Never build a case against yourself

In truth, life is going to present us with all sorts of challenges and problems, of which, the objective of the exercise is to do our level best to overcome these obstacles so that we can have a successful and satisfying life.  One of the seminal things to keep in mind is that just as the Fifth Amendment protects us from self-incrimination, we need to remind ourselves, that there aren’t many situations in which it is in our best interests to build a case against ourselves and thereby broadcast to everyone our foibles, when there isn’t any sensible reason to do so.  That is to say, confession has its place, but it has to be recognized that when we confess appropriately, we are doing so with the understanding that our confession is not disclosed to just anybody or any institution, for it remains secret between the penitent and the priest. 

 While being forthright and honest should be the mode of conduct that we display with those that we congregate with, that doesn’t mean that includes confessing all that we have done wrong to the general public, for not only do we not have an obligation to do so, but it isn’t discreet or of good purpose on our part to commit this indiscretion, for there are plenty of institutions and people that will take a heartfelt acknowledgment of personal error and thus hold it against us, or hold it over our head, in order to control or compromise us, all because we have built a case against ourselves, when we shouldn’t have done that very thing.

 Look, it has to be acknowledged, that not everybody is on the up and up, and not everybody has our best interests in mind, so that by disclosing that which should remain private to those who desire to take advantage of our weaknesses isn’t going to be prudent on our part, for while we are being open about our personal failures and errors, they, on the other hand, typically aren’t confessing or admitting to any errors on their part, because they deeply desire to maintain their moral superiority over us, by selling the illusion that they are of better character;  whereas if they too were confessing, it would be quite apparent that they were no better than us.

 We are provided with a tongue that speaks the words that we speak, as well as fingers that write the words that we write, but it is up to our discretion as to what we do or do not say or write, and not every thought that comes to us, is a thought that needs to be disclosed, for we are sovereign of our mind, and those that relinquish that sovereignty, good intentions or not, to admit to character faults that need not be revealed to that particular company, have made the error of believing that making a case against one’s self, is good for the soul, when in reality it tends to open a door that will lead to the emphasis of our bad character traits as being our true self, when it is not, which will subsequently reflect poorly on who we are in totality.

Spend now, pay later

 There are plenty of people who believe that credit cards have always been around and further to the point, that having a credit card is pretty much mandatory, signifying that those who don’t have credit cards are those who are either not creditworthy, or have destroyed their credit through mismanagement, or are just clueless.  Nevertheless, there are those people who understand correctly that credit cards while having their advantages such as being available to pay a huge unexpected expense, or the need to have such for other emergencies, basically entice people to spend more for goods, services, and entertainment than they would if they were paying just in cash, for the truth of the matter is that cash expenditures feel very real; whereas, credit card expenditures don’t, because not only do credit cards not have to be paid off immediately, but oftentimes the payment to credit card debt can be extended for months upon months, and even years, though those not paying in full their credit card bill each month, will be charged interest, and if late in that payment, appropriate penalties.

 All of the above indicates that those who know that they are on a tight budget should consider that rather than looking to a credit card to resolve their difficulties, they should more appropriately understand that the use of credit will actually add to their burden, especially when that usage involves an increase in expenditures because they lack the discipline to walk away from purchases that they don’t really need to make.  This indicates that those who make it their point to pay cash or to use a debit card for all that they purchase are going to spend less than those who have the same amount of income, but utilize credit cards, because cash, necessitates the spending of less, for a deficit, is not permitted, which is why more people need to comprehend that while having credit has its place, using that credit, is the type of temptation that can create all sorts of havoc and may ultimately lead to lasting regret.

 On the other hand, all those who sell goods or services to the general public are grateful for credit cards, because they know that despite the fees that the vendor must pay for the utilization of those credit cards, they will sell more goods or services than they would if credit didn’t exist.   Indeed, it just seems like human nature that people want what they want and utilize credit cards because they don’t care so much about the bill that they will have to pay, for that won’t happen today, but will be postponed till tomorrow.

 So then, it would be one thing if everything that we spent money on really was necessary, but the truth of the matter is, that it is not, which is why those who have credit cards are subject to being irresponsible with such, and thereby end up buying more than they would, if they didn’t have credit, or if they exercised the discipline not to use credit so much, which is why those that pay only with the money which they have in hand, spend less, while also not having to suffer from paying interest on that debt, because they keep everything on a cash basis.

Greatness and a nation’s poverty, incarceration, and educational status

It would seem a truism that every single nation wants to espouse itself as being great, and no nation wants to consider itself as falling far short of such.  So then, when it comes to greatness in a nation, all sorts of nations play the same sort of game, in which, they are able to cite certain statistics that support their contention that they are great, or simply profess that they are great, without providing any real proof that such is demonstratively true.  Certainly, it is true that there is a wealth of criteria that could be used to demonstrate how great a nation is, such as home ownership, assets, general satisfaction with one’s lot, charitable acts, and the like, though it has to be admitted, that looking at poverty, incarceration, and educational rates provides a very good measure of how a nation is actually performing.

 To live in a nation that has a high incarceration rate, that is significantly greater than other similar subject nations, does not reflect well upon that nation, because incarceration, by definition, means the taking away of freedom from someone through their committing of some sort of criminal act thus warranting that imprisonment, along with the corresponding expense of thereby keeping not only that person incarcerated, but also the recognition, that those that have been convicted, are the very same, who are in all probability, going to also be impoverished and will continue as such.  Indeed, when we look at the type of person most likely to be locked up, those people often suffer from being penurious as well as being ill-educated, which thereby indicates that high poverty rates in conjunction with poor educational achievements, are the mark of people that are not trending to becoming upstanding citizens of society.

