The right to free speech

Each of us is provided with a voice to express ourselves, and in the absence of that voice truly presenting a “clear and present danger” to somebody else or to others, it is our right to say what we desire and want to say, which may or may not be welcomed by others, but that is the nature of free speech, for we will be subject to hearing things that we don’t want to hear from time-to-time but that is part and parcel of free speech.

 So then, those that make it their point to suppress free speech, through whatever tactics that they find that are conducive to accomplishing that, are actively working against our right to free speech, and when our speech is suppressed so that we cannot express ourselves without being subject to some sort of punishment, then those that wish to say what they would like to say are basically being silenced and thus being pushed underground and suppressed, as if what they have to impart, either has no importance, or cannot be countenanced.

 To believe, somehow, that by the control of what people are entitled to say, to write, and to express outwardly will thus create the foundation of a healthy civil society is not to comprehend correctly that restraints upon the people which do not permit voices to be expressed, especially about that which is of pressing concern to them as well as to possibly others, is at odds with justice, peace, and harmony, mainly because silencing a voice does not resolve what ails the other, and therefore the supposed quiet that subsequently occurs, will not forever remain quiet or compliant to those that impose their unjust restrictions upon the other, because the urge to express one self, has not disappeared.

 Indeed, people need the right to vent, and they need the agency to express what they desire, or else there will be uneasiness within their being. So then, to hear what the other has to say is important to society, because without such being expressed, we won’t know what is on their minds, because none of us are mind readers, which signifies that communication is necessary in order to hear the other, and those that silence voices that have the right to be heard, are clearly asserting the wrongful usage of authority to have the type of control that they do have the right to take from the other.

 No doubt, some voices are annoying, inconvenient, and unwelcome, but it has to be admitted that other voices have it right, are timely, and will help to bring clarity to the issues and problems of the day.  Nobody gets it always right, which is one of the reasons why we need to hear other opinions and viewpoints, because collectively, when everybody has their say, it makes for the opportunity to come to an agreement that makes more sense and is thus better for everybody and to the society that we are part of, which is why those that suppress free speech, are the same that want to have things their way, but somehow insist upon silencing those that have the same right, as if their voice is lesser than their own, of which, they are wrong for their belief in that.

The Axis powers and their relentless need for oil

 It has been said that “an army marches on its stomach,” and as much as this is true, it has to be recognized that in the warfare that became World War II, that the Axis powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan, could not successfully march without an ample supply of oil, because the engines of war necessitated that oil, which is why the non-aggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union was broken by Germany, despite the obvious issue, that a two-front war was something that Germany did not desire, yet, this is what they did, ultimately to their own destruction.

 Indeed, the lessons about the need for oil when it comes to warfare should never be discounted, and when we look at the locales of where the biggest disputes of today are, it often revolves around oil and the control of that oil, because not only does the machinery of warfare depend greatly upon oil and all the uses of that oil, including chemicals and plastics, so of, but there isn’t anything readily available to replace that need and therefore the access to a ready supply of oil is paramount.

 It must be acknowledged that history may well have been different if the Axis powers had a ready supply of oil, because they were well-positioned to accomplish their objectives, in which, Western Europe could easily have become controlled by the Axis powers, and in all likelihood, an accommodation of some sort could have been worked out with America, in which the United States would have sole control of the Americas, whereas the rest of the world would be in the hands of the Axis powers and their proxies.  This though, is not how the war ended up, because Germany made the fatal error of a two-front war, which wasn’t prudent and clearly had not been fully vetted and thought through, but alas, that is part of the problem when those that are the aggressors find that everything is going their way, without comprehending that situations are subject to change, even drastic and unwelcomed change.

 So too, there is a lesson there for the world of today, which is that those who are oil dependent are invariably going to be seeking a way to avert such a dependence, through perhaps alternative energy sources, or through strategic and trade alliances, or through aggression of some sort.  That is to say, countries that have a pressing need for oil are quite capable of making decisions which they believe will take care of that need, which may involve subterfuge, interference in the domestic affairs of another country, or some combination, so of, because those that are dependent on oil, do not desire to be placed in the unenviable position of a possible embargo or similar, without at a minimum, having a ready response to such a contingency, of which, no doubt this was the case for Nazi Germany, which knew what it wanted but went about it in a fatally wrong way.

Coercion, intimidation, and bullying

As much as we might want to believe that the world that we live in consists of people living in a civil society in which none are coerced into behaving in a certain manner that betrays who they really are by having them do something that they do not countenance, that, though, isn’t the case at all.  Indeed, those who have been intimidated or bullied into behaving in a certain way that goes against their values resent it.  So then, while we might like to believe that people always have complete sovereignty over their person, the actuality is that many a person does not, and thus has to cede control to somebody or something else, who may or may not have their best interests in mind, of which, this occurs because they aren’t in a strong enough position to maintain their agency.

 While there is a place for coercion in the sense that sometimes the urgency of a given situation, necessitates compliance without hesitation, we do find that most of the time those that intimidate and bully us are doing so, not for our benefit, and not for our greater good, but rather are doing so for their own reasons which typically do not well align with our desires or preferences.

