The invisible rules the visible

There are many people that believe that the only reality is that which they see, hear, feel, touch, and smell.  That is to say, they see the world through that prism, and hence the reality of that world is constructed within the confines of that viewpoint.  The thing is that, though this may be difficult for many people to accept, is that the visible is always the manifestation of that which is invisible. That is to say, there are invisible forces that are actually the basis for all of the reality that we perceive, so done through our mind, which in and of itself, is invisible to us.

It is those that are overly fixated upon the physical that often have the most problematic of lives, because they concentrate their thinking and their efforts upon that which appears to be of most importance to them, in which, because they have difficulty in perceiving anything outside the physical, thus become overly burdened by that which is material, above all else.    Rather, they would be far better served, if they understood better that they are much more than the material parts that make up their physical form, and have within their being, something that is both invisible as well as eternal.

When we go, for instance, to a movie and get enthralled by the actions and the characters that are in it; we believe, in that time and space, that what is so happening appears to be “real,” when it is nothing more than a moving picture show, so being presented for our entertainment or for the value it presents to us, thereof.  In other words, when we become emersed within watching that movie, we essentially identify, for a time, with something outside of our own self, which makes it therefore appear real or of relevance to us – though, in actuality we have not ourselves changed our physical form, whatsoever.  What has occurred, is that the invisible, or our mind, has transformed us from one reality to another perceived reality, and ultimately back again, perhaps having made a meaningful change to us.

We are a thinking people, and often it is the visible reality of what we so perceive, that influences what we subsequently think, say, and do.  Yet, when we quiet our mind, and concentrate on that which is invisible and timeless, we can thus open up another dimension, which correctly points us in the direction in which we can acknowledge that the visible is always dependent upon the invisible; therefore, representing that when we are successful in changing our perception, the reality that we perceive, changes, as well.

We are not meant to be limited by our five human senses, but rather these are provided to us as navigational tools to deal with the physical elements of this planet, but never are they meant to be our sole resource to draw upon, for the waters that we have to avail ourselves of, are ever deep and far richer in minerals, if only we would take the time, to turn inward, and seek diligently that which actuated us, in the beginning.

Great military forces and the ruling of the people

America is the sole superpower in the world, of which, it is absolutely second to none.  While, that may well bring a sense of security to many an American, there is, in these types of situations, a clear and present danger that such a military as that, has easily the capability in the hands of those that are overly ambitious and unpatriotic in form, of that miliary force actually being used against its own citizens.  After all, there are those that believe, that when they have immense military power that they can call upon, that when election results are unsatisfactory or the direction of the country is troubling, that these types of scenarios present an opportunity for that military to take control of the domestic affairs of that nation that it purportedly is meant to faithfully serve.

As much as Americans want to believe that we live under a Constitutional government, it has to be acknowledged, that government, in so many ways and means by its actuation, is, in essence, force.  That is to say, the laws that we have, in effect, necessitate a policing force in order for the general population to understand that behind the laws so legislated that there is a physical enforcing mechanism; for without such enforcement, the obeying of laws might well be ignored by those that feel no real compelling reason that these laws should apply to them or to be fearful of suffering any associated penalties in regards to them.

So then, while it has to be admitted that there needs to be a domestic policing force to do their part in seeing that the law is enforced; it also has to be admitted that a military force is required in order to protect Americans from enemies, both domestic and foreign.  The problem, though, comes about because those that are at the highest echelons of military command, are from time-to-time the very same personages that rule a given nation.  That is to say, take a look at the past Presidents of the United States, and understand that a meaningful portion of them, have been part of the miliary or have served in such, in which, Presidents such as Washington, Grant, and Eisenhower, have all been at the very pinnacle of military generalship power.

This is thus indicative, that great military power, which will not bend to civil rule, has because of its muscle the easy capability to run roughshod over any civil government; for we find that far too often, throughout history, whomever has the guns, makes the rules.  This is why, it has to be taken into fair account, that when a given military force is heads and tails above any other country’s military force, that perhaps it would behoove that government, of, by, and for the people, to temper down the amount of monies and personnel so being devoted to the military, for this world is full of ambitious people, and those that are ambitious may well see America, which is the preeminent economic force in the world, as something that needs a very strong guiding hand, in order to keep its status as the most valuable nation in the world.

In our modern civilization, brawn is often not enough to have a good life

While there will continue to be a place for blue collar jobs, such as in plumbing, electrical work, construction, transportation, and so on and so forth, it has to be acknowledged that those that are in the white collar professions are often the very same people that make the most money and have then the best secured and most satisfactory lives.  One’s livelihood is important not only for the individual, but also for the overall satisfaction or lack, thereof, of a given person’s life.  While, there is no shame in whatever work that a person does, as long as that work represents something of value and worth to society, there is the inconvenient fact, that not only do some jobs pay a heck of a lot more money in compensation, but also that there are certain fundamental skill-sets that are pretty important to have, in order to not be susceptible to being taken advantage of.  For instance, those that are functionally illiterate are pretty much at the mercy of those that are literate, in which, those then suffering from that disadvantage are much more easily taken advantage of.  So too, those that do not have basic mathematical skills, are often the very same people, that have difficulty in understanding the importance of mortgage interest rates, car loan interest rates, or even the unit price of grocery store items.  That is to say, those that are challenged through the word or through math, or both, are typically dependent upon the good will of others, in order to come out okay.

 Additionally, there are many people that have a very good work related skill-set along with having a good reputation, that thus believe that they can go into business for themselves, and perhaps then employ a few other people;  but whenever the leader of that organization is not competently skilled in the comprehension of the written word or the fundamental mathematics so needed to best understand how to price their business services and payroll, then the end result will often be something far less than ideal.

