“Freedom is participation in power”

The above quotation comes from the wise mind of Cicero and should still be embraced today as part and parcel of what freedom represents, at its best.  After all, to be free, necessitates that with that freedom there is some degree of either immunity or of power, or else that freedom is subject to the powers that be, imposing their unreasonable will against it.  In other words, to be free, it is necessary that the person expressing that freedom has a reasonable degree of power that is either protected by the state, or is innate to that person, so that they can therefore be about their business, with the sure knowledge that they are truly free, to move about and to say what they desire to say, without a reasonable fear that the authorities will negate that freedom, arbitrarily.

 Therefore, those nations in which the people have a voice and have the democratic vote are structured in a way and manner that the people are free because they are participating in the power structure of that country.  However, whenever there is a nation that subverts the democratic process because of an unseemly amount of money that has been unfairly put into play for specifically one candidate or on the one side of a given proposition, in which, because that money is so influential, the vote of the people, has effectively been negated, then in actuality, the people, despite having the aura of freedom, aren’t actually free.

 So too, genuine freedom means that those who desire to criticize their government, or weigh in on their opinion of personages, are able to do so, without any pushback, as opposed to when their collective voice instead is monitored, censored, or simply erased, then they aren’t really free.  To be free is to have the agency to do and to state what a given person desires to get across, of which the audience, so of, can collectively react in any way that it so chooses, positive or negative, as per their inclination.

 Look, it has to be said, that to be free is to live within a construct in which those expressing that freedom are not fearful that by doing so, they may have created a chain reaction which will get them into trouble.  Indeed, all of us should be able to have our say, and the very point of having the vote is for the nation to represent through that vote, that it is of, for, and by the people, which means therefore that the people have not only a fair participation in their democracy, but that they have freely acted upon such.

 Those then that are free are the very same who have the option to participate in the power of their governance, done not only through the vote, but also from their participation in community organizations, social media, conversations, and by any means in which their voice can be fairly heard.  This thus makes for not only an engaged and healthy society, but also makes for the type of freedom that has merit and purpose, as well.

The problem with compliance

We are instructed at a very young age by our parents, teachers, and our superiors that complying with their demands or commands is always in our best interest, perhaps because parents and authority figures know best.  While this may or may not be true, depending upon the circumstances or the adults in the room, the real reason why parents and teachers are so interested in seeing their charges comply with their commands, is that it makes it easier on their end, to maintain control of the situation, which is the main reason that they want compliance, because those that don’t comply, are for the most part, in their view, just being difficult.

 So then, the “best” students, from a teacher perspective aren’t usually going to be those that question authority, or ask those difficult questions, or think outside the box, but rather the best students are typically going to be those students that are respectful, subservient, and stay always within the bounds so expected of them.  This perspective is quite unfortunate, because in actuality, those students who are the most curious, dogged, and the most engaged are the type of students that a teacher should want to have, because they are doing their level best to learn.

 When it comes to adults dealing with adults, we find that at least one of those parties, from time to time, isn’t really interested in having a discussion or a genuine conversation, but simply wants the other person to comply with their demands, with or without a reason.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because adults typically have a lot on their plate, in the sense of work, school, and responsibilities, and therefore when they are at home, they may not have the energy to deal with any pushback, and simply want obedience from the other, which thereupon makes their life to be smoother, and emphasizes the vital point of the importance of having a homelife in which such represents typically a sanctuary, as opposed to it representing a courtroom.

 So too, there are those in military service, or prison supervision, who understand well the importance of compliance, because when it comes to the military, what they want from their soldiers on the front line is for them to work together as a team, which means compliance to the mission, at hand, with no deviation.  As for the prison guards, since they are always outnumbered by prisoners, it is important that they are able to maintain control of their prisoners through compliance, or else they will conceivably endanger themselves as well as others within that prison environment, for failing to do so.

 Indeed, from a young age, we are instructed to be compliant, which, at best, is done for our own good, but there comes a time when we are free-thinking individuals, and as free-thinking people we need to understand that the decisions that we make are ours to own, which therefore means, that those that comply are essentially doing so because they believe that compliance is the right thing to do, because if they did not believe that, then they are not being true to who and what they actually are, which means that they are thus being false, which is a reflection and the mark of weak character.

The hollowed-out middle class and illicit drug usage

In America, there is all sorts of hue and cry, about the illicit drug usage by its citizens, with bad devastating effects not only for the person so using, but also for the family, which additionally hurts the community, because the more people that have turned to illicit drugs within a community, the more that community changes for the worse.  There are plenty of those law and order types that don’t care a whit about why people use illicit drugs, or how they get here, and simply want drug dealers and drug users to be put away.  Still, even when that happens, the proximate problem is not cured. The reason it is not cured is that many people have turned to opioids of all sorts, or methamphetamine, for the very basic reason that they see their life as one without opportunity, and without a future, thereupon taking illicit drugs is a choice that they make which will help them to alleviate the reality of their hopeless situation, at least temporarily.

