Christian fundamentalists are yesterday’s Pharisees

There are all sorts of people who claim the moniker of being a Christian.  Some of these people are Sunday Christians, some are really just Christian in name, some have taken on the good aura of Christianity, and some are absolutely convinced that they know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and make it their point to be true to those beliefs as they understand them to be, and woe to those others that don’t adhere to that strict fundamentalism.

 The thing about Jesus the Christ is that Christ did more than enough in deeds and in words, so we can get a very good sense of the essence of Christ. This would indicate that it needs to be recognized that the truth that the Bible represents needs to be taken under careful advisement and contemplation, for humans are prone to error and misinterpretation. Those, therefore, that are absolutely convinced that they are right, when in actuality, they are wrong, are the very type that can create all sorts of havoc when they believe that they are being true to Christ, when in fact, they are being true to the worst characteristics of the Pharisees.

 Indeed, there are plenty of people who express the desire for Christ to return on earth, in the expectation that they will be judged righteous in their behavior and thus obtain eternal salvation, whereas others who don’t have the same sort of belief will suffer a rather dire fate.  That is to say, we find that Christian fundamentalists are absolutely convinced that they are always in the right, and everyone else, of uncertain or unorthodox beliefs, is going to pay the full price for their inability to accept what Christian fundamentalists accept.  This then is the arrogance of Christian fundamentalists, writ large. So too, this signifies that fundamentalists have taken upon themselves to judge where they are not in a position to be the judge. 

 In truth, Christ made it very clear that those that are narrow minded and observe the letter of the law, but not the spirit of such, and further to the point, aren’t willing to actually think or to contemplate upon the most important issues of life and the purpose so of, are those that are way too caught up in legalism and hence in their subsequent actions and attitude, they are hypocrites, and a hypocrite is not in a very good place when it comes to judgment, especially those that taken the haughty position that they know Christ when in actuality, they don’t.

 While it may seem unfair that those that spend so much time believing that they are in attune with Christ, should in the scheme of things, fall far short of what is expected of them, the fault lies in their inability to step back and to really understand who and what Christ actually represented, because Christ came to save the fallen and sinful; whereas Christian fundamentalists have a very strong tendency to believe that they are pure thinking and saved, without fault or sin, or if such ever existed, it has been forgiven, when in actuality they know not what they do or have done.

Indigenous people of the Americas have suffered greatly

When it comes to indigenous people of what became the United States of America, there is a general acknowledgment that European peoples were devastating to the indigenous people, which meant that the indigenous people living in the United States, suffered a huge amount of population lost, through European diseases that they did not have immunity to, warfare, as well as also suffering the destruction and the losing of their lands that these indigenous people depended upon for their general welfare.  While indigenous people did not suffer a total genocide, they essentially became a complete non-factor in the United States, which continues to be the case, and have historically had treaty after treaty violated, through the volition of the United States.

 While it is true that the United States has pretty much admitted to the fact that they did the indigenous people wrong, and have sort of tried to make amends, the bottom line is that indigenous people that are often located on reservations in this nation continue to suffer from this country’s neglect of their welfare.  That said, it has to be recognized that all over the Americas, indigenous people existed. That is to say, in North America, which includes Canada and Mexico, along with Central and South America, indigenous people existed in all of the Americas. While it might be convenient to state that other parts of the Americas treated the indigenous people better, the fact of the matter is that this isn’t true.  In other words, indigenous people, not just in the United States, but all over the Americas, were basically devastated; so then, it needs to be recognized that the colonization of the Americas by Europeans led those indigenous people to pretty much lose their land, lose their people, and lose just about everything of value and worth to them.

 It is important, therefore, to recognize that it wasn’t just the United States that did the indigenous people wrong, but it was all over the Americas.  It was therefore essentially the white man who made it their point that they would conquer the indigenous people and exploit them, which made the Americas become colonized for the supposed greater good of the white man, which is the legacy that we are left with today.

 All of the above would seem to signify that the United States, as well as other sovereign nations within the Americas, must not only own up to the bad deeds perpetuated upon the indigenous people, but they ought to try to make good where they can make good in the present day.  That is to say, more money and more energy should be put forth from governments today, to do their fair part to lend a helping hand to the indigenous people that still exist, so that they can not only begin to rise up and be true to their tenets of old, but also have the opportunity to better themselves, best done through more government investment in their welfare, with the sure recognition that wrongs can only be righted by creating the foundation for future success, and removing as much as possible roadblocks and discrimination that are inherently unfair and unbecoming of any great nation, which prides itself upon justice and liberty for all.

Corporations need governmental guardrails

We need to recognize that unlike human beings who have a finite amount of life here on earth, that corporations, that are artificial constructs of the state, are perpetual in nature, which is why some corporations, have already been in existence in America for well over one hundred years, which signifies that the biggest corporations of today, that earn billions upon billions of dollars each year, are not going to be going away into that good quiet night, anytime soon.  This means that the power and influence of corporations need to have governmental guardrails imposed upon them, for without such, their influence, often effected through the purse, will get the rules to unfairly favor their interests, which may easily be in conflict with the greater good.

 When it comes to public companies, they are on notice with their shareholders that each and every quarter, they need to boost revenue and increase profits, or else there may not only be replacement changes to those in the highest corporate positions, but also what many a shareholder will not tolerate is seeing that the stock price suffers a decline.  So then, because corporations are driven by profit above all, they are going to pursue all the legitimate ways to maintain and enhance that profit, and will be sorely tempted when feeling constant pressure to thereby “game” the system to increase those profits, if not to outright violate the law in their pursuit of profits.

