Perspective on Who We Are

It is difficult to make progress in this material world if we don’t take the time or the consideration to ponder who and what we really are, at our core.  That is to say, those who will not devote the resources to discover that which is the actuator of their very being, haven’t made a wise decision.  Indeed, we find that different religions describe the essence of humankind in different ways, emphasizing, for example, that this life is a life of illusion with a misunderstanding oftentimes by those who have incarnated here as to what is real and what is unreal.  Then some describe humankind as often being in the throes of ignorance, of thereby not understanding who they actually are, and because of that misunderstanding, typically prioritizing the wrong things to their ultimate regret.  Further, some see humankind as in a state of fall, of having thereby turned their back upon God, and therefore are sinful creatures, never seeming to realize that all that God creates is good because God is the ultimate good.  Finally, some believe that humankind is in a state of rebellion, of purposely and therefore consciously fighting against God’s good laws, as if their way is somehow ever going to be the better way.  In all of these, humankind, has its own self to blame, for within each of us, and through the wisdom of the ages, is everything that we need to enlighten us, and thereby provide us with the pathway to return to where we are meant to be.

 It is disappointing that we find so many people, especially those who are doing quite well, that enjoy the creature comforts of this world to the exclusion of understanding their true purpose, and thereby appreciate their many benefits, seeing these things essentially as being superior and more real than the Creator of it all. Additionally, these people who are so enamored with this world, or caught up in it, don’t seem to recognize through their ignorance that the better perspective of this material experience, is that this is a testing ground, meant for us to take the good gifts of God and to exercise them faithfully for the betterment of those that we interact with, day by day, above all else

 So too, some spend an inordinate amount of time beating themselves up about how sinful they are without seeming to recognize that how sinful or good we are has everything to do with our freedom to do the right or wrong thing, of which, the more we dedicate ourselves to doing the right thing and focus exclusively on such, the sooner we will get to the only destination that matters. 

 Then there are those others who have rebelled against God and have continued with their rebellion, without seeming to understand that their way is not ever going to be the right way and that therefore they won’t ever make forward progress, for as long as they continue upon the path of rebellion, they are doing so to their own perdition  Yet, for all those who suffer from their lack of understanding of who and what they really are, there is for each of them, an avenue that will put things right, and the sooner they understand who they are, and live to that duty therewith, the better it will be for them.

The need for clothes

We live in inflationary times, but one of those items, that has consistently not been hurt by inflation is clothing, which remains quite affordable, and that is indeed a very good thing because society demands that we wear clothes, not only for the basic reason that clothes protect us from the elements but that they also provide us with necessary functionality by having, for instance, pockets, while serving to protect our privacy because we are wearing clothes, thereby not displaying certain body parts which are considered to be not only bad form to do so in public, but can if so exposed to others, be considered to be a crime.

 Another salient reason why people need to wear clothes has got to do with the fact that never has there been so many very old people in society, but also never have there been so many people that are quite overweight, of which, these people are typically not going to have the physical look that would appeal to many. They may be seen, in fact, as having bodies that necessitate that they wear clothing because their look does not measure up well to societal expectations and norms.

 So too, the thing about clothes is that clothing can do a stellar job in bringing out our best features as well as doing an excellent job in disguising well those features that we don’t favor.   Clothes play a very important role in allowing us to be ourselves, and to be about our business, without being unnecessarily noticed, by basically serving the good purpose of allowing us to blend in with society and the general clothing rules of that society, by following those rules, which permits us to adhere to society norms, better.

 Indeed, while we have been taught not to judge a book by its cover, the truth of the matter is that many people do exactly that, which is one of the reasons why certain people are especially diligent in the selection and the wearing of their clothing, because they are trying to put forth a certain image, and the right clothing can do that quite well for them.  We do so find then that there actually is a reasonable consistency in the character of the person as displayed through their clothing with the overall look that they present, thereby providing people with a fair window as to who and what they really are, even without knowing that person.

 Additionally, never have there been so many options for the clothing that we choose to wear, which is indicative that by having the freedom to wear the clothes that we do wear, we are, in a certain sense, expressing our freedom to do so, which is, believe it or not, something that has not historically been true, not only because society norms have previously limited the choice of the clothing so worn, but also because the availability of certain clothes wasn’t nearly as vast as is represented today.

 In sum, we need clothes, not only because clothes cover our body or expose such to our satisfaction, but also because they provide us with the utility that those clothes typically represent, thereby permitting us to present ourselves to the general public, in a way and form, that conforms with our identity.

The strange phenomena of unemployment

The main problem with unemployment is the fact that in good times or bad, there always seem to be those who are unemployed as well as those who have essentially given up on finding work, who aren’t even counted per governmental statistics regarding unemployment as unemployed but are seen instead as discouraged workers, which seems like a semantical way for the government to portray unemployment at a lower level than what it truly is. 

 It would be one thing if unemployment represented the fact that everything that this nation needs concerning such salient things such as infrastructure, teaching, healthcare, and so on, was essentially at the level in which no further work or employment was needed as all these activities were thus operating at full efficiency and had no room for improvement, along with being additionally staffed sufficiently for maintenance and other purposes.  Yet, when we take even the most cursory look at America’s decaying infrastructure, the state of its education, and of its healthcare, all of these areas of interest, are not even close to being at full efficiency, which begs the question as of why this nation isn’t setting up various Job Corps institutions to address these vital needs.

