The semantics of framing the narrative

The use of words and phrases makes a material difference in how people envision what those words mean within the context of what has been written or said.  That is to say, it is pretty clear and obvious that when a headline reads “Man Murdered,” that this is not going to be interpreted the same way as “Man Dispatched.”  Although it is often the case that the known facts are the same, the headline is deliberately different because the narrative the writer or speaker is trying to convey to the audience is different.  That is why it is so important to look at words and phrases and to understand that when somebody is “erased” or “terminated,” that this word may well have been substituted for “killed.”

 It is regrettable that governments have a rather bad habit of insisting upon framing the narrative with words and descriptions that will favor what they desire to get across, so as to either keep the population calm, or the very opposite, which is to get the population up in arms about a particular issue.  This is why it is imperative that we look beyond and behind the words to understand better what is actually occurring, because when we are too lax to do so, those who wish to push their agenda upon us are going to be more successful in so doing.

 There are plenty of things that happen each and every day, of which, the framing of what has occurred, is in the hands of those that are part of the media, so that, those that have the biggest voice, are going to make it their point to see that their viewpoint is the orthodox viewpoint, which thereby means that what the people are reading or seeing has been conditioned in a way that a significant portion of the population will just be accepting of what they are essentially being told to believe.

 The type of society that we should live in, does not manipulate the other, but rather is forthright with what is really going on, by a true and fair description of what is happening, so that, people can then fairly adjudge as to whether this is something that they are in agreement and accordance with, or else, find such to be disturbing and wrong.

 The best society is that which is most transparent and open with the people, that thus lays its cards fairly upon the table, so that the denizens of that nation, can come to their own conclusions or beliefs, without having to suffer undue influence or the attempt to shape public opinion in a way and manner that favors what those in authority, so desire to get across.  Indeed, we cannot be a free people, at liberty, if what we are hearing and seeing, has been deliberately structured in a way that will make us to believe something that is not the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, but rather is essentially a deception made to look as if it is the complete truth, when it really is not.

To fulfill the law

We read in Holy Scripture,  “Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill”. (Matthew 5:17)  What this signifies is that Christ incarnated upon this earth, for the betterment of humankind so as to take the Mosaic law, which had often been misinterpreted and misused, to make it thereupon clear that God had a new covenant which Christ was here to fulfill and therefore what the Messiah did and preached, was of the upmost importance to humankind, and thus the future direction of the people that populate this world.  This signifies that a careful study of what Christ so represents is vital to the understanding of what God’s natural law means and the importance so of, for all of us.  That said, not everyone who takes upon themselves the aura of Christianity or the belief that Christ has his place, has got it right, for there are many that take the words written in the Bible and get it horribly wrong, knowingly or unknowingly, which is why each of us needs to take responsibility to hear and to comprehend the Word and to do right by the law of that Word.

 In this world, we will suffer trials and we will be tried, and those found wanting, will suffer the consequences of their mistakes, for injustice and wrong deeds so done here, must in the skeins of time, be straightened out, or else there will not be continual justice and righteousness in the dimension beyond.  This means that it is our responsibility to not only to know the law, but to live out and up to its tenets to the best of our ability, for we are each responsible for who and what we are, and each of us, alone, will have to face the consequences of what we have done in our lives, come judgment day.

 Therefore, understanding our individual responsibilities is of paramount importance. To the extent that we heed the revealed pathway that will safely lead us to the only destination worth pursuing, the better it will be for us.  However, we must first understand how we are supposed to behave and act, which clearly indicates that in our interactions, without exception, that we need to be honest, forthright, considerate, caring, patient, generous, giving, strong-minded, ethical, and seekers of justice.  Those then, that treat their fellow compatriots with the respect all are due because each has been equally created by God, and make it their point to do right by their neighbor, as if their neighbor was their own self, are the very same that are progressing; and while it is true, that none of us are perfect or will be perfect, it is not expected that we be perfect, for as long as we put forth effort and energy to not only to do the right thing, but to think the right thing, it will be well.  Indeed, while Christ fulfilled the law, it isn’t good enough for us to just acknowledge that, for we must also live it, or else we have not successfully applied the lessons so learned.

Entertainment venues and refreshments

There seems like there are two basic types of people that go to entrainment events, such as a movie, concert, or sporting event, of which, one type simply takes in the entertainment and pretty much remains glued to their seat as opposed to the other type, that indulges in various snacks and drinks, and if of age, alcohol, and thereby moves above at their leisure as if the entertainment, while important, is all basically part of the total package, and they desire to appreciate it in the way and form that gives them apparently the most satisfaction. 

 The thing about those people that consume a fair amount of drink and food while at the entertainment event, is that they seem to not be overly concerned that they will first of all, miss anything of import, and secondly that it seems as if in order for them to enjoy their evening out, they need to indulge themselves, and typically they have budgeted for the extra expense of what they are consuming.  Those, on the other hand, that don’t partake in any extra snacks or drinks, or doing so in a moderate way, are of an entirely different mindset, in which, first of all, it it’s the entertainment that is the main thing, and typically they have predetermined that they don’t want to spend extra money on drinks, snacks, or souvenirs, because they don’t see the value or much of the point in doing so.

 Of course, from a venue standpoint, the proprietors of such love those customers who do indulge. It is those specific customers that help them to turn a profit best, or at least to meet their expenses, because their business model depends upon the customers spending money on those snacks, drinks, and souvenirs. The pricing of these items, though, typically takes into consideration that once a customer enters the venue, that they are a captive audience, which is why the items so being purchased can be priced at the level that the customer so sees.