 Look, there are plenty of legal drugs, such as alcohol or marijuana, prevalent in many communities, which people avail themselves of, which one would think would be sufficient for those who need the crutch or the specific feeling of those drugs in order to best sort their life out.  Yet, there are plenty of illicit drug users who aren’t satisfied with alcohol or marijuana, because they want to feel a certain way, which will relieve them of the misery of the life that they see in front of them.  This signifies, that there usually is a specific reason why people take illicit drugs, which has a lot to do with these people, believing that their life just doesn’t have any upside, because the good paying jobs with benefits are not available, and the jobs so being available, don’t compensate people at anything close to a living wage, or a wage that would at least get some respect.  Therefore, those without hope, who have pretty much given up that their situation is going to change, take it upon themselves, to find some substance that will not only bring them some sort of relief, but something that will either dull their senses so that they really won’t care, or something that will provide them with some degree of euphoria or similar.

 Indeed, the war on drugs, sponsored decades ago, is the absolute wrong answer, for illicit drugs are going to find their way to just about any community as long as there is a perceived interest by those who live there in such.  The more appropriate answer to correct things, is to look at these communities that are experiencing the greatest degree of illicit drug usage, and understand that their usage is typically a reflection of the dead-end lives that these people exist in, and that therefore the way to substantially reduce illicit drug usage within those enclaves is to provide those people with hope, education, and opportunity.  In other words, illicit drug usage is a reflection that the conditions, so of, within those communities are intolerable, and until those conditions substantially improve, illicit drug usage will stubbornly remain.

The call for everyone to earn a living wage

In aggregate, the United States is the richest nation in the world.  Yet, we find that not only is there a significant number of its people who live below the poverty line, but we also find that there is an incredible number of citizens who struggle paycheck to paycheck, to try nobly to make ends meet.  There are far too many people who work but don’t earn enough income and thus we find not too surprisingly that there are enclaves of poverty, abandonment, injustice, and lack throughout the United States, which is not only systemic but doesn’t appear that any program or any institution as currently structured is going to directly alleviate such, anytime soon.

 When it comes to all the problems that America has, a lot of what ails America, could be resolved through more people simply making a living wage, because the bottom line is that money is a necessity in order to have any hope of living a satisfactory life in America, and the more people that are making a living wage, the better the conditions will be for all in America.  In other words, the greater the percentage of its citizens that make a living wage, the less crime, the less dysfunction, and the less dissatisfaction that we would see.  This is why it is so important that for those who are willing to work that they receive in return for that work a living wage, which could consist of a governmental subsidy in conjunction with their private enterprise salary, which would make for those receiving that living wage a far more satisfying life.

 When we look around at all the infrastructure in this country that is in need of repair and replacement, along with just the general understanding that there is always room for improvement, it has to be admitted that there is plenty of work to go around for those so willing to work.  This signifies that, whether the government is the employer of last resort or not, that for those who are honestly seeking work, there is work to be had.

 Look, the reality of the situation is that a living wage is the absolute best thing that this nation could do on behalf of its citizens, and to make that its top priority would make for a much better society, full of people that have bought into the American dream, and are truly proud to be American, because of the opportunity so presented to them.  This is why there isn’t anything that could possibly be of more importance than to ensure that as many Americans as possible are paid a living wage, which should be this nation’s top priority.

 Lastly, everything that we see in the welfare state should be seen for what it really is: a stopgap to try to help fellow citizens, but never really a viable solution to the problem at hand.  Indeed, people want to make their own money, and when they know that their employment will provide them with a living wage, their dedication to work, and to the responsibility of that work, would be significantly better than anything we see today, because whenever people make a living wage, their necessities are covered, and the balance, so of, is there for them to enjoy, as they best see fit.

Patience is a great virtue

We live in what seems to be a fast-paced world, and the faster that pace, the less able we seem to be patient.  The thing about patience is that this character trait is typically developed over a lengthy period of time, because many of us don’t have the time for patience, don’t care for it, and simply want what we want when we want it, case closed.  Yet, we have to admit that a world without patient people in it is not going to be a world that would well represent peace, harmony, and caring, but rather would be more of a dog-eat-dog type of mindset, along with those who just have to keep pace with the Joneses, which doesn’t make for a good or healthy functioning society.

 It would be better for society if each of us would do our level best to be more patient with one another, and thereby have the willingness to accept all of that which happens to us, and around us, good and bad, without going off the handle.  Indeed, to overreact to adverse events typically isn’t going to make things better, but will simply get us up in arms about that which we aren’t going to be able to change in an instant, anyway.  That is why it is so important to first accept what has occurred, as having occurred, and then to see if there is anything constructive that we can do about it, so as to overcome what has happened, by our patient and considerate response.  So too, we need to be mindful that negative things said about us, or done to us, does not necessarily reflect that we are a bad person, but rather in actuality has a strong tendency to reflect that the person so striking out against us, has their own issues, so that if we are able to demonstrate patience and to tolerate what many would consider to be an offense, we will suffer less, by having made a mature and reasoned decision, not to lose our cool.

 Look, it has to be said, a lot of things that we could instantly react to, often, upon reflection, are things that we needed not to have instantly reacted to, because there wasn’t any benefit or good that would come out of it, which is why consistently demonstrating patience and control is so important.  We need to understand that not everyone is going to like us and that there are going to be those things which are clearly unjust that will happen to us, but we need not permit this to get under our skin if we understand that by tolerating such adverse actions does not change who and what we really are.  In life, we lead by example, and those that do the best leading, are the patient ones, who don’t overreact to what is occurring, but take it in, good or bad, with the sure understanding that when we are more accepting of the other, and their foibles, that we help to make the society that we a member of, better for our patience, our toleration, and our wisdom to let alone what needs to be let alone.