 It has to be acknowledged that every time and every day, in which, those who are unemployed are basically just sitting at home, or are up to no good or similar, thereby signifying that work that could be done for the betterment of society, is not being done, that this doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.  The thing about work is not only does it keep those that are employed busy, but it also provides those people working with income as well as the satisfaction that they are accomplishing tasks which are of merit; whereas, for those that are unemployed, the very fact that they are unemployed not only feels and seems to be debilitating for them, but it also makes them to typically feel that they are not of value.

 Indeed, this nation should take unemployment much more seriously, and do more to address such, by creating programs that will not only help in those areas in which labor is necessary to correct such, but will also give purpose to more people that essentially are living lives of no purpose.  Further to the point, the more people who are unemployed or have to rely on governmental handouts to survive, places therefore more weight upon those who are employed to carry these non-performers day after day after day.

 In sum, from a citizen's perspective, it is always disappointing to see that our roads and other infrastructure which definitely need to be repaired or upgraded, of which, the repairing or replacement of such, appears to be of a low priority,  doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, especially when there are plenty of people as well as the necessary materials to address these issues, available.  Indeed, to pay in one form or another a stipend or its equivalency to those who don’t work, when they are capable of working, appears to be misguided, and seems to be out of sorts with the fact that there are notable tasks to be addressed, which require the labor from those that are currently unemployed.

Airlines and their padded arrival time

Airlines are in the transportation business, the same as trucks, trains, busses, and the like, of which, travelers have a known time when they need to be at the airport gate, and are given a known time of when they will be scheduled to arrive at their destination.  The thing about airline travel is that airlines are permitted to “pad” their arrival time, so that they can add extra minutes onto their arrival time, to take in various contingencies, fairly or not, which thereupon allows these same airlines to brag about their on-time arrival performance, and/or to impress flight passengers that despite leaving late, for instance, that the plane arrived early at its destination.

 None of the above is truly fair to passengers, because, in short, arrival times have been “gamed” by the airlines. Quite frankly this should be better regulated, so that there is a firm and fixed rule that airlines must adhere to, when calculating their arrival time, as opposed to different airlines, padding their arrival time, by different amounts.  The bottom line is that people who travel, want to know the true scheduled time that they will most likely arrive at their destination, and because passengers are required to adhere to the airline’s rules for an on-time departure, of which, the failure of passengers to do so, results in them often missing their flight, it would seem only reasonable that airlines should have to honestly display their true arrival time, without an excessive amount of fudging or just plain deception.

 The most annoying thing about flights supposedly arriving early or on time, is the apparent pride displayed by the pilot, as if, that pilot through their particular skillset somehow was able to get the airline that departed late to get to its destination on time, after all.  In truth, though, the airline has padded the arrival time so much that departing from the gate at a time even reasonably close to its scheduled departure time does readily make for an on-time arrival.  Indeed, it would be one thing if pilots actually sped the plane up to a higher speed or took a faster route to arrive at the destination sooner, but that isn’t typically the case, though it seems to be what pilots are implying when they insinuate it was their piloting that permitted the plane to arrive on-time or to be early.

 In sum, this type of gamesmanship by the airline industry should be regulated out of existence, or, if not, there should be full disclosure to all passengers, that the arrival times for airlines have been padded, and it should be clearly displayed how much they have been padded, because as it stands right now, the arrival times are deceptively longer than they should be, basically because airlines want to improve their on-time arrivals to make it seem as if they really are on time, when in actuality, by any real measure of the tape, they aren’t nearly as good at arriving on time as they claim to be.

Standalone ATMs and opportunity theft

The Automated Teller Machine (ATM) has been around since the 1960s, in which, just the concept of having a cash machine, that functions without a human operator, and spits out cash to those with the appropriate ATM credentials, seems both genius and revolutionary because there are plenty of people that just want to get access to cash at all hours of the day, and they don’t want to go through the trouble of having to enter into the bank to do that, of which, ATMs have successfully resolved that problem for them.

 The salient issue though with ATMs, is that for decades upon decades, banking institutions have been a target for thieves, because as it has been said, ”that's where the money is.”   Indeed, when it comes to ATMs, those machines can be filled up with $100,000 in cash, so there is plenty of money to be got, by those that have the intention to do so.  Further to the point, the most vulnerable ATMs are never going to be those that are part and parcel of a bank building which typically is pretty secure as well as being quite visible, but rather it is going to be those ATMs that are standalone, in which, all four sides of that ATM are exposed to the outside, and of which, their location is typically more isolated than an actual bank.

 So too, physical banks are not only more secure but may also engage outside security to watch their bank; whereas, we find that standalone ATMs aren’t going to have that same sort of attention, because of the cost of monitoring standalone ATMs with physical security is just going to be prohibitive, which indicates that whatever security devices that there are on a given standalone ATM, will have to be sufficient to stop criminal activity – thus signifying that those that are intent with the tampering of a standalone ATM are provided with the opportunity to study their target and come up with a plan of attack, or multiple plans because the ATM is not only in plain sight but also because ATMs are designed in a way that people in the know, have the definite capability of compromising those machines.

 The one thing about America is that there are plenty of people who aren’t really interested in working for a living, but would rather figure out a way to get money or its equivalency by whatever means works for them. When it comes to ATMs, they recognize that ATMs will dispense cash, again and again, as long as the ATM card has the right credentials to convince the machine that all is right.  This signifies that opportunistic criminals have multiple ways to try to fool an ATM, of which, they know that there is no human presence to observe them, but only a camera embedded in the machine, which thus provides them with a fair amount of time to ply their trade.

