as that, that they will be turned down, what we so do find, is that often the other person is only too happy to oblige.

The reason that those that we don’t necessarily believe will help us, actually do, in fact, often help us, comes down to the actuality that not only are we as a people, social creatures, but that to accompany that, we each have an innate desire to be wanted and to be needed, by another, and especially by someone that we consider to be our equal, on some level.  Of course, when requesting that help, the other party obviously has the discretion and the power to turn us down, but there is in actuality for them more satisfaction in being of aid, and thereby of subsequently being appreciated by us, then they would so get from the short satisfaction of being dismissive and unhelpful.   

So then, none of us should underestimate how important it is for people, to feel that they are needed, and that they thus have intrinsic worth; and when therefore we are able to call upon those attributes and traits, with another person, each of us is benefiting, which helps us to cut through all the noise and distractions, that previously kept us at arm’s length.

Public servant crime v. private citizen crime

There seems to be an awful lot of hue and cry, about the need for more law and order; which seems somewhat puzzling considering that the United States, alone amongst all those western nations of any real size and influence, arrests and incarcerates such an incredibly high percentage of its citizens.  One would think that with so many of its citizens locked up, or on probation, or on parole, that the crime rates within this nation, would consequently be at all-time lows; but, in fact, despite all of the arrests and incarcerations, America stills has plenty of criminal activity, therefore signifying that America doesn’t seem to be on any sort of trajectory that would reduce such crime to a safe level, anytime soon.

For the most part, America concentrates upon private citizen crime, and pretty much neglects or even sustains public servant crime.  For instance, law enforcement officers, are by definition, public servants of the state – sworn to protect and to uphold not only the law, but they also act to protect and to assure the safety of the citizens that they serve.  To the degree, that law enforcement does that very thing, by providing a necessary service for the protection of the public, as well as by doing their vital part to see that miscreants and other crime breakers are dealt with in a way and manner in which justice will so be served, then indeed, those law enforcement personnel have provided a noble and dutiful service on behalf of the people.  Yet, when those same law enforcement officers, take the law into their own hands, and when they themselves, break the law -- we so find, that the powers-to-be typically turn a blind eye to such, and consider that such behavior while not being encouraged, is at the same time, not being punished or constructively dealt with in any meaningful manner by the state, most of the time.

As it is written, the law in order to be respected and in order for that law to be valid, must not only be equally applied, but the substance of that law, must be uniformly applicable to all, without any exceptions to such.  Yet, in America, we see those exceptions far too frequently; for when a man puts his boot upon a prone person’s neck, so that the person on the ground, cannot breathe, and thereby suffocates that person to death, or when a man reaches for his gun and fires indiscriminately against an unarmed man that poses no threat to him, whatsoever, or a man’s door is kicked in, and thereby robbed of his money and/or illicit drugs, or anytime a man who is not resisting, is assaulted to the degree that they are rendered unconscious and have serious bodily damage, we so do find that in many of these cases, all is just fine, for those that as our public servants have been designated as law enforcement officers, who apparently have been granted impunity to do whatever that they so desire to do, and thereby to render whatever “street justice” that they feel in the mood to do.

Those then, that cry the loudest for law and order, thereby need to be consistent to that cry, for murder is murder, assault is assault, and robbery is robbery; and until such a time that those doing so under the color of law, are dealt with in a way and manner that is consistent with the law, then the lawlessness that we see so much of, will continue to run amok.

When our public legislative servants fail us

The United States, provides its citizenry with the opportunity to vote upon all sorts of pertinent things.  For instance, depending upon the locale, so of, the people are entitled to vote for who and who does not represent them in the legislature, for judicial appointments, for sheriff appointments, and for propositions and referendums so placed upon voting ballots.  Each of these opportunities to vote are provided in a way, in which, the majority, so of, subject to some exceptions in regards to a necessary plurality or an overwhelming majority on some ballot propositions -- thereby results in propositions that are passed or that have failed, and of legislative representatives so elected.