 All of this indicates that guardrails are absolutely necessary or else unelected corporate power will essentially run this country under the misguided belief that what is good for these corporations is good for America; whereas the reality is that corporations that run roughshod over the people, are primarily benefiting those that are its corporate executives, their employees, as well as their stockholders, and care not too much about the general public, because they are driven primarily by profit.

 When it comes to environmental damage, employee exploitation, collusion, and market power, which permits these corporations to charge a higher price or fee because competition doesn’t exist or has been compromised,  this signifies that the general population is being exploited so that the few can get over on the many, which isn’t fair or right.  Further to the point, corporations have a strong tendency not to want to pay their fair share in taxes, which means that those of the general population will either have to pay more, or the federal debt of this nation will continue to increase, so that unborn generations will be burdened with that debt that they never personally incurred. 

 The bottom line is that corporations have an inherent obligation to this county which permits their existence, and to assure that they are attune with that obligation, appropriate guardrails need to be in place, that makes these profit-driven enterprises to do their fair part to contribute their fair share to the general welfare of the people, which is where the government comes in, for it is our governmental representatives that not only should be on top of that watchtower to observe but also they need to enforce appropriate rules and regulations to see that these corporations are beneficial to the people, in whole, as well.

This is how the game is supposed to be played

In life, there are going to be challenges, for if there were no challenges, if there were no tests, there wouldn’t be much of a point in being here in the first place.  This signifies that those in the know understand that the point of our existence is to overcome the obstacles we encounter, and, typically, to do so they need to act in ways conducive to that serious accomplishment, above all.

 It’s highly disappointing that the leaders of our communities and our nations are far too often people that do not have the proper perspective or vision, so that their response to trouble, be it domestic or foreign, is to answer in kind, so that when their toes are stepped on, they want to step right back on the other’s toes, and can justify the doing so based on what seems to be reasonable terms of retaliation.  The problem with this knee-jerk response, though, is that when we respond in kind, by, for example, using violence to overcome violence, or deception to overcome the other’s tricks upon us, we haven’t gained much of anything, and arguably have regressed.  Look, it’s pretty darn straightforward: when someone does something that is evil or unkind to us, the best response is going to be that response that reflects that we are a thinking and a conscientious people, who recognize that in order to play the game correctly, we need to circumvent our opponent’s rules and strategies by responding with the right mindset and consideration, thereby signifying that we are playing the long game, and the long game is all about not losing our ethical and moral compass, or putting such aside, because we think the short term necessitates such.

 That is to say, for all those that clamor for change, the positive change is only going to happen if we make it to be our priority that we will not give in to evil deeds by responding in kind, but instead we are going to respond in a way and manner that is consistent with our moral beliefs, that necessitate a response that is becoming of an ethical and good thinking individual.  We are not going to have good change until we change our response; to comprehend that we best overcome evil by doing good, that we overcome injustice by being just, and so on.  This signifies that we never give in to evil, and that we never play by their rules, but that we respond to that Higher natural law, which requires us to honor that law by doing the right thing, no matter the apparent dangers or feared consequences, so of.  We cannot ever overcome evil by initiating righteous evil in response, but rather we must keep our wits about us, so that our response is consistent with that which is right and good.  This doesn’t mean that we become a doormat, but rather it signifies that we will not dishonor our Creator by taking on those characteristics that are harmful and unbecoming to the goodness that we were first bestowed with.

Do the right thing

There are all sorts of mantras that people can have as their calling card in this world, and one of the very best has got to be “do the right thing.”   That is to say, to do the right thing in everything that we think and subsequently do, no matter the pressure and no matter the circumstances; thus, demonstrating the courage to always do the right thing is the mark of a person of true integrity.  For some people, probably most people, we know intuitively what constitutes doing the right thing, for all of us have been gifted with a conscience which lets us know the difference between right and wrong.  However, some people come from troubling and trying circumstances so that their internal clock is off balance, or are out of sync through their abuse of drugs or drink, or perhaps they have suffered a debilitating injury; thus, they have difficulty in discerning right from wrong, at least some of the time.  The workaround for everyone really comes down to getting the perspective that, were the shoe on the other foot, would we still do what we are contemplating doing.  That is to say, if we are prone to believing it’s okay to lie and steal when circumstances seem to warrant such, would we in all honesty feel it was just as right for somebody else to do that same sort of thing to ourselves?  That is the question that needs to be asked, so that there is consistency in what we do, and the fair consequences reaped in return.

 In actuality, life is not really that complicated; when we make it our point that we will do the right thing, and those who conform to that belief are the same who will not detour off the straight and narrow, and thus progress to the only destination that really matters.  On the other hand, those who know the right thing to do, but compromise themselves, often in the knowledge that they won’t be caught, have definitely veered off the straight and narrow and, when they awaken to what they really ought to do and be, will have to battle with forces that they had not previously anticipated to get back to where they need to go.

 Indeed, our decisions have consequences, and those who do not fully comprehend this are the same who will learn their lessons the hard way.  We are gifted here on earth with free will, and thereby the decisions that we make are ours to own, even when we prefer not to own particular decisions.  This signifies that for every wrong step, for every wrong action, there is going to be a consequence.  Perhaps the consequence will be no more than a gentle reminder that we need to get back to doing the right thing, or perhaps it will be much more, and those that don’t pay attention to their conscience, which forever does them right, are the same that will have a much more troubling path to getting to where they ought to be.  This then is the challenge of life: we can be, in many respects, our worst enemy because we are given agency of what we will do, or how we will react, which thus defines who we are.