 Indeed, the convenience of ATMs is a great benefit to the general public, who can thus withdraw cash at any time of the day or night, but the fact that these are machines, that contain a lot of cash, provides a constant temptation for those that wish to find a way to exploit such to their own benefit

The hyphenated last name

There was a time not so long ago, that when it came to marriage, the female of that marriage, would give up her last name and replace such with her husband’s last name.  Nowadays, while we see that this is still fairly commonly done, there are plenty of people that do marry, that instead either maintain their own last name or add their spouse’s last name to theirs, with or without a hyphen, though typically a hyphen is used.  So then, a fair amount of children have a hyphenated last name, which comes across as looking fairly normal and fits within the conventions of the day.  However, the problem with a hyphenated last name is when that child decides that they desire to get married and further to the point, to have children, we find that because a last name can only be so long before it gets rather cumbersome, and that virtually everyone agrees that a hyphenated last name should consist of just two names with only one hyphen, this becomes the crux of the problem because those with hyphenated last names are going to have to be creative when it comes to combining their name with their spouse, of which, decisions and compromises are going to have to be made.

 One could argue that the creativity in combining a hyphenated last name of what to keep and what to delete might even sound fun. Still, it has to be remembered, that many people desire to follow in the footsteps of their family tree and when there seems to be an abrupt change in the last name convention, it makes that family tree look out of sorts.  So too, there are those people who are pretty adamant that their last name must continue within family generations, and when two people believe in that same thing, it just makes the decision of what last names to keep and what to delete or modify, all the more difficult.  So too, when it comes to hyphenated last names, there are only so many syllables that other people will tolerate before they decide that they might address you in a way and manner in which part of your last name is truncated.

 All of the above indicates that naming conventions have their good and bad points, in which, as long as people are sensible, it can be worked out, but not everyone is sensible, and there are many a person who will argue and fight over things of far less importance than a last name, so when it comes to the naming convention of those that are getting married or of those that have a hyphenated last name already and are getting married, things can get out of control, especially in consideration that there isn’t really a fixed standard way that last names are combined, or hyphenated names are uncombined.  This thus signifies that to a certain degree, how people who are getting married go about deciding what to do or not do about their different last names, may foreshadow how that relationship will or will not work out, because compromise and consideration are always desired attributes for a healthy relationship.

Society needs more kindness

There are plenty of people that believe that what society needs is more law and order, so that, those that are misbehaving can be put in their place, and by doing so, society will be the better for it.  While there is a time to impose order upon the population and against certain individuals of that population, we do so find that more law and order, in and by itself, without getting to the foundational root of the problem is not ever going to resolve the issues that need to be addressed more effectively, through the integration of empathy, consideration, and kindness, when so appropriate.

 The crux of the issue with the call for ever more law and order, or basically for more punishment to those that are causing trouble is the fact that to believe that we can hide away our problems by incarceration or similar will resolve all problems just isn’t going to be true.  Further to the point, justice that doesn’t take into account the conditions that make for uncivil behavior is not actually justice but really represents something that conveniently addresses only the visible issue that is considered to be not socially proper, without bothering to wonder why it is still occurring, time and time again.

 A kinder society is always going to be a society that reasonable people do desire to gravitate to, because kindness and the empathy that kindness consists of, help to make for a more inclusive and a more caring society, which understands better that we are all in this together, and together we must determine to resolve the issues of our time to help make society a better place for our good participation in it.  This signifies that the objective of a healthy society should be to do more for one another so that through those relationships, we become more integrated into friendship, and of the lending of a helping hand, where so needed.

 To be kind isn’t necessarily the easy thing, because some situations don’t lend themselves easily to being kind and considerate, especially when we feel that we have been wronged, but nevertheless, a lot of those things that bother us, aren’t that big of a deal, when we get our perspective right, and the more that we can show consideration to the other, even when it appears to be undeserved, the more that we will get those that are struggling with their own issues, to understand that frustration, hatred, and striking out against others, is not conducive for good relationships, whatsoever.

 So too, there is enough history in societies to understand that straight punishment for crime, doesn’t make for a more considerate society but rather serves often to create discord and dissent, because of the perceived injustices of those actions, in many a case.  Indeed, societies have tried to use punishment as a way and means to control the population to its content, but it doesn’t really work all that well – which is why society would be far better served by expressing more kindness and consideration, instead, and it might just find that by doing so, life will be better, in whole.

Violent video games

There are all sorts of violent video games available for people to play, in which, in the playing of the game, opponents are killed, innocent or not, deserving or not, game after game after game.  For a lot of those players, they don’t see the game as being real, but rather see it as entertainment, so that even when they are committing what would be considered to be “bad acts” within that game, they don’t feel any responsibility for those acts, because it is pretend and not real.

 The thing about certain violent video games is that they can conceivably inure someone to where it becomes rather commonplace to kill or to harm a given character within that game, and because of that, this could make them a less caring individual in real life.  Another factor within video games is the factor of the understanding that though one’s character can be hurt or killed we find that because it is just a game, one can always come right back and play the game again, thereby providing the general feeling that a player is in a certain sense, invincible.

 The main crux of the problem with violent video games has got to be that because it isn’t real, people who are participating in that game are never therefore in real danger and because they are not actually in real danger, they can see the game as being both a challenge and fun – but through their relentless playing of the game they very well might project themselves as actually being of courage, cunning, and daring through their pursuit of playing it.  Yet, those very qualities that certain people may feel that they have obtained, are transitory, because it is just a game, of which, should they be in a real situation with real consequences in the real world, their courage that they believe that they have may be totally absent.