 Indeed, the fact that people are different and look upon entertainment in their own individual way, makes for the type of mixture that is beneficial for all those so involved, because those that are more stoic and disciplined are not compelled to buy anything other than the ticket that they purchased, which is to some degree, subsidized by those that go about and buy items that they desire and which keeps them satisfied that the overall experience that they are having, is well worth the expense.

 The bottom line, whether at an entertainment venue or at home, people are going to behave in a way and manner that gives them the most satisfaction, of which, some of those people are content to watch what they watch, with little or no interruption, whereas others are more inclined to want all of their creature comforts which thus provides them with the type of satisfaction that all is well, come what may.

“The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted”

The above quotation comes from the wise hand of James Madison, one of our most esteemed Founding Fathers, and the 4th President of the United States.  The people of this nation should be forever grateful that those that were the principle agents in the revolution and thereby the formation of this nation, were exceedingly astute and prescient people, because what we have today, is oftentimes a pathetic shell of the great men that founded this nation, and is the proximate reason why this country is heading in the wrong direction.

 When it comes to power, it is imperative that the people recognize and acknowledge that as good as a given person might be, when power is thereby thrusted or trusted upon them, there is a strong tendency for those in power, to not only get corrupted by that power, but also to end up serving mainly those that help to augment and to keep that person in power, which signifies that whenever such power is being misused, the more that the people will be cheated and suffer accordingly.

 The very first thing that the citizens of this nation need to do, is to hold accountable those that are in power, and to the degree that it is so possible, do what can be done to let them to know that they are being watched and monitored, for if that is not done, then the temptation to use power in ways that are detrimental to the people is only going to increase all the more.  The people, therefore, must be those that stand upon a watchtower, ever watching to make sure that the power so granted to their representative government is used in a way that is fairly beneficial and prudent to those that are the governed, because when it is not, it is the people that are left holding the short end of the stick.

 As much as we might want to believe that having control of billions upon billions of dollars for budgets, and being able to make decisions in regards to a multitude of important things that effect millions upon millions of people, that those that have been elected or appointed will always do the right or most appropriate thing, because that is what they are supposed to do, is belied by the fact, that a significant portion of the time, a large segment of those in power, have essentially had their good minds, addled by that power, and therefore make fundamentally flawed decisions.

 Look, it has to be said, trust is something that is earned, it should not just be assumed, so that it behooves the people of this nation, to be far less trusting, and to be far more diligent in monitoring those that are in power, because power in the hands of those that are not the strongest of mind or will, is something that will potentially wreak havoc upon their ethics, which thereby leads to those that lack such power, suffering the ill effects of being lied to, manipulated, and controlled by those that perhaps meant well, but have devolved into pushing for their own selfish objectives or much, much worse.

A government of secrets is no government of the people at all

We are supposed to be under a representative government, of, for, and by the people, but when we are stymied in the knowing of what is actually going on, because all the most pertinent information is considered to be classified, this signifies that we cannot conceivably know what is really transpiring. whatsoever. So too, there are acres upon acres of governmental land that is considered to be the sole property of that government and cannot thereby be trespassed upon, which doesn’t seem right or fair in many an instance; as well as the fact that there are many governmental buildings in which the people’s right to enter such a building is forbidden at all times, or only permitted under the most strict and stringent conditions, which makes one wonder as to whether or not, our voice and our vote matters, at all, because this seems to be a government that is far too often not transparent and is not forthcoming in what it is supposedly doing on behalf of its citizens.

 Look, it has to be said, the less transparent a government is and the more actionable information that is secreted from the general public, makes it well-nigh impossible for the people to know what is really going on, in their name.  It therefore isn’t possible to hold our representatives accountable to just about anything, if we don’t know what is happening, and when that information is essentially never disseminated to the public, then we have a government that is in essence, run by elites for the expressed benefit of those elites as well as those privileged others that are well-positioned for its benefits.

 It isn’t so much that which governs least, governs best, but rather that which is most transparent and fairly accountable to the general public is not only the best form of government, but it is the only form of government, that is appropriate for a free people, because whenever the people are denied knowledge of what is going on in actuality, because it is hidden from them, and in addition, that public has not a clue about what is occurring behind the scenes, then whatever government that is left which is visible and somewhat accountable, doesn’t count for all that much.

 In short, the people should have the absolute right to hold not only its government and its representatives answerable to them, but must also have the right to know what is occurring behind closed doors, for the bottom line is that so much of what is hidden and what is secret, isn’t because it is actually necessary for national security or other things of that ilk, but because the powers that be are up to no good, and do not desire to be questioned upon what they are doing, which is why it is hidden from the public.  Indeed, as a disinfectant is necessary to clean that which is polluted, so too, we need a disinfectant to permit us to see within our government, for without that knowledge, what we are left with, are the crumbs of a government, not good enough for a begging dog, and certainly not good enough for a free people.

“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

The above quotation is attributed to the Irish orator, John Philpot Curran, of which, the message of this insightful advice is that liberty, or all forms of freedom, necessitates that the people hold to account, those that are in the position to uphold that liberty or to take such away, and whenever that liberty is threatened, the people have a responsibility through their vigilance to do what needs to be done to defend liberty, or else it is the people that will ultimately pay the price for their failure to maintain that eternal watchfulness.

