Land is money

America is a nation with an awful lot of land, in fact, America has about the same amount of land mass as both China and Canada, but the land that America owns and occupies, is more conducive for civilization, agriculture, travel, industry, and overall beneficence.  The only nation, that clearly has more land than America is Russia, but a significant portion of Russian land is uninhabited because that land consists of unrelenting permafrost.

A meaningful amount of Americans are rather poor at history, or perhaps don’t seem to really care much about history, and so then there seems to be a consensus in America, that America has pretty much always been a land that consists of two coasts, along with a border with Mexico, so situated at the Rio Grande; in addition to its border with Canada at the forty-ninth parallel.  The fact of the matter is that America’s landmass was considerably smaller when it was first formed as a nation-state, of which, from its inception, it decided to forcefully take land away from American Indians, primarily through battles and broken treaties.

It is important to remember that America is a nation that compelled American Indians to be removed from their native lands, and then essentially placed those that did not die from an often inhumane relocation effort, to live upon reservations, of which this land, frequently so represented the most worthless of lands.  So too, when it comes to Mexico, a sizeable amount of the landmass of the United States, comes from Mexico having ceded 529,000 square miles of its land, or nearly 55% of what was Mexico, to the United States, from an unjust war, so made upon Mexico, for the expressed purpose to get that land.  Finally, when it comes to those that are African-Americans, these people came to America, involuntarily, in chains, and were slaves, and thus had no right as chattel property, to ever own land on their own.

In short, America became a nation with a large landmass by hook and by crook, of which, that landmass primarily benefited those of the favored race.  That is to say, when it comes to the wealth of White Americans, the seminal dividing line between those of the favored race, compared against African-Americans or Hispanics, is home ownership, in which that home ownership percentage for Whites is 75%; whereas for African-Americans and Hispanics this is under 50%.  This disparity in home ownership as well as the overall value and quality of the homes so owned by these respective races, has existed from the inception of the United States.  That is to say, White people got all the privileges of the opportunity to own land, and to their credit, did something of merit with such; whereas, American Indians, African-Americans, and Hispanics, were historically denied fair access to such, and have not experienced since then anything really approaching a level playing field or any real consideration of reparations, thereof. 

Those then, that own land, essentially have an asset which typically appreciates quite nicely in value; whereas, those that don’t own land have to continually pay the landlord for the privilege of having a place to lay their head upon.  The difference then, is that those with land are the very same as those that have money, and those without land, are typically those that own little or nothing.

Dehumanization is the fuel that feeds racism

It’s disappointing that in the 21st century, that there still is so much racism and prejudice that we still see and feel today in most western nations, of which, we should really know better.  The first part of why there remains so much implicit and explicit racism, for example, in America, comes down to the disappointing lack of knowledge displayed by so many of the favored race, and thus then their overall ignorance which thus leads them quite often to becoming racists in their viewpoint.  In other words, those that are of the favored race and are poorly educated, are going to often lack the capacity to do the research, to think for themselves, and to cogitate, so as to understand better what racism really means and what it is all about.  The second part of racism has an awful lot to do with the hierarchy that America  has represented historically and still basically represents, in which, those that are of the favored race are basically confirmed through our educational system, to be essentially the master race of America, and thus all other races and ethnicities, are hence no better than second best or worse.

That said, to add further fuel to the fire, of racism, it is of fundamental importance to those that are racists, to find an avenue that makes sense to them, that will thus belittle the other, dehumanize the other, and marginalize the other, so that it would appear to these racists, that their racial position, makes logical sense.  That is to say, to fairly judge another of the unfavored race by their actual merits and capabilities, along with keeping in mind other pertinent considerations that are relevant to this very thing, is never something that racists are going to be prone to considering, because that actually might make them be open to changing their mind, or adjusting their opinion, which they are wont not to do.  Rather, their preference is to find something that is common to a particular race and not such of their own, and focus almost exclusively upon that, in a way and manner, which dehumanizes the other, by making the other appear to be less than human, and thus more akin to an animal, of which, those that are thus considered to be animals, are thereby categorized as being under the rightful dominion of exclusively those of humankind.

So too, to dehumanize the other is necessary for racism, because once it has been determined by racists that the other is not human, pretty much anything goes in the treatment of those that have been dehumanized, no matter how diabolical and evil those actions subsequently are.  In truth, while most people can indeed be reasonable most of the time, we do so find, that when their blood is up, that they then are also quite capable of committing the types of acts, that no sane person, would ever consider doing, all done, with nary a second thought.  In short, to eliminate racism, the dehumanization of the other must first be eradicated, and until that has been accomplished and thus thoroughly purged from the minds of humankind, certain those of the favored race, will continue their racist ways, until the very end of time. 

Organized crime and the rise of drug trafficking

That which we call organized crime, has been around in one form or another, since civilizations were first created; in the sense, that there is almost always going to be some sort of underworld activity going on in a given society, because many a person or organization, has a preference to make their money, or their livelihood, not by doing something constructure, but rather by taking advantage of other people’s proclivities or weaknesses, for the expressed benefit of that organization, that performs such.

America is a nation that leads the world in the amount of prescription drugs so consumed, which thus also lends itself to being a nation with a tendency to desire to ingest illicit drugs of all sorts, in the hopes that by taking these drugs, prescribed or not, that they will thus receive some desirable return from such.  Additionally, America is the richest nation in the world, of which, a significant amount of its peoples, have time on their hands to indulge into whatever that is of interest to them.  Also, America is a rather large country, with borders that can be readily crossed by land, sea, or by air, and of which, based upon the sheer amount of humans successfully trafficking themselves into this nation, proves then, that crossing the border with illicit drugs, is not going to be all that problematic.