 Indeed, violent video games are just games, which means that no matter how violent that game is, the kills so made, or the times that one’s character has been killed, the player who is actually playing the game is not ever in mortal danger, whatsoever, and therein lies the rub, because in this world, there actually are bad guys that do terrible things, which is very real, and signifies that when it is real, it isn’t going to be fun, but rather it’s going to be scary, and how people perform in the real world when they are scared and in danger, is not going to be the same as how they perform in the playing of a violent video game, because in a video game, nothing is at risk; whereas, in the real world, there most certainly is a risk.

 So then, the lesson that never is learned in violent video games is that to put yourself at risk, in which, you could really be hurt or be killed, is not ever going to be fun, but rather it is going to be frightening and uncomfortable, because when it is real, there exists the type of bad consequences that changes your outlook, dramatically.

Guns, guns, and more guns

We find that according to the Small Arms Survey of 2017, it is estimated that American firearms, both licit and illicit are numbered at 120.5 firearms per 100 people, which is not only an absolutely staggering amount of firearms held in the hands of civilians but is a number which is unprecedented within the so-called “civilized” world.  In America, having a gun, or at least the right to a gun, is seen by a significant amount of people as being their God-given right, and they therefore don’t want to give up their right to guns, or the usage, so of.  Yet, what is somewhat forgotten in this pursuit of guns is the fact that as in anything, the overall narrative could change, if American governance was determined to see it be changed, for even long-held beliefs are subject to change, given enough time and energy to move the needle to something more conducive to a civilized society.

 Of course, those who own guns or believe in the right to own guns, don’t seem inclined to give up that right, believing somehow that the guns so owned, protect families and friends.  While, on some level, this may be true, it is basically belied by the fact that no Western nation has a homicide rate at the alarming rate that America bloodily represents.  So too, guns are the very same that can be turned against the gun owner, so that, America is the leader by a considerable amount of those people that use their firearms to kill themselves.  Finally, when it comes to mass shootings, it is America, that leads in this tragic event, as well.  All of this would seem to say, that firearms don’t make us safer, but rather they seemingly lend themselves to a more uncivil and dangerous society, instead.

 This signifies that all of the tragedies that occur in America, and that continue to occur, will keep on occurring year after year, tragic event after tragic event, until the end of time, unless America takes the principal stand to do something constructive about all of the gun ownership in civilian hands.  It isn’t so much that America needs to rip up the Second Amendment, but rather it has a lot more to do with coming up with alternatives to gun ownership, by presenting to Americans, that just having a gun, is not, in itself, going to make people safe and secure.  Rather, we would find, that less lethal weapons or other viable choices in the hands of the people would lead to less tragedy and less deadly events.

 At some point, Americans need to begin trusting one another, thereby believing that safety and security do not truly rest with the barrel of a gun, but rest in civility, kindness, consideration, and respect for one another.  As it stands, gun ownership hasn’t made America safer or a better country, so it would seem to be high time to embrace alternatives that would help to end the tragic cycle of too much gun violence in this nation, which is why we need to rethink gun ownership and to rediscover or to rebirth the better angels of our nature.

The endless pursuit of the “bad guys” and the continual erosion of our freedom

We live in an age, in which, the governance of our nation seemingly insists upon seeing the world in a very simple construct, of people and their societies, being either good or bad, with nothing in between and therefore no nuance, whatsoever.  Indeed, this prevailing worldview might be okay, if it applied only to helpless children, who need direction and structure in their lives, to best keep them out of trouble, as well as to impress upon them, the importance of doing the right things as opposed to wrong, but it is wholly misguided when applied to adults, for adults best understand the world, as being far more complex, with far more nuance, and therefore have graduated from a simple binary viewpoint of this is wholly good, and that is wholly bad.

 It is unfortunate that the highest levers of power within this nation desire to simplify our outlook upon those who have different views or come from different cultures, or have different priorities, in a way and manner, that those who do not adhere to our Western values, as defined by our Western governance, are thereby subject to often being seen as being bad, as contrasted to those true believers of the Western mindset as being seen as good, echoed by the pages of history as taught and espoused, that reinforces such.  So then, when it comes to American interference in regards to other sovereign nations, our actions are typically viewed as being good, done on behalf of liberty, freedom, and democracy, of which, therefore we perceive ourselves as being liberators, though, in truth, we are often not.

 The hypocrisy of America is demonstrated again and again, by virtue of the fact that in order to make our own citizens safe and secure, in our pursuit of bad actors, it is therefore necessary that the Constitution of this nation take a backseat to the prevailing recognition that some of our freedoms and liberty, need to be sacrificed so that our governance can more readily pursue and neutralize bad guys, all done on our behalf.  This is why, our citizenry is monitored at a level in which never has any governance known more about its own citizenry than today, of which, through that power, the choices that citizens have are being limited, and the freedom of those same citizens to dissent from the orthodoxy of the present day, is constrained.

 So then, anytime that the government insists that if we are not in accordance with it, then we, by default are one and the same with the bad guys, then we are clearly not living within a construct of a government that is of, for, and by the people.  Instead, we are living and being governed by a government that is insistent that it has the right to supersede our liberties and freedom, on the supposed behalf of eliminating badness, done through the government exercising its dominance or the threatening of such, in order to control and to mold the population, of which, very little of this is done for the good of the country or its people, but rather this is done for the benefit of those that desire to exploit us for their own power and profit.

