For real change, “give peace a chance”

In 1969, John Lennon of Beatles fame wrote the song “Give Peace a Chance”, which expressed the clear sentiment that we needed to find a way to turn away from all the violence and discord, and to instead be more considerate, caring, and peaceful towards one another.  This seemed to say that the way to make progress in human, as well as governmental sponsored actions, was to replace violence, armaments, greed, and the attitude that might makes right, by embracing all the good qualities of those that desire for peace, which include justice, charity, disarmament, civility and concentrating on the better angels of our nature to bring about peace, which truly would be a real change.

 Regrettably, more than fifty years later, and this world, and the societies along with the governments that make up this world, don’t seem to have made much progress and while it’s true that there are various achievements which humankind could rightly be proud of as representing progress in human civility and justice, the bottom line is that country after country, and society after society, have for the most part seemingly got even more violent than they were before, or if they have improved, that improvement has not been nearly enough to say that we are in a truly more peaceful sustainable construct than we were back then.

 Look, it has to be acknowledged that it doesn’t seem that the powers that be, who have an incredible influence on what societal programs are financed, and how they are implemented, have actually made a conscious choice to do the right thing by the people, and though there are times when we have seen progressive change, this seems to be countered again and again, with those at the top that insist that we need more law and order, and thereby more of the boot upon the people’s neck. 

 Instead of what we have now, we need to recognize that those that believe that somehow we can achieve peace through unnecessary violence, unfair restrictions, and constant surveillance of what we are doing, will not work to bring lasting peace and there isn’t any reason that it will ever work, for it seems the object of the exercise for those that are at top of power in governments all over the world, is to first take care of their own, and if by doing so, the people as a whole are dealt with unjustly, so be it.

 In sum, the road to peace requires buy-in not just from the general public, but from our legislative representatives and the executive office as well, because working together toward a common goal requires everyone to lend a helping hand.  To achieve lasting peace is one of the most worthy goals, and it is no easy task, which thereby requires blood, sweat, and tears to get us to a more peaceful and just society. Still, as it has been said, the arc of time bends towards justice, and those who desire real change need to do their fair part to actuate this sooner, as compared to all the heartbreak if it is later.

The military-industrial-technology complex owns America

There are all sorts of things to worry about in life, but considering that the two countries that are contiguous to America are not bellicose towards it, and are often quite accommodating to America’s needs and concerns, it is very surprising that so much money, indeed, such a high percentage of our GDP, needs to be allocated to “defense” spending.  The fact is that America spends so much more than any other individual country on its defense needs, that this must clearly reflect that our governance is not of, for, and by the people, at all, but rather the most important thing for those that control the levers of governance and its influencers, is for more and more money to be allocated yearly to our defense expenditures, which is thus taking away from the people and society their needful things.

 At this point, when America points its finger at the big, bad wolf, there is a general acknowledgment that Russia simply doesn’t have the money, the personnel, or the ability to conquer America, and quite frankly, has no desire to do so.  So, when it comes to potential enemies that could challenge America’s global dominance, only one nation is big enough in population and spends enough on defense to conceivably pose as being a true rival: China.  The thing about China is that even though its population is one billion more people than the United States of America, its defense spending as a percentage of GDP is about half of the USA, and at a sheer dollar level is far below the United States.  Indeed, Copilot Search tells us that in the years 2016-2026, America spent a bit over ten trillion dollars on defense, and China spent just under three trillion dollars, leaving a considerable difference of seven trillion dollars between these two nations.  Not only does this seem to strongly suggest that America is wildly overspending on defense, but it also has to be acknowledged that those monies that have been allocated to defense could have been allocated elsewhere, such as in the infrastructure of this nation and the social benefits to the people of this country, instead.

 Indeed, it would appear that to promote the general welfare of the people, which is an important Constitutional clause has given serious ground to defense spending, which is why this the richest nation that the world has ever known, has a considerable amount of its people, struggling not just paycheck to paycheck, but struggling just to have a decent life, because this nation through its governance has decided that a significant swath of the people of this land don’t really matter, and thus they have been left behind and essentially treated as refuse to be ignored and considered to be an irrelevance to the greater glory of military power and might.

 In truth, the decisions that our governance makes absolutely matters and when those decisions are for ever more armaments at the expense of the people, than the die has been cast, and the decision is that the business of America is only that which is in conformance to the desires and dictates of the military-industrial-technology complex, and those that are its most vulnerable and needful can have no better than the scrapes off the masters’ table.

Outward appearances can be deceptive

We are instructed not to judge a book by its cover because outward appearances do not necessarily reflect or typically reflect a person's true character.  We need to remember that the look and accouterments people present in public may or may not be a deception, so we should reserve our opinion of someone until we actually get to know them.  Additionally, it is important not to place too much trust in someone that we don’t even know, by virtue of the fact that they look nice or appear to be nice, for when we are quick to believe that all is well when we don’t really have enough information to actually know, we can get ourselves into a potentially troubling situation, by being way too trusting in a situation that doesn’t warrant such.

 While it is appropriate to be civil to one another, it is not appropriate to provide what we would consider to be rather personal information about ourselves to someone that we do not really know to fill their supposed need to know  Additionally, we should always be careful in dealing with those that we do not know, because the bottom line is that those that are up to no good, recognize intuitively that they are going to be more successful in their shameful acts when they have taken on the aura of being respectable by looking the part by being well dressed and well mannered, which encourages us to bring ourselves closer to them, and thus endangers our person, when they are something entirely unexpected and out to damage us.