 So too, those that insist upon obtaining obedience from the other, and care not for any pushback, are the same that are using coercion as a tool to control or to mold the other, which creates a construct in which those left with little or no choice, may well be obedient in their current actions, but they aren’t so obedient in their mind, which is why we see those that have been pushed too far and taken advantage of, eventually react in a way that may appear to be extreme, but in actuality is a reflection that they have reached their limit and have thereupon hit back.

 All of the above signifies that healthy relationships necessitate a form of give and take, thereby affecting respect from the other, which comes forth when each is accorded a fair say, rather than one entity intimidating another to comply with their wishes or else the other will suffer some sort of imminent harm.  Indeed, obedience in the sense of duty has its place, but obedience achieved through relentless intimidation is not the same thing, and those who get their way through coercion need to understand that there are different degrees of compliance, and those who resent what is happening to them may yet have their say.

 Additionally, it needs to be said that those who feel that they have been bullied into compliance are going to be far less inclined to do all that they could do when called upon, as resentment breeds some degree of contempt, and those who feel contempt are not going to willingly go above and beyond in whatever that is expected of them, but rather are going to do only that which they can get away with, because they refuse to be treated as someone not deserving of the respect, that all are equally entitled to.

“My country, right or wrong,” is wrong

The problem with believing that we should back our country, no matter its behavior to friends or foes, alike, is mistaken, because it needs to be remembered and fixated into our minds that a wrong is not ever going to be right, until it is either amended, rectified, or corrected; which thereby signifies that wrong actions by our country should not be endorsed, but rather need to be corrected, or else we will lose our direction, and thereby lose the good principles behind the purpose of our founding.

 While we might want to believe that we never make a mistake and therefore it follows that our country never makes a mistake, the bottom line is that neither case is true, and the sooner that we admit that we are on the wrong path, the sooner it will be that we have the opportunity to correct our direction and to thereby do the right thing, which is why it is imperative that we have those inconvenient voices around that remind us that when we are wrong, we need to amend our behavior and to thereby do the right thing, no matter how difficult that task might be.

 Those who are most patriotic are not those who believe that whatever their country does is right, but in contrast they do their fair part to hold their country accountable to the good purpose of its governance, because when we fail to label that which is wrong as wrong, we have directly or indirectly contributed to that wrong, and a wrong cannot ever become right, until there is a sure recognition that it is wrong and therefore we need to make it right.

 Whenever our government is led by those who deceive us, lie to us, and betray our founding documents, then the end result is not going to be one of integrity and good, but is instead going to represent something which is unbecoming of a country that prides itself on freedom, liberty, and justice for all.  This is why each of us needs to do our good part to firstly commit acts of righteousness and secondarily to hold to account and to question misbehavior and wrong actions by our governance, because at the end of the day, this is a government of, for, and by the people, governed under the consent of those same people, and when that government is wrong, it reflects that the people have essentially countenanced to that wrong.

 We should always wish the good of the other, because that is what we should hope that the other desires for ourselves, thereby signifying that our contribution to our country should be based upon us doing right by our governance in the expectation that our country will do right by us, and whenever we are on the wrong path, we should be held accountable to such, just as our country and its actions should be held accountable to the people, who have actuated its existence, purposed for the betterment and upliftment of the people, in whole.

The Gregorian calendar and February

In the 16th century, Pope Gregory XIII made the Gregorian calendar the default calendar of the Catholic Western world, which was eventually accepted by virtually every country in the world.  The calendar has a leap year day designated in February, every four years, though we find that every 100 years we skip a leap year unless that year is divisible by 400.  The thing about the calendar, though, that is perplexing, is the fact that every month of the year is either 30 or 31 days, but for some reason, February is just 28 days.  Logically, it would make more sense if every month were either 30 or 31 days, and thus the calendar would consist of seven months at 30 days, and five months at 31 days if this were the case.

 The thing about the calendar is that the lunar cycle lasts about 29.5 days, so there was a desire for a calendar month to be about 29 or 30 days long. However, since the time for the earth to revolve around the sun is about 365.25 days, it meant that a calendar couldn’t be produced which fairly took into account both the lunar as well as the solar schedule to thereby present a consistent yearly calendar in tune with both the lunar as well as the solar, because twelve months at an average of 29.5 days, does not contain enough days to make for a complete year, which if this was the format, would make for the agricultural seasons of the year, not being consistent from one year to the next for they would get progressively further out of sync. Hence, this meant that a compromise had to be reached, but it doesn’t seem reasonable that to reach that compromise, necessitated February having just 28 days.

 That is to say, it is perplexing why February is just 28 days, and the fact that this has become industry standard throughout the world would seem to signify that this isn’t going to change anytime soon, which is unfortunate, because if months were limited to 30 or 31 days this would align better with our obligations when it came to bills as well as our paychecks, because those that pay rent in February have essentially been shortchanged, whereas those that are paid on a monthly salary basis are being paid more for having labored less in the month of February.