 Those who make excuses, or count upon mitigating circumstances to absolve them, are the same who have permitted themselves to try to find shortcuts in life.  Perhaps there are shortcuts, perhaps not, but the reality is that the shortest distance to that ultimate sanctuary that is forever ours is to do the right thing.

There was a time when American governance stood firmly against civilian bombing

Let us begin with this quote: “ I am therefore addressing this urgent appeal to every Government which may be engaged in hostilities publicly to affirm its determination that its armed forces shall in no event, and under no circumstances, undertake the bombardment from the air of civilian populations or of unfortified cities…”  It would probably come as a surprise to most people that this sentiment did not come forth from some anti-war zealot, or some un-American personage, but rather this was stated by none other than President Franklin D. Roosevelt on September 1, 1939.  This then should be required knowledge for all those who are American: that there was a time when the United States of America was fully cognizant that the bombardment of civilians and undefended cities was unbecoming of any nation that would consider itself to be humane, civilized, and in adherence to doing the right thing, above all.

 Regrettably, not only were these wise words of FDR totally ignored in what became World War II, but apparently American governance doesn’t even question the morality or rightness of bombing civilian targets and unfortified cities, whatsoever, because it has, pretty much as its preference, done that very thing, in war after war after war, since and even during World War II, of which, a primary reason why it does so, is in the misguided belief, that the bombardment of civilians and unfortified cities will get those that are under such a relentless and vicious attack to surrender to America, unconditionally.  The reality is that this seldom happens because citizens the world over have an innate resilience that they will continue to do what they need to do to at least maintain what they have till the very end, because doing less will, from their perspective, be even worse for them.

 To make it governmental policy that aerial bombardment of civilians is a legitimate means to conduct warfare is to have lost one’s common sense, and is a reflection that morality has taken a back seat to unrestrained violence.  Those than that are part and parcel of such bombardment, from the buying and making of such materials all the way to their actual destructive usage, have not only blood on their hands, but in many a case, have done so, because they have determined that some peoples are not fully human for whatever wrongful reason, or they simply must be eradicated because they are a nuisance to that which drives the cause to such bombardment.

 To kill and to destroy infrastructure and civilians which represents no true threat to the military purpose is a definite crime against humanity, and while those that perpetuate these very acts may not be held to account during their life here on earth, there most definitely will be an accounting, so made, because no matter how much those in the highest echelons of power, as well as those that are obedient to this construct believe that they are in the right, or that this is necessary, or somehow is justified, we find that they have failed to take into full account, that there will be justice, for true justice will not be mocked and cannot be ignored, so that at some future time and place, there will be a reckoning, and those then that were so callous or uncaring to bomb without fair consideration of what they have done and enacted, will answer, and answer fully via their own personalized cosmic bombardment accomplished in the skeins of time.

Come privilege, come responsibilities

Those who are fortunate enough to be born into the right country, with the right parents, and the right opportunities, that are pretty much handed to them as their birthright, have got to realize that those who are gifted with great gifts have an inherent duty to do something of substance to help those who were not granted those same wonderful privileges.  In other words, those who are born into the most favorable circumstances should have the consciousness and self-awareness to recognize that the vast majority of people in this world come from trying or unpleasant circumstances, and therefore those who are privileged need to do their fair part to see that they lend a helping hand where a helping hand is warranted.

 That said, there should never be any guilt about being privileged; rather, those privileged individuals need to recognize that they have an obligation to do what they can to ensure that those who are not so fortunate are provided with the means to become something of merit.  Indeed, the point of any good civilization is not for it to be permanently divided between the privileged and unprivileged, but rather it is to see that over time there are fewer and fewer people who are born into dire circumstances and that lack, therefore, fair opportunity to get to a much better or satisfactory place.  In other words, we should make it our point to see that as many as possible are provided with the fair opportunity to become what they are capable of becoming, and each of us, no matter our status in society, should do our part to make this happen, because in doing so, we help to create a more fulfilling society, move civic, and a better environment for all.

 While there are myriad ways to do our part to help one another, of which we should try to fit in where it best suits our personality and preference, we need, though, to recognize that those who are most vulnerable should have a prominent place in our hearts, because these are the same people who are most needful and therefore will be most appreciative of our help, freely given. 

 In life, each of us is given a platform, of which some of us have far more influence than others, which is why it is imperative upon those with big platforms to well consider that what they prioritize and emphasize will make a big difference, and when provided with the opportunity to do right for others, should seize that opportunity.  As for those whose lives are on a more modest scale, they must surely recognize that the very best help in life is personalized, typically one-to-one, and therefore should make it to be their point to connect well with the few that they interact and have influence with, and do so in a concerted and consistent manner, so as to be the rock that they can count on, thereby allowing them to reach their potential through the gift of that helping and caring hand.

The American empire is already in steep decline

Back in 1960, the United States GDP was 40% of the global economy, which was a true reflection that the United States knew its business, but it has been overall on decline since then, so that by 2025, the United States GDP was just a little above 26% of the global economy.  While it could be said that this number is quite impressive, it could also be said that this number and the trendline reflects that the United States, by itself, is no longer the force that it once was, and because its growth rate is consistently slow, signifies that the Asian nations, in particular, are going to take market share from America and that they appear on the pathway to continue to grow at a higher rate than the United States, and there appears to be nothing on the agenda that will stop this trend, which signifies that the American empire is not only no longer what it once was, but that it will never be again the force that it once was. 