China has not fought a war since 1979

America fights all sorts of wars, even when it claims it does not, or has not authorized that war through Congressional action, of which, America fights those wars because it is essentially an imperialist power that insists that it needs to control or to mold the world in a way and manner, that is supposedly to its advantage, in one form or another.

 The thing about unnecessary warfare, even when such appears to be valid or victorious, is that there are significant costs, both direct and indirect for that warfare, over and above the inconvenient fact that war can cause a considerable amount of blow-back, that might not be seen for many years, or even for decades.  Those who fight wars, have to use personnel and armaments, of which, the cost of such is both direct as in the monies that must so be allocated as well as the deaths and physical injuries that occur – in addition to the more hidden costs, as in the debt incurred to finance these wars, that may take years or decades to be repaid, if it is ever repaid, as well as the psychological damage done to the soldiers that have been an integral part of that warfare, not to mention the strong possibility of civil unrest and protests by the people about that warfare.

 That is to say, there is a definite cost to war, and therefore, those nations that spend inordinate amounts of money on warfare, of which, year after year, those wars either continue or new wars are engaged, take a definite toll upon the people and the nation.  On the other hand, nations that don't go to war, and make it their point to avoid warfare, are not only going to see significant savings in monies, but also the people of that nation, will not suffer the ill effects of debt incurred or domestic military personnel having been killed or injured.

 The above signifies that in this modern age those nations that avoid war, are going to devote more of their time and energy to that which is often more constructive for their nation and thus their people, as opposed to those that are constantly involved in warfare, which in its totality, is debilitating to the people, because the cost of war, is paid by the people through the debt incurred, which thereby takes monies away from valued domestic programs, and reallocates such to being paid to the military-industrial-technology complex, as well as to the dominant banking consortium, that the monies so used for warfare have been borrowed from.

 So then, part of the reason why China's economy, as well as other nations in the ascendancy, have been able to take global market share away from America, has to do with the fact that China does not permit itself to get involved in warfare, though it could; whereas, America insists it needs to be get involved in an endless amount of warfare, thereby stretching itself ever thinner, without seeming to comprehend that its warfare is actually weakening America and making it more vulnerable, because whatever that is being supposedly gained from such, is outweighed by the negatives, which thereby permits countries such as China to become ever more relevant and stronger, at America's hard-headed expense.

Food insecurity

We are told via the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), that 47.4 million people in the United States were living in food-insecure households in 2023.  While, there exist various programs to address this food insecurity, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Special Supplemental to that, designed for women, infants, and children, we still have millions of Americans who are considered to be, food insecure.

 We live in a modern age in which America is considered to be the “breadbasket of the world,” which thereby signifies that the governance of this nation should be able to alleviate a significant percentage of those who are currently food insecure, by providing the food and the logistics for the distribution of that food to the very people of this great nation.  Indeed, it could be said, that the programs in place, have done a fairly good job of providing food to those that are most in need of such, but still, at the end of the day, it could do better, for to be food insecure, especially for vulnerable infants and children, should not still be something occurring,  because America has an absolute obligation to take care of its own and its most vulnerable, first.

 Look, it has to be said, that undoubtedly a meaningful percentage of those that are food insecure, rests at the feet of those people, themselves, for not doing more to provide for their own, by their efforts, but what of it?  Indeed, so many of those who are food insecure, are the same that have significant issues with unemployment, lack of opportunity, ill-education, living in “food deserts,” and lack of capital, all of which thereby signify that they don't live in prosperous areas of this nation.

 This thus signifies that American governance can look upon people like that, as not only welfare and charity cases that need a helping hand, but also as a people that need a viable foundation that will address the systemic problems and issues that preclude so many of these people, of having lives of merit, value, and decency.  That is to say, the food insecurity that so many people suffer from has a lot to do with this nation, not providing a meaningful floor to everyone that is part and parcel of this nation, that thus provides those people with the ways and means to live a decent life, and because of that,  America has a persistent underclass that is under-served in virtually every area of importance, such as food, healthcare, education, and community safety.

 Therefore, the measure of this nation could be fairly evaluated by how many are food insecure, because those that are food insecure are clearly those that do not have a good toehold upon the wealth and opportunity that America at its best, represents, and therefore there is the seminal need to address those persistent problems in a way and manner that this governance doesn't just take care of these issues from the perspective of doing what it can daily, but must therefore help to create a more inclusive America, that will do all that it can to see that far fewer people are actually left behind, by addressing forthrightly the issues that are systemic in nature, seemingly intractable, that need to be corrected to thereby give as many as possible, hope, food, and opportunity.

“It's better to suffer wrong than to do wrong”

The above quotation is attributed to the wise Greek philosopher Socrates. This quote is as apt today as it was back then, for two wrongs are not ever going to make a right. Those who listen to and are in compliance with their moral code are the same who understand that to violate that code, as in some form of retribution, or as a means to take advantage of some situation, have done wrong. The doing of wrong, is not ever a pathway that continued upon will result in things somehow becoming right.

 While it is true that to suffer wrong might well make us feel aggrieved, we need though to comprehend that to give in to that temptation to retaliate by committing actions that are themselves wrong, in the attempt to overcome the wrong so done to us, is not right.  Indeed, in this world, we are going to be tested, and tested again and again, of which, the very principle behind those tests, is to see whether or not we are a fair-weather believer in what we espouse to others as to what we should or should not do as a person of principle -- and all those that decide that when they have been wronged, that enough is enough, and therefore an unethical response should be seen as being appropriate to match what has been done to us, have failed their test, because whenever a moral code, has self-serving exemptions and exceptions to it than that code as modified, is wrong.