 All of the above would seem to stipulate that any nation that has a significant degree of poverty, imprisonment, and educational shortfalls is a country that within its structure has not done those necessary things to ameliorate that which would be the hallmarks of a nation’s greatness.  Indeed, it is fair and appropriate, to measure a nation, by how it treats its most vulnerable and exposed citizens, and when it cannot seem to come up with policies that will eliminate or ameliorate poverty, it will thereby suffer the ill effects of having failed their citizenry, which is not the mark of greatness, whatsoever.

 Those then who have nothing and do not have the educational foundation to become something, are going to be prone to behaving in a way and manner, in which, they do what they feel they need to do, to survive and to thereby build some sort of self-respect, which is why great nations, make it their point, to see that as few as possible are left behind, and further to the point, that each citizen of the state, are provided with the proper accouterments to get them a good education and to have the fair opportunity for good employment, of which, those educational achievements serve to provide them with the requirements to be productive members of society, which is subsequently reflected in low poverty and incarceration rates.  So then, for a nation to be great, it must do what needs to be done, to provide the foundational structure for its citizens’ success.

“It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness”

The above quotation comes to us from the gifted mind of Leo Tolstoy. If we were thereby to take this sentiment to heart so as to really understand it, we would do a much better job of not judging a book by its cover, but rather judging what needs to be judged by the facts of the case, as presented to us.  Indeed, when it comes to a court of law, those who are the accused, typically like to present themselves with the most positive outward appearance in court, by dressing for the occasion in conservative clothes and being well-groomed along with projecting a pleasant demeanor, thus permitting them to present themselves as exemplars of outstanding citizens of society, even when they clearly are not.

 Look, it has to be said, that many people are prone to snap judgments, and those who present themselves that are considered to be outside the norm, when it comes to the standards of beauty and behavior of the day, are considered by many to be less deserving of being looked upon as good people; whereas, those that present themselves most beautifully, are seen much more positively, as if their beauty somehow equates to goodness, which while we may desire that this be true, isn’t necessarily true.

 Indeed, the greatest hustlers and con artists, are never going to be those people who look like they are the forsaken and the lost, but rather are going to be those who look the part and behave as if they are upstanding citizens, which because the image looks so enticing, makes it far easier for them to gain the trust and access to what they need to have in order to ply their nefarious trade, which is why we need to save our judgment of the other, until we take the time to know them, in a way in which the façade of their beauty is an irrelevancy, and instead, we are face to face with the content of their character.

 There are many of us, who want to reduce the complexities of life into the simplest of components, which for them, makes it easier to deal with society, so that, they want to believe that surface characteristics always define the person, but it does not.  So too, the reason that prejudices of all types are so persistent is because we have an inclination to group people into categories, based on nothing much more than their religious faith, their heritage, their income, and so on, without taking the time to actually getting to know the person, as they really are.

 While it is true that there are many beautiful things in nature, and therefore we can accept nature as such, the same is not true when it comes to people, for there are many that wear a mask, of which, there are those times when the mask does not equate to who and what that person really is, of which, it is fair to state, those that look the most enticing to us, are the very ones that we should be most careful to give the benefit of the doubt to, because beauty has a way of distorting our perception of what is true, making us believe in what is false as if is true.

True compassion

We are told that “compassion means to journey with the other” which signifies that true compassion isn’t just feeling sorry for the other, or just being concerned about the other, or just validating the emotional state of the other, but goes far beyond that.  To be compassionate means to connect ourselves to the suffering of the other, so that we can thereby provide that person with love, and emotional support, as well as to engage them in the sure understanding, that they will not suffer alone, but rather they will have our attentive care to lean upon.

 To be compassionate is one of the greatest gifts that we can bestow upon one another, because in being compassionate, we are seeking to do our good part to help those who are hurting and are vulnerable, to thus aid them in their recovery, or if this is not possible, to travel in sympathy with them, upon the path that they are on until it reaches its final or chosen destination.

 Those who are compassionate are the same who recognize that to truly care about someone necessitates our devotion to that person, in a way and manner, that will help that person to deal with the difficult or troubling situation that they are in.  Indeed, to be compassionate does not necessarily mean that we can resolve what ails the other, but does mean that we can be that ever-present help in times of trouble, and therefore that we will be there for them, come what way, because we will minister to them, so as to share therefore their struggle with them, and to provide for them all that we can reasonably do to let them know that they are valued and we care for them.

 It is a truism that not every path that we take is going to be a path without its troubles, and all those that thereby commit to the other, so as to be with them, are the very same, that must acknowledge that when troubling times come, those that are true friends are the ones that stand with those that need such help, because to do anything else, violates what good friendship is all about.

 Each of us is meant to find our purpose in life, and one of those seminal purposes is not only to care about one another, but to be compassionate with one another, because every journey that humankind has upon this good earth, results at some point, with some serious challenges, and those then that are facing difficult times need thereby the support of those that will do their best to let them know by their actions and by their words that they are never alone, that they are valued, and that they will not be abandoned.  Each of us lives in a society in which the very purpose of that society is to join together for the betterment and wholesomeness of that society, and a compassionate society can only be a society made up of individuals who demonstrate their compassion by being there on the journey with those that are most needful of such.