Space, time, and consciousness

It would seem that everything that we perceive and think about comes forth from our consciousness, or our mind, so that our perception of what we see and understand is through the prism of our mind.  This signifies for many a folk, that we what we see, touch, and think is the true reality of what is occurring in not only this world, but this would appear to be the only thing that matters or even exists; whereas, for people that think outside the box, they understand that since what we are perceiving is limited by our mind, that our perception is thus limited by our consciousness of what we know as time and space, yet, there is also that intuitive inkling that what is truly real is outside of time and space, completely.

 Look, it has to be said, that there was never a time when God did not exist, and there will never be a time when God does not exist, which means that God has no beginning and God has no ending.  When we comprehend this, then we know that what we are currently experiencing in regard to time and space in this life is an artificial construct created to permit us to prove our mettle in this material experience, no more and no less. 

 So too, the consciousness that we have, which gives us our individuality, appears to be the difference between our existence and our non-existence.  In other words, without our mind, we simply would not be, because it is our mind that allows us to perceive, and without such, there would be no perception and therefore no being.  This, though, is only true within the domain that we currently exist in, for in actuality, we are ourselves in our eternal essence beyond time and space, making us to be timeless, and therefore having always existed.  So then, the best way to look upon this world is to see it as a proving ground, of which lessons are to be learnt, and thereby those lessons are to be actively applied for the betterment of the society that we are a member of.

 This signifies for those that have incarnated upon earth, that there is a purpose for our existence here, and we are to live up to that purpose, which will provide us when we are successful in our tasks with the escape velocity to return to that which we are an integral part of.  Indeed, while there is plenty of mystery on earth, there is nothing as mysterious as that which is beyond time and space.  The conventional reality that so many believe in, that this material experience is the actual reality, of what is and is not, is not the true reality, for it is better to see where we are currently at as a dreamworld, provided to us, with the opportunity to do our fair part to construct a successful story that will end well, and thus bring us back to where we have always been.

So, you want eternal life in the here and now

There are those certain people, whose lives are apparently so good, that they will do just about anything to keep on living their best life, for as long as possible, here on earth.  It would seem that those with that sort of mindset haven’t bothered to really think about what eternal life or a very extended lifespan would actually end up being, because if they bothered to think about it, they might find themselves feeling uneasy or guilty that while their contemporaries don’t live forever, they do.

 So too, the superrich who desire eternal life because their current life is so good, have got to recognize that should the worm turn, their eternal happiness might well turn to eternal sadness, should their power be neutralized, or should their money run out, or such be forcibly taken from them.  Additionally, governments aren’t necessarily stable for all time, so those who currently have favor within a government might well have a different outlook should that favor turn to something quite negative.  Finally, life consists of cycles so that there will inevitably come that time when those that have it all, are upstaged and overthrown by those that have little or nothing, and thereby, to suffer imprisonment for their purported crimes, in which, for them, there is no recourse except to accept one’s fate which could be rather dire, when that imprisonment isn’t set for a fixed time, but is instead designated as a “life” imprisonment.

 Then there could be those others, consigned to eternal life, who never really wanted it, and thereby find themselves stuck within a construct in which, because they are beyond life and death, they must endure whatever happens to them, or happens around them, day after endless day.  So that, whatever suffering that they have, be it physical, mental, or spiritual, they will not ever be able to relieve themselves of, but will simply have to endure it.  So too, just the weight of knowing that they are stuck in place, for eons, will suck from them whatever driving force that they may at one time had had, because they are incapable of motivating themselves to do much of anything.

 Look, as for those that are not satisfied now, or are unhappy for whatever reason, of which, this is their default outlook on life, are exactly the type of people that aren’t going to embrace eternal life in this world, because their life isn’t satisfactory, as it stands, and thereby to live like that, forever, is going to be a personal hell to them.  On the other hand, all those that are currently living high on the hog, believing that everything will always go their way, have got to understand, that changes occur all of the time, and some of those changes are massive in scale, as well as being wholly unanticipated; so that, their resiliency to a change that is quite negative for them, is probably going to be rather weak, and all their joy at having eternal life, in which, they formerly were nothing less than the boss, will go up in flames, and when that occurs, their crying despair will be unfathomable and inconsolable.

America’s Middle Eastern military bases

For the uninitiated one might reasonably think, that the United States doesn’t really need any military bases in the Middle East, but when a nation insists upon being the world’s policeman, military bases become a necessity in order to get to strategic places and to be prepared to wreak havoc should the occasion so arise, which is why America has military bases all over the Middle East, of which, no other nation, has the quantity of foreign military bases that America has.

 It wasn’t always that way, and a strong argument could and should be made, this doesn’t need to be as it is today, for logic would dictate to us, that the nations that should deal with the Middle East should be those that are in close proximity to such, as opposed to the United States, which is located far away, but this is not the way that it has worked out since the end of World War II.  Rather, European nations that used to assert themselves in the Middle East were only too happy to cede such control to the United States, which is why America has bases in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

 This thus signifies that it is the United States which has the responsibility of dealing with trouble in the Middle East, of which, there is always going to be trouble, which thereby makes America a target for terrorism by those that resent the fact that the United States has a presence in their sovereign nation, which can be constant source of irritation for the denizens of these countries, especially when America insists upon impressing its desires upon those nations, which signifies that those that live in certain Middle Eastern nations have a legitimate right to be resentful of the United States military having a base, or multiple bases within their country.