 We live now in a day and age in which an argument could be and should be made, that the liberty that Americans take as their birthright is under assault, both implicitly as well as explicitly, as we see demonstrated again and again, by the fact that those that band together in civil disobedience and therefore should be protected by the law, as per their 1st Amendment rights, are themselves often harassed or suffer even worse by the policing arm of the state, which is exceedingly militarized and has little hesitation in asserting itself, and cares not a whit about the non-liberty actions that it subsequently takes, because the law and order so being imposed upon the people of America, answers not to the people, but to those elites that are above the law.

 All rights, in order to be successfully held, require the people to be eternally vigilant, because the nature of governance often appears to be to concentrate on using its power to get done what those at the highest levels of government and beyond desire to get done, which frequently means that their toleration of the people in regards to civil disobedience or other actions of that ilk, demonstrates very little patience to hear what the people have to say, or to even concern themselves about such.

 In life, the most important things that we desire require sacrifice, dedication, determination, and principled action. When those skillsets are lacking, because the people believe that their rights appear to be safely ensconced in the Constitution, the people, therefore have made the cardinal error of believing that words trump what is occurring in front of their faces, in which, the net result that we are seeing is that liberty has been restricted, sometimes under the guise that such is temporarily needed to be enforced for the safety of the people. Other times, more boldly, it is stated that the government simply knows best.

 Indeed, it needs to be recognized that those in power, are always outnumbered by those that have little or no power, of which, the fact that the people are at liberty, makes it therefore much more problematic that the effective rulers of this nation, can implement and get done what they so desire to get done for their expressed benefit, which is why so often nowadays, there is a concentrated effort to manipulate, control, and to steer the population into the belief that liberty should be circumscribed, for the protection and the betterment of the people, which thereby takes away their inherent right to freedom and replaces it with a shadow and hollow liberty, which isn’t true liberty, at all.

The disenfranchised and dubious law enforcement charges

When it comes to law and order, it has to be admitted that in America, the police are absolutely armed to their gills, for they have immediate access to firearms of exceedingly impressive lethal power, as well as Tasers, pepper spray, batons, rubber bullets, handcuffs, and just about anything that a police department feels that it needs in order to effect law and order.  So then, most citizens of this nation are quite aware that any interaction with a police officer is fraught with danger, especially when that citizen is involved in some sort of civil disobedience, or even when that citizen is just being about their own business but are in some way, form or manner, considered to be an annoyance to the police.

 It is thus quite surprising to see, therefore, the sheer number of unarmed citizens who are subsequently arrested for such offenses as “resisting arrest,” “obstruction of justice,” and “assault of a police officer.”  The truth of the matter is that all of these charges appear to be, oftentimes, trumped-up charges, of which the most galling of them all is the alleged assault upon a police officer.  Indeed, unless somebody is clearly out of their mind, no sensible unprepared person is ever going to attempt a true assault of a police officer, because that officer has not only lethal force that can and will be used against the alleged assailant, but the person so being accused of assaulting a police officer, is typically completely unarmed, which would make their actions, if true, to be extremely imprudent and reckless.

 All of the above would presuppose that when it comes to those that are involved in civil disobedience or are simply raising their voices, and enacting their 1st Amendment rights, are responded to by the police, far too often, with the most dubious charges, which thereupon permits the police to arrest these people so as to hopefully quell whatever disturbance is happening, though the more outrageous the police are in their actions, often serves to have the population respond in kind, which doesn’t help to calm the situation down, whatsoever.

 The most unwarranted thing happening is that we know that these types of charges made against civilians that are in actuality not resisting arrest and are not assaulting officers of the law, end up typically being dropped a significant amount of the time, indicating that the purpose of pinning these charges on those people is to control the population, and to hell with any of their Constitutional rights. 

 This signifies that the world that we live in when it comes to citizen civil disobedience is a world in which might makes right, and those who stand in the way of that might will be removed forcefully or not, through whatever dubious charges the officers of the law feel is necessary to take care of the issue, because all that matters is that those that are the real actuators of that law and order, get what they want, come what may.

“Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God”

The above quote is attributed to the brilliant mind of Benjamin Franklin, and was used as a rallying cry for the American revolution, who believed that King George III was by his actions behaving like a tyrant, of which, the colonists had themselves no legitimate recourse to correct what they believed to be injustices, wrongs, and a lack of a voice, in responding to the governance so being imposed upon them, which encouraged those colonists to band together to revolt against the tyranny that oppressed them from freedom, and the right of self-determination.

 The reason why rebellion to a tyrant can be considered to be an act of obedience to God, is that those that fail to exercise their given authority with justice, fairness, and an equal application of natural law, are on the pathway to becoming a tyrant, in which, whenever their arbitrary rulings and decisions become the law of the land, then the people will suffer under that law, when they are obedient to it, having essentially forsaken the higher moral authority of God, for a tyrant; which is why, those that rebel against tyrants are considered to be in obedience to God, because anyone in authority who is acting like a tyrant, or is a tyrant, deserves neither respect or obedience, because their actions are not in compliance with moral law.

 All those that believe that our highest calling is to obey the law, even unjust laws, are the very same that are not thinking beings, because the law is not necessarily going to be always right, and a very strong case can be and should be made, that humankind’s law as exercised presently, contains obvious flaws in many a case, that represent laws that are not in accordance with natural law, in addition to those good laws which though good are unequally applied -- for whatever is good for the goose, must be, in order to be fair, be good for the gander.