 So too, there are plenty of people that we are quick to judge without having spoken a word to them, because, for instance, they don’t look the way that we think is appropriate, or they don’t smell the way that reflects cleanliness, or they act in a manner that we find to be weird, and so on. While it is absolutely fine to be wary of that which we don’t feel comfortable with, this doesn’t mean that we ought to judge them, mainly because we don’t know them, and while it makes sense to be circumspect and careful around those that discomfort us, it doesn’t mean that they are bad people, mainly because we don’t know them or their circumstances.

 Additionally, because so many of us live in communities which are so large we find that we typically are not in a position to truly know one another, we thus therefore need to comprehend that those that have bad intentions, appreciate the anonymity that exists all around them in big cities because in a very small town, people’s reputations, fairly or unfairly, precede them, while in a big city they do not, which is why it is imperative that we consider our own safety first, before we place ourselves in a position in which someone that we do not know can take advantage of us.

 So then, don’t put too much credence into outward appearances, or be quick to give credit where credit is not due, because those with bad intentions are savvy about hiding who they really are, and adept at deceiving us, which is why we need to be eternally vigilant for our own safety.

The devil can cite Scripture for his own purpose

Regrettably, there are plenty of people who will take our words and even our actions out of perspective to try thus to show us as being something that we really are not.  While this is frustrating to deal with, it demonstrates that those who are intent upon impugning our character will do what they do so that they can, by bringing ourselves down, justify themselves better.  That is to say, one of the reasons why we may have to deal with unjust criticism from others that distorts who we are is because these people who are up to no good are attempting to move the spotlight from their own faults and make it to be about our own, thus somewhat absolving them of their character faults.

 So then, we find that the devil and others can cite Scripture for their own purpose, because they desire to take what would appear to be an authoritarian, sacred, and well-respected book and twist it in a way in which whatever position that they favor appears to be in accordance with God, when in actuality, it isn’t, because the Scripture so being utilized, has been misinterpreted, taken out of context, or truncated in a way that its original purpose has been compromised.  In other words, those who are intent upon hurting us can find ways to do so by editing our true viewpoint, or overemphasizing some of our words at the expense of other words that we have spoken, to make it look like we are something different than what we truly are.

 We find that there are those people who have no hesitation in doing whatever it takes to hurt us, especially when, by doing so, it makes them look better so as to take the pressure off of them, which is why they are doing what they have done.  Those who purposely distort our words to make us appear to be something that we are not may well have success in their dastardly acts, but will at some point suffer the fair consequences for their immoral and wrongful actions.  Indeed, we need to recognize that there will be justice and a fair accounting of who and what we are, so that those who make it appear that Scripture says the very opposite of what it is intended for will have to answer for their deception, in one way or another, sooner or later.

 When it comes to those who are out to get us through foul and unfair means, all we can basically do is ask people to take into account who they know us to be, as well as for them to consider the source of those who attack us, and pretty much leave it at that, because there isn’t any good point in endlessly fighting against those that have an agenda against us, because not every critic or potential argument or accusation, necessitates our continual attention to it, for in the end, in the skeins of time, truth will always win out.

The fault is in ourselves

There are plenty of people who have lives of quiet desperation and disappointment, in which they are often quick to point out how unfair life has been to them, which may actually be valid.  That said, no matter how a given person’s life becomes, at some point, those responsible and in the know need to take agency over who and what they are becoming, because in the end, what has been done or not done is assigned to the person who is involved in those moments in time.  This signifies that the very first thing that all of us need to do is to fully comprehend that we are responsible for how we think and, consequently, how we act, and the wrong thinking has a whole lot to do with the wrong acts subsequently done.

 One thing we need to understand better is that during a storm with very heavy rainfall, water will find a way into our homes, even if the way in is small and seems inconsequential, because where there is a leak or a weakness, relentless water will find it.  This means that we should consider our full character and that which we are weak at so that we can shore it up, or else that weakness could easily bring us down, or be exploited by others that read us well, and thus they will take advantage of us in those moments when our vulnerability is most evident.

 So then, we find, while there a whole bunch of character faults that most of the people suffer from in some way at some time, such as anger, lust, greed, and envy, we almost always know where our greatest weaknesses are, because these are the same types of mistakes and errors, that we repeat, time and time again, which signifies that these are the most telling mistakes that need to be dealt with constructively because quite obviously they aren’t being corrected on their own.

 Of course, we are human and obviously subject to the lures that society seems to entice us with.  Still, the bottom line is that we have the capability to improve our character if we make this a focus of our lives, for when we are quick to get angry and frustrated, we should try to ascertain what it is that triggers such anger and then do something about it, so that we don’t keep making the same sort of mistake, because quite obviously we aren’t progressing.  Further to the point, when we reflect upon our error and are suitably embarrassed by it, we ought to see this as something which is reminding us that we should and can do better, because the very first step in correcting bad behavior is the sure recognition that we have erred.

 Indeed, while life will present us with plenty of challenges, we need to see these not as something that we hate having to deal with, but rather as our opportunity to rise to the occasion and to deal constructively and correctly with it, so that we can progress into becoming a wiser and more mature person, who has successfully develop not just the self-awareness of who we really are, but demonstrates again and again, that our responses, so of, are consistent with those that have not just learnt their lessons well but are applying such for their own betterment and also as their contribution to the society that they are a good member of.

Capitalism and Christianity should be at loggerheads

It’s amazing that for some reason a significant swath of Americans believe that capitalism and Christianity are somehow compatible.  This would seem to strongly suggest that people don’t seem to understand well what Christianity means, and probably don’t understand well what capitalism represents, because for certain they should be at loggerheads, and to believe differently, is incorrect.