 This then signifies that America might find that alliances with countries within the Western hemisphere in which those nations are on the same page with America, or America is on the same page with them, might be beneficial, in the sense of Western powers remaining the dominant powers in the world, but America’s recent attitude seems not to be interested in strengthening those alliances or even necessarily having them, which seems to put America on the road to eating some humble pie, and cede that the Asian nations which are more populous and are on a relentless rise in the sense of power and influence will simply take the baton away from America, slowly, but surely.

 Regrettably, America has determined through its current policies that it actually doesn’t want to share power with anyone else, which not only breeds contempt from those that have been its allies for many years, and even decades, but it also doesn’t bode well for the future, either.  Rather, America has determined that it believes that it can maintain its status as an empire, not through sales, not through innovation, not through trade, but primarily through its military might and thus its exploitation of other countries that are compelled to do America’s will, or suffer the dire consequences, so of. 

 This though reflects a nation that has truly lost its way, because it has turned its back on the raison d'être for its own existence in the first place, and thereby has no interest in promoting freedom, democracy, and liberty throughout the world, but instead believes that by wielding a big stick it can maintain its wealth, done so primarily for the benefit of those that are at the highest levels of influence and power.   This then, in a nutshell, signifies that the American empire not only is in steep decline, but it has not the courage to be true to its founding, and thereby deserves the fate it will surely sow from its willful forgetfulness of what it once was, and still could be

Make time for God

There are those who do make time for God in the sure realization that by doing so, this will lead to a better and more fulfilled life.  So too, some claim to be religious God believers, but their belief is so restricted, bigoted, misinterpreted, and narrow-minded that it misses what God really is by a considerable distance, and because they consider themselves to be true believers, they actually are in their faithful fulfilling of that misguided belief, typically doing more harm than good.  Finally, some don’t believe in God, or if they kind of do, make sure God takes a back seat, unless there is a real emergency, which demonstrates that their priorities are upside down.  In sum, to believe that the vast majority of people believe in God and thus the good tenets of God, and live to that very thing, is belied by the fact that this world has so much trouble and tribulation, which bespeaks that not all is right, mainly because too many of us within society think our time should properly be spent elsewhere or simply don’t care.

 Each of us needs to understand that we were created by God, and, since this is true, we have an inherent obligation to be true to God's character, who is the same today, yesterday, and tomorrow.  This would seem to clearly indicate that our search for God, should be a primary concern of ours, not in the sense that we forget our obligations to family and to society, but as the foundation of how we conduct our lives, because those that are right thinking are the same that are best able to make the right decisions, and not only that, to make the right decisions in the most trying of circumstances.

 God has gifted each of us with free will, and because it is a gift from God to each one of us, it will never be taken away from us, no matter our behavior, our ungratefulness, or our poor decisions with that will.  The test, then, is what we are going to do, because we are free-thinking agents, thereby signifying that we have agency to think and to do whatever that we feel capable of, for better or for worse, for good or for bad.  That choice is ever ours, and those that have done their homework are going to realize that the very best thing to do is to find their purpose to God, and then to make it to be their highest principle to do something constructive with that knowledge that is thus becoming of one who was created by God, and to live their life in a way and manner that therefore is not only consistent with that belief, but in their actions, beneficial to the society that they are an integral part of.

 Remember this well: God loves us unconditionally, and the best way that we can demonstrate to God that we are true servants to God and dutiful children of God is to love one another, proven by our thoughts, deeds, and actions, done with the best of intentions, and by our free choice.

Nobody is born an adult; we are born helpless and dependent upon adults to nurture us

There are far too many people who are big-headed, somehow believing that everything that they are has come forth from their own self, and none other.  This type of arrogance puts those who believe such things on a slippery slope that can lead to egotistical errors that are harmful to society and not beneficial to their own growth.  Indeed, the reason we are born helpless and dependent upon the good graces and care of others, is to remind us when we get of age, that there was that time when we were not capable of thriving, let alone surviving on our own, which is why we should keep foremost in our mind, that we have an inherent obligation to do something of substance for those that we can aid and help in society, as our dutiful obligation to those that are hurting, be they children or adults.

 Far too many people have a habit of wanting to forget who and what they were at the beginning, and just believe that they are what they are, through their own free will, decisions, and efforts, thereby absolving them of having an obligation to do much of anything for those that sit outside their domain or thought processes, under the wrong belief, that those that could use their help and assistance, should simply just help themselves, and to thereby leave them alone.

 So too, along life’s journeys, whether we admit to it or not, there have been many a person or agency that has lent us a helping hand, and has been there for us, when we most needed such, which signifies that as we have been able to lean on others, that we at a certain stage need to be the type of person that permits those that are in need, to lean upon us, for that is our inherent obligation one to another; that none of us gets to where we need to go, without having acquired assistance along the way, and therefore to make things right, we need to do the same for those that require such assistance from us.

 To be successful has its rightful place, but we mustn't forget all those that have done their part to help us to accomplish that success, which thereby signifies that we need to take the time to reflect on how we got to where we got, that at least asks that question, of which, we are obligated to try to get the answer, and when we do, provides us with the fair opportunity to give credit where credit is due, and those that do that very thing are those that understand well that humility has its necessary place, to remind us that as independent and free will as we might believe that we are, that in actuality, there was that time, which probably still exists, in which we needed the love, affection, attention, wisdom, care, and concern, expressed by those that asked nothing from us, except that we pay it forward, when called upon, as our way of expressing our gratitude.