 Those who then resist unfair laws do so, not because they believe they won’t be punished, for in many instances, they are punished, and sometimes punished severely, but rather they make it their point, that they will answer only to that immaculate law which is beyond the errors and prejudices of the day. Indeed, while there are a multitude of ways to change a law or try to change such, one of those ways is civil disobedience to a law that is unjust.

 So too, those that would govern us, when we find that they are out of order, should be seen as being illegitimate, and while not everybody is going to stand up to a given injustice, the minimum that people should do, is to acknowledge that tyranny has no good place in any free society, and should be rooted out, because the natural state of humankind is to be free, for we were born free, and thereby each of is innately entitled to freedom, liberty, life, and the pursuit of happiness, as we best see it, which means that the principle of good governance is to defend and to protect our natural rights, rather than to lord it over us unjustly.

The need to strive for the betterment of humankind

As much as certain societies at certain times make it their point to dehumanize the other, we need to rise above such dangerous stupidity to recognize the inherent and equal worth of every human being, no matter their creed, their color, or their class status, without exception.  In other words, anytime that we divide humanity into different categories based upon their class position, their faith, or their racial characteristics, we are in most cases, not doing so in service to the betterment of humankind, but rather we are doing it to justify our mistreatment of our fellow brothers and sisters, so that we can continue to be unjust to them and to exploit them, with the dubious reasoning, that they are lesser than we are.

 We cannot improve the condition of humankind until we recognize the inherent dignity and worth of everyone.  Those who cannot see themselves in the other need to work on doing so, because we need to recognize our commonality, as opposed to focusing on what appears to be insurmountable differences between one and the other.  To exploit the other is to take advantage of the other, for our own selfish means, which isn’t right, for whatever that it is that we need to get done or get accomplished, can be done so in a manner that is fair and takes into consideration that if the shoe was on the other foot, we would appreciate being treated with respect and fairness, no matter our circumstances.

 So too, there cannot be justice, when there are certain elites or other privileged people that are essentially above the law, as opposed to all those others that are under the law, which oftentimes is structured in a way and manner to oppress them for the advantage of those that would most benefit from seeing injustice being applied against the other.  There needs to be true equality under the law, or else humankind will not truly respect the law, for they see it for what it really is, a cudgel to keep the masses in their place, while benefiting those who believe that they not only know better, but are better.

 For there to be freedom, we need to have not only the right to be free about our actions and our beliefs, but the society that we are part of, needs to do its part to uphold those rights, or else these aren’t rights at all, but are simply words on a piece of paper, that might mean well, but in their implementation, aren’t doing much of anything to promote that we are all entitled to our own voice, our own perspective, and therefore the right to think our own thoughts, and to be about our business, without undue interreference from the state.

 As always, as free-will individuals, we as a society have a conscious choice to make, as to whether we will do our fair part to help better the society that we are integral part of, by doing the right thing, and treating one another with respect and consideration, or whether we will focus on taking care of our own selfish needs as our call to action, and care not a whit about the other.

Capitalism as a zero-sum game

In America, it seems to be a code of honor that the best possible economic system, which is good for all, is the capitalistic system, which has thereby helped to create America to be the richest nation in the world. However, when we look at wealth inequality in America, it is extremely disappointing that so many Americans live below the poverty line, and that the middle class of America, considered to be the visible foundation of representing that capitalism is the square deal, has been losing ground over the last couple decades, which presupposes that not all is well or healthy within this capitalistic system, as implemented here in America.

 Look, it has to be said, for those that believe, that there isn’t anything better than America duly minting billionaires and multi-billionaires as if this represents why capitalism is so great, have got it wholly wrong, for it has to be stated, that one person or one family or one corporation, can only spend so much wealth, signifying that the more concentrated that wealth is, that the people and institutions holding that wealth, aren’t going to spend all that much of it, but rather they are going to save it and invest it, which doesn’t do much to help the economy or those that are the denizens of this nation, because the vast majority of GDP in this nation, comes from the people spending their money on all sorts of goods and services, and when a significant portion of that money is held in the hands of billionaires and multinational corporations, then this does not make for a vibrant or healthy economy.

 Additionally, it has to be acknowledged that when profits are extracted from a business enterprise in which the lion’s share ends up in the hands of top executives or investors, reflects that those that are just regular employees of such, are in many a case, being exploited, because they are not getting a fair share of those profits, and of which, if they were, it would not only help to reduce inequality, but it would serve to strengthen and to increase those that would make up the middle class.

 Indeed, employees, in the absence of unions, don’t have much negotiating power with upper management, unless they themselves have either a unique skillset or their particular knowledge is in high demand.  This signifies that when it comes to negotiating the terms of an employment agreement, potential employees have little power, which is seconded by the fact, that in many a State, there are the misnamed “right to work” laws, which essentially means that unions are basically neutralized, as well as we also have “at-will” employment, which means that the employer can dismiss an employee at any time for no reason, at all.

 So then, in recognition that capitalism is a zero-sum game, in which there are obvious winners and there are obvious losers, the only conceivable institution that can help to level the playing field is this government, of, for, and by the people, which can demonstrate its courage and strength by taxing those that have an overabundance of money appropriately, for the expressed purpose of a redistribution of that wealth, while also holding accountable those corporations that do not well represent fairness, equality, and inclusiveness, which combined when implemented would make for an America to truly be proud of.