 Another sore point is that it seems that once America arrives and plants its flag in a particular Middle Eastern country, that America has made up its mind that it isn’t going to leave, come hell or high water.  After all, in consideration that America is the preeminent military power in the world, those who might desire to see less of an American military presence in their nation don’t have a lot of leverage to actually do anything of substance that would ever force that issue.

 This means that America isn’t going to leave the Middle East until it's good and ready to, which essentially means that America is never going to leave.  That might be okay if by having military bases, America were able to thereby bring a more secure and a more stable Middle East, but that hasn’t happened yet, and since that is the case, it’s fair to state that it’s never going to happen.  Instead, because the Middle East seems to be on edge, constantly, America must be ever on alert, for it is America that ultimately has the responsibility to keep this potential powder keg from blowing up, which is always going to be a difficult task in even the best of circumstances.

Communities and the people that make up those societies

There is an interconnection to the environment that we congregate and live in, in conjunction with the type of life and the type of person that we become.  That is to say, those who live in dysfunctional cities with a poor infrastructure are typically not going to be the type of people who are going to become outstanding citizens, because the infrastructure and the people that they associate with don’t have those qualities.  On the other hand, when we look at those enclaves of money, success, and sound infrastructure, the denizens of those privileged enough to live there are going to, more often than not, have a superior and quite satisfying outcome.  This clearly indicates that the environment that we live in, and that which surrounds us in our everyday activities, plays an outsized role in how our lives will thus turn out.

 This would seem to state that if we truly want to make for a more inclusive community and for a society which encourages betterment, that we need to do a better job in making sure that communities have the necessary infrastructure and tools to become bastions of success, especially by investing in those communities that lack those accouterments of such success.  To believe, somehow, that the average person can overcome their inherent disadvantages and thereby to become something of merit, is to read the tea leaves wrong.  No doubt, those of strong character and good morals can overcome their disadvantages, but the few that do so are the exception to the rule, which we must therefore take into fair account.

 Again, what we are and what we become has a fair amount to do with not just our parenting, but what surrounds us and what we have to deal with, day by day.  This signifies that every community, at a minimum, needs to have some sort of positive attribute within that community, such as an outstanding school or a vibrant community center, along with having various people who live and work within that community who represent positive ideals and a life of exemplary purpose.

 It is difficult for anybody to rise above the circumstances of their community when all they see around them are negative things, of violence, injustice, unfairness, as well as the lack of opportunity.  That is why more needs to be done to provide a fair chance to as many people as possible, to upgrade their circumstances, which thus means we need self-sustaining communities that provide not only a sanctuary for those that live there, but positive vibrancy for the community members to believe in.

 The mistake that the United States government makes is far too often to close its eyes to the reality of what is really going on, and to sprout platitudes that aren’t going to do much of anything of merit.  In this nation, many people live below the poverty line, which while bad enough, would not nearly be so bad, if they also had a reasonable pathway to get to where they could have the semblance of a satisfactory life, by virtue of having fair access to that which makes for a better and a more fulfilling life

Burdening future generations with massive debt is fundamentally wrong

Currently, the United States has little or no interest in getting its fiscal house in order, as demonstrated by the massive fiscal deficits it consistently incurs, year in and year out.  This is especially disappointing because the way that debt works, when the reckoning of such is thereby postponed and thus kicked down the road, again and again, is that today’s generation gets to have all the advantages of that money not having been paid back. In contrast, the future generation is stuck having to pay the bill, which is ethically wrong.

 In actuality, a responsible government would understand well that it should pay what it so owes on a current basis, which would thereby be fair to the current generation, as well as to future generations, but this, regrettably, is not being done.  Instead, something awful is happening, in which those even yet unborn will subsequently be born having to honor debt which they did nothing to incur, but yet it will be their responsibility to discharge that debt, or suffer the ill consequences of a nation that is, for all practical purposes, insolvent.

 In truth, each generation should prudently manage its affairs, and when spending far exceeds the receipts received from taxation and the like, then hard decisions are going to have to be made, in the here and now, as opposed to burdening future generations with having to deal with that which they had no part or say in.  That is to say, it wouldn’t be right for our parents, to live high on the hog, and then when the bill came due, to pass it onto their children, but that essentially is what is happening here in America, because our governance has not the courage or the integrity to get its house in order.  After all, there isn’t anything easier to do than passing out benefits for all sorts of wonderful things, without requiring that the general public fairly pay for those benefits, presently..

 To look upon America’s current national debt burden as no big deal is to view it wrongly, for there will come that time when the piper will have to be paid, and the payment really should come forth from those who have benefited from those monies so having been spent.  So too, people won’t really appreciate that things cost money if they aren’t ever held to account to pay for those things, and perhaps therefore to have to sacrifice something of their time and labor to duly pay for such.

 Look, it has to be said, running massive deficits reflects a nation that has little or no discipline, and is clearly afraid to burden its citizens with the real cost of things, for it fears the response from such.  Nobody, really likes to have to tighten their belt, but the bottom line is that monies spent, wisely or poorly, produces a mandatory bill, and that bill needs to be paid by those that were part and parcel of when that money was spent, which is not only the right thing to do, but the fair thing, as well.