 The first thing to recognize about Christianity is that it is not a self-centered materialistic religion.  In other words, the Bible clearly makes the point that we are to share things in common, though we are under no compulsion to do so, and that wealth, rather than being seen as something that signifies how blessed that we are, would be more appropriately seen as something that makes many a person stumble for none of us can serve two masters, and those that are serving mammon are the same that are not serving Christ.

 So too, when we look at Christ, we need to remember that Christ owned nothing material and did not desire to have riches, but rather made it His point to care for the downtrodden, the vulnerable, sinners, common laborers, and those that were, because of their position, such as tax collectors, out of favor with the people.  While Christ did not begrudge those that were rich, He made it clear, that the rich while having the best of it here on earth, would find it problematic to obtain the kingdom of Heaven, because quite frankly, we are, in essence, what we spend our time doing and obtaining, and those that are after lucre, are the same that aren’t at their heart, faithful to the tenets of God and have failed to paid their dues to what Christianity truly represents.

 While capitalism preaches the value that those that put their nose to the grindstone are fairly entitled to the profits so generated, the fact of the matter is, that those that are exclusively fixated on making money are the same that are going to frequently try or be tempted to tilt the playing field to their favor, because capitalism as it is played, encourages those at the highest level, to seek ever more profit, not just for their own benefit, but also as what they supposedly rightly owe to their investors and executive officers, which puts money at the forefront, leaving charity to be something basically akin to paying off society in a way and manner that it appears that capitalists are doing their fair part in giving back to their community.

 Each of us has a calling in life, and those that find their calling to be the accouterments of material success will find that capitalism at its best, can fulfill that well on a personal level, but as in anything, because of the free choices that we have made, there is a consequence for those choices, so those that have it all in their monetary favor in this world, by prioritizing financial success over religious faithfulness, may believe that their subsequent donations and charitable acts will do them right in the skeins of time, but they must surely understand that when judgment comes, they will be seen as receiving credit for having heard the Word but paltry in their bearing of fruit.

Capitalism at its worst has no guardrails

Here, in America, we live in a capitalistic age in which the most powerful mega corporations that the world has ever known are somehow permitted to do pretty much whatever that it is, that they so desire, and while it is true that from time-to-time some of these corporations have been sanctioned with monetary fines in the billions of dollars, it needs to be understood that when corporations are making multi-billion dollars in profits yearly, that paying back a fraction of that to the government, is simply looked upon as the cost of doing business, and in absence of antitrust or other effective guardrails being put into place, it’s pretty much full speed ahead for these behemoth corporations.

 We like to believe that capitalism and competition go together, and by virtue of a market in which there is healthy competition, this is beneficial not only for the state but also for the people.  The problem, though, is that many businesses don’t actually care for competition, because it impacts not only their bottom line but also makes them vulnerable to losing their position; whereas their preference is to always increase revenues and profit, signifying that competitors are often seen as something that needs to be dealt with in a constructive way, and one of those ways is to buy them out.

 When it comes to buying out one’s competitor, it needs to be understood that a significant number of competitors aren’t interested in being bought out, because they are quite satisfied with the business that they are doing, and appreciate being in the driver’s seat of making decisions.  That said, businesses have to answer to capital, and especially need to answer to their venture capital and stockholder investors, and when those investors are of the mind that they want the lucre from being bought out, then many companies will somewhat reluctantly permit themselves to be bought out, which quite obviously means less competition for the buyer of such.

 Then there are those companies, that because perhaps there are so few players to begin with such as we see in the airline industry, as well as certain sectors of the defense industry, and so on, understand well that the optics of being bought out just aren’t going to work, and where there is plenty of business pretty much for everyone, there is structured a deal, understood between the parties, but not formally agreed to that essentially aligns the interests of these businesses that makes for a smoother revenue and profit line without impacting business concerns, because they are, in essence, colluding with one another to get what they want by deliberating not undercutting one another and so forth.

 Finally, when there is a competitor that simply will not be bought out, and will not align with the mega-corporations’ desires, then the nuclear option is to deliberately undercut that competitor through the pricing of the products so being sold, in which a mega-corporate conglomerate can readily run a particular sector of their business at a purposeful loss, whenever the gameplan is to do so, to drive the competitor out of business or severely damage such, with the understanding that in the future, prices will rise to recover this scorched earth tactic.

 In all of these things, we find that the governance of this nation, seems to take a laissez-faire position, not really because it has no vested interest in the outcome, but often because those in governance that could do something actionable about such, are themselves either captured by industry or are from that industry and hence performing their duties not from the people’s perspective but instead in homage to that industry for their own personal aggrandizement.

The secrecy that undercuts American values

A great country that is a source of freedom, liberty, and justice for the people is that of which its governance makes it to be their principle to be transparent and accountable to the people.  For that to happen, it must conduct its most important policies in the open, so they can be debated and discussed, so the people know what is happening on their behalf and can leave their imprint on it.

 This signifies that any nation that makes it their point, that to govern and to protect the people, it needs an inordinate amount of secret institutions, that are not accountable to the people, that are not open to the people, and are hence not transparent to the people, quite obviously makes it susceptible of doing things in secret, that the people would not countenance if they were to know the extent of it.  While it is true, that there are those situations such as in warfare, that necessitate secrecy, in addition to secrecy having its place when it comes to protecting vital interests of the nation, there needs to be at a minimum, measured discretion, which does not mean nor does it signify, that secrecy should be the go to option of those in government, but rather it should be used selectively as well as still being accountable to those that are the representatives of the people, and thus should never be an operation that is essentially running on its own, and answerable only to those that are the ones that actuated it in the first place.