All of the above, would seem to imply, that our democratic institutions provide to the people, an ample and thereby a fair opportunity to obtain the type of governance as well as legislative laws, that are for those people, acceptable to them and of their desire.  This would indeed seem to be the hope of that democratic vote so held in the hands of the people, but as in many things, there are the intentions of what a strong democracy in action is supposed to really represent, and then there is the reality of what so occurs in actuality.

The people live within a representative democracy, in which, those so elected by the people, are the representatives for the people; and of which, those representatives take upon themselves to subsequently appoint competent associates to help them in their legislative duties, as well as to assist them in prudently spending the allocation of monies so provided to them, so as to perform well those duties, on behalf of the people that they so represent.  That is the theory, but what we so find, is that many of our public legislative servants, aren’t really beholden to the people, at all; but rather seem to be beholden far too often to those entities that have a lot of power, influence, and money, upon them, instead.  In other words, our representatives, more times than not, do a very poor job of representing well the people that they are supposed to represent.  This thus signifies, that within a democracy, to have the vote, while certainly having its place, doesn’t actually mean a whole lot, or signify much of anything of merit, when the people, in whole, are poorly served, therewith, by those legislatures and by those subsequent legislative acts.

It doesn’t much matter what a given Constitution does or does not say, or what a given law does or does not mean, or the unalienable rights that each of us is accorded -- if, when at the end of the day, what that Constitution so says is determined by those that answer not to the people, or when those good laws, are thereby twisted, turned and manipulated to the extent that they end up meaning not what they were meant to mean, or further when those unalienable rights that each of us is fairly entitled to are consistently trampled upon for the supposed necessary security, convenience, or desires of the state.

When those that are sworn to serve us, end up serving themselves instead, and primarily answer to the entities that unduly influence them, then the democratic vote, for all practical purposes, is null and void; replaced instead by powers so delegated to those representatives, that have consciously severed themselves from those people.

Who is my neighbor?

The above question would seem to be one of those questions which is quite easy to answer, and perhaps it is.  The problem though, with knowing who our neighbor is, comes down to us behaving in a way and manner that is consistent with what a neighbor should so represent for all of us.  That is to say, when we are very young, it’s excusable for us to only love our own family, and our own environment, and to be therefore protective of such; for these are the good people that sustain and validate us, day in and day out.  Yet, as we mature, we need to recognize that a world that is based simply upon the concept of “me-ness” or “us-ness,” of which we thereby believe that all outsiders, should thus bend to our selfish desires and will, signifies that we have basically got the neighborly thing, fundamentally wrong.

Each of us, is an equal creation of the very same God, which thereby means, ignorant or aware, that each of us has the same unalienable rights as the other, for we are all part of the very same whole.  In other words, either we are truly all in this world, together, equally entitled to the fruits thereof, or for whatever reason, there is instead an inborn hierarchy within this dimension, in which, thereby some of us are privileged and meant to dominate over the other.  It is disappointing, that so many people apparently believe that there really is a hierarchy, God-sanctioned or not, which is the very basis for all the wars, hatred, disrespect, and contempt, so many people and societies show to one another.  Obviously, with that type of corrupt mindset, our neighbor is only going to be someone that has the same belief system, and all those that do not, are adjudged to be something less than what we are.

All those that want to spend an inordinate amount of time, debating about their merits as compared to the other person’s demerits, aren’t doing anybody any favors.  Rather, each of us, needs to open up our unseeing eyes, and to determine, once and for all, as to whether we are or are not equally created by the hand of God; and for all those that recognize the intuitive answer to that question, this becomes the basis of understanding that we are all neighbors, for we are all family.  This thus indicates that our most noble duty is to conduct our affairs in a way and manner in which we foremost, to the degree that we are so able, always treat one another with the respect and consideration, that we owe to sentient human beings with eternal souls.

Those that are most lost, are the very same people, that need our neighborly help the most.  Of course, a significant portion of those people, will ultimately be those that are unable for one reason or another, to fully accept our help or our aid – at least at that time and place.  Still, we must do, the very same duties and obligations, that we would want someone to do for us, if we were lost, confused, and misguided; for we are all sheep of the very same flock, and to believe that the Good Shepherd will leave any of His flock behind, is to misunderstand and misconstrue the very meaning of one and of whole.