The rich and connected control governmental power

There is this general belief in America that because Americans of all classes, races, and faiths, have the ballot box, that therefore the government that we have is truly a reflection of what the people want, for this is a government, of, for, and by the people.  As good as this might be or sound, it isn’t the actual truth -- because the bottom line is that this isn’t a government of, for, and by the people, at all and never has been – for rather America is a nation run by the rich and connected, for the benefit of the rich and connected, and those that believe that this is not true, have bought into a false construct, and are essentially deceiving themselves.

 The very first thing to recognize is that America is the richest nation in the world, and the one thing that we can say about people who have their hands on money, power, or both, is that they are typically quite reluctant to loosen their grip, because they appreciate all the privileges that having money and power represents, which is why, democratic nation or not, republic virtues or not, those that are the rich and connected, will not deign to risk their power and money through the ballot and will do everything within their domain to see that they can maintain their luxuriant status, come what may.

 So then, those who profess the loudest that we need censorship in order to drown out hate, misinformation, disinformation, and the like, don’t seem to recognize that the powers that be support this wholeheartedly because they desire to control the narrative and thereby want to see disseminated only that which supports them.  So too, when it comes to political elections and ballot initiatives, the powers that be, are all for Political Action Committees (PACs) and anything that permits them to utilize their money, without restriction or transparency, so that they can basically buy the results that they desire.  Additionally, in this two-party system in which no third party has any influence upon governmental power, the powers that be make it their point, to sell the illusion of choice, when, in fact, the two major parties, don’t really disagree on all that much that would be detrimental to those that are the richest and most powerful amongst us, because, to a large extent, they have been subsumed by such, or are themselves members of that class, or aspire to be so.

 Indeed, those who are rich and connected do everything within their power and influence to make sure that those of different races, different faiths, and different employment, are constantly at loggerheads with one another because they know that a nation with a multitude of people that really don’t have all that much that they truly own, would, if so united, present a clear and present danger to their power, which is why, we see and hear so much emphasis upon civil unrest, of which, those that are the silent majority, oftentimes just want it all to go away, which is where those that are rich and connected come into play, by promising that by giving up or relinquishing some of the people’s liberty and privacy, all will be secure, and those that are the rich and connected, can thereby continue to enjoy all that they have, without any undue or inconvenient interference, ever.

The lowdown about gossip

Look, it has to be said, even good people are going to engage in gossip, at least some of the time, because of the pleasure it brings to them, to tell a titillating or scandalous tale or two.  The thing about gossip is that many people have something that they want to say behind someone’s back, not so much because they hate the other person, though, they might, but rather as a way to make themselves feel better, by bringing out the foibles of the other, which helps them to picture their own self, as somehow being a person of better character, even when they are not.

 While it has to be said, that there are plenty of people who have lots of nice things to say about us and others, and actually verbalize those very things, it can, for many a person, get tiresome to talk about how smart our neighbor is, or how nice their cars are, or how good their children behave and perform at school, and this and that, because as much as we might admire the other, it seems that the more that we praise them, the greater the distance is between who and what we really are, as apparently against who and what they seem to be, and that can grate on a person’s nerves because nobody wants to constantly compare themselves to the other, and find that they are always second best, which is part of the reason why we have gossip, which thereby helps us to even out the score.

 While it is true that some gossip is rather mean-spirited and vengeful, a lot of gossip, has more to do, with making fun of the other, because by doing this, though not in their face, makes us feel better about our own situation, in the sure knowledge that nobody is perfect, and the reason that we know that this is so, is because of the gossip that we communicate about the other.  So too, it seems to help our ego, when we knock down a notch or two, somebody that is held in high respect, mainly because we don’t want to feel that we are so lacking and that we can’t ever rise to the level that these other people seem to be at.

 Additionally, people typically need something to talk about, and to relate to, of which, that which people relate to has an awful lot to do with the stories that we express about the other that we are familiar with, made more interesting when we dish out gossip about them, that not only appears to be true but makes us feel better by entertaining our friends with our gossiping stories, that they seem to enjoy hearing, as much as we enjoy telling.

 Indeed, while there are probably better and more constructive things that we could do when we interact with others, sometimes, in order to pull ourselves up, we need to knock the other down, rightly or wrongly, to improve thereby our social standing, or the interest that others find by engaging with us, because just about everyone loves a story, and if there is a little dirt to spread, so much the better.

Increasing the Defense budget increases warfare

For those who can’t get enough of war for whatever reasons, the surest way to keep utilizing American soldiers, support, advisors, intelligence, and armaments is to continually increase the monies so devoted to the “defense” of the United States.  The elephant in the room, though, is the seminal fact that the United States is not currently under attack, hasn’t been under attack, and would appear to be quite secure that its borders will not in the foreseeable future, be attacked.  So when it comes to the Defense budget of this nation, it would be more appropriate to admit that the massive amounts of billions of dollars devoted to defending this nation are mainly not being used for defense but rather are utilized so that America can continue to assert its dominance over the world, to get those recalcitrant nations to march to the beat of American drums, which, in theory, is beneficial to Americans, though it would appear that in actuality this isn’t true, because not only are global empires expensive to maintain, but it has to be admitted, that those that demand obeisance primarily through the use of the sword and sanctions, are the very same, that have placed themselves in the position of blowback, in one form or another.

 So too, the more that America involves itself in wars, through its surrogates or directly, the more that it removes the good will that other nations might have towards it, and replaces such with the very opposite.  This signifies that for all those who would like to see America be far less bellicose, the quickest and surest way to achieve this, is to reduce its gargantuan Defense budget, because when it comes to budgets, those who receive the monies,  have an inherent obligation to justify those expenditures, so that, when monies are devoted to defense, those that are the recipients of such, make it their point to use that money by engaging “enemies” the world over, as sure proof that these defense monies have not been spent in vain.