When it comes to organized crime, the main business that organized crime is actually in, is the business of making money.  So then, while organized crime, has historically concentrated on prostitution, loan sharking, gambling, bootlegging, and other assorted activities that are seen as being both immoral and illegal, the bottom line is organized crime doesn’t care so much about what the business proposition is, but rather cares more about the best way to improve their gross margins, with the least amount of work and legal concerns to deal with.  The thing about drug trafficking, is that business is not only highly lucrative, but also we do find that the actual goods being trafficked are, with the exception of marijuana, compact and very small in structure, which thus lends itself to far more ease and flexibility in trafficking those drugs from one destination to another.

So too, when it comes to illicit drugs, that business is going to be desirable, because the “high” off of illicit drugs, only lasts a fairly brief transitory period of time – signifying that the person that so buys today, is going to be very susceptible to buying tomorrow, or if not right then and there, then next weekend, when they go out and party again.  Additionally, the overall price of illicit drugs per the dosage so consumed, is typically very reasonable, which is good for not only repeat business, but also good for the solicitation of customers in the first place. 

All of this clearly indicates that drug trafficking is the place to be for organized crime, because there is not only a very willing consumer base that wants such, but also of high importance, the profitability of the drug trafficking is excellent, which thus makes it easy to utilize that money so being made, to pay off, as necessary, those that need to be paid off, so that this relentless cycle can continue, unabated; of which, the only people typically being caught for drug trafficking are “nobodies” without connections, while the real money is being made hand over fist, by organized crime.

To be poor in the land of the rich

We are told that there is no shame in being poor, but in reality, that is situation dependent.  In other words, when you live in a very poor country and are basically surrounded by fellow poor people, then there truly is no shame in being poor, because just about everyone else is also poor, and further to the point, those that are in communities of impoverishment, typically work together in order to sustain and uphold themselves from an even worse fate.  However, when you are poor in the richest nation that the world has ever known, and of which, each day you are inundated with all sorts of social media posts, advertisements, and entertainment videos, that constantly celebrates the material success of other people or its accouterments, thereof; then being poor, is really a rather difficult lot to bear.

So then, while there are plenty of people that talk about how the poor in America, have so much more than what the middle class had back in the day – what they are really talking about are material things such as cell phones, televisions, ready wear clothing, indoor plumbing, the internet, refrigerators, and other items that simply didn’t exist back in that day and age—of which, if they had so existed for a given individual, back then, this would have marked that person as being very successful, indeed.  In point of fact, the poor often feel miserable and disadvantaged, not because they have absolutely nothing, but because what they so have, basically represents the bottom of the barrel in the hierarchy of the United States; and further to the point, because each of us is also prone to comparing ourselves to one another, this thereby becomes an almost unbearable discomfort to them.  Additionally, those that are poor in America, often are poor, from day one, in which, because they lack the necessary ingredients for success, such as a stable home life, a good education, healthy outlets for their youthful energy, as well as gainful opportunity, are pretty much consigned then to a substandard life, especially in comparison to what so many others have, in this the land of plenty.

Because America loves to toot its horn about how great that America is, we do so find that for those that have not experienced that greatness, whatsoever, that being a poor American is a rather bitter pill to swallow; for though other peoples in other nations, are cognizant that not everyone in America is a material success, they still do typically believe that America is that golden land of opportunity, and have thus bought into the belief that hard work in America will bring success.  Rather, it would be more honest to state, that hard work will bring success, but not necessarily to that person so working hard, because America doesn’t believe in paying a living wage, nor in having a good public educational system for all, nor in affordable healthcare for all, nor in safe communities for all, nor in  justice or equality for all.  Instead, America believes it needs the poor, for deliberate exploitation purposes, so that the privileged can live better, at the poor people’s expense.

Theodore Roosevelt’s Square Deal

Theodore Roosevelt was President of the United States, more than one century ago, of which, the square deal that Roosevelt was a strong proponent of, seems to be something that not every American is actually receiving as being part of this land, of, for, and by the people.  Roosevelt stated that “A man who is good enough to shed his blood for the country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards.”  And further, Roosevelt, said “We must see that each is given a square deal, because he is entitled to no more and should receive no less."

What Roosevelt had to say, hardly seems controversial, in which, first of all, those that serve their nation through the armed forces, or through civil service, or through other public based professions which are conducted for the betterment of the people of this country, deserve to receive in return, a square deal, which should include a living wage, healthcare, and a society to live in, which is safe and vibrant.  So too, all those people that work hard, deserve for their labor, a square deal, as well, for they are helping to strengthen the economy, and deserve no less from this the richest nation that the world has ever known.

Further to the point, part of having a square deal, is for this government, to step in, when so necessary, to see that each American is provided with the basis to live a good life, by having fair access to a good public education, as well as a safe community to live in, which thereby consists of amenities such as public parks, playgrounds, the arts, and libraries.  So too, every American deserves the fair opportunity to be employed, and, if so necessary, to be employed by that government, for sensible public endeavors so created for the improvement and addition of necessary infrastructure, for remediation of environmental damage, and for just about anything that will thus provide a material benefit for the people.

The objective of any good governance that believes that its people truly deserve a square deal, is to actively put together the necessary ingredients for this to thus become actualized.  After all, words on a piece of paper, or when we express the best of sentiments, that subsequently are not diligently addressed meaningfully, aren’t going to do all that much good for anyone.  The question that ought to be asked, is why hasn’t this nation done more to fundamentally improve the lot of those people who are its most vulnerable and thus exposed to the toxic effects of being marginalized, and effectively ignored by the “last great hope of humankind.”

The fair measure of any nation, should never be about what the superrich, elite, and privilege, so own and control; but should rather be the overall character of that nation – thus best represented by the people, in whole, from rich to poor, from urban to rural, from the west coat to the east coast, and everything in-between.  If this really is the United States of America, what better way to be united than to be united in the abiding principle that every man, woman, and child is deserving of the fair opportunity to have a square deal, for that so represents the very foundation of what makes a nation great, and always will be.