“Blessed are they who hunger after truth and beauty…”

Kahlil Gibran, was an incredibly gifted writer, who has provided us through his writing with beautiful insights to go along with his inspiring wisdom.  In his book, Jesus the Son of Man, Gibran reads the Beatitudes and paraphrases a particular sentence of it, as follows: “Blessed are they who hunger after truth and beauty, for their hunger shall bring bread, and their thirst cool water.”

When it comes to Holy Scripture it is important for us to be able to read such in a way and manner that not only renews and reinvigorates scriptural passages for us, but also when done astutely, to thus take us to a different level of insight into what has so been written for our edification and for our benefit.  The Beatitudes so stated by our Messiah, are not meant to be quickly glanced at or read in a rote-like manner, thereby to be pretty much forgotten when we soon get back to our everyday activities and routines; but rather these Beatitudes are provided to help inspire us to become better people as well as to aid us in getting a renewed perspective about that which we so see, hear, and look upon. 

Our hunger is one of the most important driving forces in encouraging our desire to fulfill that hunger in a way and manner that will bring us lasting satisfaction.  Those then, that do not hunger after truth and beauty, are the very same people that will find it most difficult to find at some future point, that truth and beauty. In fact, these people that lack the desire and hunger for truth are basically lost, and are typically also those that are essentially wandering around within the same circle again and again, not seeming to comprehend that those that cannot redirect their activities to that straight and narrow pathway of progress, will become trapped within the circle of non-progression.  On the other hand, those that will not relent in their search to fulfill that hunger, until they become satiated with the truth that answers sincerely to that hunger, are the very people, that will find such, because that which is meant to be discovered, necessitates the continuous effort to find such, until that goal is successfully so met.

There are plenty of motivations that each of us could pay attention to, of which, some of those motivations are going to be positive and worthy, and some of those things, will lack those credentials.  Those that desire to know the truth, as well as to see the beauty which this world can so well represent, have made a noble determination to obtain that which has lasting value, over those other things, that at best, are counterfeit to such, or are simply dead-ends in their construct. There is no higher calling than to not be tied down by the routines and trivialities of what far too many people and societies think are so important, when these very things, represent far too often, distractions to that which is most important.

None of us will find satisfaction until we drink deeply from the very waters that provide such satisfaction, and those clear and cool waters, are represented only by that which is eternal in its construct, as well as being beneficial for us.  To walk past truth is to walk past that which will free us from the illusion that we have put in place of that truth; to dismiss beauty, is to misconstrue our opportunity to appreciate the incarnation that we are a part of and to thereby bypass how beautiful this creation at its very best, so represents for us.  Each day, we feed the hunger of our body; how much more of value it is to feed the hunger of that which has so actuated us in the first place.

“Blessed are they who remember their pain, and in their pain await their joy”

Kahlil Gibran, was an incredibly gifted writer, who has provided us through his writing with beautiful insights to go along with his inspiring wisdom.  In his book, Jesus the Son of Man, Gibran reads the Beatitudes and paraphrases a particular sentence of it, as follows: “Blessed are they who remember their pain, and in their pain await their joy.”

When it comes to Holy Scripture it is important for us to be able to read such in a way and manner that not only renews and reinvigorates scriptural passages for us, but also when done astutely, to thus take us to a different level of insight into what has so been written for our edification and for our benefit.  The Beatitudes so stated by our Messiah, are not meant to be quickly glanced at or read in a rote-like manner, thereby to be pretty much forgotten when we soon get back to our everyday activities and routines; but rather these Beatitudes are provided to help inspire us to become better people as well as to aid us in getting a renewed perspective about that which we so see, hear, and look upon. 

