A new perspective of an “eye for an eye”

We read in Holy Scripture “But if any harm follows, then you must take life for life,  eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (Exodus 21: 23-24).  Many people thus interpret this passage as basically indicating that whatever wrong is so done to us, that we are fairly entitled to therefore mete out the same sort of punishment to those that assailed us or our family, in return.  In other words, this scriptural passage is preaching righteous vengeance, which, unfortunately, appears to be still believed wholeheartedly as our just thing to do, or at least, to have the option of so doing, when we have been wronged by the other.

Perhaps though, our interpretation of this passage seems to be missing that there may well be nuances to our most common reading of an “eye for an eye”.  Indeed, we have to take into serious account, that when we look at how justice has been historically enacted against those that are the richest, the most powerful, and the best connected, this strongly does indicate that the rich are quite frequently treated significantly differently and thus better than practically anyone else, in every aspect of how justice is enforced.  For those that are well connected, their treatment when so accused of a noxious crime, seems to be, more times than not, diametrically different from what the average citizen must endure, and certainly far removed from what the poor and undefended, must so deal with.

So then, taking into account, that the rich and well placed are the very people that write the rules, interpret those same rules, and effect justice through those rules, we do so find, that those that are the most powerful, are able then to frequently use the law as a cudgel against those that they do not like, or find annoying, or desire to intimidate, or to hurt, but when it comes time for them to serve the same sort of punishment for the same kinds of crime, somehow that law doesn’t apply with nearly the same degree of severity to their own self.

Indeed, then, when we take a relook at an “eye for an eye” it would be better to understand it as being the last and best defense for those that have little or no voice, that when they thus unduly suffer from an injustice so imposed upon them, that those that have inflicted that suffering should themselves suffer an “eye for an eye” and therefore that justice as enacted under these conditions, would thus be no respecter of persons, at all; but would instead serve out that justice in a way and manner that those that have committed the crime, would endure the appropriate justice so previously determined to be legislated for that crime.

So, in short, those that are rich and powerful, that thus misuse and abuse their powers, against the people, would, in a world of justice which reflects this scripture, would duly have imposed upon them, the same measure that they have supported and implemented during their tenure.  This then signifies, that an “eye for an eye” most definitely, as so interpreted through this new perspective, has good purpose.

Money, money, money

When we are birthed into this world, we have no concept of money, though we typically do have a concept of love, affection, and caring -- which thus forms the basis of our loving attachment to our family.  Invariably, as we mature into adulthood, and even before, we become quite aware of the value of money, especially in the sense of money providing us with the means to buy and to acquire things that we so desire to have.  Those then that are best able to balance their monetary needs with a clear understanding that true happiness comes primarily from the alliances that we make with those that we congregate with or live with, understand well that while money has its place, it is vital to keep money, in that designated place, and not then to  have money, supplant our natural affinity, one for the other.  It is important to note, that understanding that money has value, is never the same thing as seeing money as the primary means to our happiness, which when believed, is a false construct and a road, best avoided.

The reason that so many people, rich or poor, successful or not, are often so obsessed with the obtaining of money and the usage, thereof, has an awful lot to do with the fact that the needs that we have on any given day, seems to require the access to money and therefore the expenditure of such – which therefore signifies that those that lack fair access to money are going to be susceptible to  having that lack of money, to affect their mindset in a negative way.  So too, those that have money, have a strong tendency to be fearful of losing that money, because how they value themselves, has an awful lot to do with their pocketbook and their net worth, and thus their ability to competently take care of their financial and familial obligations.

In life, a successful and complete life, needs to be built around having the right priorities, so that, those that simply want what they want, by any means so necessary, are going to be the very same people that will fall into the snare of worshipping money, in all of its various aspects and images.  Rather, what we need to do, is to understand that first of all, the very best things in life, aren’t built around money, but rather are built around being good to one another, and making it our point to treat one another, with the same respect and dignity, that we would so desire for our own self.  That is to say, the race that we run, should not primarily be about trying to acquire money so as to conceivably secure happiness, monetary goods of all types, and general security, but rather should be about making the correct decisions in all that we say and do, that will thus take us to a place far more satisfactory and authentic than the temporary respite that money, without principle, represents.  Remember this well, money should be our servant, and further to the point, our obligation in the obtaining of money is to be a good judicious steward of such, and when properly accomplished, we will then have the correct balance that will lead to a worthy life, and a race, well run.

In an unequal society, democracy fails

An unequal society, can be best defined as a society in which the opportunity for advancement, the justice so implemented and imposed, and the distribution of the wealth of that society, is skewed heavily in the favor of a small cadre of individuals and institutions, to the overall detriment of the people, at large.  While it is a given that there will never truly be an equal society, in the sense, that all have exactly the same as everyone else – it has to be recognized that the objective of the exercise is to see fairly represented that all those that are denizens of that society are afforded not only equal protection under the laws, but also are at liberty, of free will, and therefore are autonomous individuals, so proven by their ability to be about their business per their own volition, of which both unfair barriers to entry as well as private sector monopolistic institutions would not be permitted to exist within that society.