Manifest Destiny and the native people’s right to their land

 For those who have the settler mentality, there is always going to be some sort of what would appear to be a reasonable reason as to why those who have the guns, as well as those who make and interpret the laws, are thus entitled to take land away from native peoples, often violently, and typically without due process  Indeed, in the United States, we find that Manifest Destiny was pretty much the template for those that were our leaders to go about the business of making this country in the image of those that led such, and to thereby do what was considered necessary, to remove forcibly, or through any other means, so necessary, fair or foul, those that stood in the way of that Manifest Destiny.

 So then, when it came to Native Americans, a decision was reached at the highest echelons of governmental power that the business of America was to remove, in one way or another, that which wasn’t going to be able to be successfully absorbed into America, which thereby meant that Native Americans would perpetually be holding the short end of the stick, and whatever a treaty did or did not say, or promises made, was all a sideshow, because the only result that the Native Americans were going to get was the result that they got, which was to become, more or less, an irrelevancy, with perhaps in this present day, some modest regret, by the American governance, that they cheated them.

 One should never underestimate a government and the men representing that government that were on a sacred mission, and thereby were driven to have that mission succeed, because a government and the men fixated upon such were going to have what they had to have, which essentially meant providing no quarter for those who were considered to be un-American and that stood in the way of that Manifest Destiny and the progress of the people of this the United States of America.

 So too, to make things more seamless, it became de rigueur that Native Americans didn’t have any preexisting right to the land that had been exclusively theirs for generations, but rather the right of the land was only legitimately held in the hand of those that considered themselves to be more civilized, more advanced, and with plenty of armaments to prove the legitimacy of their case, for they considered themselves destined to take what was there for the taking. 

 This meant that here in the United States of America, history began when the white settler man arrived, and that at the behest of the British colonization of America, this land was the land of the white man, signifying that the Native American had no rights that the white man need respect, which was forcefully impressed upon Native Americans, again and again. So that, right or wrong, this land was the white man’s land, for the history of America began with the discovery of America by the Europeans, done for not only the glory of those European states, but also eventually further justified as God’s Manifest Destiny.

You want a better future, make a better present

There are plenty of people who want the future to be better than what the present currently represents, and the best way to ensure that the future will indeed be better is to make a better present.  In other words, for change to happen, we need to be that change, which means whatever that we are desiring for the future that makes for a more inclusive, caring, considerate, and fair society, necessitates us doing our good part right now, to actuate those changes, which will not only make for a better future, but also will make for a better present.

 To get to a better future, we need to work on the foundation of what makes for a better future, and by doing so, we will help to ensure that today’s world is better for our active participation in doing those activities that represent fairness, truth, generosity, and compassion.  That is to say, to somehow believe that the way that we achieve worldwide peace is to bomb to smithereens all those that we dislike or oppose us, is not going to be a viable pathway.  Rather, we need to look at diplomatic solutions and a desire to see the other as just as valuable and of worth as we see our own self, for if we cannot do that, it isn’t possible for peace and justice to be preeminent in this world.

 While there isn’t anything wrong with complaining about this or that – the problem with complaining is that it doesn’t actually accomplish anything, so after all the complaining comes out, we need to wake up and see if there is something constructive that we can do to help push things in the direction that it ought to be going, and to the degree that we can find like-minded people to assist us, or we to join them, we should do so.  After all, there isn’t any way that the present is going to get better if we can’t get a substantial portion of the general public to buy into doing what needs to be done to help make things better, for to believe that we can simply ride the coattails of good people and get to where we all need to go, is never going to be good enough, because each of us, to the best of our ability, needs to contribute to the good of the public, because by doing so, we strengthen one another.

 We are all born to a noble purpose, and it’s hard to imagine a better purpose than simply making up our mind, in our thoughts and in our deeds, that we will always do the right thing and thereby to do our good part to help make society a better place for our good participation in it.  This type of mindset is not only good for our character, but is mandatory if we are to hold onto our optimistic hope that the future will be better, for in this present day, by doing our good part to do the right thing, we will not only have a better present, but we will be on the right path to make for a better future as well.

The not-so-free press

In America, we hear the clarion call again and again, about how important it is to have a free press, as well as freedom of speech, but the bottom line is that the mainstream press, so represented by the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, ABC, NBC, and CBS, are themselves wholly captured by corporate America, and therefore whatever is good for corporate America is thereby good for these entities.  This means that mainstream media really has little interest in expressing itself freely, but rather has a specific agenda that it desires to get across, and this thus signifies that though they are the press, they are not disseminating to the people the whole truth of what is really happening to the public, whatsoever.

 On the other hand, a vibrant free press, is an entity that questions authority, that questions power, and has as its upmost purpose to put before the people, their perception of what is really going on and what it means, and thereby to let the people decide which side of the issue that they are on.  That is to say, a free press provides germane information to the people, for the edification of the people, so that a more fully informed public can decide what should or should not subsequently be done on behalf of those people.

 Instead, we have a mainstream press whose main interest is profit, followed by the fact that it greatly desires to manipulate the people, along with selling the illusion to the people, that the people are sovereign and free to choose, even though the choices so presented to them, are pretty much the same, no matter which way that they go.  This signifies that, because corporate America has fully captured the mainstream press, that the business of the mainstream press is pretty much selling the illusion that they are providing to the general public, “all the news that is fit to print,” but in actuality they are only printing that which is to their preference.