Kids got to play

Those of us that are adults, have thus gone through the childhood stage of life, and of which, if we have been fortunate, that childhood stage helped to set us up to develop the good habits and the necessary capacity to become mature and well-rounded adults, that thereby make good decisions and are a good credit to the society that we are an active member of.  The thing about childhood, is that children have to go through a multitude of stages in order to reach adulthood, and of which, those stages can be challenging and troublesome, especially for the most vulnerable amongst us.  So then, as much as parents want to do their best by their children, we live in an age, in which parents are often committed to not only working outside of the home, but also don’t necessarily have the same schedule, each and every day.  In short, the days of children coming home from school, to the awaiting arms of at least one of their parents, to talk about their school day and so on, are the exception and not the rule.  Additionally, most children, have not only a lot of energy, but they are also curious about the world and their neighborhood – signifying that children have an innate desire to discover things about the world and about their own self, so accomplished through various means, including play.

There are twenty-four hours in a day, and of which, the school day only encompasses approximately seven of those hours, so naturally, children are going to have what amounts to being, a fair amount of time, that are left in their young hands or that need to be structured for their benefit, by adults.  That is why it is so important that public schools, must have in close proximity to such, public libraries, public parks, public playgrounds, public museums, and public activities.  Children need an outlet to explore the world, along with having the opportunity to make decisions when interacting with other children, so that they can learn things that aren’t necessarily taught within the confines of a schoolroom.

Those children that are provided by adults with activities that helps keep them engaged and interested, or are provided with the public space for them to take in, on their own, what so interests them in a safe environment are going to be in a far superior position to develop into responsible adults, as compared to those others, that do not have the opportunity to engage with a safe environment to explore in, and thus are susceptible to being left to the baneful influence of older misbehaving teenagers or young misfit adults that rule the roost, of their particular neighborhood.  In short, kids need safe outlets to test who and what they really are, and when parents are too involved in their own lives, or livelihood, or just don’t have the time or resources to properly supervise their children, then those children are going to turn to whatsoever seems to be available for them in their neighborhood, good or bad.  That is to say, children need constructive outlets to develop their personalities in the best way for them, and when those outlets are not constructive, but rather tend to being destructive or are meritless, then those children will be place upon a path that is not only bad for them, but bad for society.

Human beings are social creatures

It might seem rather obvious that human beings are social creatures, but by all the discourtesy, violence, and deliberate social isolation demonstrated by a fair amount of the population, this seems to make the case that we are social creatures, not so clearly obvious.  Yet, the fact of the matter is, that for better or for worse, human beings need and desire to interact with one another; and further to the point, the whole reason why families are created, and then societies are formed, is for the expressed purpose of making the lives of human beings, better and more satisfying, for their valued interaction with one another.

This thus indicates that the very basis of any good society, and of any great nation, is first and foremost to have as its principle purpose, in regards to a particular legislative act, or activity, or education, is that in its form, structure and implementation have such be for the betterment of that society, in whole.  In other words, the type of decisions that need to be made by those that are our representatives and leaders, should always be in conformance to whether or not these decisions are for the betterment of that society, of, for, and by the people.  Additionally, because we are social creatures, it is imperative, that as part of our civil education in our schooling, that each of us thus needs to be taught, how to appropriately interact with one another in a civil manner, and thereby the importance of valuing the other, even when we may have a disagreement with one another.  After all, it is far better to try to work out our differences or disputes in a civil manner, rather than to besmirch our character by violent fighting, or insulting words, which does not help in maintaining good social cohesion.

A civil society, by definition, needs its people to behave in a civil manner with one another, by demonstrating the respect that each person is entitled to, by their humanity.  That is to say, those that are destructive, ugly, hateful, and disrespectful are the type of people that build division and divisiveness within societies, and while there may indeed be legitimate reasons for such behavior, it has to be tempered by good judgment, rather than being primarily fueled by overwrought emotions.

In consideration, that we aren’t always going to see things the same way and further that the way that things presently are – does not necessarily mean that they are actually legitimately right, there thus is a real validity when certain segments of the population respond to such injustice, of not fairly being heard, and of not seeing necessary changes enacted, by exhibiting civil disobedience.  Each of us within society, should have a voice within that society, for those that are without a voice, or without a belief that they are considered to be a valued member of that society, are going to strike back at that society, for those that see themselves as outsiders to that society will have their say, one way or another – which is why the best societies are always those that are not only fair and just to all, but make it a point to reach out to those that have been left behind, as the necessary social act so needed to help keep society vibrant and healthy.

The only thing that you take to Heaven is who you have become

In this world, people concentrate their desires and wishes upon all sorts of things – of which, those that overly concentrate upon the material aspects of this incarnation, such as in that which provides them with pleasure, or power, or status, or very nice material objects, have got to recognize that what we so obtain in our hands upon this earth, legitimately or not, are never transported with us, when we depart our physical body, upon our death.  In other words, there are no special fiefdoms in Heaven, for there is only one King -- there are no materially rich people in Heaven, either; nor are there ghettos ,or in contrast, streets paved with gold.  That is to say, all the prizes and symbols of success so found in this world, are not carried with us into Heaven – for we are fairly judged for who and what we really are, in essence; and therefore, the courts of this world, the judgments of this world, the prizes of this world, are of absolutely no relevance in Heaven.

There are a multitude of people that do not desire to be fairly judged, for they know that to be judged fairly, will probably be catastrophic for them.  Yet, it doesn’t need to be that way, for all that we think, say, and do are our responsibly to own up to, and if we are unwilling to “face the music” by those choices that we have made by our own volition on this earth, recognizing that we may well fare poorly from such, then we should seriously consider amending our ways, in the here and now. 