The German business power behind Hitler and lessons of today

There are always lessons to be learned, and some of those lessons are the type of lessons that have not previously been taken fully to heart from history, and because of this, they thus repeat themselves.  We find in America that it is the military-industrial-technology complex that essentially runs this country, so that our democratic vote really represents an illusion, for the reality is that a nation that insists upon the need for a $1.5 trillion budget for the defense of this country, which is an amount that exceeds the amount spent on defense for the next nine largest military expenditures, combined, is fiscal irresponsibility, writ large.  This reflects that the general welfare of the people in this nation is not the top priority of this nation and is not going to be a top priority of this nation, because the powers that be desire that those monies be allocated elsewhere, to the harm of the well-being of the people of this nation, and especially to those that are its most vulnerable.

 When we look at Hitler, we need to recognize, that no matter how gifted he may have been as a speaker, who adeptly tapped into the frustrations of the German people, who had paid a great price in the losing of World War I, that this would never have been enough to put him in power, if not for those at the highest echelons of business power within Germany themselves, who saw the rise of Hitler as an opportunity for these businesses in conjunction with the government to be, having the opening to grow their revenue and thereby their profits at a very enviable rate.  In other words, powerful entities, both corporate as well as individual, deliberately threw in their lot with Hitler, which consolidated his power and permitted Hitler to become the Führer.

 This signifies that whenever corporate power consolidates with executive power, there is the making of such a powerful force of governmental power that the people will effectively lose their agency and thus their freedom, which for some people they are okay with, as long as they are gainfully employed and feel that their country is on the ascendancy.  The problem though, is that when there are no effective guardrails to preclude that government from taking care of what it selfishly and wantonly desires to do, such as we see in warfare, is that the outcome, is not known, and could be in its effect, devastating to that nation, because other nations are going to respond in a way and manner that may very well have quite tragic consequences for just about everyone.

 In short, whenever businesses lack a moral compass and recognize that a strong leader, or Führer seems to serve their purpose quite well, then they are going to do their best to work hand in glove with that Führer, such as we saw in Germany, and care not a whit what happens to certain other peoples, domestic as well as foreign, as long as they can continue to profit.  This then is the lesson to learn, because the consolidation of business and government makes for a combination which is all about doing what is necessary to maintain and enhance that power, which subverts the people’s voice and may well lead to endless war, which ultimately won’t end well for that shortsighted nation.

For decades upon decades, the United States had a yearly trade surplus

It may seem incredible, but from 1889 to 1970, the United States of America had an aggregate trade surplus each year through its trade in goods with the world.  That is to say, the United States exported more in goods than it imported from foreign nations for just over eighty years on a yearly basis.  It needs to be acknowledged that while America in 1889 was a nation on the rise, it was not the preeminent nation in the world, but because of its trade surpluses throughout the decades from the late 19th century all the way into 1970, it was on its way to being the preeminent nation in the world, which it became.  Yet, today’s America consistently runs a trade deficit in aggregate with foreign nations, and last had a trade surplus in 1975.  This signifies that America has clearly lost its way, and may well be the reason why America has been so bellicose to other nations by using its military might to get its way, because it no longer can do so through trade.

 While America has proven that it can still be a power to be reckoned with, despite its massive yearly trade imbalance, year in and year out, it needs to recognize, sooner rather than later, that it is using up its good name and is putting intense pressure upon the value of its dollar, by virtue of the fact, that it can’t keep its own house in order, because constant trade deficits are the mark of a nation in decline, and not in ascendency.  A nation that is resting on its laurels, as contrasted to a nation that is innovative and a leader, reflects that not all is right within America.  Indeed, the fact that America cannot seem to come close to running a trade surplus reflects that whatever America is concentrating upon selling to other nations represents the wrong mix, and the United States seemingly can’t figure out a way to correct such.

 To believe, somehow, that the world will keep accepting dollars from America, for the products and services that they sell to America, is to not properly comprehend that nations that run huge trade deficits are going to have to eventually pay a penalty for their fiscal irresponsibility and while dollars are the orthodox medium of exchange worldwide, presently, that will not always be the case, because there comes a time, when other nations, will insist upon something of value, that maintains its worth, in exchange for the goods that they are selling, or the implementation of fiscal responsibility that must be adhered to.

 The bottom line is that America is not the most populous nation in the word, and that the worldwide population is many times bigger than America, which signifies that to believe that America can increase its GNP at an enviable or even a reasonable rate is not possible, unless it sells outsides its borders, and because it can’t seem to sell nearly enough in return to what it imports, it is hollowing this nation out, so that those that own dollars, will surely rue the day when those dollars are significantly debased.

Corporate crime

Corporate crime is endemic in this capitalist country, and many of those crimes are never punished at all, or when punished, aren’t punished at the level that they should be.  We live in a society in which certain crimes by individuals can lead to incarceration for many, many years, but we find that for corporate crime, that seldom are those in the highest echelons of a given corporation held personally accountable for their bad actions, that have, for instance, damaged our environment, damaged our health, or damaged our pocketbook, for basically when it comes to corporate crimes, these corporate malcontents typically suffer only a monetary fine to the corporation, as well as sometimes these companies are subject to verification that they are now adhering to the laws that they have previously broken, structured for a set period of time.