 Indeed, it has to be admitted, that generals aren’t interested in looking at shiny new military toys, and doing nothing with them.  Additionally, they aren’t interested in having soldiers who essentially have little to do, but rather they want to prove that these tools need to be used and utilized in a way that makes a big scene, or else they fear that the allocation of money to their respective departments will dry up.  This signifies that wherever the Military-Industrial-Technology complex can get its noses involved, it surely will not hesitate in doing so, putting not only our soldiers at risk, but also putting the principles of our nation to the test, as to whether or not, this is really the epitome of freedom and liberty, or in contrast, is something far more sinister.  As it stands, every dollar devoted to the Defense budget is essentially a dollar taken away from the welfare of the people, and to believe that all those billions of dollars are necessary for the appropriate defense of this nation is to believe the mythology of what America professes to be, but not its reality.

“Be prepared” is the motto of the Boy Scouts of America

To “be prepared” essentially means to be ready to perform what needs to be performed during an emergency to ameliorate the situation at hand, as well as to have the necessary tools to enact what needs to be enacted in response to that emergency.  This would indicate that in order to be prepared, one needs to be cognizant of dangers that could or might occur, and while not every contingency can be accounted for, the infrastructure and response for an untoward event can be prepared for, in which, it is inexcusable for the richest nation that the world has ever known, not to be prepared because adverse events are a part of life. Indeed, those then that are the best prepared are the same who deal with these events courageously and effectively; whereas, those who are not prepared, suffer dearly for their lack of preparedness.

 We find thereby that there are events in American history that expose, how unprepared America has been, such as the “Day of Infamy,” at Pearl Harbor, in 1941.  Yet, no matter how dastardly that attack was, America was not prepared for it, even though Japan was intent to be the dominant power in the Western Pacific, and because America had cut off Japan’s access to necessary materials, such as steel and oil, this helped to force the hand of Japan who thereby felt that strategically it made sense to try to cripple the American fleet, to thus place itself into a superior position in the Pacific.

 Another example of inexcusable preparedness is that airlines were subject to being hijacked, and experienced a fair amount of hijackings from the 1960s through the early 1970s, of which, the powers that be, were slow to comprehend exactly how dangerous it was for an enemy agent to take control of an aircraft, and didn’t correctly anticipate that with all of the fuel that an airliner needs to have in order to travel, that at an airplane under the control of suicidal persons could be utilized as a destructive flammable device, which was accomplished to great effect, by the 9/11 hijackings.

 So too, when it comes to COVID, we find that despite America’s massive healthcare apparatus, and the knowledge that pandemics could occur, as seen by smaller pandemics in the 21st century, such as SARS, Ebola, and the swine flu – this thus indicated that despite such prewarning,  America was still not prepared for a global pandemic, which dutifully occurred; and thereby ended up killing hundreds of thousands of Americans. Additionally, America also wasn’t well prepared for what steps would be necessary to take concerning businesses, schools, and human interactions, whatsoever.  This was especially disappointing and exhibited an extreme lack of preparedness by American governance, which in conjunction with America’s inability to formulate a coherent response, exacerbated the situation, to debilitating effect.

 To be prepared means not only having the tools of the trade to deal with adverse events but also having the wherewithal and vision to create the infrastructure that would permit the governance to respond robustly and effectively to those adverse events, while also having perpetually the personnel so necessary to be on that watchtower, for the very purpose of responding to such in a determined and vigorous way.

People working two jobs should not have Medicare taxes taken out from both

As they say, “Nothing is certain in life except death and taxes.”  That said, when it comes to taxes, especially for those who are doing their best to make ends meet and thereby are working hard, is that these people typically don’t want to pay more in taxes than they are legally required to do.  Additionally, because the minimum wage in America does not equate to a living wage, there is a multitude of people who work more than one job, of which, some of these people work, even three jobs, mainly because they need the income to keep their head above water.

 We find that while payments from employees into the Social Security system will thereby make a material difference as to how much they will subsequently get when they opt to receive their Social Security benefits, the same though is not true of the Medicare system.  Indeed, when it comes to Medicare, there is the basic requirement that in order to receive Medicare Part A for free, that the employee is mandated to have worked a total of ten years, or at least forty quarters of work, and then they are thereby qualified to received Medicare Part A for free, and how much a given individual has paid into Medicare through the years, is not relevant to any other discount or consideration, for to get anything else of value from Medicare, for Plans B, C, and D are optional to people, and require the person so opting for any of these coverages to pay the going rate for such, without any consideration of how much they have previously paid into the Medicare system.

 So then, the fact that a significant portion of Americans need to have more than one job to survive should be taken into fair consideration, when it comes to the Medicare mandatory tax, of which, in fairness to these hard workers, their second job, should not be compelled to require the payment of Medicare taxes by that worker, but rather they should get a free ride to avoid such, if desired or opted in.  That is to say, those who are working full-time at one job should be permitted to opt out of the 1.45% Medicare for any additional jobs that they have.  One would think therefore that the crosscheck so done by governmental agencies to verify additional employment would be relatively straightforward to accomplish, as employees are required to have not only identification but a Social Security card to legally work.

 Look, it has to be emphasized that those who have a second job, or even a third, are clearly the type of people that this country should admire, and the least that this nation owes to them is a fair deal, of which, having these employees to be able to opt out of paying additional Medicare tax for a separate employment job, is something that a reasonable government should be absolutely happy to accommodate for these dedicated hard workers, as fair appreciation for their devoted work commitment.