 Indeed, it has to be admitted that just because this has been the way that it has been for centuries, it doesn’t mean that it needs to continue to be that way, so that those who contemplate our calendars and how we measure time, should have their say, of which, the very first thing to look at should be the month of February, because those so creating the most efficient calendar, true to our solar cycle and secondarily in harmony with the lunar cycle, would in all probability, not keep February at 28 days, which is something to consider, as humankind continues to evolve

The elites are above the law

In a fair and just society, the government would be one that operated under the consent of those so governed, and of which none would be above the law, and all would therefore be equal under those same laws.  To believe, somehow, that this is the actual case in the United States of America is to believe in a myth, because the bottom line is that this is not true, and because the few are essentially above the law, it is not only disrespectful to the people, in whole, but it makes for a very bad impression upon them, also.

 Quite frankly, those in an enviable position of wealth, connections, and power typically behave in the manner in which they do not desire or believe that they should be held to the same standard as the common folk, which signifies that the laws so written, should not apply to themselves, but rather should only apply to those that need to be reminded in a forceful and meaningful way that they should stay in their place.  While it is true that the elites do occasionally suffer the ill effects of the law being rightly applied upon them, this is typically only because their grossly egregious behavior has forced the issue, or they have upset too many of their fellow elites and thus are made to pay for their misbehavior and indiscretion.

 So too, elites make it their principal point to focus the law on the underclass of society, and impress upon the population that nothing is more important than the safety of the people, and therefore, the people should willingly give up some of their lawful rights for their own good and protection.  What the elites fail to state, though, is that a significant amount of societal problems has a lot to do with the fact that those that are denied a good education and fair opportunity, and further to the point, are not provided with a reasonable pathway for success which would enable them to live a decent life, are going to be placed in the unenviable position of having to make their way to being something of substance through means, that either skirt the law or are outside the law, especially when they feel the pressure to be successful, because America is the richest nation in the entire world.

 Indeed, those who essentially demonstrate contempt for the laws ever been fairly applied to them are the very same who are unpatriotic to their country, because they do not believe that they should have to answer to the law as written, because they are, in essence, above the law.  This signifies that a nation in which the few are above the law, whereas the many are under the law, is a nation that will not have peace, justice, or equality, because it has clearly separated the sheep from the goats, made even worse because those that could put a stop to it, have essentially been “captured” by the elites, thereby closing the door to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for a significant portion of Americans.

What would you do were you to receive a premonition of your imminent death

For an absolute certainty, none that enters this material world will ever have eternal life in this world, for that which is born to this world dies to it, as well.  This thus signifies that all of us will have to meet our Maker, sooner or later, of which some of us are aware of our imminent demise based upon our poor health or other dire considerations. In contrast, a significant portion of us leave this dimension unexpectedly, and without warning, thereby leaving us no time to address concerns of import or to congregate lovingly with family and friends.  Therefore, to receive a premonition in which, in no uncertain terms, it is known that we will die within the timespan of one week would seem to be the type of message that would wake us up. Therefore, the question becomes, what would we change, do, or accomplish in that interim?

 Those then that are facing their imminent death would clearly have the opportunity to address firstly those items of high importance, such as tying up loose ends in their personal affairs, with not just with family that they are close to and have a healthy relationship with, but also other family members and friends in which there has been a parting of ways, so as to bury the hatchet, and to thereby let things go that should be let go, so that everyone is best able to find peace and comfort in that meeting of minds.

 Indeed, it has to be recognized that very few people would see their imminent death as the opportunity to wreak havoc, destruction, and payback to those who have angered them, though a few might well do that very thing.  The reason though, why virtually no one would take that path is because it solves and resolves nothing, and does not serve to bring any real or meaningful satisfaction, because at the end of the day, to be destructive just isn’t what we were meant to do, and when facing our own death, we will realize this truth, more than we did before.

 So too, the thing about an upcoming death is that most people would behave in a manner that would be far more forgiving and considerate than they were previously, because they would be better able to see the big picture which is that the petty complaints and minor troubles of the day, should never be blown up out of proportion, and that life is better when we see the brighter side and do not overly dwell upon that which is a distraction and trivial, instead.

 In sum, when we contemplate what we would do should our death be literally around the corner, we find that we would be more loving, more considerate, while also being more mindful, which thus begs the question, which is if this is what we would do should we feel that our time was nearly up, shouldn’t this then be what we should be doing in the here and now, as opposed to letting our frustrations and disappointments to distract us from being good to others, and thereby doing the right things?

Reading between the lines

The art of conversation and the proper interpretation of such, really is a skill, that not everybody ever achieves, or even tries to achieve, because those that believe that the words spoken should always be taken in a literal way or that we should immediately react to what has been said, without forethought or contemplation, represents a person that is not utilizing their thinking and their experience to try to come to the correct interpretation and understanding of what has been said.

 It has to be admitted that there are those occasions in which people are emotionally charged and say all sorts of cruel things, and thereby, what we need to do is calmly try to see through the emotions to try to get to the crux of the matter, which can be problematic when what we are hearing is insulting, hurtful, or threatening to us.  Nevertheless, we need to try, which is why it is important to actually learn to read between the lines so as to thereby discover what it is that is really meant by the words that we have heard.

 That is to say, for example, the hurtful words being expressed can often be attributed to that person’s frustration, in which the words being spoken are a reflection of that frustration, which should signify to the listener that the best way to respond to that frustration is to not let those emotional words overwhelm us or to take it personally, but rather to try to discover what it is that has frustrated the other and to the degree that we can help to address that frustration, to aid in doing so.  This means that we need to understand that behind hurtful words is typically a hurting person, and the solution to resolving that hurt is to work together on alleviating it.