 Indeed, the more secrets that a given governance has and keeps, the less free the people are.  Additionally, secrecy is quite obviously the place for governance to do all sorts of things that they would not dare attempt if it were ever to become public knowledge, typically not because it would hurt true national security, but rather because the powers that be of those secrets desire to be able to do nefarious or underhanded things that they would reasonably expect would not meet with universal public approval.

 The government that leads us should itself be a paragon of virtue and right action, best proved by being open with the people, and thus subject to review and approval.  On the other hand, secrecy, depending upon how many layers of secrecy there are, becomes a dynamic in which the left hand might not know what the right hand is doing, and the principles behind such secrecy in the first place are often forgotten, changed, or ignored.  Further to the point, in absence of effective oversight or strong shields to prevent bad acts being done under the color of secrecy, which thereby undercuts the very essence of what American values are, there needs to be robust rules in place to reduce considerably that which is permitted to be secret, and all those institutions that are currently structured as secret, should be thoroughly audited as to the reason why, and ultimately accountable to representatives of the people in a way and manner that when something secret needs to be curtailed, that those representatives can curtail it, or else this nation has, in essence, permitted secrecy to trump democratic values.

Why democratic representation matters

The main reason why democratic representation matters and why the voice of the people has a right to be heard is because we find that, in nation after nation there historically has been a governance in which those elites at the very top, essentially through the practicality and power invested in them of that governance, determines what the law will or will not be and thus how that form of social justice is enacted and enforced within that nation, which typically favors the few at the expense of the many.  That is to say, whenever it is that the powers that be, control not just the levers of power, but are themselves the same that are its legislature and are the masters of how justice is determined and ultimately exacted within the nation, than the people are not free, they aren’t really citizens, but rather they are unfree, without self-determination, and are no more and no less than subjects, subjected to the whims of those that are its rulers.

 All of the above represents the prevailing reason as to why not only should the Constitution, fairly debated and thus agreed to by the people, should be the supreme law of the land, but also why it is mandatory that those that are the representatives of the people, as well as the judicial officers so appointed or elected, must be a fair representation of those same people from all walks of life, because when that is not the case, in which, instead, we have a small subset of citizens that went to the “right” schools, know the “right” people, and have the “right” accouterments of power, influence, and connections will thus represent exclusively those that are in control of how things are legislated and enacted, thus signifies for a certainty, that the people not only won’t have a true voice, but they are in the uncomfortable construct in which the authority of the state is essentially held in the hands of those that do not represent them, because they are from a different milieu which quite obviously will first take care of their own and if not they will be evicted from the same.

 In fact, a true democratic nation is that nation in which the rights of all of the people, that favors none, is the very principle of the structure of that governance, in which, that governance is not only fully transparent with the people, by not having, for example, a hidden powerful governance behind the scenes, but also will not have a multitude of secret agencies, secret institutions, and secret agendas, which are forever unexamined by the people, and for the most part, unanswerable to the people.

 Indeed, whenever the people effectively have no voice because they have no representation, or whenever their representation has no effective legislative, judicial, or executive power, then the rights of the people have been vacated to that which answers not to them, and subsequently the result is that the people are oppressed, and seen essentially as a tool for those that are empowered to be exploited, manipulated, and used, until their usefulness has been completely extracted from them, and then they are discarded.

“What we need in the United States is not division…”

On April 4, 1968, in Indianapolis, Senator Robert Kennedy, upon hearing that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr had been assassinated, said in his extemporaneous speech, “What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness; but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country…”

 Yet here we are decades later, and we aren’t really any closer to loving our neighbor, being more peaceful or law-abiding, and, in many cases, we've forsaken compassion, dismissed justice, and foregone our obligations to those most vulnerable and still suffering greatly in this nation.  While it has to be acknowledged that there are plenty of people and organizations who have made it their point to do right by the people by providing those most in need with aid and comfort, there are plenty of those other citizens, however, who don’t seem to care about the poor and downtrodden, or simply dismiss such people out of their minds.

 The United States is truly at a crossroads, and desperately needs not just the right leadership to deal with its systemic troubles, but also to have the wherewithal to do the right thing through that leadership, as compared to favoring the superrich individuals and corporations that pretty much have it to be their way, and thereby primarily share as little as possible with the American public, and care not to be fair to them, or to contribute their fair share in taxation and in giving back to the country that provided them with the opportunity to achieve such great wealth.

 So too, the animosity and uncivility that we see from those that are our politicians towards one another while also being imposed upon the people, again and again, is thus serving to divide us ever further -- whereas the objective of the lesson here in America, should be to become a true melting pot, of people that have originated from different nationalities, different religions, and different circumstances, to ultimately come together into one body politic, to help make this nation a great nation, of truth, justice, and liberty, for all.

 Indeed, the United States of America seems to have lost its values, and replaced selflessness and service, with the wrong belief that each of us should be about getting as much as we personally can and thereby the devil take the hindmost, which quite obviously reflects not only the worse of capitalism but also demonstrates that this government supposedly of, for, and by the people has deviated from its good purposes to not support the most vulnerable, but instead to almost exclusively favor those that are the power brokers of this nation to the exclusion of the people that it should and ought to serve.

 Where this nation goes from here really comes down to the people of this land, for the change that we so desire is going to have to come from those that will not deviate from standing upon the principles that love, civility, justice and unity are the true mark of a great nation and that it is our incumbent duty to take care of our people first by turning our swords into plowshares, and utilizing some of our collective wealth to build a solid foundation for those that are fairly entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness by providing all that live within our borders with the fair opportunity to live in decent housing, to be educated, and to have the opportunity to become something of merit by a system that does not unfairly close the door upon them.