 Back in the day, when newspapers and circulars were the way that communities got their news about what was going on in their community and beyond, the press really did a good job, of getting out in front of stories of import, because they knew that it mattered to the community, to know what was really happening.  Further to the point, newspapers and circulars weren’t beholden to advertisers but rather depended upon subscriptions for their revenue, signifying that the news that they printed had to matter to those who were reading it.

 Today, our mainstream media simply wants to get across to the general public what they ought to think and what they ought to care about, signifying that they aren’t really interested in people thinking for themselves, and therefore don’t desire for people to have independent or unorthodox thoughts, at all, but rather they want them to believe that the business of the people is simply to concentrate on the earning of money or going to school, and to leave the thinking to the purveyors of the mainstream press, so that the duty of the people is to learn to listen to the what the mainstream press is telling them to listen to, and then to be compliant to it.

A society is only as good as its ruling class

In life, there are those who rule, and then there are those that thereby must follow the rules.  Of course, in countries such as the United States, it is presupposed that this is a nation of, for, and by the people, but when we look at what is really going on, in which the rich have never been richer, and the fact that money consistently can buy the results so desired in a political race or a proposed proposition, a reasonable person has got to conclude that there really is a ruling class in America, and it is these personages who are the most powerful and influential who make the real decisions of import in this nation.

 It isn’t necessarily bad for society when there is a ruling elite that calls the shots, if those so calling the shots are themselves paragons of virtue, generosity, and driven by the desire to do the right thing.  On the other hand, when the ruling elite is absolutely corrupt, filled with deception, greed, and selfishness then the end result for those that are its citizens is not going to be good, for when it is obvious that the rulers have a distorted moral compass, the people are surely going to follow, in turn, because quite obviously playing by the rules, isn’t going to get them much of anything.

 This is why it really does matter who leads a nation, and selfish leaders aren’t good for the prosperity or the morality of a nation, because their example only encourages the population to desire to do the same sorts of things, so at least they get theirs, because, after all, they have goals to achieve, and if that means stepping on someone else’s toes, is necessary, to achieve that which they desire to achieve, they are going to be greatly tempted to do that sort of thing.

 Indeed, whenever the ruling class makes it their point that all they really care about is feathering their own bed, and power for power’s sake, we find that this sort of attitude, is going to suck the good virtue out of the people, because they figure if it’s good enough for the goose, it’s good enough for the gander.  There is nothing more disappointing when those that we should look up to, have feet of clay, and further to the point, don’t seem to care about correcting such, because they want what they want, and the devil take the hindmost.

 One would think that there would come the point when greed is satiated, but incredibly for many a person that is fixated on power and influence, their greed is never satiated, of which, the more that they thereby take from the people the less that the people have, and the more unequal society is.  It follows therefore that those societies that are especially unfair and unequal, are the very same, in which we will hear from the ruling class that we need more law and order, imposed against those that are simply trying to live their best life, but finding that getting their fair share, is often not really achievable, because the game is so corrupt, that there really isn’t all that much left to go after, because the lion’s share is held in the hands of the elite, who are fixated on the people being obedient, compliant, and distracted by our modern day’s version of bread and circuses.

The need to know what motivates an individual

The great thing about society is that it is made up of all different sorts of people, with different backgrounds, different priorities, and different ways of thinking.  The reason that this is good is because if everyone thought the same, wanted the same, and did the same, the redundancy of such would be incredibly boring.  That is why it’s good to interact with people that do not have the same background as we do, or of the same opinion, for it makes for not only a more interesting engagement one to the other, but also it permits us to get a different perspective on things, which helps to expand our own viewpoint.

 So too, it’s good that what motivates us isn’t necessarily going to be the same thing that motivates another person, which is why we need to pay attention to other people, so that we can ascertain what it is or is not that seems to resonate with them, because in doing so, it helps us to relate to one another, better. After all, to assume that everybody has the exact same motivation is to assume that we all think alike, and this simply is not true, which reflects that not only is listening important, but also that we should want to know people at a level at which we can have a more meaningful interaction with them, which is accomplished by us knowing what motivates the other, and what gives them purpose in life.

 That is to say, we can’t claim that we are engaged with the other if we haven’t bothered to do our good part to know the other, which requires that we try to ascertain what makes them tick, and thereby what is of importance to them.  Indeed, the more interest that we show in the other, by knowing what their motivations are, the more the substance of our conversations and interactions will have a more impactful meaning.  After all, it’s very easy to have easy conversations, in which nothing of real import is discussed, but if we are to know somebody else, we need to get beyond mere niceties to that which gets to the meat of the matter.

 Additionally, we can’t expect others to really care about us if we haven’t shown that we care about them, and one way that we demonstrate that we do care is to know people at a level in which there is a good rapport between one to the other.  This is why we should do our good part to find out what a person’s passions and values really are, which will help us to understand them better, in knowing what they truly care about, and in doing this, we will help to build a relationship that has purpose behind it.  Indeed, the more insight that we have into the other, the better we will be able to help them handle the vicissitudes of life, and in this, to be a good and valued friend, for not just caring, but in our sincere empathy, which comes from knowing the other.