All of the above, basically signifies that even for those that have little or no interest in a formal education, that they at a minimum, need to know the value and importance of reading, writing, and arithmetic; and further to the point, this is at a minimum, what everyone needs to learn within our public educational school system.  Indeed, there has to be a minimum educational standard, that all those that are citizens of America, should be competent at, and the younger the age that this is accomplished, the better.

While this nation preaches the value of “no child being left behind,” the actual result, thereof, is indicative that many children are left behind, and even worse than that, far behind.  In this modern era, this nation needs to concentrate more on being especially inclusive of those that are the most vulnerable amongst us, so that these disadvantaged people have a fair opportunity to be able to live out the ideals and dreams of this nation, by being able to pursue happiness, and to have freedom, best secured by having a solid and practical educational foundation to stand upon.

“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think”

The above quotation is attributed to the renowned anthropologist, Margaret Mead, and is as applicable today as it was back then.  We live in an age in which regrettably our own governance seems to be on a mission that discounts the importance and value of thinking for our own self, and replacing such with basically obedience to the state dictates and desires.  The reason why so many governments don’t desire for their own population to think for themselves, is that they seem beholden to the belief that the best population is that which is compliant to the supposed needs of that governance and especially to the military-industrial-technology complex, so of. 

We are not meant to be a nation of sheep, but rather we are supposed to be a nation of liberty loving, and independent people, in which each of us are trying to live out our best life.  It is critical to note, that each of us has been created by the very same hand, of which, we therefore each have the very same unalienable rights, and to have those rights subsumed by the state or by corporate actors, is a grand disservice to what we could or should achieve with our free thinking mind.

In this modern era, we have to be cognizant that never has this government, as well as corporate entities known so much about us, of what and who we are; which signifies that we need to do our level best to see that we do not give in to what is so wanted from us, without, at a minimum, thinking about whether or not this is the best decision for us.  We are not meant to be automatons, for there already are automatons enough, in the sense of our modern conveniences and computer devices of all types, that perform quite competently that function.  We are meant, for a certainty, to think for ourselves, so that we can best realize the potential that each one of us is born with, and of which, importantly, we each have different skill-sets as well as proclivities to live up to.

There are plenty of people and institutions, that aren’t really interested in having a debate, or a discussion, or of hearing what another person has to say, but rather they just want abject obedience, for in getting that obedience, these entities, thus get their way.  Those then that think and thereby standup for themselves, make all those of the status quo that are authoritarian or dictatorial in their nature – nervous and upset, for these influential and powerful entities rely upon manipulation and exploitation to have and to get their way -- not caring to be stymied by anyone or anything, displaying independent thinking or defiance of any sort.

Remember this well, each of us is gifted with our free will mind, thereby free to think whatever that it is that we so desire to think – of which, this is indeed a very great gift bestowed upon us.  Those then, that contemplate giving up such a gift, should at a minimum, make sure that what they anticipate receiving in return is of lasting value, and if they have any real sensibility, should think long and hard before relinquishing such.

Towards a more perfect understanding

While there are millions upon millions of people, that are quite familiar with the bodily resurrection of Jesus the Christ, there are far fewer that really comprehend the meaning of it all.  The lesson of the crucifixion and ultimate resurrection of Christ, is something that a significant percentage of people, fail to truly understand, which has a lot to do not so much with people’s lack of intelligence or their disbelief, but more to do with their lack of seeing beyond the physical into a dimension that knows not time or space.

It is wise to remember that fundamentally we are in our essence, spiritual and not physical.  If we don’t comprehend this fact, than it becomes very problematic to understand the nature, let alone the meaning of Christ as our Messiah, in the first place. So too, far too many people get fixated, about the whole abuse, injustice, and crucifixion of Christ – not seeming to understand that the lesson, so proven by our Messiah, is that we are never the physical, except for when we exist temporarily within this earthly plane. 

After all, consider this, all that is physically born, must by its very nature, physically die.  Indeed, Christ became the sacrifice for our failure to understand that when we are fixated on all the allurements, desires, and temptations that this world so presents, this often entices us to forget who and what we really are, in essence, and therefore our purpose in our being.  This meant that Christ had no choice but to demonstrate to us, in action, that all the allurements that keep us so occupied and pre-occupied, are a false construct, which precludes us from acknowledging who that we really are.

While the physical body is indeed mortal, that which is immortal, no matter its perceived form, can never be vanquished, no matter what.  Christ wants us to understand that though he indeed did unjustly suffer, that we needed to know, that mortality is only of this earth, and that therefore, the risen Christ, was best meant to be pictured as Christ having not just risen his physical body, but that Christ had risen beyond and above mortality, itself.

The games that are played on this earth, some of which are quite serious which while also having significant consequences to them, are ultimately representations of free will, being exercised upon this earth for good or for bad.  Yet, though there are mistakes so being made, there are also plenty of people that are doing the right thing.  Still, far too many people get far too entwined in their mistaken belief, that only that which is physical matters, when in reality, we are far better served to concentrate more on being in harmony with natural law, and rightful thinking.   

It is vital to realize that all of us, are meant to discover that we need to rise above our mortal consciousness to embrace that which is immortal so as to come to the self-realization that there is an inherent oneness that adjoins us all together; and in order to find that oneness, we need to rise well above our bodily confinement to that which will thus shatter the self-imposed delusion which so often blinds us to ultimate truth and enlightenment.

The other type of welfare – corporate welfare

There are plenty of people as well as corporations that decry about all of the welfare so provided to those that are the least amongst us, for such things as healthcare, food supplemental help, housing assistance, the Earned Income tax credit, and so on and so forth.  For a certainty, there is a significant amount of welfare so provided for those that are clearly needs-based, but none of this welfare so distributed, ever functionally takes care of the systemic issues so creating poverty in the first place. Additionally, we need to take into fair consideration the salient fact, that few people that are doing just fine, would ever willingly trade their current position to one in which they had handed out to them monetary benefits, but only under the condition that they live within the same disadvantaged neighborhoods and oppression of all types, that those that are the most underprivileged have to operate under, every single day.