There are plenty of people that do suffer pain and disappointment, of the physical, of the mental, and of the spiritual.  Most of those people, complain about their pain, and virtually all of these people remember their pain; of which, some of those same people, dwell upon such pain over and over again, without bothering to take the corresponding necessary steps to learn relevant lessons from such.  The point of pain as well as of disappointment is never meant to make us to suffer endlessly and without any real lesson to such; but rather pain and disappointment should be always seen as a “wakeup” call for us to respond to in a positive, correcting, and productive manner.  That is to say, when we place our hand too close to something that is burning hot, we feel the pain of that flame, thereby signaling to our hand to remove itself from that which is causing the pain; in which, if that pain response did not happen not only would we suffer more from that lack of feedback, but we also would be susceptible to making the same sort of mistake in the future, for not remembering well that pain.

So too, it is necessary for us to suffer pain as well as disappointment, because having suffered so, we appreciate more the beauty and the joy of that success when we eventually overcome such.  In other words, sometimes we have to take a wrong step in order not only to get back on the correct pathway, but also to appreciate the value of being on the right pathway to begin with.  So too, it is important to see this world as not only a continual learning experience, but also as a true “proving ground;” of which, each of us is challenged to utilize our free will in a way and manner, that we will voluntarily choose that which is of positive value over that which is negative.  There are many that believe, such a choice as that to make is easy, but in actuality, it really is not; for our selfish ego will entice us with all sorts of temptations, in which, many of us, so believe that we can give in to those temptations, and not only be happy but remain of good character, only alas to find ourselves soon enough, feeling regret, disappointment, and shame.

We need to remember our pain, and our mistakes, for in this remembrance comes the determination to do better, so as to be a better and a more complete person, of which, when we achieve that success, we truly appreciate having overcome the travails to get there, which provides us with the appreciation of that joy, fully earned.

Blessed are the peacemakers….

Kahlil Gibran, was an incredibly gifted writer, who has provided us through his writing with beautiful insights to go along with his inspiring wisdom.  In his book, Jesus the Son of Man, Gibran reads the Beatitudes and paraphrases a particular sentence of it, as follows: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for their spirit shall dwell above the battle, and they shall turn the potter’s field into a garden.”

When it comes to Holy Scripture it is important for us to be able to read such in a way and manner that not only renews and reinvigorates scriptural passages for us, but also when done astutely, to thus take us to a different level of insight into what has so been written for our edification and for our benefit.  The Beatitudes so stated by our Messiah, are not meant to be quickly glanced at or read in a rote-like manner, thereby to be pretty much forgotten when we soon get back to our everyday activities and routines; but rather these Beatitudes are provided to help inspire us to become better people as well as to aid us in getting a renewed perspective about that which we so see, hear, and look upon. 

The thing about war, seemingly justified or not, is that the killing and the destruction so done in battle, is a terrible thing; and further to the point, often the closer that we are to that war, the more that we have an inclination to thereby get caught up in the drama of the battle, and thereby to become susceptible to forgetting not only our own humanity, but also the humanity of all those that are in the pitch of that battle.  To believe, somehow, that the best or the most appropriate way to resolve difficulties between ourselves and other societies and people, is to actually have a physical fight, or a sanctioned war, is inhumane and also misguided, on every level.  Those then, that believe, that out of war, it so follows that there will then be a lasting and just peace, don’t have it right.  In actuality, only those that rise above the cacophony of the madness that entices human beings to do battle against one another -- that has been so occurring for eons, represent the only possible personages that have the perspective and thereby the wisdom to understand, that all that sound and fury, really does signify nothing.

We are all meant to be peacemakers, so that, rather than to give in to our worst nature which leads to destruction, hatred, hurt, and the like; we are meant instead to maintain our good character, by our willingness to be the suffering servant, to bite our tongue, to show consideration, and to always keep in our mind’s eye that behind the mask of war, that each of us is in actuality, the very same creation, with the very same unalienable rights as the other.  No battle, lasts forever, and nothing negative can sustain itself over a long period of time; for even those that are the most bellicose, have their moments of normality.  Long after the battle is over, the aftereffects are still there, but those that do their good part to bind the wounds, to heal the brokenhearted, and to uplift those that have seemingly lost hope, have created, in effect, a new garden, seeded with the blood, sweat, and tears of those so lost to us, but this garden, should it be faithfully tended to with love and care, is quite capable of eventually growing into the most beautiful and bountiful harvest.