Stocks fall faster than they go up

When it comes to investing in stock equities, risk will always be involved, of which, these risks typically exceed other investment risks so made in areas such as bonds and real estate.  The primary reason why stocks are subject to greater risk and volatility has a lot to do with the fact that the buying or selling of a particular stock or stock fund investment is basically as easy as pushing a button on one’s computer or cellphone, as well as the fact that with the exception of major holidays, the stock market is open Monday through Friday and that the amount of trading volume done each of those days, signifies that the liquidity of equity investments permits investors to buy or sell whatever that they own or desire, quite easily, virtually all of the time.

 So then, because of the ample liquidity of stocks and the market that it trades in, this indicates that there is going to be more volatility in the equity market, than just about any investment that a person could think of because the market has a multitude of buyers and sellers that are available to make trades on either side of the equation, Monday through Friday.  When it comes though, to why it is that stocks fall faster than they go up, the primary reason why this is so, though not the only one, is the psychology of people, of which, the fear of losing money exceeds the greed that they may express in the making of money on their stock investments.  In other words, there are plenty of investors who cannot stomach losing any appreciable amount of money on their investments, and when they feel that their investments appear to be in danger of dropping like a stone, they sell, to not only stop the loss, but also to stop the psychological pain.

 Indeed, we read at atlantafed.org, that “stock prices fell roughly 50 percent from peak to trough from October 2007 to March 2009.”  This type of drop over such a short period of time, creates absolute havoc in those that have investments, because losing one-half of one’s investment in 18 months, is going to impact not only an investor’s perception of how they are doing, but also will hit them in their pocketbook, and especially in their belief that they will or will not have enough monies saved up for their retirement years.  So, basically, when the market drops and it appears that there is no end in sight, more and more investors, are going to throw in the towel, and await safer waters, rather than risking losing it all.  This is why when the confidence that investors have in the stock market is seriously hampered, they will get out first, and ask questions later; whereas, when it comes to stocks going up, investors making decisions to buy a particular investment aren’t typically in a hurry or of a necessity to do so, because a given investment, is available for them, to invest in, without any real pressure that it has to be done, at that particular moment or time.  In summary, stocks go down faster than they go up, because the fear of losing it all, is something that many investors respect, and because of that, the better part of valor, necessitates that they get out when they cannot handle the pressure and cannot afford the loss.

The oppressed shall have their day

We read in the Holy Scripture that "The meek shall inherit the earth"  (Matthew 5: 5).  But as much as it is explained that meek does not equal weak, but rather should be seen as representing “controlled strength,” it still doesn’t seem to mesh well with how things actually play out on earth.  That is to say, those that are meek, controlled strength or not, who keep doing the right thing, with the expectation that by doing just this, that it all will eventually work out in their favor, just appears that this will not only seemingly take forever, but, tellingly, in addition, there is the general belief that those that don’t exert their righteousness through some decisive action in one form or another, are going to basically never going to inherit much of anything.  Still, perhaps they will, for the Bible seems to tell us so.

 On the other hand, a proverb that seems to be more appropriate for what we see in today’s world, which so often we find filled with injustice, oppression, disrespect, unfairness, and greed would be that there will come that time when “the oppressed shall have their day.”  Not only, does this sound right, but it also sends a message to all those who are bossing people around at the present time, that things that they expect will always be the same, and will always be in their favor, are subject to change, and when that change comes, those that have enjoyed lording it over others, will indeed face the consequences of having had more than their fair share of the day.

 This type of belief that the oppressed will have their time, is the very thing that keeps those who are oppressed secure in their belief that their time will come when they will find fulfillment and that the shoe will indeed be on the other foot, providing those previously oppressed with the power and responsibility that they had been wrongly denied, thus allowing them to do something constructive with their newfound position.  This is the heart of the matter when it comes to injustices of all types, for our God, does not slumber and will not be mocked, which is why those who do wrong and misuse their position, must understand and comprehend, that no run of unjustified good fortune will extend forever, and when it so ends, it will end badly for them.

 To believe that the oppressed will have their day gives life to those who are hurting, and provides hope to them, as well, for they thus will therefore be provided the fair opportunity to teach those that they mentor, the value of knowing not only the difference between right and wrong, but why it is important, no matter the circumstances, to do the right thing, for in that righteousness, comes strength, and with the strength, comes change, and in that change, the tables will turn, for those that have faith that they will have their day, are the very same, that will achieve that very thing, for the benefit of the society that they have enlightened and done right by.

A government of, for, and by the people

When we take a look collectively at what our governance does or does not do on behalf of the people, it has to be admitted, for it is rather obvious, that the government spends an inordinate amount of its resources protecting and augmenting those that are well positioned, powerful, and have massive assets, for those entities have an abiding desire to keep on increasing what they have, which basically comes at the expense of all those that have not.

 Look, it has to be said, that the government needs to first and foremost do its best for the people of the nation that it governs, which means, in particular, that governance should concentrate a fair amount of its energies on those who are the least amongst us, for when the government does not do this, these people will thus continue to be oppressed and disadvantaged, because capitalism as structured, will continue to take advantage of and exploit these poorly positioned people for their own self-serving benefit.  This essentially mandates that it is the government, and pretty much only the government because of its size, assets, and power, that can help to even the score, so that those who are born into little or nothing, are thereby provided with the opportunity to become something when they are provided with a good education, safe neighborhoods, employment opportunity, and non-discrimination.