 The decision of where we go comes forth from what we truly are at heart, for united we stand and divided we fall.

Setting a good example and civic trust

For any civic society to survive and thrive, all parties must believe in the virtue of trusting one another and, in turn, deal fairly with one another.  This is something that those in the most powerful positions, whether that be political, corporate, or governance, need to make sure that they adhere to, because whenever the perception by the people is that their society is really structured between those that have all the advantages and thereby utilize those advantages for their personal aggrandizement at the expense of the people, then we find that trust is eroded, because society devolves into a construct in which each party is trying to “get over” on the other, which is quite obviously not beneficial for trust and cooperation.

 So too, when it comes to our family structure, as much as our parents might seem to believe that their children aren’t smart enough or savvy enough to see the contradictions between what they tell us to do and what they themselves do, whenever their actions are not in conformance with honest and good manners, this creates the problem of children losing trust in their parents, and basically having a strong tendency of losing trust in authority figures, in general, because they hear the talk, but see that the talk does not always match the corresponding actions.

 All of us has a responsibility to one another, for we live not upon individual islands, and if more people took to heart, that we should treat others with the same respect and decency that we would want them to treat us, this would make for more civic trust and for a better society, because the fact of the matter is that whenever we don’t trust the other, we therefore have to put into place all sorts of additional constraints, surveillances, and doublechecking to make sure that whatever that it is that is supposed to happen as per promises made, actually does happen.  On the other hand, where there is trust, there is the presumption that a person’s word is their bond, and that, once agreed upon, will thus be enacted, without us having to verify everything.

 When we think about the whole security apparatus, we need to comprehend better that as much as we might be able to secure ourselves and our possessions in a lot of cases, we can’t secure it all, even when we have taken the most careful consideration and planning to do so, because in the end, those that are motivated to get what we have and are intensely focused upon it, will probably find a way, which is why those that decry that we need more law and order, need to comprehend that we wouldn’t need even more, if we had firstly more civic trust, and that the beginning of making a society better and more wholesome, necessitates trust and fair dealings with one another, and whenever this occurs, there begets a more civil society.

 So then, each of us needs to do our fair part to be considerate of the other, by making the conscious choice that cooperation, consideration, and concern for one another make for a better and more desirable society.

The military and the supreme law of the land

The United States of America proclaims that it is a nation of laws, of which the substance of those laws must be in conformance with the Constitution, for without such a rule of law, then pretty much whatever the powers that be so desire and subsequently implement would, in effect, act as the law, and thereby hollow out the Constitution and make it irrelevant.  This thus signifies that those who are our legislative representatives, as well as our judicial courts, and our executive office, must adhere to the Constitution, and thereby no one person or institution is “above” that Constitution, for this is a land in which the Constitution, not any other personage or organization, is the supreme law of the land.

 All of the above should be a real source of comfort to everyday Americans, because this signifies that America cannot become something other than what it was created to be by the Constitution, unless those that are in power are somehow placed in the position to do so or take it upon themselves to do so, and no effective opposition stops them.  So then, when it comes to the military, and to the orders of that military, it is of upmost importance to recognize that the military must adhere to the Constitution, from the highest to the lowest, and that the duty of those that serve this nation, is first and foremost to serve that Constitution, and those that do not, are the same that are, in essence, enemies of the true state.

 When it comes to the military, people need to understand that great power in the sense of armaments, personnel, and the infrastructure to support such, permit those exercising that power, whether directly through the highest military commanders or in conjunction with the executive office, should they be inclined to make an end around the Constitution, will thereby commit a great disservice to this republic, for by doing so, they would have abandoned their obedience to the supreme law of the land, and should thereby be seen as what they are, rebels to that Constitution, and therefore in rebellion to the people of this country.

 Indeed, we find in nation after nation all around the world that military juntas are a fairly common way for the prevailing political party, fairly elected, to be overthrown because military might is not something that the people can effectively counteract whenever they are seriously outgunned, and do not wish to become carnage in such an uprising.  So, it is clear that the greatest military power in the world must make it its point that those committed to serving this nation actually serve what they are supposed to serve: the supreme law of the land, our Constitution.

 In short, those who want to be patriotic need to fully understand that only those who abide by Constitutional law are patriots, and anyone outside that constraint, or who tries to subvert it, is a traitor to this republic and deserves neither our loyalty nor our support.

Christ was the master of endurance; He paid the price

While there are a multitude of words to describe Jesus the Christ, such as Son of God, Messiah, Redeemer, Prince of Peace, Savior, and so on, one of those words that seems to be seldom used is endurance.  That is to say, when we consider who Christ was, and the injustices that happened to him, such as the mockery, the beatings, the contempt, the betrayal, and the crucifixion, we then need to take into fair reflection that to suffer those things necessitated not just surrender to God, but also the endurance and devotion to do so, on our behalf.

 This thus signifies that it isn’t good enough to just see Christ as a great prophet, or avatar, or even our Messiah, without understanding that He suffered and that He endured it for our sakes, because Christ had the power to do something about it to save Himself, but did not do so, because the enduring lesson that we need to take to heart is that there is most definitely a price to pay for sin, for evil, and for things that we have done wrong, which therefore necessitates a true sacrifice, and that sacrifice was made by Christ, not only because He loves us, but because it was necessary to help rectify wrongs that had been done by us.