As they say, the proof is in the eating of the pudding, and when we look at countries such as the United States of America, we see that rather than the people becoming ever more secure in their income, their employment, and their opportunities, that instead, this country is becoming more and more to be a nation, in which, the elites, the biggest multinational corporations, and the wealthy, essentially “boss” it over all the other people.  In other words, despite the incredible amount of wealth, that America represents, as in its being the richest nation that the world has ever known, that distribution of wealth, along with its incumbent power, is essentially held in the hands of the few.  So too, while the political process of America, is democratic, in form, the upshot of such, is that the well connected are able to consistently get whatever that they so desire to have, by deliberately manipulating the narrative in order to support their objectives at the expense of the people.

In an unequal society, it isn’t good enough to simply have the vote, when the choices so presented to the people, are, in essence, no choice, at all.  When there are but two major political parties, that hold all of the cards, that are fully supported wholeheartedly by mainstream media of all sorts, and of which, those that are the candidates in that political process are beholden to those that control the levers so held over them in the background, then all the people will typically get from such, are platitudes and empty promises, and never substantial change or improvement.  The very fact that America continues to be so unequal, is proof positive, that democracy does not and cannot work in unequal societies, which thus signifies that this is clearly not a government, of, for, and by the people, at all.

Remember this well, if every vote and every person in America, actually was valued exactly the same, then it could not conceivably be possible that the three wealthiest billionaires would have as much wealth as the entire bottom half of the United States population, combined -- because the voting population of the bottom half of America would absolutely crush the mere three votes of those wealthiest billionaires.  Yet, here we sit, unequal, and with that inequality getting ever progressively worse, because our institution of democracy, has been fundamentally captured by those powerful elites that effectively run this nation.

Those that don’t respect themselves are not going to respect others

While there are plenty of people that have a healthy degree of self-respect, we do so find that there are plenty of other people, that do not.  Not everyone is proud and satisfied with who and what they seem to be, and because of that dissatisfaction they don’t really have much self-respect, at all.  The problem, then, for those that lack self-respect, is that many of those people, are going to be inclined to want to strike out, in various ways and manners, against those that seem to be in a better position than they are, because of the fact that they have not learned the value of respecting others, for their own lack of self-respect.

Additionally, it also has to be taken into fair account, that there are those manipulative people, who when perceiving that someone is lacking in self-respect, use that information for their own advantage so as to pile on more misery on the other, or for exploitation, or for other malevolent intents.  After all, those that lack self-respect, are the very type of people, that are going to be susceptible to others that appear to be of influence and of power, and will therefore have a tendency to desire to do what so needs to be done to get into their good graces, which may or may not help their own self to secure some much needed self-respect, such as a young person apparently can get, when joining up with a gang.

So too, there are those good people, that desire to be of aid to those that are lacking in self-awareness and self-respect, thereby working with them to demonstrate that wherever that we are at the moment, does not necessitate that this will be our position, forever.  In other words, by applying ourselves, and working on worthwhile goals, those that are currently hurting when it comes to respecting their own self, can begin to extricate themselves from their rather poor and vulnerable place in society.

Indeed, part of the problem that we have in modern societies, with self-respect, has an awful lot to do with the images that we absorb each and every day, of those others that seem to have happy and fulfilling lives, so accomplished by having obtained the material accouterments of social success.  Those that berate themselves then for their inability to have the same type of success, even on a lesser level, are the same sort that lose their self-respect, for their apparent failure to be those same sorts of things, themselves.  In truth, that is the curse of a material society, which puts pressure of many a person, to measure up well to the other, but often fails to take into account, the actual character of a given person. So, for those that really desire to have self-respect, they need to concentrate far less upon the appearance of success of the other, and far more upon the good potential of their own character, which has the capacity and the capability to be of immense value and worth, if only we would devote our mind and efforts upon such.

A free people must have free speech and a free press

There are some things that are fairly obvious, of which one of those things is the seminal fact that in order to be free, we must, at a minimum, be free to be about our business -- which signifies that we must then therefore be free to think our own thoughts and then to disseminate those thoughts, as per our volition, one to another, throughout all the possible means to do so, that we can avail ourselves of. That signifies that one of the most important freedoms in America, is the freedom of speech, and its partner, the freedom of the press.  After all, if we are unable to express the thoughts that we have, or to read or hear the thoughts of others so expressed, then we are thus being denied knowledge, dialog, and our fundamental right to basic communication skills.