 So too, those that are good listeners are the same that do not make snap judgments in regards to the character of the person so speaking, mainly because that doesn’t help the situation, for by labeling the other as selfish, rude, wrong, and so on, doesn’t do anything to deal constructively with why they have a particular ugly feeling, but rather we should listen to what they have to say and reflect back to them in a fair manner, what we believe that they have said, to get clarification that we are on the same basic page, for to assume that we understand one another can be the type of assumption which isn’t correct and can thereby lead to even more frustration.

 In this world, we deal with each other through various forms of communication, of which people who are upset typically are going to exaggerate their feelings because they have let their emotions get the better of them, which is why we should try to remain calm, which thereby provides us with a better opportunity to be of service to them, by finding the hurt that they are expressing and then helping to find a way to alleviate that hurt through our thoughtful and considerate response.

The importance of ethics and etiquette

While there are many things to learn in school and in life, it is important to recognize that good learning requires a solid foundation.  This thus signifies that it needs to be made clear to society that an ethical society will make for a much better construct than one that doesn’t pay much attention to ethics and its importance.  That is to say, business is conducted in a way and manner in which it is presumed that each side is trustworthy and will honor their commitments, and when this is not the case, it makes for bad business for both parties.  So too, lying and cheating in our personal interactions, thus makes for a society in which, because we don’t trust the words and promises being made by the other, we thus distance ourselves from them, for our protection and for our safekeeping, which hurts the cohesiveness of society.

 It is vital to impress upon our citizenry that ethics has its place, because a society without trust, without integrity, and without people’s words being reliable, makes for a sick society, which will be reflected thereby in our crime rates, our uneasiness, and our overall dissatisfaction, because when a significant portion of the population is trying to “get over” on the other, we are left with a dysfunctional society that isn’t going to be healthy in the present, and won’t be good in the future.

 When it comes to etiquette, we need to realize that first impressions mean an awful lot to an awful lot of people, and those that display a lack of manners, while possibly being good people, are firstly perceived as being something less than the other, which makes for the type of relationship which won’t be at the level that it should and ought to be.  In society, we are expected to at a minimum, to be respectful of others and to show consideration to others, in the understanding that social interactions have a certain harmony which is expected to be given one to the other, and when this is lacking, it makes for the type of snap judgment that separates one from the other which isn’t good for healthy relationships.

 Look, the bottom line is that we prefer that our relationships, personal as well as business, be with those that we respect, of which the people and businesses that we respect often consist of those that we perceive as being people that are true to their word and true thereby to their commitments.  This is what we desire, because we do not have the time, nor do we wish to expend the energy to have to supervise or oversee everything that we have come to an agreement on, and thereby we want to believe that a promise made is going to be a promise kept.  When, on the other hand, promises are merely a way to deceive the other, or to trick the other, then we have the type of society in which we are perpetually looking over our shoulders, keeping our doors locked, and not trusting one another, which makes for a troubled society and is reflected thereby in the ills displayed by such.

Ultra-processed pet food can’t be good for your pet

Our dogs and cats have been around for thousands of years, while, on the other hand, dry pet food and wet canned pet food have only been around for a few generations.  Look, it has to be said, that there are few humans that eat exclusively their meals from cans and packaged foods, because most humans recognize that processed and ultra-processed foods aren’t healthy for them, though many of those still eating an abundance of processed foods continue to do so, because to them, it’s convenient, relatively inexpensive, and it tastes good. 

 When it comes to our pets, we are responsible for treating them right, and while it has to be admitted that dry and wet pet foods are a convenient option to the feeding of our pets, it should not be our only choice, because the natural state of how pets have been fed has been hunting small prey as well as essentially table scrapes or foods prepared and cooked specifically for our pets, and it is only in recent times that this has changed.

 To a large degree, our pets are what they eat, and when they eat overly processed meals as well as processed treats, they aren’t going to be able to get the good food and nutrition that their bodies need.  This signifies that more pet owners need to be cognizant that just because a label of a particular brand of pet food claims it is healthy, or insists that its main ingredients are good, that we as pet owners need to actually take the time to verify whether or not this is true, because the bottom line is the reason why pet foods are processed so much, is for profit, shelf life, and also for the ability to easily transport such food from one location to another, and not because the packaging of these foods takes into consideration, first and foremost the health of our pets.

 In this world, we are inundated with ads of all sorts, often consisting of a multitude of videos of pets seemingly enjoying their processed food, but in actuality, we are the ones responsible for feeding our pets a good diet, which signifies that the overreliance on processed or ultra-processed foods is not going to be a good choice to make and that we ought to consider alternatives that provide our pets with a nutritious diet which is better for their health and their longevity.

 Indeed, the amount of money that pet owners spend on their pets in America is a staggering high number, but that doesn’t mean that all that money is spent appropriately or wisely, because when we do not take the time to really research what is and what is not good for our pet, then we haven’t done our fair part to take care of our own, which they deserve from those that have the stewardship of their pets, which is why we need to do our part to contribute to our pets good health, by providing them with a nutritious diet, because they deserve no less.