In truth, the only attribute that we take to Heaven, is the very essence of what we have developed into and have become in this incarnation on earth.  While it may indeed be difficult for most of us to step outside of our own self, and therefore demonstrate the capacity as well as the capability to fairly reflect upon our own character – we should, though, still take the time to try to truly examine our own life; of which, if we won’t bother to do so, then that error of judgment lies on us, and not on anybody else.

In this world, we will be tested, and the result of all of those tests, is the person that we so become, for better or for worse.  Those that complain that there are extenuating circumstances to what has so occurred within their lifetime which thus serves as an excuse for their supposed failures  and errors –-have got to realize that as true as that might so be, it is for a certainty, already recognized on their behalf.  So too, for those that have been gifted with a golden spoon in their mouth, will find, undoubtedly, that they will be held to a higher standard, for the more that we are gifted with, the more that is expected of us to have been accomplished for the greater good by our hand.

So then, what judgment we so find in Heaven, has an awful lot to do with who and what we really are, and what we have correspondingly made of ourselves in this lifetime; of which, each good deed so done on this earth, is held as one important step closer to the only destination that eternally matters.

The importance of good character

We are ultimately defined by the decisions that we so make, which may or may not be consistent with the things that we claim to believe in and to represent.  After all, good words without the corresponding actions that reflect those words, are indicative of someone that does not have the character to follow-through of what they have so said and claimed.  So too, actions that belie the words so spoken, are indicative that there is a wholesale inconsistency between those words and those actions.  Those then, that are of good character, have first of all the right ethical values – and further to the point, will uphold those ethical values, when put to the test of such.  In other words, to be of good character, one really does have to walk the walk that is consistent with that talk.

Those that are of good character, are the very type of people that we can trust will make the best decisions that need to be made, and will not then, waver, in those most difficult of times, when it is of the upmost importance to do the right thing.  On the other hand, there are plenty of people, that have pretty good character, most of the time, but when really put to the test, in which this so defines who they really are, and thereby their actual worth, find themselves in the most trying of cases, far too often failing to do the right thing, because of cowardice, or fearfulness, lack of integrity, or of selfishness.  Then there are those others that aren’t of good character, most of the time, which we so find, that because we know such, we therefore are, at least, not fooled by them.

To be of good character is to be about as good as a person can really be; because, in life, there is always going to be a plentitude of fair-weather friends, or those that are loyal to us, until they are not; whereas, we find that with someone that is true, we will, at a minimum, know where we stand, and whether or not they stand with us, based upon what is so involved, so of.  In life, we are going to be tested, again and again, and it is in those tests, that we truly define who and what we really are. Those then, that fail to be a stand-up person, are going to thus have to keep facing what needs to be faced, until they learn how to do the right thing, or else, go down to defeat, in the sure knowledge, that when provided with the opportunity, to prove their merit, did not.

One can judge a given person’s success, upon an awful lot of things, of which, for some people, they are prone to doing so by observing the accouterments of that person’s material success, or perhaps their social status, as well – in which, the true character of that person, good or bad, takes a back seat to the perceived prosperity or social success of that individual.  On the other hand, a far more meaningful way to judge a given person’s success, is by their character, so demonstrated by that particular individual in the things that they so do and say, day in and day out – and, of which, for those that are known by their good character, they have thus achieved and obtained the most important characteristic of them all.

The problem with believing that you and your people are the “chosen ones”

Religion can be a very powerful influence upon a given people, as well as for individuals.  So too, certain politicians and leaders can be especially adept at proselytizing that certain peoples are inherently superior to others, because of, for example, their skin color, or their background.  Additionally, those that are considered to be royalty, are not adverse to believing that their authority comes from the very hand of God.  In all of these cases, what so occurs, is that certain peoples are considered to be superior to others, not because of their character, but rather, as pretty much their birthright.

The problem with any philosophy, in which, certain peoples are thus considered to be the “chosen ones” and of which, these chosen people, often justify themselves, by leaning heavily upon Holy writings which are considered in their interpretation to be applicable, of  which, this thus serves to seemingly support such; is that all those other people that are not considered be the chosen ones, are then, by definition, classified as something “less than” the chosen ones.  This, not too surprisingly, creates a construct in which those that are not the chosen ones, are frequently prone to resenting those that are the chosen ones, which thus creates an ongoing tension between these two divided peoples.

No doubt, those that are considered to be the favored race, or the favored religion, or supposedly designated by God as being the chosen representatives of the people, might well believe that being the chosen one, is simply the way that it is, and that this is thus the way that it should be.  The problem, though, is that in absence of every member of that chosen people, being heads and tails above the non-chosen people of the world, so demonstrated through the actual merits of those chosen ones so accomplished on a level playing field, is that in things, big and small, those that are chosen, typically are rather flawed human beings, themselves.

The reality of the situation is that we are all equal creations of God, signifying that anybody or anyone that stipulates that they are greater than everybody else, has got it all wrong.  The supposed greatness that a particular person has, or that a certain civilization so represents, really comes down to the salient fact of the thought processes and therefore the deeds so accomplished by them, which in their effect, represent harmony with the characteristics of that which is good, true, and just. 

Those people that best represent the traits that are fair and considerate to all, that are giving in their service to others, and further, that recognize that there is a Higher Power that all must so answer to, are the very ones that have chosen the correct path.  This thus signifies, that there are not pre-existing “chosen ones” but rather, those that have through their application and through their merit, have chosen to take the only path that will lead them to liberation and enlightenment, have chosen the better way, and because of that they are the ones that have chosen, correctly.

The bible is not inerrant, nor is it possible for it to be inerrant

The thing about human beings is that some of those human beings just have to be right, all of the time, and want therefore for the words that they so speak, and the things that they so do, to be considered, by every other human being to be right, no matter what.  There are plenty of people that state things with 100% certitude, of which, in truth, some of those things so stated, are untrue.  So then, for a certainty, human beings are not infallible, they are not inerrant, and the beliefs that they so have, are not necessarily correct.  Yet, while, most human beings, in their more honest moments, will admit to the fact that they don’t always get it right, there are still some people that insist that they know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, which they are privy to because of their wholesale belief in the Holy Scripture – which they believe is the literal truth, for it is the inerrant word of God.