In all candor, we need to take into full account, that welfare comes in all shapes, sizes, and flavors.  This signifies that there are many entities, and especially corporate entities, that while on the one hand, castigating those that are poor for being on the public dole, are themselves, despite often their very good profits, receiving a real form of welfare from their governance.  For instance, certain corporations, because of their size, power, and influence are able to get all sorts of benefits that the general public cannot avail themselves of, such as special property tax abatement set asides, as well as legislative monetary subsidies of all types, specifically setup for the benefit of particular corporations; along with also receiving massive income tax savings done through all sorts of avenues that are clearly outside of not only the letter of the law, but are a clear reflection of how the tax code favors those that have outsize influence, over regular folks.  So too, there are the massive billion upon billion dollar bailouts that permits these corporations to recklessly gamble in the sure knowledge that when their gamble succeeds, they thus shovel in boatloads of money, and when they notoriously fail, they are thus bailed out by the government, which in essence means that they are bailed out by the everyday taxpayers of this nation.

It has to be said, that there are few people that are poor that make out well from being on the public dole, as what is provided to them is often a very poor substitute to actually correcting the foundational problems that create such impoverishment and  poverty in the first place.  On the other hand, massive billion dollar corporations that make incredible profits, most every year, somehow have the audacity to insist that they get whatever privileges that they can obtain, by, for instance, exerting intensive pressure and influence upon legislatures – in addition to deliberately gaming the tax system, so that they can thus milk the general public and get even more money extracted by what has to be considered, grossly hypocritical means.

Indeed, while we should definitely have respect for an honest corporation, what we so find, is that some of the biggest and most profitable enterprises in this nation, are, in effect, welfare cheats of the worst kind.

We are no longer “private citizens”

There are indeed many advantages of living in this present age, with all of our modern conveniences, in which, most of us take these wonderful things such as the internet, indoor plumbing, electricity, clean water, reliable transportation, and so on and so forth, pretty much for granted.  That said, it has to also be taken into serious consideration, that never has this government, in addition to the corporate sector, known so much about its citizens, than this very era.  This signifies that the age of the private citizen, is effectively over, and every single one of us, rich to poor, young to old, has an incredible amount of information that is systematically being stored into dossiers by governmental as well as corporate authorities, of which, apparently there is very little that we can do about this, to circumvent or to ameliorate such.

For some people, perhaps they don’t have a real problem, with essentially living their life as in a “fishbowl,” which is fine then for them; the problem though is for all those other people that are uneasy about how much of their personal life is being kept in records of both governmental as well as corporate folders, in which these folders, contain information that is highly detailed and very specific to those individuals.   After all, it is one thing for a detail profile to be kept for those that are perceived enemies of the state, or are known criminals, and it is an entirely different thing to keep detail profiles of those that are essentially regular folk, who are fairly entitled to live a private life and would often prefer to have some degree of control over what information is disseminated about them, and the reason why.

Nowadays, private citizens, do not appear to have any safe havens, of which, they are instead of such, personally identified, and thus known quite well by government as well as corporate entities.  Yet, we so find that public corporations and public servants seem to daily violate the trust so provided to them by utilizing such information garnered from private citizens, as a way and means to often exploit them or to manipulate them.  In other words, those that supposedly work on behalf of private citizens, or are in the business of selling or providing things to those same citizens, are not themselves seemingly answerable to the private sector, but instead seem to concentrate almost exclusively upon how to utilize the information that they so obtain, to their advantage.

It would seem only fair, that each citizen of this nation, should have the right to get full and complete access to every dossier of theirs so created by governmental as well as corporate entities, and should at a minimum, be able to “opt out” of any and all information, that has no real pertinence to what a government, of, for, and by the people should have on its own citizens; as well as they should also be able to remove or neutralize almost in its entirety, any information contained about them, from private corporate actors.  In summary, all those that wish to engage with private citizens, should do so in a way and manner that takes into account our individual right to the sovereignty of our own personhood, and our Constitutional right to privacy.

“Only the dead have seen the end of war”

The above quote comes from the esteemed philosopher, George Santayana; and for a certainty, rings as true today as back when those words were first written, for indeed, only the dead have literally seen the end of war, for nation upon nation, civilization upon civilization, humankind upon humankind, has not come close to stopping or overcoming its bloodlust, between one to the other.

To believe, especially in those western nations, that we are truly a civilized people, is belied by all of the incursions, battlements, fights, and wars that continually go on, as apparently being the only way to “resolve” differences between two or more parties in conflict with one another.  This is absolutely pathetic, and reflects that humankind seemingly has no capacity to understand that wars and conflicts of all sorts cannot and will not ever successfully end with “a war to end all wars”  or anything along those same misguided lines.

One would think that in consideration that America is the most powerful nation that the world has ever known, which clearly prides itself of being the bastion of liberty, freedom, and free thinking, would desire to lead this world, by actual good example.  If, America, is actually trying to lead by example, they have indeed done the poorest of jobs in doing so – of which, pretty much the only thing that demonstrates that America is not completely without merit despite its bellicosity, is the humane aid that it provides throughout the world, including to those civilians and also institutions that they have “inadvertently” bombed or destroyed, by providing monetary compensation, as well as the material aid required in the re-building, so of.