 The best and most appropriate government therefore is that which promotes the common good of the people, which in its effect, is most beneficial to those that are in the most serious need of the government to lend them a helping hand.  This signifies that the government should do its level best to see that as many of its people as possible, will be provided with fair access to all the accouterments necessary to become productive and to thus leave behind, as few as possible, for this makes for a nation that will be more just, fairer, and civil.

 We find, therefore, to the degree that the government impresses its power and its rules to enforce such to see that the people, in whole, are fairly provided with the opportunity to become what they could become for the betterment of that society, is so much the better therefore for the population of that nation.  Indeed, the rich and well-placed do not need the government to champion them, whatsoever, because these privileged entities are doing more than just fine with their positioning.  It is all those who have little or nothing and have seemingly suffered from such for generations, that are the very same, that should be permitted to lean upon their government, so that this government, of, for, and by the people will do its fair part to help lift up those that are impoverished to become something that they were always fairly entitled to become.  This indicates that “big government” has a sacred mandate to do what it can nobly do for the tired, the poor, and the oppressed so that they too can breathe free, in this the land of liberty.

The healthiest nation in the world is not the United States of America

America proclaims throughout the world that it is the greatest nation that the world has ever known, but in order for that to be true this nation would have to also be the healthiest nation in the world, because a nation that is not healthy, especially in comparison to other OECD countries, cannot be great, for when the nation’s health suffers, the people suffer, and a suffering people is not the mark of greatness, whatsoever.

 Our governmental statistics tell us that “In 2023, the United States spent $4.9 trillion on healthcare, which … amounts to $14,570 per person,” which is a total so staggering that it must thereby mean that the United States really is the healthiest nation in the world, because of these expenditures, but alas it isn’t.  Further, we read that according to Peterson-Kff data, that “The U.S. spends more per capita on prescription drugs than any other country.”  Finally, when it comes to life expectancy, “The U.S. ranks 34th in life expectancy compared to other high-income countries.”

 All of the above is indicative that not only is the United States not very healthy, but that despite all the monies spent on healthcare, prescription drugs, and other items commensurate with what we believe that healthcare should consist of, American citizens aren’t in the aggregate, healthy, and that these monies are either being poorly allocated, or the structure of our healthcare is inimical to good health, or that other various factors are contributing to the disappointing poor results of the health of American citizens.

 Look, it has to be said that whatever is being done or not done at present, to assure American citizens can achieve decent health, is not being accomplished, and that this government, of, for, and by the people, has done a terrible wrong to those same people, which leads to the conclusion that the present course that this nation is on, cannot possibly be the best or the correct one.  In other words, in order to improve the health of this nation, everything of substance needs to not only be carefully looked at but then prudent measures need to be implemented to help American citizens get healthy, for quite obviously, if money is one of those main factors that will influence the health of a nation, there is plenty of money being spent, so thereby other factors must also be in play, that need to be more thoroughly examined.

 Indeed, the quickest way to get America back on track is to scrutinize what other healthier nations are doing on behalf of their citizens and to emulate that.  This means that everything about our current healthcare system and the health of our citizens must be put into play, in which, nothing should be sacrosanct, because what needs to occur to get our people healthy, will be a seismic change from what is so occurring, presently.  That is to say, to continue on the same path that America is on, will result in more of the same, which is a waste of resources and monies, that would be better put forth into that which will accomplish the goal of seeing that American citizens are entitled to a healthcare system that will actually work with and for them so that they will be healthy, and thereby able to properly appreciate the greatness of this nation.

“Neither snow nor rain nor sleet nor hail”

The above is the unofficial motto of the United States Postal Service, which is duly engraved on the James A. Farley Post Office Building in New York City.  To all those who work hard at USPS, they should be appreciated and valued, though it has to be admitted that somehow in this present age, the USPS seems in many a way to talk the talk, but not often enough to walk the walk, especially during those times of inclement weather and other distractions which precludes them therefore from performing their work, above and beyond.

 Indeed, when it comes to employment of all types, there are those that do, and then there are those that do not.  In other words, the best workers are those who when having to deal with obstacles make it their point, that they are going to get the work done that they need to get done because they are not only determined to do so, but feel that they have an abiding obligation to accomplish such; whereas, there are those others, that latch onto whatever excuse, no matter how shallow or no matter how inappropriate, as their reason for failing to do this or that, and somehow are okay with their lack of timely output and of pulling their own weight, through and through.

 Each of us has assignments as well as goals that we are responsible for, and to the degree that we take such responsibility seriously, the better that we will be able to accomplish those important and necessary things, of which, those that are focused upon what they need to do, are the same that will not get distracted and will not relent from achieving what needs to be achieved, because they are fixated on doing exactly that.  These then are the type of people that we should aspire to be, for fair-weather workers are the same as fair-weather friends, seemingly not recognizing that fair-weather will not always exist, all of the time.

 The true character of a person can be determined not by how they behave when everything is going right, but rather by how they behave when it is all going so wrong, for even the worse of us, when we are having our way, will typically behave civilly, because there isn’t any reason not to; whereas, when we are put to the test, this proves the mettle of the person, for those that cannot successfully face their challenges, or run away from such, aren’t the type of people that are of good character, for those that are of good character display their good attributes in the face of adversity, thereby proving who and what they are really about, which is why we should welcome challenges and tests as our opportunity to demonstrate that we have the right stuff to do the right thing, and thereby will only stand down when it is prudent to do so, for all those that will not challenge themselves are the same that aren’t going to grow tall because the roots of their character are far too shallow to permit such.