Money, sex, and power

If any of the above three items are your main motivators in how you live your life, or if all three, Heaven help us, are your main motivators, then clearly your priorities in life need a reset, because the very reason why there are so many problems, disputes, and issues within societies, really comes down to the fact that misguided desires, such as for money, or sex or power, create the type of construct in which the society that we live in is not ever going to be one of harmony, integrity, justice, or of peace.

 The crux of the problem as to why we can’t all get along really comes down to the desires that we have in life, and when those desires are really based on selfish or self-serving motives in which the primary aim is to satisfy our own self, then this is quite obviously going to create all sorts of conflicts and problems, because whenever that type of mindset becomes the default of a significant percentage of the population then we are going to live within a society in which we aren’t cooperating with one another for the betterment of that society, but rather we are competing against one another, so that we can get ours, and we don’t really care if they get theirs or consider that to be a concern that we should worry about.

 Look, either we are all in this world, together, meant to join together to pursue goals of merit, which includes conducting our affairs in the way and manner in which consideration, justice, sharing, and respect are preeminent or we can take the opposite approach which is to basically just be selfish and to take care of our own self first, along with those that we consider to be our blood brothers, and thereby call it a day.

 The bottom line is that when we look at the world and see that so many people and the societies that make up this world have a multitude of unhappy and suffering people, we should consider that the reason this is true must be because we aren’t collectively pursuing what we should be pursuing, which signifies that in order to change this world for the better, we first need to change our thinking, because when we aren’t thinking the right thoughts and aren’t motivated by the right reasons, then the end result is going to be what we so see, today.

 This signifies that the call to arms is first and foremost a call for us to bring out the better angels of our nature, and to recognize that we need to uplift our thoughts to recognize that when we take the time to really examine our own lives and what brings us lasting and meaningful satisfaction, we’re going to find that it is when we made the effort to help and to aid someone else without any real expectation of compensation or reward, because we saw in the other, that they needed that helping hand and it is through those acts of kindness and consideration that we thus do our fair part to help make society a better place for our good and valued participation in it.

Equality under the law does not seem to apply to the elites

The thing about money and power is that those who have such often want to use their privileges in ways and manners that the laws and rules that should equally apply to all are applied differently, or not at all, to those who are the elites of the world.  In other words, those that are the elites, may well see the value of laws and rules being applied against others, but mainly see it from the perspective that the masses need to be under some sort of social control, so that chaos and revolution do not occur or come close to occurring, because the very first thing that the elites of society do not wish to ever forfeit, is their special status and social position which typically permits them to be treated with kid gloves when it comes to violations of the law, as opposed to the general public who do not have that favoritism available to lean upon.

 The real reason why there are so many rules, regulations, and laws on the books of society in which this appears to be not only a confusing and meandering labyrinth of laws as written and interpreted, is that these laws will be selectively applied depending upon the whims of the day and the purposes of the time, so that at any point, for any reason, when order needs to be restored, that such order as those in power desire to see restored, is done through the policing arm of the state through the aegis of the elites, and it does not matter to those that are in the prime positions of how governance is done how that social order is accomplished as long as it is accomplished.

 This signifies that the freedoms and liberties that we so often take for granted, and that we believe are unalienable isn’t in actuality, true, because when push comes to shove, those that are the elites are the only ones that have truly unalienable rights, and everyone else has their rights, unalienable or not, under the thumb of the state which decides who will or will not be given sanctuary from the oppression of the law, as applied and exercised.

 Indeed, we would have a lot fewer rules, regulations, and laws if the elites were truly subject to having to adhere to those same laws, as presently written, because they would not ever tolerate being placed in the unenviable position of suffering from the injustices and unfairness imposed upon the common man, which occurs again and again.  Yet, they need not worry, because as much as we might wish to believe that this is a nation of, for, and by the people, so governed under the consent of those same people, it isn’t that at all.  Rather, this is a nation under the control of the elites, who may admire noble concepts and insightful ideals, but are very practical people who simply want what they want, and to have what they have, and in order for that to continue unabated, they need the general public to be acquiescent and obedient to the order so dictated to them.

Deliberate censorship so as to control the war narrative

We live in a day and age in which there have never been so many “citizen journalists”, which can be especially problematic in a war zone, because anyone with a cellphone and a social media account who are able to create or obtain images and videos of what is really going on can thus disseminate such to the general public.  Of course, nation-states are in the business when it comes to war of strongly desiring to control the war narrative, which is why they have explicit as well as implicit agreements with mainstream media to stay within a given range when it comes to the narrative, typically reasoned as being necessary for the greater good, safety, and security of the population, at large.  After all, the basic contention that those who make war have is that because war is hell, it’s not good for the people to see that hell, because they won’t be able to properly wrap their heads around how warfare is necessary and even righteous, even when it appears through their eyes not to be the case at all.

 The bottom line is that because warfare is so brutal, violent, destructive, and inhumane, that to actually show the reality of warfare and how ugly it really is, in which there are few heroes and there are many villains, would be too overwhelming for the general public to accept. Further to the point, there are plenty of those in the highest positions of power and influence, who have no compunction whatsoever in telling bald-faced lies, to protect the guilty, because they believe it is necessary to first “win” the war, before such can be more fairly examined. It therefore becomes necessary to see all those who simply provide a narrative that exposes that war for what it really is, as a problem that needs to be silenced, and therefore to censor them.