It doesn’t make any common sense that we find that humankind throughout all of the decades, centuries, and millenniums, has not learned apparently one thing about the futility of warfare and violence to meaningfully resolve conflict, that is substantially any different than when Christianity first came of age.  Indeed, regrettably, in our modern age we are ever in more mortal danger because of not only the sophistication and power of the killing machines so created, but also by the inconvenient fact that never has it been easier to kill or to destroy something or somebody by the application of a machine to do so on behalf of those that have activated it, or through the mere pressing of a finger onto some sort of trigger apparatus.

To end warfare and to successfully resolve conflict, necessitates that nations demonstrate the self-restraint to think through the consequences, so of, before acting.  The pathway to hell, is built upon the billions upon billions of dollars, expended throughout the world, year after year, on munitions and armaments that have as their only avowed purpose, the destruction of human flesh as well as of infrastructures of all types.  Those that do not have the sensibility to understand that more weapons equates to more warfare, and never to more peace, have got it intuitively wrong.  To believe then that lasting peace and justice will ever come through the barrel of a gun is a delusion, that humankind will continue to live through, era after era, until it changes its thinking from that which is wrong to that which is right.

Change to changeless

In this material experience, we are destined to go through many stages in life, and hence to have numerous changes in our life – for this is the natural order of things in our incarnation on earth.  Yet, though we do change, physically as well as mentally, there is an essence of our being, that is and always will remain changeless; for that which has been first created by God, is not lacking in a thing, for it is perfect, from its conception.   This signifies that the primary goal of every human being on earth, is to recognize their eternal connection to their Creator, and from that recognition to be true to the incorruptible aspects of it.  That is to say, this earthly plane, represents, for us, a “proving ground,” of which we will be inevitably placed into difficulties and obstacles, not meant to defeat us or to lessen us, but rather to present us with the fair opportunity to prove our mettle, and hence have burned away from our eyes, the dross, that precludes us from seeing ourselves as true and faithful sons and daughters of God.

Remember this well, God is never a moving target, but rather God is forever the same, and ever will be.  Therefore, when we so find ourselves not being in the place that we should desire to get to, it is up to us, to fathom the way to get to where we need to be, for the prime objective of our life, changes not; and the sooner than that we recognize where we should actually go, the better our chances are of reaching that destination, without a bunch of unnecessary detours and missteps.

Humankind is meant to change, because the knowledge that we have initially is limited by our lack of experience, foresight, maturity, and vision.  This signifies that none of us, gets it right, to begin with, but given enough time and determination, we can certainly make it right, if that is what we concentrate our efforts diligently upon.  After all, it isn’t good enough, to simply know the difference between right and wrong, if we continue to insist that we can do wrong, without having to properly suffer any consequences to that.  So then, the thinking that we do, thereby leading to the decisions and the deeds, that we subsequently perform, for a certainty makes not only a difference to the others that we interact with, but also to our personal growth or lack, thereof.  

As much as people would like to believe that we “go to Heaven,” it is fairer to state, that we “grow to Heaven,” and all those then that hope to find that shortcut to Heaven, will typically find, to their dismay, that there is not a shortcut, at all.  The prize that each of us wants to win, has to be fairly earned, and that prize can only be earned by demonstrating that we have the good character to have successfully develop the attributes that are in harmony with God, so actuated through the chrysalis that changes us from that which must be changed to that which is changeless.

Inefficiencies in our various welfare programs

The national government’s fiscal budget is over $5.5 trillion, which is not only an incredible amount of money, but also lends itself to asking the question as to how efficient that government is, in the expenditures of that money, so meant to be for the benefit of its constituents.  We read, for instance, at heritage.org, that “Adjusted for inflation, welfare spending has increased more than twelvefold since the start of the War on Poverty in 1964.”   The fact that welfare spending has increased twelvefold since 1964, and yet we see all around us, the continuation of many a person and family, still struggling with their day-to-day needs for adequate nutrition, healthcare, and housing assistance, presupposes that quite obviously there has to be some significant flaws and inefficiencies in the operation of our current welfare system, which hurts both those that are taxpayers to it, as well as those that are recipients of such.

The problem with governmental programs and the sheer gargantuan size of some of these programs, in addition to all of the “red tape” and bureaucracy that is both long-established and systemic to them, is that what we so currently have, cannot and is not even close to being efficient in what it is supposed to actually accomplish.  That is to say, the worth of any program, in which billions upon billions of dollars are expended year-after-year, has got to be, whether or not, this country is actually making progress through any of its welfare programs, to ameliorate issues that are detrimental to the people that so need them.  The short answer would appear to be, that the administration of the welfare and the assistance, thereof, is a real disappointment, to just about everyone, though, no doubt, there are exceptions to this.

Sometimes, it has to be said, that emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can bring forth the type of response, which absolutely proves the point that this government really does know the identities of its people and therefore how to actually effectively put food and money into their hands.  For a certainty, this type of quick and efficient response to a national emergency, demonstrates that when this government really wants to get things done, and is thereby less concerned about welfare fraud as well as not being overly concerned that the welfare aid so being doled out has to be restricted to being absolutely needs-base, can actually get it done.

All the hoops and hurdles, paperwork, and endless interactions or interrogations, in which many a poor person feels that they are being seen by those agencies that are meant to help them, as pretty much nothing much more than a burden, could seemingly be overcome during this pandemic, in which the response to those that have the least amongst us, by that government, of, for, and by the people, was actually exemplary.  This signifies that sometimes it is necessary to take what has been in operation for decades and to basically admit that the efficiencies of the program, along with its effectiveness are not actually working and rather than trying to amend such, by this and by that, it probably would be more straightforward to simplify such, by the replacement of what doesn’t work very well, by that which will get what is mandatory for a decent life into the hands of those that have so little, which will thus allow those that are the most unfortunate amongst us, to better access what they so need, along with also getting some much needed dignity. 