Concentrated power in banking and corporations is not healthy

The very first thing to recognize is that any startup organization is typically going to need fair access to capital in order to have a fair chance at success.  So too, corporations of all sizes typically require access to additional capital, so as to be used for expansion, for research & development, and for contingencies that will permit that corporation to ride out the storms of a capitalistic system which has its expansions as well as its contractions.  We live in an age though in which the banking institutions of America have never been more concentrated and bigger than they are today, signifying that those that are unable to make a deal with one of the big banks, are going to find that their situation thereby becomes much more difficult to get the funding that they need, and even can become untenable.

 So then, it has to be admitted that when one of the largest banks in this nation, has a significant business relationship with one of the largest corporations in America, that the bank of interest, in conjunction with the business of interest, have a vested interest in seeing that all those that would compete against that corporation, for a certainty, will not get funding from that bank.  The reason that this is so is that when a bank is quite satisfied with its relationship with that big corporation, they do not want to finance competition that could upset what is already a good thing.  This signifies that when there is concentrated power in banks as well as in certain corporations, this has a strong tendency to be a construct in which there is an abiding interest to make sure by those players that competition does not have fair access to capital, because it is bad for the business, at hand.

 Indeed, whenever there are just a few mega banks, that decide whether they will or will not loan out their capital, it means that there is too much power concentrated into too few hands, of which, that power can easily be structured in a way and manner, that those that have the connection, get favorable terms, and those without that connection, either get unfavorable terms, or no terms, at all.

 This signifies that the more concentrated corporations are, as well as the more concentrated the banking industry is, means that this government, must do what it needs to do to verify that unfair restraint of trade is not occurring, by the joint actions of these big conglomerates, because if that is the case, this means that not only are the choices that the consumer has, becomes limited, but that there really isn’t a true free market, at all. After all, those that could or would compete, when they aren’t provided with the opportunity to do so, or are severely restricted in trying to accomplish this, thus makes for an easier and greater profit pathway for those favored corporations through the aegis of the mega banks that service them, and therefore less choice and higher prices for those consumers that purchase from them.

More law and order often equates to more injustice and discontent

In truth, nobody wants to live in an area in which crime is rampant, and of which citizens are afraid to be about their business, because the streets are not safe.  Yet, that is the way that things are in certain enclaves of society, of which the go-to response to the problem is either one of ignoring such, because those living within those conditions have no voice, or by responding with an overly rambunctious police enforcement of law and order.  What seems to be missing in the equation, though, is that those who are ill-educated, live within zones of poverty, and lack the opportunity to have a reasonable chance to better their situation are not the same people who are typically going to represent, at their best, productive and good citizens.

 Look, the bottom line is that because our police forces in many cities have become militarized, it is relatively easy for law enforcement to come into communities with overwhelming force to do whatever that it is that they have been instructed to do, but the end result, after it is all said and done, is that whatever the proximate problem is that has caused the need for law enforcement to respond with authority, is typically never resolved by simply arresting and incarcerating individuals willy-nilly.  That is to say, the discontent that certain communities exhibit often has prevailing reasons for that discontent, thereby indicating that a better and a more mature response to this pressing issue is to come up with programs that will help alleviate or deal constructively with the troubles that a particular community is suffering from.

 Injustice can be defined in many ways, but one of those definitions is the fact that fairness, empathy, and a lack of interest in understanding what factors are causing the problems and issues are pretty much being pushed aside, so that the law can simply wreak havoc upon the people, with the basic attitude of “out of sight, out of mind.”   Indeed, while this might seem to work on a particular day, it doesn’t work for the long term, because the root of the problem has not been constructively looked at, or dealt with in a way and manner that a long-term solution would ever come to the fore.

 The United States incarcerates an incredible number of people, seemingly indicating that this Western nation somehow produces an outsized amount of criminals, in this the richest nation in the world.  It would be one thing if all those so being incarcerated thereby meant the problem was taken care of, and hence all those now living in those communities were happy and satisfied with their lot, but this is not the case, whatsoever.  This thereby indicates that enforcing more law and order won’t resolve what needs to be resolved, and the reason that this is true is that the underlying problem has not been successfully addressed, and until this happens, this nation will continue to represent injustice and discontent for a significant amount of its citizens, who know that what is so occurring to them is unfair and it isn’t right.

"Verily, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves"

The above quotation comes from the Quran and makes the point that the change that we so desire to see in our own lives and in the society that we are a part of is our responsibility to bring into fruition.  In other words, as much as we might wish that Allah or God would change the conditions that we are part of, which are unsatisfactory, that simply is not the way that the world works.  Indeed, the very point of the civilization that we live in is to provide those who are part of it the opportunity to effect change so that society can be a better place for all, through our good participation in it.  In other words, the construct within which we live serves as a proving ground, and whether that society improves or not is down to not only our individual responsibility but also collectively what we are able to positively accomplish as a people.

 The mess that we are in is of our own making, for the finger can be decisively pointed at us that the issues and problems that we have are directly related to the fact that we consistently ignore the sage advice of avatars and prophets as to what we should or should not be doing.  This signifies that because we are the cause of our own collective misery that it is our responsibility to do something constructive about it, or else the change that we need to see happen will not ever occur.

 Indeed, this is the challenge of the age: whether we will continue to keep our heads in the sand, and hope that somehow Allah or God will change what needs to be changed for our benefit. That is to say, it is our responsibility to accomplish that change, for it is we who have failed to comprehend that we are the actuators of the change that we need to bring into being.  This is the never-ending challenge of our time, and history tells us that we have done a poor job in effectuating the changes that we need to accomplish, but because we still exist, the opportunity to make positive progress is still in our domain.