 Look, the bottom line is that whenever corporations are of the belief that if they are caught, the worse that they will receive will be a monetary fine, those that lack scruples, will weigh the probable cost of the fine, often reduced through negotiation, against the profits of what they are accomplishing by violating the law, in which, in an overwhelming amount of cases, the numbers are favorable for committing that bad act, because the revenue and profits far outweigh the potential punishment, which thereby encourages this type of ill behavior by corporations, again and again.

 It has to be remembered, that the largest corporations don’t just sell billions upon billions of dollars of goods and services each year, but a significant portion of our largest corporations are routinely making a profit of billions upon billions of dollars each year, in addition to the fact that they employ people, which is beneficial to those communities who themselves are not wont to see punished that which seems to benefit the community through that employment as well as any other donations or sponsorships that come their way.  So too, politicians and the legislation so contemplated and passed are subject to the influence of big corporations, who are absolutely determined to see that laws which are unfavorable to them are not passed, and if passed, that they aren’t applicable or applied to them.  In other words, mega corporations have so much power that they are quite capable of ruling the roost, and because of this, they are far less susceptible to having to suffer from being accused, let alone found guilty of corporate crime, and because corporate executives are seldom held accountable, they basically see this as the cost of doing business, and nothing more.

 Indeed, nothing is going to change unless some especially tragic and pernicious event happens that badly hurts the American people, in which, because of this, there might be some meaningful change, at least, for a while.  The bottom line, though, is that if this nation desires to see less corporate crime, it needs to focus less on monetary fines and more on the imprisonment of corporate executives, so that these people will know on a personal level that crime does not pay and won’t be able to simply pay their way out of trouble.

Great concentrated wealth in the hands of the few eviscerates democracy

The very first thing to realize in this material life is that money matters; and not only that, but that the more money a given person or entity has, the more power that they can assert, for better or for worse.  After all, just about every one of us works for money, or will work for money, which means that whoever employs us has potential power over us, of which sometimes that power is unassailable; though oftentimes in America there are other options people can engage instead, which signifies that those that have options still have agency.

 When it comes to exercising our right to vote, it seems like the structure is a level playing field in which all citizens of age, except those convicted of certain felonies, have enfranchisement to vote, which would seem to strongly suggest that those that desire to hold over us, through voting in their favored representatives, or successfully exerting pressure for certain legislative acts to be passed, would easily be countered by the vote of the people, as a whole.  This though isn’t really the case, because those that have money and are intent upon using that money as not only a way to maintain that wealth, but to enhance it, aren’t typically the type of privileged people that desire to gamble on that which is of upmost importance to them, which is why they are quite effective in using that money to influence the people in way and manner that what they want to see supported or enacted, happens to their favor, which they accomplish through their astute usage of money and their connections to powerful people who themselves are often beholden to wealth.

 America is, in aggregate, the richest nation in the world.  Still, despite that wealth, there are areas all over this nation in which poverty, lack of opportunity, and oppression are only too obvious to see.  While there are a multitude of ways to positively provide meaningful aid to those that are impoverished and hurting, we find that those that can easily afford to pay their fair amount in taxes, which are the richest of the richest, be it corporate or individual, are seriously adept at not doing that, and seem to take pride in the fact that they don’t pay their fair share, which seems to be something that is contradictory to what a healthy democracy would desire.  That is to say, a better construct and a healthier society is one in which progressive taxation is enforced and that everybody has, at a minimum, a fair opportunity to become something of merit, which if achieved, would reduce considerably the frustration and incivility that is expressed again and again in some of our communities, but ignored by those that are the wealthiest amongst us.

 In essence, those with great wealth can buy whatever satisfaction that they are seeking, because far too many people, as well as our representatives, are essentially for sale, and when bought will dutifully fulfill what is expected of them.  This signifies that the only pathway to neutralize the power of wealth is to make it law that political donations are fixed at a low enough level that it accomplishes that goal, as well as limiting the reach of media posts of all types to help level the playing field, so that the people’s voice has a fair chance of actually being heard.

Google and Facebook own you

For all those that have a smartphone, a smart TV, and engage themselves with social media, it is important to recognize that seemingly everything that a person does through the internet, as well as their smartphone, permits those websites and phones to be tracked and thereby companies such as Google and Facebook thus records our activities so taken while using these apps, in addition to our geolocation being known, and though to a certain degree there are some options to reduce the sharing of one’s personal identity with those that track us, it just seems that how robust these privacy options are actually is something that people just have to take on faith.  The bottom line, therefore, is that each of us now lives our life as if in a fishbowl, even though we aren’t famous in any way, form, or manner, for we are being tracked through the typical services that we utilize every single day.

 There are though plenty of people that don’t worry about these things, not so much because they are trusting, but rather it has a lot to do with them being busy with their everyday activities that they seldom stop to reflect upon this, which is probably a mistake, because information is a source of power thus permitting these services to be able to hold over on us which thereby signifies that if push comes to shove such information can serve to compromise us; in addition to the fact that the more information that is known about a given person, the less free and of liberty that person is, in actuality, because they are known, but those entities that know them, aren’t known in the same way to them, which is an extremely unfair and unhealthy structure.

 So too, people are subject to change, and are quite capable of taking their firm opinions and beliefs, and over time to change those opinions and beliefs to something else, even the very opposite of such, but when everything that they are doing are being tracked, it’s easy then to take in context or out of context who and what they are, so that those that have been targeted for whatever reason, can be put into uncomfortable situations in which their previous actions, are held against them or they are threatened to being exposed, which quite obviously is not good for liberty and bastardizes what a free thinking individual can express, because of their fear that their opinions and perspectives will be spun in a way that makes them look bad.