We read at library.illinois.edu that in 1860 there were 3000 newspapers being published in the United States; whereas, today, we are told via pwest.pathfinder.com that “…90% of the media in the United States is controlled by just six corporations.”  This thus signifies, that this government has determined that it prefers to have just a few companies, representing mainstream media, controlling the dissemination of the news so fit to be viewed, read, or heard by that general public.  The most obvious reason why this is so, is so that this government, in conjunction with these rich and powerful media companies, can together, propagandize to the American people whatever that those agencies believe to be in the best interests, not of Americans, at large, but of those mega media corporations in alliance with those that are our highest, brightest, and most influential governmental officials.

In other words, the days of a true free press, seem to be not only in serious decline, but appear to be under direct assault of those that believe that they know what we should or should not read and listen to, so done under the “false flag” that misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech, are the responsibility to eradicate for these mega mainstream media companies, in conjunction with governmental agencies, so as to effectively remove and to therefore scrub away these items from the public discourse.  Indeed, whenever there is actionable information which is being censored by the government, or through the auspices of mainstream media, we thus have a construct in which the people are not being provided with the opportunity to hear all that they need to hear in order to make an informed judgment upon that which may be of vital interest to them.  Additionally, by controlling the narrative, the government with its loyal minions are essentially acting as propagandists to the people, in order to better control the thought processes of those same people.

In short, perhaps democracy can be a bit uncomfortable and inconvenient, because it is often filled with cacophonous voices, but that is the right of those people, under their Constitutional government, so meant to provide the people with a fair opportunity to protest, to discuss, and to cogitate whatever is of interest to them.  In fact, those then, that are precluded from having a true voice, are not free; and any institution or governmental agency that suppresses that voice, are themselves, not the upholders of justice or freedom, but actually are the true enemies of the state and of the people.

Towards the best education

It would seem in western societies that those societies are quite aware of the importance and the value of good education, which would then presuppose that our public educational facilities would thus be the very best in the word, in consideration that western societies are also the wealthiest nations, as well.  Yet, when we look closely at our educational facilities, not all is well, and further to the point, it doesn’t seem that our lofty hopes of a good education for all, regardless of race, creed, or income, is actually succeeding in that mission.

When it comes to education, the most fundamental problem that we do so find in that education, is the proper understanding of what we should be educating our children about.  That is to say, while there is certainly something to be said about learning, at a minimum, the fundamentals of the “three R’s”, which are reading, writing, and arithmetic, that in and of itself, is never going to be enough.  In other words, part of the core of education, should be to impart to those that are being educated, the basics of what they so need to learn, so as to think for themselves in a way and manner, in which, there is a desire to search for the truth of our existence, and the meaning of such, thereof.  Further, our education, needs to also consist of explaining why we have an obligation to be an integral part of the society that we are a partner in, and why it is so important for each one of us, to do something of substance, to support that same society.

Regrettably, especially in Higher education, we find that more and more, the concentration of studies, is almost never integrated with any real moral or ethical standards, and therefore the importance of having good character – but seems instead to be focused upon only those things in which the efforts of the students is in the study of that which will only be of immediate and direct usage for the career so envisioned, to the apparent exclusion of all else.  While it certainly makes sense, that students should know how to competently perform the job functions that they are being trained for – it is also of fundamental importance, that they have sound moral character which therefore lets them know, the difference between those actions which are right and those that are wrong.

Whenever a civilization, pushes to the side its obligation to that society, by concentrating wholeheartedly upon doing only what so needs to be done in order to make profit, or to obtain material goods, or in accordance with general intellectual satisfaction, without taking into account, the whole picture, which includes the value of a sound moral structure, then the civilization that we create and develop is going to be one of selfishness as compare to service, and society, suffers therefore for that mindset.

The best education is that which builds from a solid foundation, of which that foundation has got to emphasize that we are moral agents, responsible to ourselves as well as to others, for the actions that we so undertake, of which, it is our primary duty and obligation to treat others with the same type of courtesy, respect, and consideration, that we would so wish for ourselves, and to also recognize that a collaborative society is going to be a far better society to live within, rather than a society that is always at loggerheads with one another.

This is why you don’t live forever

Of course, not everyone wants to live forever, especially those that are in ill health, or have lives that are unsatisfactory, or just are tired of it all.  But there are those other folks, that deeply desire to live forever, of which, we might like to think that these people that are so intent upon living for generation after generation, must then be really good people – the truth, though, is that commonly these type of people want to live forever because their life and the circumstances that they enjoy are so darn good, that they don’t ever want to cede control of such, ever.  However, all that said, the vast majority of people, basically desire to live a good and satisfying life, with the implicit understanding that life consists of stages, and invariably the death of the physical body, is going to be that final stage, on earth.