It is true that God is absolute perfection, and for a certainty, the actual word of God is absolutely true.  Nevertheless, to believe that any book so transcribed by human beings, of which, such a book, has many authors, many years in its creation, many translations, and has been subject to the approval of certain well-placed human beings, so as to become an authorized canon of such, tells us for a certainty, that the Bible cannot be inerrant.  Consider this well, even those special few, that are in actual direct contact with God, of which, God is speaking to them, are going to find that, even when they try their very best, that when they attempt to put down into words what God has so spoken into them, that those words are not going to necessarily easily flow into any known human language so being spoken or written – because the bottom line is that despite the many advantages of language as a form of communication, it is still an imperfect way to communicate, because it is subject to error, misinterpretation, miscommunication, and misapplication.

The fact that the Bible is not inerrant and that it should not be taken as the literal word of God, does not mean that its basis is not the inspired word of God – but rather it indicates that human beings are prone to, subject to, and inclined to, misinterpret the word of God, wittingly or not, for their own purposes, sound or unsound  The best way then to look at the Bible, for each of us, is to understand that the Bible serves as a vital spiritual foundation for us, so as to encourage us, to do our part to make contact with God, so as to better understand what the very purpose of our existence really is, and from that knowledge, the most appropriate way that we should interact with those that form the society that we are an active member of.  There is, undoubtedly, a moral code in the Bible, of which, our duty is to find that code, and then to follow through by living to that code,  so demonstrated best by the two greatest Commandments propagated by Christ – which are, to love our God with all of our heart, and to treat our neighbor as our own hidden self.

The superrich are gaming the system

America likes to present itself, as being a capitalistic nation of meritocracy, as well as being a democracy, in which the people choose their representatives, their President, and have a say in the legislative acts so passed and enacted upon.  So then, it is supposed that those that are the superrich deserve to be there, because they have fairly earned their place, and to thus question that orthodoxy, is almost considered to be un-American.  Yet, the fact of the matter is that never has there been a time in America in which so few have become so incredibly wealthy, which is indicative that the governance, the legislature, the laws, the taxation, and the justice within this nation are all either functionally compromised by the superrich, or are ineffective, in their real world application.

When it comes to superrich individuals or incredibly wealthy mega-corporations, the only possible entity that can match these people and corporations in its power, influence, and effectiveness, is that government, of, for, and by the people.  However, when that very government, is essentially, itself either “captured” by the superrich, or are themselves, superrich or close to such, then there is absolutely nothing that will stand in the way of the superrich having whatsoever that they so want, for however long period of time that they so want it.  It would be one thing, if this nation made, at a minimum, a determination that upon the death of a superrich individual that the estate tax of all their assets would be significantly high enough that those monies so being extracted from the superrich would make a notable impact to the Treasury receipts so received by that department, but that isn’t typically the case, at all.  Further to the point, because corporations are artificial creations of the state, that are for all practical purposes, without end, then it is mandatory that this government, appropriately tax those corporate entities at a rate higher than they so charge, those that will at some point, meet their demise, through physical death.

The thing about many superrich individuals as well as mega-corporations, is that they are incredibly adept at circumventing the tax codes of this nation, and additionally, are quite skilled at bending the law, and thus having laws interpreted to their particular benefit, or simply seeing that the effectiveness of a given law, is delayed for such an extended period of the time, that such a law so meant to constrain them, does not. The superrich and mega-corporations have thus “gamed” the system, so that they will exclusively benefit, at the expense of the public, at large.  This is why, the rich get ever richer, and thereby the wealth of this nation becomes ever more concentrated – of which, those of great wealth, are able to often utilize that wealth to not only get their way, but to maintain their way.  Further to the point, a whole lot of blame of why this is the way that it currently is, must rest upon all those that service those superrich and mega-corporations, in which, these people and institutions know that what they are so performing for the superrich is unfair, unjust, and damaging to the fabric of this nation – but do so, because they have sold themselves for what they consider to be a fair price, to the superrich.

It’s high time to replace the minimum wage with a living wage

America, has the audacity to claim that is the greatest nation that the world has ever known, and that its capitalistic economic system is the best such that so exists.  Yet, even the most cursory of looks, indicates that this isn’t true for the whole of the population, never has been true, and never will be true.  In America, those few privileged people that are the top of the food chain, absolutely have the best of it – but there is an incredible amount of Americans that don’t have any semblance of the American dream, or of opportunity, or of a decent education, or of a safe and healthy community, or even a reasonable chance of ever to experience a decent life.  For those people, America is an abysmal failure, and the fact that this governance has apparently been subsumed by the elite persons and mega-corporations of America, is a crying shame and a gross injustice.

There was a time when America was more forward thinking, recognizing, that the people of this land deserved a fairer and a more just nation, and therefore a “new deal” – of which that new deal would be initiated by that national government, to thus assure the people that no special or private interests would preclude such  legislature from being the law of the land.  This thus meant that as part of that new deal, a minimum wage would be structured for the benefit of the people, so that they would not suffer unduly from the exploitation of those with capital as well as the control of the jobs so being offered to them. 

Today, while the national minimum wage is still in effect, for all practical purposes, the minimum wage doesn’t represent anything much more than a substandard wage, which is, in its application, typically unfair to those so being paid such, and unbecoming of a nation that claims such greatness.  In our modern era, in which those so being employed are individually identified by their Social Security number, and of which, this government has proven through its stimulus payments, that it actually has a competent grasp of the identity of its citizens, as well as their bank accounts, and their addresses, we thus have an opportunity for this government to implement a living wage, so done through the process of that government stepping in to do what businesses have failed so often to do.  At the present time, the national minimum wage is a paltry $7.25/hour of which legislation should thus be passed to raise that minimum wage $1.00 per year until that wage reaches $15/hour and then subsequently to have that minimum wage be indexed to inflation, and thus be considered to be, at that point, a living wage.  This thus provides to influential corporate interests, plenty of time, for them, to adjust to an ever higher minimum wage.