 We should not wish to harm others as our response to being harmed because we should not wish to behave in a manner in which “tit for tat” is somehow justified, for a world like that represents a zero-sum society, of which, progress is not thus being made for that society, because we are far too often intent on retribution as opposed to contribution; which signifies that those who lack the courage to make a principle stand to do what is right, have failed to properly understand that suffering for a good cause, has its necessary place.

 To suffer is not ever going to be something that we would gladly wish to have happen to us, but suffering is part and parcel of what so occurs in the world whenever society fails to consistently adhere to civility, justice, and consideration, one to the other.  Indeed, there will be wrongs committed one against the other, of which, to the degree that we can right those wrongs, we should do so, and to the degree, that we must suffer from those wrongs, we must not thereby respond to having been wrong, with wrong actions, ourselves.

 Each of us is meant for a higher purpose, and those who recognize that purpose, understand that to suffer a wrong, provides us with the opportunity to validate our true character, of which, those who endure through that suffering are the same that will have developed deep roots, that though batter about by the stormy winds of hate, injustice, and ignorance will though shaken, remain standing, and stand for that which represents that right will not ever bow to wrong.

Horses and horsepower

One of the seminal problems with America is that its educational system doesn't nearly do a good enough job of educating its students, so that, things such as horsepower, which is a term commonly used to describe how powerful a car engine is, are not properly defined to those students, and because that definition is lacking, many people thereby assume that a car with 300 horsepower, must mean that the engine of the car at peak performance is therefore the equivalency of 300 horses at peak performance, which simply isn't true.

 The thing that we need to remember about horses is that horses are big animals, that can weigh about 1000 pounds, and that certain breeds of horses can run at over 40 miles per hour, though they aren't able to sustain that speed for very long, which clearly indicates that horses are magnificent animals, that generate a lot of power and strength.  Therefore, one might logically think that even just one horsepower must be pretty darn impressive, but in actuality, when it comes to what horsepower actually is, that isn't the way that horsepower is defined.

 In actuality, horsepower, is a unit of measurement for steam engines, that James Watt coined, of which, one horsepower is defined as a “single horse lifting 33,000 pounds of water one foot in the air from the bottom of a 1,000 foot deep well.”  This thus signifies that horsepower isn't really about how fast a horse runs, and isn't even a true technical term that equates perfectly to vehicle engine power, but rather is used as a measurement to provide perspective to how powerful a car engine is at maximum performance, of which, horses themselves, if defined by that same method would in their speed, be defined as being capable of running at fifteen horsepower, at peak performance. 

 So then, horsepower and the power of one actual horse is not one horsepower and never has been.  Additionally, there are plenty of people nowadays that aren't really able to conceive of how powerful a horse is, because they have never ridden a horse, or actually seen a horse, close up, and because of that, aren't able to conceptualize how powerful and big a horse in reality is, even though, horses have previously been used as the primary means of superior transportation for hundreds upon hundreds of years by human beings.

 The thing is that nowadays, with the basic exception of true cowboys, people who ride horses are typically doing so only as a weekend activity and not as their primary way to get from one place to another, and if not that, they are utilizing a horse for actual work duties, so that horsepower, even when incorrectly perceived, is not something that “city slickers” are all that familiar with.

 Indeed, it would be beneficial if students were educated in a way and manner, that they would know what horsepower actually meant, technically, because it doesn't mean what a significant amount of people logically think that it must mean, which is one of the reasons why we end up saying and thinking things that are wrong, and expressing such as if we know what we are saying, when in actuality we haven't a clue.

Censorship is a tool of the powerful to crush dissent

Many people believe in the appropriateness of having some reasonable form of censorship, which will cut down therefore significantly on hateful, spiteful, and damaging expressed beliefs that are perceived as not being of value or of benefit to the people.  In other words, there are those people who believe in censorship as a tool to stifle the voices of things that they not only don’t want to hear but don’t believe that the person expressing such a view has the right to express.

 Unfortunately, that sort of mindset is like putty in the hands of the elite that often represents the hidden power that runs the governance of countries all over the world, because those that are the power brokers of societies are typically big proponents of censorship, sold under the aegis that censorship is necessary in order to have a more caring and a more inclusive society; whereas, the real reason for censorship is to crush dissent, and to thereby control the narrative in a way and form that will be beneficial for those that control those levers of power.  After all, when censorship is permitted or seen as necessary, this allows those who are in positions of great influence to silence those voices that they consider to be a nuisance, with the hope that things not said, are in tune with things not thought.

 While it might well be nice if we all just got along, it really isn’t healthy for any society, when we think and act in the same manner, which signifies that conformity is thus held in the highest regard; whereas, diversity would thereby be considered to be something abnormal and deserving of being suppressed.  This would signify that with censorship being embraced, that freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the freedom of assembly wouldn’t be of any effect, because when all of speech is in conformance with the orthodoxy of the day, that isn’t freedom, but rather that is obedience, which is at odds with freedom.

 So too, for necessary change to occur, there needs to be an avenue for dissent, which means there need to be forums in which people can express their opinions and viewpoints, and when that is effectively silenced, then what is occurring, is that a small elite of well-positioned personages are determining what the people should or should not be believing in, which is a construct which is anathema to freedom.