COVID was extraordinarily good for Big Pharma

We read at somo.nl that “Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna, and Sinovac made an extraordinary USD 90 billion in profits on their COVID-19 vaccines and medicines in 2021 and 2022.”  Perhaps, all this profit is justified, by the supposed good that these vaccines provided to the population at large, even when taking into fair consideration that billions of public tax dollar funding was utilized in the support of these vaccines, along with incumbent research and development done under the government dollar, for the material aid to create these vaccines in such a short period of time.  Additionally, Big Pharma found itself in the pole position of knowing that they essentially had total immunity from lawsuits in regards to the vaccines so created for COVID, thereby indicating that the downside risk of the vaccines was absolutely minimal, in addition to the salient fact that this government-permitted Big Pharma to essentially make as much profit as they so desired, off of the sick, the injured, and the dying. So then, it could be stated that mandated governmental vaccines for a pandemic seem to be the type of business, that is structured to not only reap billions for private enterprise but if left unchanged and unchallenged, will permit Big Pharma to be of the mind, that pandemics are also very, very good for business. Though, clearly they aren’t good for the population, in whole.

 The gargantuan amount of profits provided to Big Pharma because of COVID should be something that is seen as being morally and ethically suspect, while also being something that the governance of this nation should desire to address, forthrightly.  After all, Big Oil has been vilified, time and time again, and thereby was subject to a windfall profits tax, but Big Pharma has not been subject to that same opprobrium.  Further to the point, it seems to be an incredibly bad policy that when a nation is suffering the ill effects of a pandemic, that certain segments of the economy in the private for-profit sector, are able to make an obscene amount of profit, upon the American public, which doesn’t seem right, and doesn’t seem to be in conformance to what this nation ought and should be about.

 The argument could be made and should be made that if Big Pharma believes that it is fairly entitled to profit as much as it can from the COVID pandemic, that in the best interests of this nation, Big Pharma should be nationalized, which would thereby save the government of this nations, billions upon billions of dollars, or if this was considered to be anathema to capitalism, there needs to be put into place some sort of reasonable limit on how much profit a corporation is entitled to, from a nationwide pandemic, for as it stands right now, the people of this great nation, suffered dearly, even onto death: yet, Big Pharma wants us to be OK with all the profits that it made, from this deadly pandemic.

 Indeed, if the people of this nation desire to know whether or not they have a fair deal, look no further than what incentivized Big Pharma, which has little to do with doing right by the people, and just about everything to do, with extracting as much profit as possible from their ill and dying hands.

Private schools should not be 100% white

There is the law and there is the law as it actually is applied, so that those who believed that the Brown v. Board of Education, Supreme Court Decision of 1954 would thereby herald in a new age of integration and fairness in the educating of all American citizens, have got to be extremely disappointed in the subsequent results of this seminal decision, decades later, as not only are public schools still suffering from the inherent inequality of only certain specific schools having everything that they need to educate their students properly; whereas, we find that there still remains a multitude of public schools that are essentially islands of despair, with poor infrastructure and a student body primarily made up of the disenfranchised. So then, it still remains, that public schools are not now, and never have been, fairly integrated, nor is this a priority to see such happen within the United States.

 Still, at least Brown v. Board of Education made it the law of the land that public schools needed to be desegregated, which at least, provides the hope that this may someday, actually happen.  Today, we live though in a society in which never has there been more private schools, of which, even in those areas that are seas of non-white households, it is not uncommon to find that the best private school serving that area, consists primarily of all-white students at what could only be seen as a deliberate policy by those private schools. This is on any level, not acceptable because no matter what excuses are used, or reasoning counted upon, these segregated private schools essentially serve to divide communities amongst racial lines, and thereby do little or nothing to bridge the gap in acknowledging that every one of us, is fairly entitled to all of our Constitutional and unalienable rights, and that the law, as applied, should be no respecter of any particular race, but yet the evidence says that it is.

 This thus signifies that just as private corporations are encouraged to be diversified in their employment of the people that they hire but not necessarily are compelled by law to do so, that private schools, should be subject to the very same line of reasoning to recognize therefore that diversity is good and healthy for society  The governance of this nation, and the States that make up this union, need to fairly reflect the diversity of that racial makeup in the schooling and the education of the children that are part of a given community, and those that live in the racist past, or desire to continue policies which weren’t ethically right, to begin with, need to comprehend that private schools should fairly reflect the community at large, and thereby proactively encourage those that are the most disadvantaged and historically unfavored to be a part of these private schools to thus be in conformance with the racial characteristics of this diverse nation, and to be in harmony with the spirit of what this country stands for, which is equality of opportunity for all.

The first rule of colonialism

When it comes to colonialism, this is best defined as the nation-state exerting unwanted control over another country, or when done within a country, subjugating those who are unfavored because of, for instance, their religious faith, or because they are native-born but not native-born of the favored race, which thereby means for those unfortunate people thus being controlled by any means so necessary by that favored race, that this is done usually, though not always, by the barrel of the gun.  In other words, colonialism has an awful lot to do with those who have the money, position, power, and the mindset to eradicate or eliminate those who are considered to be trouble or subhuman so that the colonialists can reap the benefits of taking over land which they had no true legal right to, and thereby receive the fruits of that land to their own benefit.