In the end, you want to know the truth

In this age of so-called “fake news” as well as the “truth” seemingly being seen as being exclusively subjective, rather than ever being viewed as being absolutely objective; we find then that it is no real surprise that so many of us, don’t really know what truth is or how to go about even finding it.  The thing about the way that a significant amount of people look at truth, is that they often get truth confused with perspective, and these are definitely not the same thing, at all.  There is, in the end, only one truth, but how a given person understands that truth, can definitely differ.  That said, it’s always a misconception to believe that there are multiple truths, or contradictory truths, because that is the nature of subjectivity and perspective, but not of truth.

So too, there are plenty of people, in certain circumstances, that have no real interest in the truth, because to hear the truth at that juncture in time, would hurt them, and because they do not wish to be hurt, they will not accept the truth; but prefer, instead, to believe in something other than that truth, which, in its own way, thus comforts them.  This, thereby, is the reason why we have so many “truths” in this day and age, because so many people aren’t interested in actually facing up to what they need to face up to, but basically want to have echoed back to them, that which they believe in, or have embraced as being truthful, even when it is not.

The problem with the living of a life, that has as its foundation something important that is fundamentally false, is that it makes that foundation, unsound.  Rather, those with any real sensibility, are always going to be better off, with a foundation that is based upon truth, and thus embrace the vibrancy of truth, above all.  Those then, that do not do this, have put themselves on a pathway that will not end in truth, which means that sooner or later, they will have to turn back in order to find the pathway of enlightenment, or else exist within a construct in which they will get ever more further away from where they should actually be.  

Those that make it their point to seek truth, have for a certainty, taken the high road, and having taken the high road have the best perspective to see what is right and what is wrong, and can then thus act accordingly.  Those then, that avoid that road, for whatever reason, wittingly or not, have thus placed their lives and their perspective basically into the hands of outside circumstances and outside forces, which thereby overly influences them as to their viewpoint of this world, and hence their perspective of what is or what is not true. 

The truth is unchangeable and always will be; for truth, does not change with the prevailing winds of the time, or the dictates of those that try to manipulate it.  Therefore, understand this well, for those that truly want liberty, freedom, and free choice, this can only be accomplished in that construct which is totally true.

We are family

There are far too many people that spend far too much time, with the selfish and self-serving belief, that the only thing that really matters is their own life, or perhaps just their own family unit, and therefore make it their point and principle to conduct their life with basically that type of mindset in all that they say and do.  A world full of way too many individuals that insist that they have to have their way or that only what they so desire and want actually matters is the type of world, in which there will never be peace, justice, or harmony.  All those then that spend an inordinate amount of time, pointing out how this or that person or culture is inferior to them, and therefore is perceived as being lesser than them, have clearly failed to comprehend, that every human being, without exception, is entitled to the exact same list of human rights, and therefore the courtesy of our respect.

The very first thing that some people get so very wrong, is that when human beings are birthed, they are absolutely dependent upon the family unit as well as to society, for their successful upbringing.  In other words, none of us are born as an independent adult, but rather there are distinct stages to the development of our human character.  So too, what we so learn when we are growing up, comes forth from those that we interact with at home, but also those that are our teachers, friends, and mentors.  Indeed, there does come that stage when we are truly sovereign individuals, responsible for our own affairs, but to get to that stage is a process, which takes not only time, but involves a needful connection with others in order to reach that point.  This signifies that we have been obligated to engage with others that are outside of our biological family, of which, the role that these others have played in our lives, has been essential to our development in it, which makes them, in many respects, something akin to what a family represents, in essence. 

All of what this is saying, is that human connections, one to another, and in particular those relationships, which are healthy and helpful, are necessary for a given person to thus have a successful and fulfilling life.  It is through those interactions,  that we thereby grow to understand the virtues of camaraderie, friendship, trust, and affection.  We find, though, on the other hand, that those that lack having these vital things, often have the most troubling of lives, for those that do not feel that they matter to the other, are often prone to strike out in frustration against their perceived unjust lot. 

The objective then, for a good society, is not to focus upon that which seemingly divides us, but instead to concentrate upon that which unites us; so that we recognize better that as fellow human beings, created equally, we are meant to help and to support one another, for we are truly interrelated and interdependent, needing one another to accomplish those necessary things, as family.

Dissent, debate, and orthodoxy

In consideration that the purpose of life is the search for truth, we would like to think then that when truth butts heads against the given orthodoxy of the age, that subsequently, the orthodoxy would change to accommodate that truth should itself always reign supreme.  Regrettably, that doesn’t appear to be the case, at all; in which, time after time, those that are ahead of the curve, aren’t seen for what they really are – brilliant innovators and brilliant thinkers, but rather are typically seen to be an annoyance to that which is the prevailing orthodoxy of the age, and thus these prodigies are often put in their place by those in authority, by essentially having to “come to heel” or even being forced to recant.

The most unfortunate thing, is that those that believe that we live in an information age, in which, truth is thus always in the forefront, come what may, don’t seem to understand that it doesn’t much matter, how much technology, knowledge, or knowhow that a given time period has, when contrasted to how those that are in authority handle that which is inconvenient and especially troubling to the perceived stability of their rule.  That is to say, in any governance which in its structure is hierarchical, then all those that wish to challenge the orthodoxy and the belief system which is currently in play, are going to find it problematic to be successful in doing so, mainly because those that are the ruling members of that governance, who feel challenged by this new information, are often going to desire to, at a minimum, re-spin such to support their orthodox narrative, instead.  This, then, is why we see so often, that those that think “outside the box” are pressured, through all sorts of stratagems, to get back inside the box, under the guise that doing so, would be better for the people, in whole; because to challenge long-held beliefs, is unsettling, in ways, that could undo things which that governance would prefer to see be kept settled and done.