 The thing about human relationships is that there is the capability of friends and family who have had their disagreements to forgive and to forget, and thereby to bury the hatchet, which is good for those relationships, and thus helps them to heal.  On the other hand, Google and Facebook never forget a thing, which means as much as we might want to put the past behind us, once and for all, especially when we consider some things that have occurred to truly be in the past, this isn’t going to happen because we don’t have agency over the recordings of our private lives, but rather this is in the hands of corporate entities that have their own purposes, which leaves us exposed.

ABC, CBS, and NBC dominated television in the 1960s

For today’s youngest generation, they are used to the fact that television has not only all sorts of cable channels, but also that so many of these TVs are smart, which permits the viewer to watch content through the internet, which thereby opens up third-party sources and thereby allows the viewer to watch just about anything.  The bottom line is that the choice of programs on one’s TV is so wide that children of the same school age don’t typically have one dominant program that just about everyone is watching, so there is seldom a majority plurality in what they are viewing.

 However, back in the 1960s, when a TV in people’s homes were well-nigh ubiquitous, there were really only three channels that a family could watch, of which all of these main orthodox stations still exist and we find that there is a significant portion of those who grew up in the 1960s that have some nostalgia for programs that they use to watch or were familiar with, in which they can today engage with others of their generation by returning to viewing them with people of that generation, as well as the fact that they have the agency to watch these programs again on their own, as a form of comfort, remembrance, and just a general belief that life was simpler back then.

 This type of media domination by the big three of television, no longer exists and will never come back to the fore, though for those that have no cable but are using modern day antennas and thus do not desire to pay for cable, these stations can still be reached, which seems a bargain to those on a limited budget, because they are free, which is the price that they were back in the 1960s, and why commercials were part and parcel of watching these television shows, back then, of which, commercials of that day if they were to be played again, would be remembered by those that watched TV during the 1960s.

 There is something to be said for having a culture in which there are touchstones that all are familiar with, and therefore they can discuss things of the past, because they lived it, such as we see through television programs that people watched.  So too, shows of the 1960s are still watched today, but primarily by the same generation that watched them previously, to bring back memories of yesteryear.  Regrettably, we probably aren’t going to see that same sort of touchstone occurring for those of the present generation who have so many other avenues to whittle away their time with, and of which far fewer of these would represent the same particular program that everyone currently watches or is engaged in.

 Indeed, while it could be said that choice is good, and that progress is the nature of humankind, it also has to be recognized that part of what makes for cohesiveness between peoples and generations of people is the commonality of experiences, such as the same books, the same schools, and the same television programs, which when it comes to TV simply isn’t the case, today.

The business of government and the business of business

We live in a capitalist country, though it need not be that way; it simply is the way that the United States is structured presently.  That is to say, this nation was not founded under the capitalist flag, but rather was founded with the general principle that all are equally entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and that this government’s purpose is to promote the general welfare of the people.  This thus signifies that government needs first and foremost to be the honest broker between the people and big business, and to the degree that it is not, it has disowned what it has been created to do, for this is government, of, for, and by the people.

 Regrettably, we find that today’s government literally has far too often represented the wolves guarding the henhouse, because those in the highest echelons of governance regulation, are in many a case, those that have been part and parcel of the industries that they are now regulating, or if not currently the case, have an unwritten agreement that should they see things the way that businesses desire them to be seen, that they will be well compensated once they leave their governmental office.  In other words, the government has habitually joined hands with big business, allowing those businesses to profit at the expense of the people as a whole.  This isn’t fair, and it isn’t the way that things should be, but it is the way that things are currently situated.

 While an argument could be made that government should not be antagonistic to big business, this needs to be tempered by the fact that the government, unless in the most extreme exigencies should not be working hand in glove with big business, when by doing so, they are essentially providing personal service to big business, at the expense of the people, not seeming to comprehend that today’s biggest corporations are so large and powerful that if the government does not step in to properly regulate and monitor such, that big business will, in essence, be well positioned to run roughshod over the people.

 The best governance is not that which governs least, but that government that comprehends that its highest duty is to its citizenship, who should have a democratic voice that its representatives listen to, and that the purpose of that government is to see that the people have a fair opportunity to reap what they have sowed, through their diligent labor, and therefore are compensated at a level which is commensurate with the success and wealth of this nation, as opposed to that government, intervening not on behalf of the people, but rather on behalf of big business, because those that make the decisions at the highest level of governance have decided that their personal benefits, and the positions of power that they are in, are answerable not to the people, but rather to big business, thereby vacating their responsibility to the people, through their lack of integrity and good purpose.

There will never be another Armistice Day

There are plenty of Americans who have never even heard of Armistice Day, which was established in 1919 after the end of World War I, in order to remember the incivility and inhumanity of that war, which cost the lives of so many, pretty much for no good reason. Thus, the purpose of Armistice Day was to make it to be known throughout the United States that war truly is hell, and that civilized nations should resolve to deal with their conflicts through diplomacy as well as other reasonable means to come to a fair resolution between one another, so as to not go to war, unless under the most extreme exigencies.