Lastly, the final piece of the living wage puzzle, is that, in consideration that the people have been suffering from such a long and extended period of time of being cheated out of receiving a living wage, is then, for that government, of, for, and by the people to step in, so that all those that are currently making less than $15/hour would receive a stimulus payment, monthly, issued by the federal government for their exclusive benefit, that would cover the shortfall of their current wage so as to reach thus the compensation wage of $15/hour.  The effect of this money getting into the hands of those that so richly deserve such, would be a boost to the economic growth of this country, because those that are struggling day-to-day are the type of people that will spend their newfound wages upon goods and services of all sorts.

World War II and the changing face of domestic labor

Wars always have intended and unintended consequences, of which, America, was still suffering from the pangs of the Great Depression, when World War II broke out; of which, that war necessitated a military force as reported by Wikipedia.com, of “…12 million men and women…of whom 7.6 million were stationed abroad.”  Not too surprisingly, in consideration that so many Americans of a young age were now stationed abroad and in reflection that the population of the United States in 1941, was approximately 133 million persons, this thus meant that jobs previously held by white men, or historically set aside for white men, would have to engage women as well as minorities, which so did happen.  In fact, we read at encyclopedia.com, that “…employed blacks rose from 4.4 million in April 1940 to 5.3 million in April 1944,… By 1945 more than 8 percent of war industry jobs were held by blacks, up from 3 percent in 1942.”

So then, with women and minorities being employed in the war industry as well as for other industrial jobs, of which, those jobs typically paid a fair and living wage – this thus signified that previous jobs so held by those same people, of domestic help, agricultural work, and things of that sort, would have to thus offer those that remained in such positions, a better overall compensation package, or fear losing such to better employment opportunities.  In other words, there is something to be said of the idiom that a rising tide does indeed rise all boats, big or small, which is what so happened via World War II.  Further to the point, once businesses became cognizant of the competency, productivity, and skills of women and minority workers, they soon recognized that these people, previously ignored or marginalized, were quite capable of putting forth an honest day’s work for an honest day’s wage.  This thus indicated, that owing to a significant extent to World War II, this was the proximate reason, why the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, saw the strong emergence of and the strengthening of the middle class of America, which was far more inclusive, than previously known.

In truth, it is in those days of labor shortages, that businesses have to seriously consider putting together compensation packages that are of better benefit to those that they so desire to employ.  Also, it is healthier for the economy when the money so being made is not held primarily by a small sliver of the population, known as the elite; but it is better for that economy and its growth when more of that money has been distributed into more hands; because, a very rich person can only eat so much, and only buy so many clothes and other accouterments, to use such on a regular basis – whereas, we find that on the other hand, that those of the middle class and below are only too happy to expend the monies that they so earn upon those necessary things, as well as to earmark, when so able, a certain percentage of their earnings to the purchase of a home.

The satisfaction and the growth of the economy of a nation, has a lot to do with the opportunity, as well as in the fair distribution of the monies so being earned – for whenever certain segments of the population are effectively treated as 2nd class citizens or even worse, makes not only for a very bad brew, but makes that country and its people, less than what they could and deserve to be.

Favored interests and eminent domain abuse

The concept of private property is supposedly held in very high regard in the United States.  In fact, the 5th Amendment to the Constitution makes it clear that private property cannot be taken from any entity without due process of law, “…nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”  The important thing to consider is that societies are meant to be structured in a way in which the people are able to best be benefited by being an integral part of that society.  So then, to the extent that roads, bridges, dams, and other meaningful governmental infrastructure projects need to occur and thus be constructed, for the greater good of the people, then there are certainly going to be those situations in which the government has a reasonable right to utilize eminent domain in a fair and open way, to compensate the private property owner for the selling of that property to that government, for the public use and benefit of the people.

Yet, regrettably, when it comes to the United States, it is always a mistake to discount the overall corruption, unfairness, and power of those that have lots of money and influence to take a law that is clear and obvious, to thus make that law bend to the will of that powerful interest, and especially to private for-profit interests.  Certain of those with money and influence, are prone to using such in a way and manner that will benefit them, and because of that money and influence, they recognize that just because a particular law is on the books, and has been historically interpreted within narrow bounds, does not necessarily mean that this will always be the way that it will be.  That then, is why it is that nowadays those that own private property, that is considered to be in the way of such nebulous objectives such as “urban renewal” or  for private industry development that will, in theory, increase the tax base and thereby be a more efficient usage of such space, or as a required necessity to remove blight from a given area, are all considered to be a fair and proper use of eminent domain, as per specific court decisions.

The reality of how eminent domain is currently utilized, is the salient fact that those that have little or no power are no match for those that have a whole lot of power and influence – so that the upshot is that the government thus plays favorites, in which, those that are on the losing side, have their private property taken from them against their will, and that property so taken, has not be taken for a public use, in any fair sense of that purpose, but rather has been taken from them, to accommodate private enterprise, in conjunction with the prevailing governance of that community, not for the public benefit of the people, in whole; but rather for the anticipated profit of the few, and thus almost exclusively for the private benefit of those few and favored.

In America, there are deals, and there are raw deals – and it is always a raw deal when one person’s private property can be taken by the eminent domain of the government, so as to clearly favor influential private interests at the expense of the former private owner, with the public use justification of such, of no real consideration or concern.