 To be free is to be uncensored, subject only to sensible laws that circumscribe free speech, only from the perspective that those who cross the line into imminent violent anarchy or obscenity beyond the pale, are subject to laws that address these issues.  However, what should not be censored should be opinions and viewpoints, right or wrong, which is the prerogative of having free speech, and for all those that insist upon “safe spaces” or the like, as a fundamental need of society, they need to understand that censorship is not becoming of any free-thinking individual, nation, or the governance of such, because each of us is equally entitled to having our say.

America: Land of the multiple cars

In consideration that automobiles cost a lot of money and that they take up space, one would generally think that people would only own cars that they are going to basically use, but that isn’t true, at all. There are plenty of families and people that own more than one car per household member, and while this might well make sense for those that have lots of money, or more than one home; what we do so find is that in certain areas of a given enclave, in which, that enclave seems to be somewhat rundown, that some of these people clearly own more than one car, of which, none of the cars seem to be all that spectacular, as well as there being cars that give every indication of being abandoned, yet those cars remain there on their property, day in and day out.

The primary reason why this is so is not going to be something practical, such as having one vehicle for going to work, and another car for going to a really nice event, but seems to be, in many a case, a situation in which cars are just adopted over time, and once owned, the people that own them, are not desiring to let them go. Perhaps they see these cars as being valued backups to their main vehicle, or they represent an investment to be occasionally worked on, and perhaps too there is the dream to one day fix a given car up, to make it look real good, and so on.

Yet, probably, the most reasonable explanation as to why so many people who don’t have a lot of capital, but have their own property, which has room enough to store cars, is the very fact that because they own their property, along with the salient fact that the annual registration of vehicles is typically inexpensive, collect these cars because the cost of ownership is quite low, and they might well use these cars for something, at some future date.

Additionally, there is the fact that the structure of a vehicle, can last for quite a long time, and because cars are in this modern age so damn expensive, it might even make sense to collect a bunch of cars, that don’t really cost a dime, as spares, in case the main car breaks down or gets into an accident because, for a certainty, cars aren’t getting any cheaper. So too, just the ownership of a car provides for some people, a source of pride, in which, though a given vehicle might not be driven, it could be bragged upon, or seen as a project that might be addressed at some future point.

Finally, some people have a tendency to accumulate things, or as a favor to a friend, to store things for them, and once a vehicle is parked, it just seems to become part of the landscape, never really to be noticed, because back in the day when land was a lot cheaper, home lots were a lot bigger and because cars have value and are visible, it’s a way to demonstrate to others, that they own things of value, or are seen as having value, such as a car.

The democratic vote: isn’t all that

At the founding of the United States of America, voting was basically only held in the hands of land-owning males, of which, presently, we find that the vote is now in the hands of just about anyone who is of legal age, which therefore includes women, minorities, and essentially everyone. One would think that property-owning males would vote differently than other groups of people, and we do so find that this is true, and in consideration that there are far more people who are non-property-holding individuals, it would seem logical to believe that never has there been a better time for democracy and the democratic vote because that vote is truly held in the hands of the people, which would signify that their desires would thus be met.

Yet, even though so many are eligible to vote, of which, a significant percentage of those people do vote, when we look around at this nation’s laws, legislation, equality, fairness, and opportunity, it has to be admitted that just having the vote, doesn’t seem to make all that much difference. Indeed, never have so few had so much in material assets, of which, we can’t ignore the salient fact that not only is there a huge subsection of Americans that are in poverty, but there also is a significant percentage of Americans that pretty much live paycheck to paycheck, and have no savings, whatsoever, in their bank account.

This doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense, because America in aggregate, is the wealthiest nation in the world. Still, the distribution of that wealth doesn’t seem to reflect a healthy democracy, but rather seems to reflect a democracy that doesn’t have any real power, and therefore those with the democratic vote, aren’t effecting much meaningful change, whatsoever. This thus signifies that all those who clamor about how important it is to vote upon this or upon that, and how every vote matters, are either delusional, or simply unable to see America for what it truly is, which is a nation of the few that have everything that could be imagined and then some, with an impoverished lower class that has nothing, and a middle class, once healthy, that is now typically uneasy and overextended.

So then, the only fair conclusion that can be drawn from the preceding is that those who are the power brokers and the power makers of America have clearly figured out a way that voting doesn’t much matter. Therefore, this often hidden power can insert itself into everything of import within America, so that they can continue to ride high, at the expense of ordinary Americans. This means that those who truly want change, and therefore want their voice to count, need to understand, that simply having the democratic vote is not nearly good enough, but rather, they need to find a way to both diminish the unelected power that suppresses them, while also seizing that power into their own hands, for the good and benefit of the people, in whole.

Divide and conquer

It is somewhat surprising that even though so many countries are democratic in nature, that they are effectively controlled oftentimes by a small cabal, and that therefore what the people desire, should it be in conflict with what those elites desire, won’t therefore come into effect. The reason why a small fraction of the population can control an entire nation has a lot to do with employing the strategy of dividing the people, and through that division, maintaining one’s control of them, and therefore essentially conquering them.

The fact that so many consistently vote against their own interests is amazing, followed by the fact, that there are a multitude of laws, that are unequally applied, signifying that the government through its law enforcement can pretty much arrest anyone that they have been instructed to target, done under some dubious charge, of which, the people, are going to be fearful that this thus might well happen to them. So too, when the policing force of the nation doesn’t ever answer to the common man, but rather answers to those that empower that force, then the people are going to tend to be more compliant than they would desire to be, because of that fear of punishment.