 The very first thing to die in any war is the truth of the war, because from the very beginning, those who are most intimately involved in the war are not interested in any pushback from anybody, and in particular, understand the value of having the narrative be molded and thereby controlled by those pro-warfare powers so that the general public will at a minimum, not be at odds with that war, which thus makes the pathway to continuing such warfare a heck of a lot more smoother, then when having to deal with a public up in arms about it.

 Those then that are tasked with controlling the war narrative have their work cut out for them, because while at one time there were mainstream media outlets that might well question a war that by all appearances had gone off track, or seemed to have veered in the wrong direction, this isn’t so much an issue anymore, because those mainstream outlets are typically nowadays in lockstep with the war effort.  Rather, it is those who are outside the mainstream that have made it their point to be a thorn in the side of those who conduct war, with their primary purpose to show the reality of what is going on, so that those with eyes to see can adjudge for themselves the humanity or inhumanity of what that war is or is not.

God has you in the palm of His hands

When it comes to God, it must be recognized that God is not human, for God is far beyond and transcends the human form, and, further to the point, there was never a time when God did not exist, nor will there be a time when God ceases to exist.  So then, when we speak of God having us in the palm of His hands, it is incumbent upon us to recognize that God’s hands are so encompassing that there never is a time nor will there ever be a time when God doesn’t fully have us in the palm of His hands, which should give each of us great comfort, because as God’s creation, we are never out of His domain and are never abandoned.

 As much as we might feel from time to time that we are far away from God, or that God doesn’t even exist, or that we are not worthy of God, none of this is actually true, for God is omnipresent.  To the degree that we do not pay attention to God, or believe not in  God, this does not change the fact that all of us are now and forevermore in God’s hands.  Additionally, God knows us through and through and sees us for what we really are, and therefore does not value us any less than what we should be valued at.

 So too, in those times of trouble, God is our bulwark and our defender, ever there for us to lean upon, and those that have faith are the same that recognize that in their worse moments, that God assures us that this too will pass, which is one of the reasons why in our incarnation here on earth, we are aware of time, because as it has been written, time heals all wounds, and time also provides us with the perspective to better understand that what we feel to be so daunting at the moment, or so overwhelming, is that which will soon enough, be overcome by that light which always dispels darkness.

 Ideally, each of us values our parents because they have our best interests in mind and at heart, which is why we need to value our Creator, as well, for those very same attributes. Additionally, through our Creator, we have been gifted with the free will and the agency to think and to do whatever comes to mind, for better or for worse, of which, it could be said that a lot of the trouble that we get into is that trouble of our own making, because we have not listened to that still small voice, or have cared or considered enough to think through the consequences of questionable actions.

 Each of us needs to know that in life, there is a purpose, and the highest purpose for all of us is to find our pathway back to that which is our eternal sanctuary, and along that long walk, to prove our merit by making those decisions that do honor to that which first created us, and by doing so we will recognize for a certainty, that there never was a time when we ever truly left the palm of His hands.

The United States of America is not just a country; it is also a mindset

If the United States of America were truly desirous of a better world for everyone, it would behoove those at the highest and most influential levels of power to impress upon other nations the founding principles of this nation, and, further to the point, to prove that value by living by those ideals itself, throughout its land.  That is to say, to conquer other countries, to war with other countries, to exploit other countries, perhaps has its place, but a lot of this is exercised under the rubric to essentially augment its capitalistic system, which has little or nothing to do with what this nation was founded upon.

 It is wise to comprehend that the only principle that would ever make America truly universally great is not going to be its Gross National Product, and it's not going to be its financial system, or anything of that general sort, but rather it is the principles upon which it stands, and for which it was created.  This signifies that America, in order to remain in harmony with what those who so valiantly fought for and made the case for, is that the battle was all about obtaining the unalienable rights that each of us as American citizens are entitled to, and that this is therefore a government of, for, and by the people, structured for the benefit of those same people.

 This essentially means that for those that desire to see more liberty as well as the pursuit of happiness being engaged by more nations, that just as there are religious proselytizers all over the world, encouraging the adaption of their beliefs, for the betterment of those people, it thus follows that our greatest export should actually be the value of freedom, of having a free will, as well as equality and opportunity for all.  So then, one of the prime purposes of good government is to keep the playing field level, and thereby favoring none over the other, but rather making sure that each is accorded the opportunity to be the best that they can be, through applying themselves through their labor of both body and mind.

 Indeed, there isn’t any real good reason for any other country to desire to adopt the American way, if, as a nation, America doesn’t do a good job of expressing, through not just its ideals, but through its actions, the characteristics that best make for a nation that is worth emulating, which has more to do with a proper mindset, fully exercised and executed, as compared to just our living standard.  A happy and satisfied populace is that populace which has the freedom to be about its business, with the clear understanding that they are entitled to freedom of thought and of action, circumscribed only by not infringing upon other people’s basic rights and thereby the respect and consideration that we owe as our obligation as good citizens and neighbors to one another.  