 History is replete with colonialism, of which, it is typically the white man, that exerts its power upon the red man, the brown man, the yellow man, or the black man, for the benefit of those that are white.  This thus indicates that when we look at history, we see that a lot of the wealth and continued power, is held by those who have benefited from colonialism, whether they wish to own up to it or not.  This also signifies that as long as the white man is abusing and controlling those that are red, brown, yellow, or black, all is considered to the good, because these colonized people have been categorized as basically being subhuman and therefore the belief is that the white man needed to exert control for not only the betterment of their own race, but supposedly for the betterment of humankind, in its totality.

 The first rule of colonialism is that while it is okay for one white country to war upon another white country, it is not considered to be a good form to exact genocide against a specific portion of the white race, such for example, European Jews.  This is considered to be rather poor form, for to humiliate the white man, is in its structure, basically a humiliation of the white race, as well, which doesn’t look real good, doesn’t appear to be civilized, and doesn’t seem right.  This is such a bad practice, that when the average person in the street, is questioned about any people who suffered from genocide, the most frequent answer to that question is often the holocaust of the European Jews, who were white, and everyone else also so suffering from genocide, who are red, brown, yellow or black, thus take a backseat to the suffering of those European Jews, because as the chief colonists, whites, control the narrative.

 So then, to humiliate one’s own, even when they are of a different religious persuasion, is something difficult for whites to swallow, for they then feel that by demonizing their own, there is a distinct possibility, that they might suffer the same sort of fate, for being of the wrong religious persuasion, or being from the wrong national origin, or the wrong social status, or the wrong this or that.  Indeed, to humiliate a fellow white man by stipulating that they have no right to exist is the type of thing that not only creates friction within the white race, but can also serve to drive a wedge between white peoples, and thus negate what colonialism is supposed to be about.

Learn to increase your skill set

The more diverse that we are in our overall knowledge, the better perspective that we have of the society that we are a part of because those who have limited skill sets are the very same who are typically more narrow-minded in their views because they haven’t fully developed their perspective to the level that it could be.  That is to say, when our knowledge is limited or hasn’t been fully developed, we are going to have a strong tendency to view the world through the prism of that limited skill set that we are familiar with, and when that skill set is not robust, this thus signifies that what we view is approached in the terms of what our skill set consists of at that time, and no more.

 So then, to the degree that we are open-minded and ready to learn, we should avail ourselves of that option, for not only will that keep our mind engaged, and thereby permit us to stay up-to-date, but it also will make us a more complete person, because by having more skills within our toolbox, we can not only be of better aid to others, but also we will be able to be less dependent upon the aid of others, for we will be able to avail ourselves of our acquired knowledge, instead, which thereby makes us to be more independent, as well as being more valuable because we have increased our capabilities and corresponding skills.

 While there is something to be said about being an expert in our field we should desire to broaden our horizons so that we can end up seeing more than what is right in front of us.  As for those that know a little about nearly everything, but never enough to actually be an expert, this signifies that we never have fully developed a specific skill set which thereby limits our usefulness to ourselves as well as to others. This thus indicates that when we focus on developing fully our knowledge on at least one specific skill set this will not only make us to be more valuable but also will help us to create a base that will better permit us to expand upon such to thus put more arrows in our quiver.

 Those then that continue to learn throughout their life, no matter their age, and make it their point to congregate with like-minded people to discuss ideas and concepts, are the very same that are increasing their skill set, which keeps them alert as well as making them to be, of greater value for others to learn from or with. All of us are meant to do the best with what we have and to thereupon take that which we have built a good foundation upon so that we can end up building a structure that will be better able to handle the vicissitudes that life throws at us, which because we are better prepared, allows us to be better able to deal with adverse and unexpected events.

Imagine a free 24 hours of time

In the United States, we currently experience Daylight Savings time each calendar year, except for the States of Arizona and Hawaii, in which on the specified date in the Fall, when the clock strikes 2 AM, it thereupon goes back to 1 AM, which provides one extra hour in the day for people to take advantage of.  For some people, this change isn’t really noticeable as they simply sleep a bit more, or spend more time on their social media; whereas, for others they may spend it reading, working, doing chores, or doing something else constructive.

 Imagine, though, that there was a construct in which, for one day each year, each of us would receive a free 24 hours of time, and then time would go back to normal.  That is to say, we would repeat the same day, twice, of which, the second time, we would have no obligations to work or to engage with anything else.  For some people, this would be a godsend, and a real opportunity to get some things done that they were either putting off till the right time or else were short the time to attend to.  Then there are others, that despite this extra 24 hours of time, wouldn’t really do much of anything constructive or of worth.

 Indeed, how we treat time reflects what we are as a person, and those who simply let time waste away, aren’t going to do much good with extra time, whatsoever, because they aren’t motivated to do much to begin with.  In other words, as much as so many people complain that there isn’t enough time in a given day to get done what they need to get done, there are plenty of those that profess those words, but don’t actually mean it, for when given the opportunity to do exactly that, they don’t.

 So, free 24 hours or not, or extra holidays or not, some people just can’t seem to get themselves started on what they could and ought to be; whereas, others will find having that extra time to be of value and will get done that which they know that they should get done.  This signifies that the stark difference between those that do, and those that don’t do much of anything, really comes down to whether or not, an individual values time or sees each day as pretty much being the same as the previous day, ad nauseam. 

 What we become has an awful lot to do with us doing our part to make way where we can make way, which requires not only good effort, but also consistency, and often a plan of action.  We are, in the end, the amalgamation of the decisions that we have made, or of the decisions avoided, so that those provided with a free 24 hours of time, that do not use such wisely, are the very same, that aren’t going to amount to much of anything, because they seemingly can’t comprehend that time has value, and those that value it correctly, are the ones that make progress, and those that don’t, progress not at all.