Compensation to the slave owner but never to the enslaved

America is a nation that has evolved over time, of which, some of the principles and rights that we now pretty much take for granted in America, were the type of thing that were well-nigh impossible back in the 18th or 19th centuries.  So then, to our modern ears, it does seem strange, wholly unfair, and just plain wrong, that when it came to slaves and slave owners, back in that time when slavery was legal within America, that propositions having to do with slaves, slave owners and freedom, basically only considered the viewpoint of what sort of compensation or incentive could be provided to that slave owner to thus encourage them to relinquish the “property” that they owned in human persons.  The answer seemed to be, to provide monetary compensation to those slave owners, of which, we do so find that in Washington DC, that in 1862, President Lincoln signed a legislative bill that emancipated those slaves in Washington DC, in which the slave owners that owned those slaves and were also loyal to the Union cause, were suitably compensated.  In other words, the policy of the United States at its highest governmental level was to compensate the slave owner but nary a dime to those so enslaved.

No doubt, it certainly makes logical sense that for people that owned property, legally, that the only conceivable way to get them to relinquish the hold of that peculiar property, would be to provide them with some sort of compensation to such.  After all, when it came to slaves, those slaves, were sold for a price, and subsequently many slave owners invested time and energy into their slaves, thus signifying that to voluntarily relinquish their right to a healthy slave would necessitate some sort of compensating benefit to those slave owners, for having done so.  None of that, seems especially unreasonable – what is unreasonable, though, is a failure to recognize that enslaved human beings that owned nothing, and were enslaved for no other reason than humankind’s inhumanity and greed to its own; deserved and necessitated either some sort of compensation for having been enslaved or, if not that, fair access to the tools of the trade for them thus to make good on their life, through valued accouterments such as land, livestock, or similar.

What has to be recognized, is that freedom is not all that, when the fundamentals of what a given person needs to be at liberty, are not at their disposal – especially when they have been precluded from being property educated, have no monetary assets, no tools, no land, and pretty much no means to make an independent honest living, because there is no real opportunity for them to do such.  That type of freedom is a false freedom, which does not reflect well what America is supposed to so represent.  The problem, then, that America seems not to understand, is that which is unjust and is never rectified or corrected in a suitable manner, lends itself to becoming not only a cancer upon the soul of America, but also an ongoing injustice that needs to be dealt with forthrightly, in the here and now, for that which is wrong, still needs to be made right.

The economic reason for lynching

Although those that were formerly enslaved, became emancipated, and eventually legally freed through the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, making them thus entitled to all the rights that such a Constitution so stood for – the reality of the situation is that blacks were, especially in the South, in constant danger of their rights being trampled upon by the favored race, which so occurred on a fairly routine basis.

In order to instill terror into the black man’s hearts, those of the favored race, were prone to public displays of their impunity, by lynching blacks, purposely done for public display and through public mob participation as a way of demonstrating that the white race still had meaningful control of blacks, through the fact that such lynching was done in the open, and that the favored race was pretty much permitted to exact their type of justice with nary a worry that there would be negative consequences for them, ever, to face.

It is believed that the most common crime to accuse the black man of, that would rile up the white folks enough, to thus commit a lynching, was any sort of inappropriate alleged contact between a black man and a white woman.  This then was often the trigger to get the emotions of the white man to run high, and for them then to find the presumed perpetrator and to then do their best to completely dehumanize the black man, so as to take an especially perverse joy and satisfaction in carrying out the lynching as a form of necessary community service.

Yet, the reality of lynchings, demonstrates that there was an often hidden economic reason for why particular persons were selected to be lynched, that had absolutely nothing to do with that black man, not knowing their place in regards to their dealing with a white woman; but rather had an awful lot to do with certain black businessmen, who were conducting their transactions mainly with non-white people, of which, through their hard work these black businessmen became successful within their black community; though, not infrequently, at the expense of white businessmen who felt that their business was losing out because of this competition, and thus felt the indignity of being fairly outplayed by a black businessman.  In other words, the freed black men, living in segregated black communities, typically conducted their business with one another, which helped to strengthen that black community by keeping the little money that they had, flowing within that community – whereas, the white businessman felt that they were entitled to the black man’s money, and wanted such, in order to maintain their control and domination of those blacks.

So then, lynching was sometimes a form of economic retribution against successful black businessmen, so done to send a very specific signal to black people and their communities, that the money that they so had, should be spent in white-owned businesses, which might well have a front of a black proprietor, and such business, thereof, should not be transacted within black businesses, that were truly owned and operated by black people.  That is to say, lynching, had an awful lot to do with the favored race maintaining their control of blacks, so accomplished, by not just keeping them terrorized, but also by wresting from the black businessman’s hand, the money that they had fairly earned.

Visa and Mastercard fees are way too high

The ubiquity of credit cards so utilized in America is quite obvious, and the amount of debt that is held by Americans on their credit cards, is estimated to be at $1 trillion, and heading higher.  Those consumers that use credit cards but do not pay their credit card bill in full, each month, are subject then to the agreed upon interest rate for that credit so being provided to them, along with being on the hook for associated other fees, for being late, or for not making their minimum payment, and so on, when they fail to honor all the terms and conditions of that credit.  Additionally, from a merchant standpoint, each time that a credit card transaction is completed, they then have to pay a specific monetary amount, to the credit card company, such as Visa or Mastercard, which is structured around how much the merchant owes for fees that are designated as the interchange, assessment, and payment processing fees.  Because merchants must pay that fee in order to accept credit cards, that then represents, for them, the cost of doing business, which thus necessitates them charging a slightly higher price for the goods that they are selling in order to accommodate those fees.

When it comes to the business of credit cards, the biggest winners are Visa and Mastercard, of which, cnn.com, tell us that they “…dominate more than 80% of the US credit card market.”  Because, then, of that domination, Visa and Mastercard can pretty much charge whatever that they so desire to charge as fees, that will thus help these particular mega-corporations to make more money, because they effectively have no competition or meaningful legislation that will preclude them from doing exactly that.  Yet, it doesn’t have to really be that way, for other nations, have structured caps on credit card fees, and are far more robust in their regulation of the credit card industry.