All of this basically means, that change, even that change which is built upon truth and insight, can be incredibly slow to occur, because those that have power and authority, of which, they discern that such change would impact their status, negatively, are going to preclude such change from occurring, in order to better defend their position and thus be able to best maintain their status.  This signifies, that the freedom to express ourselves, the freedom to search for that which interests us, as well as the freedom to openly discuss things and matters that are of pressing concern to us, is vital, to the overall liberty of a given nation – for when, that which is of most interest to us, is essentially edited or is not even disseminated, then those societies, living under those types of restrictions, will invariably regress from getting ever closer to meaningful breakthroughs, important discoveries, and to truth.

In short, the best society, not only permits open debate, but also countenances dissent to the prevailing orthodoxies of that age, in the sure knowledge that by doing so, this will, in the end, make for a society that focuses more on enlightenment than blind obedience.

Transparency is necessary for good governance

We are told to believe that America is the greatest republic that the world has ever known.  Yet, how is it possible to actually know this, when the very governance of this nation, hides secret behind secret, from the general population, that it has duly sworn to serve?  In actual fact, in matters of the upmost importance to that which is trivial, this government has consistently over decades upon decades, kept the most vital information far away from the seeing eyes of the general public, and while, in theory, it is probable, that at least some of our legislators are aware of what is so happening behind closed doors, this is subsequently seldom discussed in public, or even reasonably debated upon.

It is a truism, that those that are up to no good, want their business to be held behind closed doors, because they recognize the obvious, that if and what they were saying and doing, was actually fully disclosed, that they would indeed be exposed for who and what they really are.  So then, when our government, insists that it has the right to keep secrets from the general public, often under the excuse that such is necessary for our national security, this presupposes that the real reason for such, is that this government fears that full disclosure to the general public, would seriously undercut what they are really doing, and thereby expose that government for its failure to be forthright and honest with the people, about its true business and their intents, thereof.

Of course, there is a time and place for secrets, but such should be kept to an absolute minimum, because when it is not, then those that do not wish to have to reasonably defend or to explain what they are proposing to do, find the pathway of least resistance to always be that which is not subject to being publicly disclosed. Indeed, transparency and openness in government, necessitates that opposing sides have an opportunity to say what they so desire to say, and of which, this thus means that those that wish to assert arbitrary power, are pretty much precluded from doing so.  So then, this signifies that when the people are fully informed of what is really going on, that there is for a certainty, going to be some serious debate about those matters which are of most concern to them, of which, the outcome, so of, will thus be uncertain.

There can never be justice and never will there be justice, when the facts so needed to render a fair and informed decision, are hidden.  This means that a country which preaches that it is the land of liberty and freedom, must live these very traits by being open and transparent with the people that it has the duty to govern with their informed consent.  Further to the point, consent cannot be wittingly given, when the information so provided to the people, is deliberately opaque, distorted, or manipulated.  So then, any government that will not be transparent with the people, especially of that which would be most vital of interest to them, is a government that has failed its duty, and therefore has failed its people.

Why aren’t there any rich people in prison?

America absolutely loves to lock up its citizens, and thereby leads all other western nations by a considerable margin in doing so.  In consideration, then, that America is also the richest nation in the world, one might expect then that the prisons, thereof, would also have a fair representation of very rich people that are actually incarcerated, as well, but this isn’t true at all.  In fact, we read at prisonpolicy.org, that “…in 2014 dollars, incarcerated people had a median annual income of $19,185 prior to their incarceration, which is 41% less than non-incarcerated people of similar ages.”  In other words, the people that are incarcerated, are mainly those that are poor, disadvantaged, less educated, and pretty much un-championed. 

None of the above should seem all that surprising, because even the most cursory of looks at those that are incarcerated, makes it pretty darn clear that those so incarcerated, appear visibly to have the distinct look of the underclass, which is, in the scheme of things, true.  Yet, to believe somehow, that all the crime and bad deeds that are done in America, are always done by that same underclass, is belied by all of the white collar criminality, which seems to be not only systemic in America, but absolutely relentlessly persistent.  That would seem to suggest that all those that decry that we need more law and order, should probably want to do more investigation about what actually constitutes a criminal act that thus mandates a corresponding prison term.

While there are myriad differences between the rich and the poor, when it comes to those bad deeds, which are inimical to a good society, the way that the poor conduct their criminal enterprises, is often constrained by the tools of the trade that they readily have to avail themselves of, taking in fair consideration their social position, knowledge, and networking connections. In other words, the underclass, typically commits those crimes that are classified as “blue collar” crime, not really because that would be their preference, bur rather because that is pretty much the only real option that they have, based upon who and what they are in reality.  On the other hand, greedy rich people, or amoral clever people, are a whole different breed of enterprising criminal, and hence what they want to take isn’t going to typically come about from strong-arming anyone, but rather is more a game of subterfuge, misdirection, lying, cheating, and double-dealing.  This essentially means that those that are rich are a different class of criminal, and being of a different class, are subject thereby to different rules.

Those that make the rules that, in theory, apply to everyone, equally, are typically the well-educated, the elite, and the politically astute.  While these type of people may indeed be upstanding citizens, it has to be said, that a meaningful portion of them, actually are not.  In fact, the most shrewd rule makers, know who they really are at their core, and hence they make sure that the criminal codes as enforced, or even what is considered to be a crime, necessitating incarceration, is circumscribed by the knowledge that those of their class, do not ever go to prison, because prisons are for “commoners;” whereas, the rich and clever folks are only considered to be in bad form for having been caught or overly greedy, and thus are properly subject only to a brief “time-out”, or a monetary fine, or perhaps a social scolding, and nothing much more.