 There are lots and lots of people who won’t do their good part to save their own selves, and therefore won’t do their fair part to be part of the solution, thereby making them part and parcel of this seemingly intractable problem.  Yet, reluctantly or not, this is the very thing that we were born to do.  This signifies that whatever ails us, it is our responsibility to correct such to the best of our ability, and while we can call on Allah or God to help us, to guide us, and to fortify us, it is our duty to do what we ought to do, in order to become the change that will make us to be what we were always meant to be.  This calling will not change, and the sooner that we recognize our responsibility and then do something meaningful to become that change, the sooner that we will get to the only destination worth getting to.

Should diet soda be priced the same as soda?

There was a time before these sophisticated chemists were able to concoct zero-calorie or near-zero-calorie sodas, in which the soda bought by the consumer was just soda.  That is to say, back in the day, when a person drank a soda, they drank carbonated water sweetened with sugar, which also contained other natural flavorings.  Nowadays, consumers have additional choices, of which diet soda, often containing zero calories, is a conscious and desired choice for many of those consumers, probably because they feel that they get the same sort of pleasing soda taste without having to worry about adding empty calories to their body. 

 One would logically think though, that diet soda, since it has no calories, which means it has no sugar, and has thus been chemically modified to not have calories, would be priced lower than the “real thing,” but in many stores, the price of diet soda is pretty much the same as regular soda, even though regular soda, actually has calories, which would seem to contradict the fact that whenever we have two similar products, the one that has calories, should be valued more, because junk calories or not, the body needs calories for energy.

 Of course, the counter argument as to why diet soda should be priced the same as regular soda, or even perhaps be a bit more expensive, is that for people that already consume enough calories and therefore are not trying to add more calories to their diet, they can indulge in a product, that has been modified so that they can seemingly have their cake and eat it, as well.  While that certainly makes sense, it has to be noted, that the more artificial a given food product is, the more inherent danger that what is being consumed, may have bad long-term consequences, for to be able to play a game in which something is sweet, but has no calories, seems to be a game, in which, there is probably some bad consequences, that will eventually be felt.

 Nevertheless, it is surprising that diet soda has become so mainstream, of which those who purchase such, apparently, feel that it is worth as much as regular soda, which is probably something that soda makers, when they first came out with diet soda, probably did not realistically expect to see ever occur.  After all, in most circumstances, for example, providing a meal to someone that has half the calories as a similar meal, but charging the same price, would seem to be unfair, but in the soda world, this is what is actually occurring.

 So too, give credit to the chemists for their brilliance -- while accolades must also be given to those that are quite satisfied with their choice of a diet soda, because what those that drink diet soda seem to be saying, more than anything, based upon the pricing of the product, is that they are satisfied that what they are drinking is just as good, tasty, and valued as the regular stuff, without them having to worry about their caloric intake, which is why diet soda and soda can therefore be priced the same. 

“From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs”

The above quotation comes from the hand of Karl Marx, and is somehow still seriously proselytized to various people around the world, as well as being argued as a legitimate alternative to capitalistic or other economic systems, as something that would be far better for society in whole.  Look, there actually isn’t anything wrong with Marx’s belief, for it seems to make eminent sense, while also seeming to be quite fair and considerate, but the crux of the problem with this belief, though, is that the only dimension that this could ever conceivably come to fruition, is never going to be this earthly plane, but instead it would have to be Heaven.  In other words, Heaven probably is a place in which those with great ability get great things done on behalf of that Heavenly realm without desiring anything more in return, and those who have great needs are provided with Heavenly assistance to fulfill those needs. 

 Regrettably though, this type of philosophy will not ever work in this material world, because human nature is human nature, and while there are a meaningful amount of people, that are empathetic, sacrificial, good hearted, generous, caring, patient, as well as having other wonderful qualities, they are clearly outnumbered by those that aren’t necessarily bad, but rather have an innate desire to get from their life, something more than just their basic needs fulfilled, for they desire to have something more to aspire for and to have as their own.  That is to say, many a person desires more than what they need to actually just live on, for they want to have the satisfaction of getting that which they believe will bring them more happiness and contentment, regardless of their ability or their legitimacy in meriting such.

 It needs to be recognized that we are each individuals, actuated by beliefs and desires that are unique to our own selves, of which, because we are all different, our priorities and desires are going to be different, as well.  So that, some people are motivated by desiring to be acclaimed by the members of their community and beyond; whereas, others are motivated to selflessly do right to others, because by doing so, they feel better about their selves, and so on.  Basically, we are not all cookie-cutter people, but rather each of us has our own abilities, our own needs, our own desires, and our own goals.  So then, for a certainty, there will be conflict one with the other because of this, which isn’t necessarily bad, if each person, thereupon, gives a little to get a little.

 To believe that there ever could be a well-functioning society in which every member believes that it is all for one, and one for all, is a healthy philosophy to have, but the reality of the situation is that because we have different priorities and different outlooks, this will not ever occur.  That said, societies can be far better than they are, if more of us did our fair part to help make society a better place for our good participation in it, by using our individual ability and knowhow to accomplish such, and thereupon helping to fulfill the needs of others who are needful of society’s help.