 So then, all those that have erred in their behavior, need to better understand that our thoughts and actions have consequences, and in order for things to be set right, there needs to be something done that will take care of these issues, and a simple apology or a promise to do better in the future will not do, because that, quite frankly, is not enough.

 Each of us needs to reflect upon the fact that there are fair consequences for our bad actions, and that the best way to make good on these mistakes, is to not only to do right where there has been wrong, but also to recognize that negative like for like, such as violence in response to violence, or insults in response to insults, is not ever going to get the job done.  Rather, we are required not just to find a better and more constructive way to deal with things as they are, but also to make good on that which was wrong -- we too are going to have to demonstrate our endurance as our tribute to God.

 Indeed, there is no easy path to get to the only destination worth arriving at, which means that this life represents our opportunity to utilize our free will in a way and manner that we do homage to that which created us, by thus making amends where we have done wrong, by subsequently doing the right thing; and also when the times require such, to endure what we need to endure, to assure ourselves that not only will we have done our good part on behalf of our brothers and sisters, but also that when put to the test, we did not waver, nor complain, but we endured, as did Christ, before us.

What to do

Life must have a meaningful purpose for our existence, or else life becomes meaningless.  This signifies that it is incumbent on us to find that purpose and then to live for that good purpose, for when we do so, we have a life truly worth living and have thus correspondingly structured our lives to do our good part to help make society a better place for our good participation in it.

 What we do find is that in this world, life offers its challenges along with its temptations; some of those temptations can lead us far astray from where we ought and should be.  So too, those that aren’t able to handle their challenges well and thus overcome them are the same that are going to be susceptible to making bad decisions based upon their perception of personal failure and inability, which can be rather destructive, which is why all of us need to do our fair part to lend aid and a helping hand when such is appropriate to do our good part thereby to make things better for those that are struggling and are hurting.

 Regrettably, some people are reluctant to do much of this or that, because they don’t feel that they are good enough, but that seems to miss the point, for it is in the effort to help, and to be good for something of merit, which helps make this world better.  Indeed, none of us are perfect, so then we need not be overly concern that everything that we touch and interrelate with, requires perfection from us, but it does signify that we ought to be concentrating on doing the right thing, as compared to doing the convenient thing, or even worse, the wrong thing, which is why we need to keep our wits about us, because not everyone that we meet or congregate with, has our best interests in mind, and those that do not have the proper resolution to resist temptation or to say “no” are those that have veered off the straight and narrow, typically to their regret.

 We are meant to do the best that we can do within the abilities that we have, which signifies that small deeds most definitely have their place, because it is in the small favors, gifts, cares and concerns, that we are most human one to another, and the right word at the right time, or the right deed done for the right person are the very things that fit a need that helps to make things better.

 We serve best the one who first created us by making it our point to be good and fair in all our interactions, whether we receive thanks or appreciation or not; for the reward that is of most importance to us is that which is attuned to the good characteristics of that which brought us into existence.  So then, we need to do our fair part to shine light where there is darkness, to love where there is hate, and to bring justice where there is injustice, all done through thinking the right thoughts and following through by doing the right deeds, in the sure knowledge that by doing so, we have done right by our immaculate Creator for the greater good of humankind.

The exploited fear of immigrants

Because we live in the richest nation that the world has ever known, there thus is a certain type of pressure applied upon those that are born within this nation, that they need to have or to obtain the accouterments that demonstrate that they have achieved something of merit within this nation, or else they worry that they won’t look too good when compared to others, and this is especially galling to those that seemed to be vulnerable to losing the little that they have, and thus being left behind, especially when it appears that immigrants have gotten the better of them.

 This signifies that a certain segment of native born Americans are concerned about falling behind and are especially concerned that immigration may be the prevailing reason for them falling behind, because they feel that these immigrants have taken a lot of their jobs away, have taken their welfare away, have taken their housing away, and have left them therefore vulnerable to not having security in the job that they have, and thereby under constant pressure that when they do work, that they aren’t going to be able to make a living or sustainable wage, which basically means that they have failed to achieve the American dream, and while the blame could probably be put elsewhere and be more appropriately targeted to the way the system is structured and implemented, they have a strong tendency to keep it simplistic by blaming immigrants for, in their viewpoint, ruining their lives.

 So then, whenever politicians or influencers of all types, get up on their high horse, and proselytize that the reason why some of us are feeling pressured, or are lacking security in those areas of most importance, such as wages and housing, they like to put the blame on outside agitators, such as those that permit immigrants to willy-nilly “invade” this country and then serve to undercut us with their labor rate, and to also wrongly take away our welfare benefits from us, or reduce such, because there are so many of them and they keep on coming here.

 This then is really the crux of the matter, which is that people of this nation have an abiding concern to take care of those necessary things in life, which really involves being at a minimum an adequate provider, necessitating decent wages, housing, healthcare, and thus being able to live a satisfactory life and when those things seem to be out of reach, or are actually out of reach, blame needs to be placed somewhere, and rather than blame themselves for at least partially failing, or to blame those that have undue influence upon where capital is expended, as well as blaming those that have eviscerated labor unions, or the politicians that have hollowed out welfare benefits, it just seems easier to blame it on the immigrants under the mistaken notion that if it wasn’t for them, all would be well, when in actuality the system itself, needs fixing, because the duty of the good governance of this nation, should be to see that all who labor and applied themselves, make a living wage and are backstopped with appropriate welfare benefits, fit for this the richest nation in the world.

What does “national security” actually mean?