Senior citizens and compulsory Social Security taxes

The traditional retirement age, that most people recognize as being the norm, is the age of 65.  While this government has decided to increase the age ever so slightly for those that desire to receive their full benefits from the Social Security Administration that are owed to them to age 67; the bottom line, is that age 65, is still basically seen by most people as being the normal or target age to retire.

The problem, though, for many a senior citizen, is that whether or not they so desire to retire, is dependent upon their financial situation, and more and more senior citizens, are finding that despite whatever aid their government is providing to them in their twilight years, that such is not actually beneficial enough for them to prudently stop working.  In fact, we read at ngpr.org/blog that as of the 2020 census, a surprisingly high total of 26.6% of those aged 65-74 are still employed, at least on a part time basis.  Yet, despite their advanced age, these elder employees are still required to pay their normal share of their Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) which is a payroll tax of 7.65% so paid by the employee as well as being matched by the employer, so of.

In consideration, then, that Social Security was created to provide a safety net for our senior citizens, it then doesn’t seem right or fair, that those that actually are in their senior years, should still be compelled by law, to pay into FICA, when they have already reached the traditional retirement age of 65.  Rather, it makes for common sense, that all those that are age 65 and above, who are still laboring for a living, should not have to pay any additional monies into FICA, and therefore the employers of these senior citizens, should also not have to make their corresponding contribution to such, either.

In fairness to all those that have reached their retirement age, this government, should by all means, get off of the back of those that have already devoted their best years to working, and should make it then, public policy, that as not only a courtesy to these elder citizens, but also in consideration that our governance owes these elders the responsibility to do the right thing for them, would thus no longer mandate that senior citizens pay into FICA.  One would think, then, that most people, young as well as old, would not have an issue with this appropriate change; but assuming that there was some general debate about such, the FICA act could be amended to reflect that those that are age 65 and older, and also making less than $50,000 a year, would not pay into FICA, whatsoever; but those others that at their advanced age who were still excellent wage earners, would thus be subject to FICA taxation per the normal rules of such, once their income reached $50,000, and would  subsequently end their FICA contributions, only when their income thereby reached the current legislated wage cap amount.

In short, the current compulsory payment into FICA, for those that have reached the normal retirement age, and yet are still working, should be eliminated or significantly amended.

The perils of cheap labor

Most Americans are employed by companies that are part and parcel of our capitalistic system.  This thus signifies, that making a profit for those corporations is of upmost importance to them, along also  with this being of real meaning and significance to their shareholders, executives, and their Board of Directors.  So then, there is many a company that believes, that profit really is the be-all and the end-all of their existence, and because of this mindset, many a company looks upon the labor aspect of their corporation, as being almost exclusively an expense -- which thus creates a fundamental problem or conundrum.

All companies have expenses, of which, those expenses include but are not limited to the outside materials so needed to help manufacture the goods so being sold, the capital equipment required to produce business products, the physical real estate so needed to conduct a given business, in addition to the research and development so necessary in order to stay on top of things so as to advance one’s company vis-à-vis competition of all types.  Then there is what is often the biggest expense of them all, which is the labor component of a companies’ workforce, which consists of human beings, that are employed as part of that company.

It certainly makes sense that companies should look at each one of their expenses, and thereby try to derive the best overall utilitarian value from each – such as in the lowering of the expenditures on materials, or by the increase in quality, so of; or in the timeliness of what is so needed, and so on and so forth.  It is fair then to say, that lowering expenses, or increasing the efficiency of the materials so required in a given business should always be an important consideration for all companies.  The salient problem, though, lies in the fact that when companies picture labor as being just another expense, then there is always going to be a tendency to look at labor as the type of expense that needs to be minimized, by thus, for example, providing less in salary then what could be paid, or less employee benefits overall, or by making it company policy that layoffs and terminations should always be considered as something appropriate to do, in order to thus boost the bottom line as well as also to get rid of  accumulated “deadwood.”

In short, the drive for cheap labor, is the reason why so many companies are absolutely fine with not paying a “living wage” and have no desire to ever do so.  Their justification for having this type of attitude is often not personal, but rather comes down to the dollars and cents of a business decision that fixates that lower expenses, be it labor or other areas, always contributes to a better bottom line and that bottom line is apparently the only thing that really matters.  As long as this is the case, America will continue to have millions of full-time employed people that do not make enough income to have any semblance of the American dream, but rather are suffering from the American nightmare of hopelessness.  The only way forward, then, is for the governance of this nation, to make it a point, that a living wage for all should be its national policy; and until this is actuated, we can expect that many companies will continue to extract sizeable profits through their exploitation of labor, because they can.

“Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation”

The above quotation comes from the renowned theologian, D. Elton Trueblood, and this represents his profound insight into how faith really should be looked upon for each one of us.  After all, those that have faith, but lack a good reason of why they have such faith, are susceptible to being in danger of losing that faith, because of their possible inability to properly defend how they came to such a faith, other than by blindly doing so.  In other words, some of that of which we most believe in, is going to be challenged from time-to-time, not just from well-meaning people, but also from those that are not so well-meaning, at all.  So then, when we don’t seem to have an answer to the question that they are asking, it lends itself to damaging our belief in our own faith.

On the other hand, those that understand that faith is more appropriately defined as “trust without reservation,” have themselves successfully established a more solid foundation to stand upon – for this presupposes that we trust that God has all of the answers to all of our questions, and because we know this, we can take comfort in understanding that by having faith in God’s omniscience, we know that we are ever in the most surest of hands.  That is to say, there is a moral order to this universe, and of which, each one of our lives has a purpose to it; to wit, it is our place to find that purpose, so as to live up and fulfill such, by the trust that we have in the purpose behind our creation by the very hand of God.