"The truths of the Declaration of Independence are not limited by time or place"

The above quotation came forth from the brilliant mind of our Sixth President, John Quincy Adams. Indeed, this Declaration should be taken to heart by not just all Americans, but by every citizen throughout the entire world, because when that Declaration was written, back in 1776, it sent a message to tyrants of all sorts that governments were meant to be instituted amongst the consent of the governed. Thereby, this signified that the government, of, for, and by the people received their just powers to govern, from the people, of which, the purpose therefore of governance is not just for the beneficence of those people, but also as a surety to protect as well as to enhance the people’s unalienable rights.

 To understand the Declaration is to understand that our rights are not provided to us by the government, which if this was true, would signify that the government would thereby have the right to add to or to subtract from those rights, but rather our unalienable rights are gifted to us by our Creator, and therefore no legitimate government has the right to take away or to diminish our unalienable rights, for instead the purpose of good governance is to be in alignment with those unalienable rights and therefore as our government, to do its fair part to see that our unalienable rights are not infringed upon and thereby to be a bulwark for us in the protection of those rights, which is why we as a people, have joined together in a sacred compact, to begin with.

 The greatest nation to live under is that nation which is truest to that Declaration, which signifies that such a nation as that is not going to be limited to just the United States of America, but rather the enlightenment of that Declaration is available to all nation-states, which is thus best demonstrated by those that are true to the principles of that Declaration.  After all, it is well to remember that words alone are never going to be enough to secure our rights, for we find that it is in the everyday actions and the interactions that we contend with, along with the construct that we live under, that determine whether or not our government is in accordance with that Declaration or has abandoned or modified such, to thus take away that which is fundamentally ours to begin with.

 We, as a people, and we as individuals, have fundamental human rights, contained not just within the unalienable rights so gifted to us, but also as seen implemented by the rules of the road as legislated and enforced by our governance which need to adhere to those principles which take into full account that we are all created equally, which signifies that our government should not be a respecter of any citizen, but rather that each citizen should be accorded the same rights, without favoritism displayed to one sect over another, and further to the point, without discrimination against the other, because each of us is equally entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The Declaration of Independence is America’s seminal founding document

While it is true that the Constitution of the United States is the highest law of the land, it should be recognized that the Constitution was not ratified until 1788, whereas the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.  This signifies that the call to arms was never the Constitution, for it was written and ratified after America’s independence from Great Britain had been established, but rather the seminal founding document of the United States was and still is, its Declaration of Independence.

 This thus duly signifies that each and every citizen of this nation needs to know the Declaration of Independence, for within this document are the principles which this country, at its best, duly stands for.  That is to say, this is a nation founded upon the proposition that all men are created equal, and that their Creator has gifted all of them, without exception, with certain unalienable rights.  The significance of knowing this means that those who put one race above all others, or one religious faith as superior to all others, have failed to recognize that all of us have been created equally, and therefore, prejudices of this kind that purport that certain people and certain religious beliefs are superior to all others have no standing within America.  So too, those in our legislatures, and of our present-day government, need to always recognize that infringing upon our unalienable rights is anathema to that Declaration of Independence, and hence those of our representatives who infringe upon those rights are not being true to that Declaration of Independence.

 Indeed, it needs to be recognized forthrightly that we are a nation that is governed upon the prevailing principle that the just powers of that government come forth from the consent of the governed, and therefore for this government or its representatives to lord it over the people, is not just a bastardization of what our Declaration so declares, but is at odds to what this country was so founded upon, and fought so valiantly for, which is why those in the highest echelons of government need to be fully cognizant that they are the people’s representatives, and therefore should not and must not be beholden to favor elites and special interests against the people.

 All of the above has massive significance for all of us, because those who are not in tune and therefore unfaithful to our Declaration of Independence deserve to be seen as those who have betrayed their duty to that Declaration and hence should not be accorded the people’s respect or the people’s approval.  It is imperative for not only our citizenry but also for those who govern us that they recognize that our valorous revolution for our independence was done under the firm belief that such independence, courageously fought with blood, sweat, and tears, was meant for the betterment of the people, their society, and for the liberty of all, now and forevermore.

First, they make laws on what you can do, then they make laws on what you can think, to control what you can do

In this world, we are either gifted by our Creator with inalienable rights or we don’t have any unalienable rights at all, according to how we are governed, for in those oppressive governmental states, what rights we have, or the lack thereof, is determined by the governance that we are under and are therefore subject to the whims of the day  This thus signifies that each and every time that our government, our legislature, our judicial system, and so on infringes upon our inalienable rights, we need to understand that if we sincerely believe that these rights are inalienable, that those then that steal those rights, or attempt to, are the very same which are illegitimate for what they are doing and thus signifies that we should not willingly give up those inalienable rights, because these are forever our own.

 To understand whether or not our governance is on the right track is as simple as observing whether our rights are on a pathway in which they are being more and more circumscribed, which is typically done under the guise that this is necessary for our own protection and safety.  So too, there are those times when we are told that we need to make personal sacrifices, because of war or rumors of war, which necessitates, therefore, a “temporary” reduction of our rights, of which, once taken away, it seems like those rights never fully come back to us.