Privilege and the inability to see

It seems like those who are most privileged are the very same that can’t recognize that privilege, because not only do they not care to recognize such or even seriously to contemplate such, but they typically feel that whatever is happening, is just the way things are supposed to happen, and if it seems like they have it easier, so much the better for them.  In other words, many people of privilege simply take it as their birthright, and have a strong tendency to feel that while they might have an advantage over others, it’s a very slight advantage, easily overcome by those unheralded others who put their nose to the grindstone.

 As they say, none are so blind as those that will not see, and those that are privileged but will not admit to such, or discount such, are the very same that see through a prism which is distorted and because of this, the reflections of the society that they are a part of, are equally distorted.  Indeed, it isn’t possible to have empathy for the other when a person doesn’t see the other as anything that is deserving of some extra consideration, compassion, or concern.  The reason that this occurs is because privileged people just don’t seem to have the necessary insight to actually see society as it really is, or don’t want to bother to do so, especially if that would mean upsetting their viewpoint to something in which they see themselves as other non-privileged people do.

 Many of those who are privileged don’t want to change a thing, because when you are in pole position to get all the advantages in life, and know that the chips are perpetually in your favor, there isn’t any logical reason why you would want to change anything.  Of course, from a fairness perspective, from an understanding of how society actually is for those who aren’t so privileged, it’s sensible to want to do your part to help level the playing field, because when that field is always titled in your favor, then it is suspect as to how much credit you should get for your success in life.  Rather, in a meritorious society, that merit should come from a perspective which takes into account who has been privileged, and who has not, and adjustments should be made correspondingly, thereby.

 Being privileged is such a great place to be that those who are privileged are typically disinclined to want to honestly examine their life, for if they did, they might just find that their distorted view of society reflects a person who has not bothered to actually see society in a way and manner, that understands that those that are privileged lead lives that are different from those that lack those advantages, and in that inability to see, they have done those others, wrong, because they have failed to even to consider to walk a mile in their shoes.  Indeed, it would behoove all those that are privileged, to put themselves in a position, in which that privilege has been temporarily neutralized or abandoned, and then, they will have the opportunity to open up their eyes to see or else to remain stubbornly blind to that which calls out for justice, fairness, and opportunity.

Knowing the right thing to do but not doing it

There are all sorts of moral crimes that people suffer from, of which, one of those moral crimes is the crime of simply not doing what we are supposed to do, and somehow believing that since we didn’t actively do anything wrong, that all is well, but alas, it is not.  Look, each of us is gifted with a conscience for the express purpose of doing the right thing, and when we don’t do the right thing, our conscience should bother us, because we have chosen poorly, and in fairness, there are consequences for having failed to step up.

 In this world, we will be tested, and the point of those tests, is to adjudge our character, of which, we are given ample opportunity to do the right thing, but when we consistently don’t actually do much of anything, we have failed to understand that inaction, as opposed to a bad action, has its negative consequence, as well.  After all, to get to where we need to be, requires effort, and those who will not put forth a good effort, where effort is called upon, are too lackadaisical to accomplish needful things, and thereby are counting upon other motivated individuals to do all of the heavy lifting, instead. 

 To believe that we can simply ride upon the coattails of great individuals and thereby get to our desired destination is never going to happen.  We are meant to prove ourselves in the cauldron of challenges laid before us, and those who do not participate in what they need to work upon and thereby conquer, have turned their back upon what they know they need to address, and in doing so, have not done the right thing, and thus this will be counted against them.

 In this world, there are no easy roads, for that which we most cherish necessitates a concentrated effort to achieve such.  It is always going to be smoother to take the straight and narrow path to where we need to go, but whatever path that we take, meandering or whatever, it is ours to own, and until we reach the only destination that matters, then we have not achieved what we came here to accomplish.

 None of us simply goes to heaven, we earn the right to heaven, by our good works, and those that hope to rely on the fact that they really haven’t done anything that was actively bad, are mistaken if they believe that this is somehow good enough to earn them a place in heaven, because earning, requires dedication, purpose, and a concentrated drive to get to where we must get to, come what may.  Those then that rise up to the challenges that this world represents, and overcome their obstacles in one way or another, will break through to the promise land, and those that do not, or don’t bother to even try, will be stuck in a cyclic world, in which though the light perpetually shines, they will never reach it.

Restaurants and the takeout business

Back in the day, people went to a restaurant in order to be served and to eat their meal there.  While there are still plenty of people that do that very thing, we find that in today’s modern age, that more people than ever are inclined to order takeout, which provides them with the option to eat their food at home or elsewhere, while also doing whatever that they want to do while eating their meal, which serves to be satisfactory for them, and saves them the time and trouble of not only not having to cook, but also of having to sit in a restaurant when they rather be elsewhere.

 The first thing about takeout, is that the experience is different, because whenever a person eats within a restaurant there is a certain order of things which is followed, in which, first the customer has to be seated, then they have the opportunity to order drinks and/or appetizers, followed by the ordering of the main meal, and finally the eating of a possible dessert, in which those being served aren’t being rushed, which allows them to have a conversation, take in the atmosphere, and to enjoy their food and service. However, all of this takes time, and for many people, they don’t really want to devote that time because they would rather spend that time doing something else.  Further to the point, for those who are going to eat alone, eating inside a restaurant is typically not something that they really want to do, so they often prefer to order takeout instead.