Still, because there are so few that have so much, and so many that have not enough, it doesn’t seem to make sense that the change that the people desire, doesn’t seem to happen all that often. The reason that this is so, is those that who hold power are quite adept at exploiting differences between people, regarding their racial characteristics, background, education, religion, wealth, employment, and so on. Those who control the power levers of society do this because they correctly perceive that they are seriously outnumbered, but by seeding dissent between parties that would logically be joining together, they can repeatedly keep down those that should unite, from uniting.

Indeed, the change that we see in any nation, seldom comes from the ground up, though that does help, but rather typically comes from a powerful leader, who insists that something needs to be changed, and has a powerful faction in their control, that thus implements such, and if necessary, thereby relaxes the hand that would normally divide the people, to bring them together, for a time, but not for long, because whenever a nation has an elite that owns a gargantuan size of the nation’s wealth, they cannot afford to allow the people to remain united for long, because their very power could eventually be assailed.

To divide and conquer is a tactic that has been around forever, and will continue to exist, as long as humankind believes that their own aggrandizement is more important than doing the right thing by the society that they are a member of. Those then that have power want to keep the people uneasy, and at one another, because their weakness is necessary for their continued strength, and if that should ever change, society would be all the better, because those that are united in a good purpose, would reap a much healthier harvest, that would be more equally distributed.

The right to dissent

There seems to be a commonly held belief of those who are our leaders, whether in government, corporations, or of orthodox society, that those who dissent from the prevailing view of the age, are somehow a danger to the community, at large. In other words, all those who protest, in one form or another, are therefore directly targeted as enemies of the state, or as an undesired agency that should be monitored, infiltrated, and eventually neutralized to the best of the ability of those who do not see dissent as any legitimate right, whatsoever.

It isn’t so much that dissent is always feared, though it often is, rather it has a lot to do with the status quo not wanting to budge an inch because that status quo is quite satisfied with the way things are. Yet, just because one segment of society is satisfied, does not justify that other segments of that same society, should not have a fair opportunity to have their say. Still, we find that dissenting voices are often marginalized, ignored, or suppressed.

The great contradiction that countries such as the United States have in the suppression of dissent, is that within its own Constitution, is ingrained the right to free speech and to free assembly, but it seems that the powers that be, aren’t interested in those rights being freely expressed, whatsoever. Indeed, the attitude of our governance today seems to be consistent with what the attitude was of the British Empire, of which, those who were the colonists of this land and did not have an effective voice within that British government, determined that through their dissent of words and actions, they would thus fight for their right to independence.

This would presuppose that America has forgotten its very roots, and while it celebrates its revolution with fireworks and parades on Independence Day, each year, it doesn’t seem to understand that this government is supposed to be of, for, and by the people, with those same people being entitled to having a fair voice, as part and parcel of having freedom, and that these rights are the people’s rights per their Constitution.

In consideration, that not everyone thinks the same, and further to the point, it is better for society to embrace the diversity of free-thinking individuals – we find that governments and the powerful entities that are aligned with that government, don’t seem to care so much for dissent, of which, that dissent often represents the exposure of an inconvenient truth, exposed by those that disagree with the prevailing orthodoxy, which is seemingly perceived by powerful personages as not being good for business, and in consideration that the business of America is business, this is a seminal reason why those that dissent are typically seen as entities which are not welcomed.

The fact of the matter is that our Constitutional rights are only as good as they can be executed within the society that we are members of, and those that are on the side of suppressing dissent, are the very same, that are themselves, not in conformance with that Constitution, and thereby are in betrayal of our right to freely express ourselves, so done via dissent.

Pursue service, above all

There are a lot of people that can’t really figure out what they should or ought to be working on, regarding their life’s purpose or their personal goals. To live in this modern age presents challenges of all sorts, of which, one of those seminal challenges is the feeling that so many have, that they must at least, at a minimum, keep up with the Joneses. Regrettably, those who think that way have not only set their sights upon a target that is far too low, but more importantly, don’t seem to understand that this world is a proving ground, and what we are supposed to prove is whether or not, we are going to be just about ourself, or whether we will recognize that there has to be a higher purpose in life, than simply taking care of our own supposed needs and desires.

While it may well feel quite good to do that which gives us pleasure or brings us some degree of satisfaction, it isn’t going to in the scheme of things, bring us that lasting satisfaction, when our pursuit is simply trying to get our fair share of the material things and the accouterments that go with such, as the driving goal of our life. We are meant to lift our heads up and to try to figure out our good purpose in life, and that which leans toward selfishness and self-aggrandizement isn’t going to be the correct or best choice. Indeed, the better choice is to find that which provides a valuable service to not only those that we congregate with but also to do our best to uphold the good values of our Creator, by our good actions and good deeds.

To believe, somehow, that we are meant to be part and parcel of an unending rat race, is to clearly miss our good purpose in life, for an endless race, such as that, should be properly seen as a distraction, and should not be recognized as the prime purpose of our life. It is important for each one of us to recognize that pursuing that which is temporal at its core, is not going to be the best usage of our abilities. Rather, we are meant, to take in what the meaning of life really is, and when we comprehend such, we will better understand that this world is designed to test our character, through the adventures and misadventures that our life entails. Those then, who ignore this sage advice are the very same that though they think they are making progress, are more accurately just spinning their wheels. Instead, we are meant to comprehend that we are all in this together, and only when we work together, towards a noble goal, will we collectively make the progress that we need to accomplish, so as to truly make society a better place for not only our participation in it, but also because when given the choice between service or selfishness, we chose the better path, and in doing that, this thus makes all the difference.