 Regrettably, Armistice Day did not preclude World War II and other wars from subsequently occurring, and in 1954 was renamed to Veterans Day, even though we already have in this nation, Memorial Day, which signifies that the thoughtfulness and consideration that war is an evil that should be best avoided as expressed by Armistice Day, had been replaced by the belief that a strong nation necessitates a strong military and those that serve in the armed forces, along with the powerful forces behind such, who desire to see the military-industrial-technology complex assert itself all over the world, had taken precedence, signifying that the mindset of America had been modified to the belief that essentially might is right, and those pacifist types that believe in disarmament and peace, with the additional belief that governmental expenditures should actually be utilized for the general welfare and betterment of the people, should be seen as unpatriotic to what America actually needs to deal with, which amounts to bringing war upon all those that will not obey or adhere to its dictates.

 The fact that we no longer have an Armistice Day reflects that the warrior mentality is clearly in ascendancy in America, which is reflected in the fact that America is constantly involved in conflicts and warfare all over the globe, even though America itself is basically a safe sanctuary and has little or no fear that some other nation or series of nations will go to war against it.  Nevertheless, America's governance has somehow convinced a significant amount of the American public that war is necessary and somehow righteous, by selling the illusion to its people that there are evil nations that are intent upon destroying America, because they hate us for our freedom, which is absolutely absurd, but somehow believed by enough Americans, and this continues until the present age.

 Indeed, those that want ever more war, have it in spades, because to the credit of the war mongers at the highest level of governance, they have changed the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War, which makes it clear that America desires to seek out all those that could be considered to be enemies and to bring war upon them, and cares not a whit about Armistice Day because it prefers to resolve conflicts through the sword which thereby precludes the need for diplomacy or a civil conversation, at all.

The unheard

Each of us has been gifted with a voice, but for some of us, maybe even most of us, it seems that when it really matters, too often our voice is unheard.  That is to say, for example, when we look at misbehaving children, it isn’t so much that they are bad at heart, for remember these are just little kids, but rather when we feel that they are acting out, it has a lot more to do with their feeling that they are unheard, and hence they make a scene to get attention, because they want to be recognized and to be heard.  So too, it is the same for those of us who are adults, whenever they act out in ways that we might well find to be discomforting, inconvenient, violent, or upsetting, because they feel that nobody is listening, and that they are being ignored, so they therefore are prone to making a scene, which will bring attention and a response from those who simply have not been paying proper attention to them.

 Indeed, we live in a present construct in which the powers that be, seem to have devolved into the playbook of strict law and order, insisting that what troubles this nation isn’t the unfairness, the inequality, the injustice, or the lack of opportunity, but rather that we coddled those that should be made an example of, and there is no better way to take care of business than to bring the big stick down upon those that are not obedient to the law.  What has been ignored, though, is that the unheard may well have a point. So then, the better response to those who are not behaving as we think they ought to is to try to understand where they are coming from, and to the degree, then, that we can address those areas that will make things better, we ought to do so, because a great society consists of concentrating on promoting the general welfare for all, and not oppressing even more those that are already oppressed and disadvantaged enough.

 All of the above signifies that we need to do a better job of listening to those that have essentially been left behind, so as to better understand what we can do to alleviate their pain and suffering, thereby to get them to the point, where they can take in their rightful claim to liberty, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness, because whenever we find that there is a segment or even segments of the population that have no voice, this thus indicates that they have not been heard, because they have not been provided with a forum to have their say.  So then, any country that desires to earn the moniker of being a great country needs firstly to understand that greatness comes from listening carefully and with consideration to those that have been unheard, and then that nation and its people need to do something constructive to address their concerns, which is not just magnanimity, but it also is justice, writ large.

Know thyself!

There are probably all sorts of things that we need to know in life, of which the first is simply to know who and what we really are, which for many a folk, could necessitate not only a lot of thinking, contemplation, and research, but also the assistance of great avatars so as to come to the realization of what we are actually about.  Indeed, those who expend the time trying to figure out who they are and thereby the purpose of their existence are the same who have put aside the unrelenting “noise” of everyday life to pursue that which will provide them with the avenue of enlightenment, and from that enlightenment, to be able to live a more fruitful and beneficial life.

 This pursuit is not only of utmost importance to ourselves, but should be consider to be of a high importance to everybody, and while we should not infringe upon people’s right to free will and to be their own person, it is in the best interests of society to do our fair part to bring encouragement, insight, and vision especially to those that struggle to understand who and what they are, particularly meant to be directed to those who are searching for that very thing, but may not know it consciously.

 Indeed, if it did not matter what happens to our neighbor or to the society that we are a member of, because that is considered to be their business, or to be something that would distract us from our own goals, is not to comprehend that if other people and what they do and think did not matter, then this world would simply be filled with just our own self and none other, which would be a fair enough construct for us to prove our mettle.  The fact that this is not the case signifies that we have an obligation to teach and to help others, thereby bringing our wisdom to the table, especially when our experiences are something that other people can identify with, because they are going through the same sorts of troubles and questions that we first considered and subsequently resolved. 

 That said, to be a great mentor, it is a requirement that we know ourselves -- for how is it that we can aid those in need, if we can’t answer the most important questions of our existence, which is why we need to take the time and put forth the effort to know who and what we are, and not only to know this, but to demonstrate in that knowledge that we will use such for our own betterment as well as the betterment of the society that we are an active member of.

 Those who have the most disappointing lives, unfulfilled, and full of confusion and strife, are often those who have lost their way, and the first step to getting back on the right track is to recognize that within all of us is the capability to know our purpose and to live to that purpose, thus to cast aside the flotsam and bad habits that have previously precluded us from achieving what we were always meant to achieve.