In America, we hear this term “national security” again and again, which, for the uninitiated and those who prefer not to question authority, seems to be a good thing, for most everyone wants to be “secure” in their possessions and to be safe from that which would threaten their overall security.  So then, to be pro-national security seems to be a sign of someone who is a true patriot.  Still, the thing is, in actuality, national security has far less to do with us personally being secured, and of our unalienable rights definitely being secured, but rather has far more to do with the status quo, or those that are empowered, securing what they have, and if there is a conflict between those that are empowered to put forth the agenda of what they have earmarked as national security as contrasted to our interpretation of such, our viewpoint doesn’t matter.  In other words, national security pretty much has everything to do with those in the catbird seat wanting to continue to hold onto or even to augment theirs, along with those that help to make that happen as being their interpretation of such, and the rest of us, are pretty much irrelevant in their pursuit of what is really their personal security, under the guise of it being national security.

 We find that way too often, when the people are told that they need to sacrifice some of their unalienable rights, but just temporarily because of some enemies or disturbances that must be dealt with, we find that rights once sacrificed seldom come back to the robustness that they once represented, but instead are often a shell of their former selves.  Additionally, when it comes to what the general public is required or urged to do on behalf of national security, it seems that the people are often the ones who are on the front line of risk to secure such, whereas the true beneficiaries of this push to strengthen national security, are themselves, totally secure, for they have us as their minions to be risking life and limb on behalf of them.

 No doubt, when it comes to freedom and liberty, there needs to be some sort of give and take regarding security, but that give and take should not only be out in the open, debated and discussed, but in the end, it should be the people that decide how much security that they really desire, and what they are willing to sacrifice, if anything to secure such, in addition to where the red lines are drawn when it comes to that security.  Further to the point, the people need to know what it is that they benefit from, when it comes to prioritizing national security, because for a certainty, those that want to be secure are going to have to sacrifice something, and may be sacrificing something of real value, so then they ought to know what it is, so that they can make an informed decision, because as it stands, national security seems to be one of those nebulous things which means whatever the powers that be wants it to mean, and in actuality mainly implemented to manipulate and to control the population for their own personal aggrandizement.

“With malice toward none…” and America today

There was a time when America was trending toward being not only a true bastion of liberty and equality for all, but also magnanimous in forgiving situations where forgiveness might have been hard to come by.  Truthfully, Lincoln said it best, for when provided with the fair opportunity, after the deaths of well over 500,000 Americans, and billons upon billions of dollars of damage to this United States, made it his point to not just bury the hatchet, but to have an abiding interest in doing the right thing and re-uniting this nation so that it could become what it was meant to be from its inception, but could not be, because slavery at the time of the Declaration of Independence and the subsequent Constitution was the law of the land which precluded such, but with the conclusion of the Civil war, and the Amendments so added to that Constitution, a new birth of freedom thus awaited this nation.  So then, when given the opportunity to make the South pay for its intransigence and for being wrong, Lincoln was of the mind to forgive and to heal up those wounds through charity, while also emphasizing that now was the time to do right and to firmly commit to that pathway.

 Indeed, America is a nation that not just knows what is right, but has the capacity to do right, of which, instead of seeing this nation as a true melting pot, and thus uniting under the fabric of liberty and justice for all, thus being inclusive of all races, all religions, and all nationalities, has decided instead to essentially throw that away, and concentrate in its place divisiveness, hatred, vengeance, war, and pretty much the attitude that might makes right, and those that do not countenance that, aren’t true to this country -- which signifies that in today’s America there is a serious lack towards charity for all, and a distinct preference to embrace wrong over right, which will if it so continues along this path, mean the ultimate dissolution of this nation, and the collapse of everything that it ought and could have been.

 This then is the threshold that America is at, to make that firm decision as to whether it will go forward and do what is right for humanity all over the world, by being a proper leader, and to also thereby care for the wounded and hurt within this nation, so as to improve the general welfare of the people in whole, or in lieu of such to take on the guise of the avenger, wreaking havoc throughout this world under the color that its actions are just, when they surely are not.

 Those then that insist upon living by the sword are destined to die by it, for they have forsaken turning swords into plowshares and have instead believed that the only way to bring lasting peace is to war, which not only doesn’t make any sense, but is anathema to those that would desire for this nation to truly be that freedom-loving shining light perpetually lit upon the hill

Go to Walmart and see the real America

The thing about America is that everybody, no matter their status in life, is going to have to shop to pick up essential household goods, such as groceries, supplies, trinkets, and other items that are a necessary part of living here. While those with money can do a fair amount of shopping online or at prestigious stores, should that be their inclination, there are those basics that have to be purchased, and that can be done at Walmart. The one thing that we can say about Walmart, which is especially true of their superstores, is that they carry just about everything that a household would commonly need, along with the fact that their convenience and pricing are quite favorable to the consumer.

 This means, from high to low, Walmart serves a necessary function, and while Walmart isn’t necessarily located everywhere within a city, those that want to get a better understanding of what America represents, and to rub elbows with people that they might not commonly congregate with can find those same people at a Walmart, especially when they drive to a place in their greater community that is considered to be middle class, or even better, lower middle class.

 The really nice thing about a Walmart superstore is that because it is so big and it has just about everything that we could ever want, that this provides us with the ready excuse to walk in and around all the aisles of Walmart, and by doing so, to see families that are shopping, to hear their conversations, and to just see and look upon people, giving us an insight to the regular folk of America.  Further to the point, there is that opportunity to have a conversation with them to get a feel for who they are, because whether we are commenting on some item that we are considering purchasing, its price, the weather, a sports team, or whatever, there is that true opportunity to engage one another.