In America, the credit card industry is essentially a duopoly, in which, quite frankly Visa and Mastercard don’t really compete with one another; and further to the point, most consumers cannot discern any difference between the two companies, and therefore use each of these cards, interchangeably.  Additionally, most consumers aren’t really familiar with the fees being charged to the merchant for having the flexibility to accept credit cards, and for the most part, don’t seem to readily care about such – not seeming to recognize that the higher the fees so being charged by credit card companies to merchants, then correspondingly the slighter higher prices that these merchants need to charge consumers in order to recover as much as possible the credit card fees so being imposed upon them.

The thing about Visa and Mastercard is that because of their domination of the credit card industry and because of the lack of meaningful governmental regulation of that industry, they have been able to make billions upon billions of extra dollars off of merchants and the consumers to those merchants, for essentially providing a convenience, to the general public.  Those fees, then, will continue to be unnecessarily high unless this government asserts itself by mandating lower fees, or by opening the door to actual competition within the industry.  

The relentless rise of the mandatory tip

Those that go out to eat at restaurants, with the notable exception of most fast food restaurants, recognize that when they go to pay their bill, that they are encouraged to pay a tip for the food service so provided to them.  The amount of the tip, varies upon the service so having been provided, the food, and the overall dining experience; of which, the amount thus determined to be provided as a tip, is at the sole discretion of the person so paying the bill – though often in many a restaurant at the foot of the bill is a helpful calculation provided for those that are not mathematically inclined or need assistance in coming up with a fair amount for their tip.

That said, what we find currently is that over and above the fact that there are certain locales, such as Miami’s South Beach, in which every restaurant seemingly has a mandatory tip already associated with the bill, or else in those cases in which there are parties of eight or possibly even as low as six, in which case the tip has already been added to the bill – that more and more restaurants have decided to go the route of adding a mandatory tip onto the bill, and often do so, without having provided any real notice of this to the patron of that restaurant. 

While some of these restaurants that have mandatory tips, change the verbiage in a way and manner, in which the tip is labeled as a service charge, or as a fixed gratuity -- the fact of the matter is that disappointingly few of these restaurants with a mandatory tipping policy, actually make it a point to tell their customers that this is their firm policy at any time during the meal.  While some of these restaurants may well have a notice up on a wall, somewhere, explaining their tipping policy, or may well have a notice somewhere on their menu – virtually none of them, makes it clear and obvious to the patron that a mandatory tip is going to be charged, until the bill is presented at the end of the meal – of which, to add possible insult to injury, there is frequently an added line item, listed as an additional tip option to the bill.

In consideration, that tipping has historically been considered to be at the discretion of the consumer, it doesn’t seem fair or right, that a restaurant should be permitted to add a mandatory tip to a given bill, without having provided fair notice to the patron.  Further to the point, restaurants that insist upon adding service charges and other fees onto a bill, should probably be strongly discouraged from doing so, and instead should be encouraged or have mandated to them, that all service charges and various other fees, must be included in the price of the restaurant items so being sold to begin with.  In fact, the present era of some restaurants having mandatory tips, and so many others that do not, creates an uneven field, that serves to obfuscate exactly what obligations a patron of the restaurant must attend to – which would seem to suggest that American restaurants should simply follow the European model of having the price of their menu items, fairly reflect what they are truly sold for, much like consumer purchases currently represent, for virtually every other material item so purchased.

When public servants serve corporate interests

The thing about regional governments of all sizes, shapes, locales, and influence, is that these governments typically have a fairly sizeable amount of monies that they are responsible to utilize accordingly with their budget and thus see spent and expended upon those necessary things that are of the most benefit for their constituents.  When it comes to corporations, however, they are forever attempting to do what they believe needs to be so done, that will serve to increase their profit, continue their growth, and to benefit their board of directors, as well as their shareholders.  In other words, when it comes to government agencies that are responsible for how the public funds are expended, they need to be responsible to the people; whereas, corporations are typically only interested in what benefits them, as a corporation.

Not too surprisingly, when it comes to conducting business within the domain of a governmental sphere, corporations are going to be prone to doing those things that will help them to get what they want, fairly or unfairly, when so interacting with governmental officials.  In other words, corporations, understand that they often have leverage in regards to governmental officials in the sense that governments of all types, are interested in securing or enhancing private business investment into their respective communities.  Further to the point, corporations are often not completely tied down to having to do business in one particular community, but frequently have options of not only where their business will be conducted, but also how much investment that they will put into a given community.  This thus opens the door, to the competitive threat, so initiated by corporations, that if they will not get special privileges, tax set asides, infrastructure enhancements, or consideration of this or that, by that respective government, that they may well pack up and leave, or simply not engage or re-invest in business within that particular community location.

So too, certain corporations can be even more direct when dealing with governmental officials, by initiating, for instance, some sort of implicit quid pro quo, in which those that are government officials that should answer to the public and be open to that public about those things of public interest and pertinence, are offered by that corporation, indirectly or directly, the opportunity to be compensated by that corporation, in some future form, which is often implied, but never officially agreed upon.  Indeed, corporations want to have their way, and when about the only thing blocking their way, is some governmental official, who may not fully understand what a good bargain is or is not, and is not privy to the inner communications of that corporation, then through their superior knowledge and gamesmanship that the corporation has, they are often able to accomplish what they so desire, at terms that are primarily beneficial to them; of which, this favoritism, typically, is not readily available for any other persons or companies, that are not so well positioned.

Those then that are public servants need to make it their point and principle to serve the public, which is best accomplished by being as transparent as possible, which, at a minimum, provides the public with the needed insight to see and to understand the deals so being made with influential corporations.