There is strength in numbers

When it comes to getting things done in society, or in making effective changes in society, it has to be acknowledged that the more people that have the same interest in getting that to occur, the better not only the chances that it will occur, but the more effective that group will be in totality.  That is to say, when any organization starts with a small amount of people, or even just one person, we do so find, that the more people that join in to that organization, the more effective that organization is going to be, because numbers do matter, and not only that, but the more people that are involved in an organization, the better the chances are that they will get traction to effectuate meaningful change.

 So then, one of the reasons why people band together is because they recognize intuitively that collectively people can accomplish a lot more together and thus this makes them to be more effective, especially because most every person brings something of individual merit to the organization, as compared to one person trying to do everything, and to be all things to all people.  This is why it is important to first find a purpose worth pursuing, and then to find those who believe in that purpose, so as to create a group that has a decent chance of getting done what needs to get done.

 That is to say, the change that so many people clamor for, often must begin at a grassroots level, of which, an effective plan of action is to eventually become a large enough organization that it gets attention and thereby has a chance to have its say, which thus allows it to have a better opportunity of reaching those that in the government have the power to make change, or at a minimum, to bring up new or improved policy to be looked at, or debated upon.

 Also, it needs to be acknowledged that those that have been elected or appointed to their positions in governance, are supposed to be our representatives, because, in theory we have a representative government, which signifies that what those representatives should be doing needs to be in harmony to what the people desire for them to do, or else, those representatives are not actually representing the people, at all.

 Indeed, a lone voice, no matter how insightful or prescient, can only do so much, which is why whenever that we have a good idea, we need to do our part to get other people who agree with such to join together, so that something of substance can be effectuated.  This signifies that if we want to have influence upon governmental policies or within our community, that if often takes not only the right people to be a part of the organization, but also it takes a dedicated and a concentrated effort from a determined group of people to get done what needs to get done, of which, its collective actions are unrelenting, and with that strength in numbers, thus have the opportunity to see that which should be changed, be changed for the betterment of the community.

Don’t take your good health for granted

Since we are made up of a physical body, with a mind, and spirit, one would tend to believe that, since the physical is temporal, that therefore what we need to concentrate our efforts upon is expanding our mind and living well the fruit of the spirit. While this certainly makes sense, we need to keep in mind that when our health is bad, that our mind and our spirit have a strong tendency to take a turn for the worse, as well.  In other words, when our physical form is suffering, we typically aren’t in the best of spirits, nor are we of the mind that all is well.  Rather, poor physical health often seems to make us a lesser person, in which it is a real struggle to perform at a high level the tasks that we previously were able to handle with such aplomb.

 This thus signifies that it certainly makes sense to treat our physical body with respect, so that it gets its proper rest, its proper nutrition, and is exercised in a way and manner that the body is able to be of good service to us.  This means that it is definitely a mistake to take our physical well-being for granted, because there are all sorts of illnesses and diseases, as well as unanticipated events, that can transform what used to be a well-functioning body into something that represents suffering and ill health.

 So too, when we are young and of a strong constitution, we tend to believe that whatever troubling challenges that we may face physically, which might come our way occasionally, that we will surely recover from such, in short order, because our overall health is good, which is indeed, often the case. But the thing is, bad habits that are developed in our youthful period are the very same that will force us to pay a price later on in life, so that by taking our good health for granted, we make the mistake of believing that bad decisions that don’t respect our physical body, won’t have future negative consequences, but in actuality, they will most assuredly catch up with us.

 After all, it is important to remember, that we have but just one physical body, which we are responsible for, of which, bad habits and ignoring what is sensible to do for our body, are going to exact a toll upon us, in one form or another, which is why we need to do our level best to do right by our body, and therefore if we were, for instance, brought up with bad eating habits of consuming endless junk food, it is up to us, as adults, to do what we can to create good habits to counteract such.  Additionally, because so many of us live sedentary lives, we need to get up and exercise so that we can keep our bodies functioning at a healthy level.

 Indeed, none of us will have a physical body that will last forever, but we can do our fair part to see that our body is more resilient and thus healthier by making wise decisions, which will also help to keep our mind and our spirit functioning at a healthy level, as well.

The enormous economic power of today’s mega corporations

The first thing that more people need to understand is that corporations are artificial entities sanctioned by the state, which, as presently dealt with, are perpetual in nature.  In other words, once a corporation is created, the state does not set an end date, which is why there are numerous corporations with business lives far exceeding the natural lifespan of everyday individuals.  Perhaps this is a good thing, but rather it would appear to be something that has its negative aspects, as well, because the most successful of corporations, get ever larger, and make ever more profit, maybe not each and every year, but in general, which means that mega corporations have an enormous amount of economic power, which signifies that what they so want to do, can easily trump what is best for the people as well as for the community.

 That is to say, corporations have a lot of flexibility of where they locate their main office or their satellite offices, which obviously makes a difference to the community that hosts these mega corporations, because when done right, mega corporations bring not only jobs to a given community, but because of these jobs, helps that community to be more prosperous; in addition to the fact that communities that are doing better and employing talented people, provides an opportunity for those communities to bring in more like-minded corporations, as well.

 At the same time, in life, we have to recognize that there are going to be winners as well as losers, so that when a given mega corporation for whatever reason, valid or not, decides to shut down one of their satellite offices, which may have thousands upon thousands of employees, this is typically going to be quite traumatic to the community that had previously hosted that mega corporation, which can thereupon let loose the type of negative spiral that can hollow out a given community.