 So too, Walmart employs an awful lot of people who are out on the floor, taking care of stocking, tidying up, aiding us in checkout, and so forth, and because they work there, they are basically obligated to respond to our inquiries, which provides us with a chance to get a feel as to who and what they are, for these “associates” represent America as it is, in the sense of employment, and depending upon how a conversation goes, their dreams of the future.

 Indeed, the very purpose of visiting Walmart, is the opportunity especially for those that have it so good, to actually see America as it really is, with the sure knowledge that there are a multitude of Americans that struggle paycheck to paycheck, that don’t really make a living wage, or have health issues, or other issues within their family, and to understand that these people, are just as American as you are, but the difference is the fact that they are living in a different milieu, but are at their core, still part of the American fabric. So then, we ought to pay attention to them, because they deserve to be seen and to be heard, so that we better understand their struggles and to see more clearly that they represent, in many ways, the real America, which we ought to know and to see.

A needed perspective on King George III

All good Americans are quite familiar with our Declaration of Independence, and can remember that “these truths are self-evident” and that we have “...certain unalienable rights.”  What most people don’t remember or don’t bother reading is that more than half of Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence addressed the “absolute tyranny” of King George III and then it proceeded to list quite a few offenses against the colonists as thus representing the why as to the justification for the colonists to rise up in righteous revolution against Great Britain and King George III.

 Indeed, when we look at today’s America, this seems to be a country that is moving away from justice and liberty for all, to something more akin to what we would see in a tyranny, and thus some of the very same complaints addressed to King George III are the same complaints that could be made today.  For instance, “he has made Judges dependent upon his will alone,” “He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people,” “He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power,” and “He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us.”  All of these are as true today as they were back in the 18th century, and are a reflection that this is not really a government of, for, and by the people, nor does this truly represent a government conducted under the consent of the governed, but rather our governance is trending in a non-democratic and tyrannical manner.

 Additionally, when it comes to how our governmental leadership has lost its way, consider the fact that a multitude of violent criminals who took the law into their own hands on January 6, 2021, have been pardoned.  Additionally, we find that many dedicated civil servants have been terminated from their positions or have been encouraged to quit or to prematurely retire because our current governance insists on personal loyalty to the current party as of most vital importance, rather than actually serving the people.  So too, there have been a multitude of federal agencies that have essentially been hollowed out, compromised, or eliminated, so that the protections so structured for the American people, for their benefit, no longer exist or are no longer effective in their mission of service to those people.

 When it comes to justice being fairly and equally applied, we find that the 1st and 14th Amendments are currently being violated by prevailing governmental policy, wrongly interpreted, and that due process is being ignored so that people that should have their day in court, are summarily being deported to places that they did not even originate from, in addition to people wrongly designated as illegal immigrants who are, in fact, legal citizens, being arrested for no offense.   Additionally, some of the largest corporations, some of our most prestigious higher educational facilities, and some of our most influential legal firms have had to compromise themselves and their principles so that they will be subsequently looked upon favorably by this current administration.

 Indeed, while King George III may have made many errors in judgment, at least that King at that time had a somewhat sensible purpose behind his actions, meant for the betterment of Great Britain and its empire that the sun did not set upon.  On the other hand, in America, it’s really all about personal aggrandizement of the highest office of this land, in which the only thing that appears to matter is loyalty, fidelity, and tribute to that Executive office, and the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution, be damned.

Literacy should be 100% in the United States

We read at worldmetrics.org that their 2026 report states that “More than 36 million U.S. adults are functionally illiterate.”  This statistic for this the richest nation in aggregate that the world has ever known is unacceptable, and therefore this government should make it to be their top priority to turn this around.  In fact, we find that literacy can be substantially increased, even within just a year’s time, if the effort is put forth to do exactly that. 

 For instance, in Cuba in 1961, they made a conscious decision that those that were the most illiterate, which were essentially a substantial portion of those that resided in rural areas, needed to become literate so that they could join in with those of the city in uniting into a more common people, that understood better the needs and skills of one another, thus making for a more unified Cuba with a common purpose for all.  This signified that the government impressed upon literate people their need to not just teach the illiterate how to read, but in order for this to occur, this necessitated that they have to live with these rural families, which also helped them to understand better the challenges that rural living presented, as well as to understand who and what these people were.

 Incredibly, within a year, Cuba was able to improve the literacy rate of its people up to a reported 96%.  This was accomplished not just through the volunteers that did their part, but also through the government doing its necessary part to address food insecurity, as well as healthcare and childcare to improve the structure to more readily obtain these vital things for those that were the poorest of Cubans, and because the Cuban government in conjunction with literate volunteers made it a high priority to accomplish these goals, the literacy rate was substantially improved.

 Indeed, what far too many people in America seem somehow to not realize is that any substantial area that needs improvement can be successfully addressed, whenever there is a concentration to do that very thing, which strongly suggests that those in the poorest school districts with the worse education facilities need not just a serious helping hand for that education to take hold, but also on a fundamental level, are going to need support for their family structure so that things that many Americans take for granted, such as childcare, healthcare, safety, food, infrastructure, and opportunity are attended to with the express purpose to do something constructive in the here and now.

 So too, as much as we might admire those who are our educators for the stellar work that they do, we can lean on underemployed and available literate volunteers who could serve to improve our literacy rate by creating a department that would be akin to a domestic education Peace Corps, with the additional support of volunteers that come from the world of childcare and healthcare.  This would not only keep our younger adults busy, as well as senior citizens who joined the cause, all thereby doing a necessary task, which would also let these volunteers know and to see the reality of how America currently is, and what it could and should become.