 So too, takeout is a convenience for the customer, in which a good meal is purchased, to be enjoyed at one’s leisure which makes sense for people that have worked a long day, don’t have time to cook, or just prefer having a meal already prepared that they know they are going to enjoy.  In other words, people order takeout because they have a need to eat, and want to eat something that they know they are going to like, and don’t see the point of having to eat that meal inside a restaurant. 

 Indeed, the restaurant business has changed because an ever higher percentage of meals for many a restaurant, is now devoted to takeout orders, which typically requires that order to be completed sooner than for a person that is eating in-house, because the customer ordering takeout, isn’t interested in waiting around for their meal, but pretty much wants it as soon as they can get it, or else they will take their business somewhere else.  This signifies that restaurants have to be more cognizant of meal demands, especially peak meal demands, so that they can more readily accommodate their customer base, without upsetting either those that eat in-house or those that have ordered takeout, signifying that the logistics of getting orders done has to be synchronized in some sort of sensible way, and when done right, everyone is more satisfied, which sets the stage for more repeat business, which every restaurant desires and counts upon.

You don’t know who you are

Isn’t it strange that so many people don’t really know who they are, mainly because they overly identify with the physical and discount the spiritual.  Look, it doesn’t make much sense for those that believe in God, that somehow they aren’t cognizant that they must therefore be, in their true essence, an eternal spirit, and therefore the physical is merely the temporary housing of the spirit, in order to exist within this physical plane and to appreciate therefore the challenges so presented with existing within that physical sphere and those interactions, therewith.

 It would thus behoove people to better understand that our very purpose in this life, is to prove ourselves as to whether we will give in to selfishness and conceit, or whether what we will concentrate our efforts on is for the greater good of the society that we are a member of, and to thereby honor that which first created us by our good works.

 It thus follows that when you do not really understand who you are, that you are going to have a strong tendency to concentrate on that which isn’t of real merit, because the clarity of vision is lacking, for your proper edification. Instead, when we recognize that we are spiritual beings who are currently having our character being tested on earth, we will understand better the importance of doing right, because that is the superior way for us to find enlightenment.

 There are indeed a lot of distractions in our earthly sojourn, and it is quite easy to get caught up in not only the physicality of our existence, but also of the belief that the demands of our body and our ego must be met.  The problem with this mindset is that the more that we focus our efforts upon gratifying our ego, as if it is the most important thing, the more distorted our outlook on life will be, and the more therefore that we will put on the back burner, our eternal spirit, which is our true self, and in this, we have chosen poorly.

 The most appropriate way to see this world is to see it as it really is, a proving ground.  This signifies that each of us has a sacred mission, of which, the general consensus of each of our respective missions are akin to simply doing right in our thoughts and in our interactions with one another, no more and no less.  This might seem like the simplest of things to do, but when the ego is saying one thing, and our body is emphasizing another thing, it all serves to drown out, for many a person, their spirit, which means that our assigned mission will fail.

 So then, if you don’t know who you are, it’s going to be difficult to accomplish what you ought to do; whereas, if you do know who you are, you may or may not accomplish what you ought to do, but for a certainty you are on a much better pathway to do the right thing, and in doing right, will be true to your eternal spirit as well as to Wisdom, itself.

The boss of your credit card

When it comes to credit cards, it has to be taken into fair account, that the bank issuing such credit, is basically providing a loan to the customer up to the limit of the credit line approved, with terms and conditions on how that loan is to be paid back, which typically means a monthly payment, in which the customer needs to at least pay the minimum on-time, along with the customer having the discretion to pay all of the loan back, which seems like a real boon because those that pay off their credit card balance in full each month, are essentially receiving an “interest free” loan from that banking institution.

 The thing about credit cards is that they are now ubiquitous, so that those people who don’t have credit cards are typically seen as people who must not be creditworthy.  So too, being able to pay for items that a person desires through a credit card, with the sure knowledge that the bill, even when subsequently presented does not necessitate it having to be paid in full, seems far superior to having a debit card, which takes the money straight out of a person’s checking account in real time.

 It would be nice if the boss of the credit card, was actually the person whose name was on the credit card, but in actuality, the boss of the credit card is always the banking institution that granted it, and therein lies the rub, because those that issue credit through credit cards have a lot of power and discretion to change things, and can do so at their discretion and without fair warning.

 This thus means that those who enjoy a $10,000 credit limit or even higher, might believe that things will always remain the same, but might just find to their dismay, that the banking institution can just close their account, for various reasons, such as the account not being used as intended, credit score dropping precipitously, or pretty much anything that they can conceive of, and the customer has no real recourse, to reverse things, though they can try, for once the banking institution has determined that you are not the customer that they want, they have the final say, and, therefore that credit and the credit card once priceless, is now as if it never existed.

 Further, to add insult to injury, plenty of credit cards permit the user to accumulate points through their usage, which are good for things such as a statement credit, airline miles, hotel points, or gift cards, but once the banking institution determines that the account will be closed, they will no longer honor those points, so the points accumulated by the user, will simply and completely vanish.

 While the sudden closing of a credit card account by the banking institution certainly seems unfair, especially since there isn’t any independent 3rd party to adjudicate such, it has to be remembered that a credit card as issued is never a right, but is a privilege, and privileges are subject to being taken away, making it all so clear, who the boss of that credit card, actually is.