 It would seem that mega corporations, as presently structured in America, through their powerful position often are able to dictate the terms and conditions of what they will or will not do in a given community, which quite obviously is going to be good for that mega corporation, but could well leave communities vulnerable to adverse events, which hardly seems fair.  This would presuppose that large corporations, because the government of the United States sanctions them, should, in many cases, have to answer to that government, and thereby adhere to what that government believes would be fair for a given community.  In other words, mega corporations should be answerable to the governance of the community, as compared to being a law unto its own self.

 As it stands right now, the government, is the only entity that has the inherent power to do something constructive to make sure that mega corporations are good corporate citizens, but in absence of that happening, (which happens to be what most corporation’s preference is, because their overriding concern is profitability,) we find that as it plays this is not fair to the people, because corporations should have an obligation to do right by the government that has sanctioned its existence, and thereby do right by the people that make up this nation.

The big, bad multinational corporations

The United States is home to some of the world's largest revenue-generating multinational corporations, represented by companies such as Apple, Meta, Alphabet, Berkshire Hathaway, and Microsoft.  The average person has no idea how big these behemoths are, of which, using the fiscal year of 2024, we find that Apple had revenues of $391 billion and a profit of an astonishing $93.7 billion.  Again, this is just for one fiscal year.  As a reference point, when we look at just the profit of Apple, there are only six State governments that have a fiscal budget exceeding Apple’s profit.  What does this mean?  It means that Apple, along with the other multinational companies so noted, has so much money that they are going to get whatever that they want from any State government, with little or no pushback, because Apple has the power and influence to get its way.  That is to say, these billions in profits, are the very same, which are going to have an undue influence upon governmental policies, unless that government of, for, and by the people actually makes it their point to do right by the people by doing what needs to be done to see that companies such as Apple aren’t able to run roughshod over our governmental policies and regulations, or have such subsumed essentially by Apple.

 Maybe, though, you're of the opinion that what is good for Apple must be good for the country, and from a simplistic standpoint, this would seem to be a reasonable position to take.  However, because we are talking about nearly $400 billion in sales, and nearly $100 billion in profits, it has to be admitted that whatever that Apple is doing and getting, that it must in the scheme of things, favor Apple and its policies, which thereupon means that other smaller enterprises, less well known, or just being birthed, are getting the short end of the stick.

 Look, money matters, and those that have to answer to their Board of Directors and their stockholders, don’t have much of a choice but to keep on increasing their revenue and profit, or else their stock price will have a strong tendency to fall, which isn’t good for those who have a substantial investment in Apple or similar.  This signifies that even if there are voices within Apple that desire to be more reasonable when it comes to wages, so being paid to the multitude of subcontractors that they utilize in foreign countries, or other things, that those voices are simply going to be drowned out.

 So too, Apple isn’t going to be permit itself to be “overtaxed” by this government, but will instead do everything in its power to see that their taxes are minimized, which is why they have lobbyists, tax attorneys, and CPAs dedicated to such, because monies that go from Apple to the tax authorities means less money at Apple, proper.  In short, these mega corporations of today, are so profitable and so powerful, that in many aspects those that are part of the government, desire to accommodate these entities, as opposed to examining them, and thus not bothering to investigate whether they fairly play the capitalistic game, which does not appear to be the case, presently, because this government doesn’t seem to desire to pushback upon these mega corporations, whatsoever, and arguably are endorsing them as good for America, when in actuality, they are mainly good for those that have serious money in them, in play.

The vital importance of two-parent households

We read at ojjdp.gov/ that back in 1970, two-parent households were 85.2% of American households; whereas at its nadir in 2006, it was just 67.4%.  While the recent trend has been going up, the percentage of children under 18 living in two-parent households, is still significantly below the mark of 1970, as well as the fact that these percentages do not reflect as to whether or not these two-parent households are married or living together or something else, but merely reflect that children under 18 are living within a household in which it has been thus classified as a two-parent household.

 It is no easy task to bring up children, and certainly it is a more cumbersome task to do so, in a single-parent household, especially when that single-parent household doesn’t have the time or the income to do what they really want to do with their children, but basically they are left with little choice except to do their best by their children, come what may.  The salient difference between a two-parent household as contrasted with a single-parent household comes down to two factors.  The first is income or wealth, and the second is free time to be spent by the parent(s) in activities with their children.  The bottom line, is as they say two heads are better than one, signifying that two-parent households are typically going to represent a better and healthier environment for children, than a single-parent household, which doesn’t reflect that single-parent households don’t love their children just as much, but is a reflection that one parent can only do so much.

 All of the above, would presuppose that in an age in which parents are having children at an ever later age, that those that desire to have children, should, to the degree that they can control things, should want those children to be raised in a loving two-parent household, of which, the governance of this nation, should do more to encourage this very thing.  Again, those that are of childbearing age can choose to conceive or not to conceive per their choice, but in fairness to the children that will be born, it would be better for those children, to be brought up in a stable, loving, and resource strong family structure, typically best represented by a two-parent household.

 All of us should want what is best for our children, and the better the structure and conditions that are there for those children, the better the result will typically be for those children, which is good for the family, as well as being beneficial for society.  This indicates that it really does matter as to the environment that we grow up and are raised up in, and those therefore that come from favorable circumstances are going to be in a superior position for success and satisfaction, than all those that do not, which is why it is incumbent upon society to do more to lend a helping hand to those single-parent households, because they typically need and do appreciate positive assistance.