 A great country is a country in which those that are its denizens are free to think, and are free to be about their business, without unnecessary and unneeded meddling by its governance, thereby providing each of us with the opportunity to do what we desire with the opportunities and determination that we have, thus presenting us with the fair ability to make decisions, of which, those decisions are contained within our agency, therefore signifying, whether we are right or wrong, that we are fully responsible for what we subsequently say and do.

 Those who desire to live within a “nanny” state are the very same who have no desire to be free and somehow believe that if they are obedient to that state, they are being good citizens and therefore feel entitled to all the accouterments that they should receive for that obedience.  This, though, is the feeble way of those who have forsaken their sovereignty to be in the control of those that they do not ever question, that they do not ever examine, and that they do not care to ever stand up against.

 In the society that we are members of, we will be free, or we will not be free, depending upon how much consideration that we give to the fact that we have been gifted with free will, and those that permit their free will to atrophy because they will not use it, or prefer that others should control them, are the very same that have run the wrong race to arrive at the wrong destination and thus will pay the price for their stupidity.

A fresh way to look at taxation

It is widely assumed that the vast majority of people and corporations do not want to pay their fair share of taxes, and, to the extent they can reduce them, that is what they often do. While that does make sense to a certain degree, it needs to be acknowledged that taxation most definitely has its place, and without taxation, there simply would not be a government, of, for, and by the people.  This thus signifies that taxation has not only its place but also that it is here to stay, and further to the point, that a government without some form of taxation has nothing to stand upon.

 When it comes to taxation, more people need to recognize that governments are formed not only to help create the basis for the improvement and proper advancement of society, through such institutions as formal education, healthcare and the corresponding necessary infrastructure which benefits everyone, but also the fact that it is the government and its departments which has the overall responsibility to protect us from domestic as well as foreign enemies.  Indeed, that protection comes at a price, of which it needs to be recognized that each of us needs the assurance that our governmental entities will protect our property as well as our person, should there be trouble, which is why we have a military, the police, and a justice department, so that things can best be sorted out and such are duly funded directly or indirectly through appropriate taxation.

 All of the above would be indicative that it makes logical sense that those who own more property, such as in their personal homes and all other material items besides those homes, along with those corporations that own all sorts of buildings, equipment, and the like, should responsibly pay their fair share for what they have.  In other words, the more property that a given person or corporation has, which is considered to be theirs, the more they should correspondingly pay in taxes to have the government aid them in the protection of such.  So too, when it comes to us as people, each of us values our own self as of worth, so then a fair taxation system would take into account that we should each pay sufficient taxes to protect our person, because, after all, that is extremely valuable.

 To believe, somehow, that our government works within a vacuum is to understand governance wrong.  Rather, the government is formed for the betterment of the people, and therefore the people, through their labor and also in consideration of their assets earned and accumulated, should patriotically contribute something of substance to that government which has created the structure and the foundation for their opportunity and towards their success. So then, taxation is the price we pay to do our fair part to give back to that government which, when structured correctly and working efficiently, serves to protect and defend our property and our person, of which the more that we have and the more that we value ourselves, the more we should willingly pay.

Voting should be democratic, but gerrymandering means it won’t be

It has been a long and circuitous route to give the people, collectively, the democratic vote, but this is what eventually occurred in America. Yet, we do find that, regrettably, those in the most powerful positions of governance and politics have determined that redistricting their congressional and legislative districts should be deliberately undertaken in ways that are unfair, undemocratic, and effectively invalidate the democratic vote in a significant number of districts, thus putting their thumb upon the scale so as to get the result that those in power want to see occur.

 That is to say, because of gerrymandering which is essentially redistricting areas of a particular State so that it will clearly favor one party over the other, is done at a level that skewers the results in a way and manner that those who have the vote, often don’t have a say when it comes to elections, because their district has been structured in a way in which their vote is, in essence, an irrelevancy because the result has been foretold by the gerrymandering so created.

 This means that voters are, in these deliberately structured, gerrymandered districts, precluded from having their vote to represent anything of value, because their vote has already been calculated and predicted so as to get the result desired, which signifies that voters aren’t really electing anybody -- for rather what has occurred is that those that structured these gerrymanders have determined themselves which party will or will not prevail, and the fact that this exists and persists in America invalidates what a democracy should be all about, which is that each vote should count the same as any other vote, but in reality, gerrymandering makes it so that some voters have no say at all, and it is thereby only in those districts that have been structured fairly, that a voter’s vote actually counts for something.

 The fact that gerrymandering favors one party at the expense of the other party reflects that gerrymandering should not be permitted, but rather should be superseded with an independent, non-aligned organization that should be empowered to create appropriate districts which would take into account all pertinent details of the citizenry so that this would provide those citizens with the best chance for their voice and thereby their vote to actually matter.

 The fact that gerrymandering is permitted to clearly favor one party at the expense of the other, which is being implemented in far too many States, reflects that those at the highest echelons of political and legislative power aren’t interested in thus doing their part to assure that we have a fair democratic vote but deliberately are undercutting such, mainly because they do want the people to have their fair say, but insist upon the people taking a backseat to those unelected power brokers who seemingly have been provided with the right to empower legislatives per their preferences and to thus vacate the people from having their say, which is undemocratic and a clear disservice to the people, in whole.