All those that doubt their reason for being, or can’t seem to ever figure it out, are not doing themselves any favors, for all that time spent in doubt, or self-doubt, could have been more profitably spent upon endeavors that will take each of us further along the pathway that we need to be on, so as to be not only a helping hand to others, but also to progress ourselves to where we need to arrive at.  We need, then, to have established the self-confidence to know who we really are, in our essence, so as to become successful in accomplishing that which is of most importance.

While an unexamined life certainly has its issues that must be suitably addressed meaningfully; so too, those that have the type of faith that cannot stand firm against the harsh winds of conflict and doubt, will thus make it far more problematic for these doubters to accomplish those things that each of us are meant to do.  For a certainty, there is order in this universe, and because of that order, there is a purpose to our existence in it.  So then, we need to trust that we are who we are, because there is a purpose for each of us having our own personal identity, and therefore we need to have the faith and the belief, that the actions and deeds so subsequently undertaken, are done for the betterment of not only of our own personal life, but to, in our own way, help to make this world a better place, for our participation in it.

Owning a politician is not the same thing as owning a judicial decision

For all those that wonder why it takes so darn long for any meaningful change to happen, it has to be remembered that those that are in power, will not often, relinquish even a little bit of that power, voluntarily, or without a real good reason to do so.  One might reasonably believe, though, that since no person lives forever, that therefore, during the changing of the guard, so to speak, change would thereby come; but alas, most of the time, that doesn’t occur, either.

When it comes to the rich and powerful, they recognize that the only possible way that they can leave a continuous generational legacy and therefore maintain that power, generation after generation, is that they have to get beyond the politicians and concentrate instead upon the actual Constitutional and judicial decisions that a given country must attend to, so as to define the law as it is written, to their preference, in implementation.  After all, think about it, the same Constitution, along with its Amendments and the precedents so set from previous judicial decisions, represent, the rule of law, and that Constitution, is the Supreme law of the nation, of which, our Constitution was written way back in the late 18th century.

Further to the point, though some judges are elected; typically, we find, that they are elected in a way and manner, that is dissimilar to a political party candidate.  So too, it must also be taken into full account, that the highest court of this land, the Supreme Court, has each of its members to it being appointed by the sitting President, and thus when each of these judges becomes confirmed, they are set to serve for life.  Indeed then, it is evident, that owning a judge is far superior to owning a politician, and additionally, owning a judicial decision, is even better yet.

So then, when we hear that the times they are a changing, the problem that those that wish to make those changes are up against, is the very fact that the laws that they need to see be overturned or recodified, are already firmly established, and therefore are a very difficult thing to change, often to those upstarts disappointment and dismay.  This then, signifies that those that are part of the status quo, don’t get to remain in the position that they are in, without having a very solid foundation to stand upon, and even when those that are the elite are severely outnumbered, they are, because of their status, position, and placement, almost impervious to being effectively negated or changed.

There are a lot of pathways to power and to the sustainability of that power, but it has to be said, that those that have power so contained within the interpretation of the governing document of that nation, through established judicial opinions and judicial decisions, are certainly in the catbird seat to be able to pass on to their progeny or to their inside associates, their form of power, rather readily, for what they have wrought is indeed a mighty fortress, which also consists of a vital watchtower, that sees everything.      

“It is child’s right to be educated”

The above quotation, in full, so advocated by the Common School Advocate of 1847, states, “It is child’s right to be educated; and it is not only his right but it is our indispensable duty to provide for the education of every child in the state.”  This presupposes that back in the mid 19-century that Americans of sound mind, recognized that the children of all of its citizens, were fairly entitled to a good education, so as to help bring up inhabitants that would well represent for their country, conduct such as: civic virtue, good character, as well as developing the necessary accouterments so needed to competently attend to their day-to-day business.

Incredibly, as it stands in the 21st century, that right to be educated for each of our children, and especially for those children that live within the sphere of a lower socioeconomic level with all the disadvantages and handicaps that they have to attend with, has been essentially vacated, and demonstrates almost no hope of being successfully turned around, anytime soon.  That is to say, whether we talk about “separate but equal,” or “integrated,” when it comes to our public schools, what we really have is the situation in which those that live in the right neighborhood, are almost always going to be able to avail themselves of a quality public school; whereas, those that are in the wrong neighborhood, more often are going to have to attend a school that provides its students with an unacceptable low standard of education, and basically outputs far too many children that are functionally illiterate.

We do so find that in America, that it has the audacity to believe that it is the greatest nation that the world has ever known; but despite all of its impressive achievements, America on a fundamental level, is a nation in which though it does indeed have some of the brightest minds so assembled, ever; this must though be tempered by the fact that it also has a rather large underclass of those that are so poorly educated, that is hard to believe that they both of such reside within the same nation.

Those then, that believe that children should be punished for their parents’ lack of success, or lack of income, or lack of discernment, or lack of employment, don’t seem to comprehend that the very best way to counteract previous generations of failure of all sorts, is to prepare the present generation to fundamentally know what they need to know, so as to successfully navigate the travails of this big and somewhat intimidating nation.

Indeed, there are all sorts of rights that citizens of America, have – at least on paper, but those rights have no real value if they are not actuated in the real world.  In this modern age, we need to more fully recognized that those that only have brawn, are in most cases, going to be subservient to those that have brains.  Further to the point, those that do not have a reasonable grasp of the educational basics so needed to conduct themselves successfully in this country, without having to rely upon the input of well-intentioned others, are not only handicapped, but are constantly vulnerable to exploitation of all sorts.  Finally, all those that feel that they have been “left behind” are going to have a strong tendency to ultimately express themselves in a way and manner that does not mesh up well, with those that represent good and sound character.