As for why we don’t live forever, the simplest answer has a lot to do with the unavoidable fact, that nothing physical, is ever going to last forever.  This signifies that while we can take prudent measures to extend the quality of life for ourselves, that extension is going to, in the best of cases, just add several years of quality life for us, but it will not extend that life, much beyond such.  So too, it has to be recognized that the real purpose of our life here on earth, is to provide us with the opportunity to learn our lessons well, and then to apply those lesson so learnt through our interactions in our day to day activities.  Unfortunately, some people, don’t readily take to their lessons, and because so many people, as they age, get more and more set in their ways and of their opinions, we do so find, that the opportunity to change the direction of our life, thus diminishes as time goes on.  This thereby signifies that as in a ship, that lacks a compass, those that are directionless are not going to be traveling in the right direction; and for all those that know the right direction, but insist upon ignoring such, they will then continue to travel in the wrong direction.

Indeed, there is purpose in our life, and that purpose is to find our way back to the only destination that will bring us eternal sanctuary and thus satisfaction.  This signifies, that we don’t live forever, because it best for those that are not progressing, or perhaps are regressing, that they have a fresh opportunity of getting a restart or a reboot so as to get their next incarnation a chance to make amends, for a misguided life.  As for those that have done well, and now are fairly departing from this land having served their good purpose, this is akin to a student that goes to school, takes their tests, subsequently passes those tests with very high scores, and then goes on to do good deeds with their knowledge, so rightly applied. 

As good as this world may so be, it cannot and does not hold a candle to that dimension that is beyond our limited sight.  This world, is a proving ground, providing each of us with the fair opportunity, to accomplish that which will serve to benefit and to enlighten us, as well as others – of which, those that come up short to those noble objectives, quite obviously need a do over – and those that have succeeded, don’t.

We are independent agents

Each of us has been graced with free will, and therefore the liberty to do whatever that we so desire to do, subject to society’s laws, as well as our position within that society.  That is to say, we are free to think and to attempt to do whatever comes to our mind, good or bad, safe or unsafe, as per our volition, as independent agents, that are thus captains of our own choices and hence of our own fate.  Logically, because we have the unalienable right of free choice, it has to be admitted that every other person, also has the same unalienable rights that we so have – which in this world, can easily produce conflict of all sorts, whenever one person’s will meets up against another person’s will, that are not in harmony with one another.

Yet, despite the potential downside of having that free will, it has to be admitted, that in having our own thoughts, and consequently in the taking of our own respective actions, that this indeed is a very great power to have at our command – this thus signifies that this then is also a very great power that should not be taken lightly,.  Indeed, when we think carefully about free will power, we have to recognize that those that are most sensible, recognize that great powers necessitate our prudent usage of such, or else, catastrophes of all sorts can easily occur, through our imprudent usage.

We are independent agents, and as independent agents, we are thus wholly responsible with what we do or don’t do with the decision making that we so take, and obviously, of the consequences of those actions that we so take.  This then, is the reason why, we have so much disharmony in societies, because far too many of us, are all about our own needs, our own desires, and our own wishes, and are not therefore adverse to taking whatever action that is so needed to be taken in order to secure what we believe that we should have.

So then, the troubles that we have, as an individual, as well as in our relationship with society, has an awful lot to do, with us behaving in a manner which is not conductive to fairness, justice, selflessness, and overall civility.  For some people, they do indeed learn from their mistakes, and because of that learning, adjust who and what they are, so as to become a better neighbor to one another, and hence reap the benefits of applying themselves in a way in which they are considerate in the usage of their free will.  That type of mindset is the very type of mindset that we should wish to emulate, or if not, at least to learn from our experiences and the results, thereof, which should send a signal to our mind as to whether we are on the right track or not. 

Indeed, we are independent agents, provided with the constant choice as to what we ought or ought not to do, and those that consistently do the right thing, will find clarity; whereas, those that do not, will find confusion.  

The humility of Jesus the Christ

There are plenty of people that either like to sing their own praises, or in absence of that, like to hear others sing the praises of them.  Perhaps those that are often praised, or that praised their own self, deserve such gratitude and appreciation, because of the things that they so do and perform for others, day by day.  Yet, it has to be asked as to whether or not, any of our goals in life, should primarily be based around receiving, in return, peer approval, above all.  Rather, it would be fair to state, that those that accomplish the most meaningful work, are almost without exception, those that put their nose to the grindstone and simply get those necessary  things done, in a competent and professional manner, and therefore don’t overly concern themselves with plaudits from others, but take solace rather in the fact, that they are knowingly doing good deeds.

Anyone that relies on peers or crowds or other people to approve of them, has got to realize, that people, of any general sort, are not only rather fickle, but have a tendency to ride a given horse, as far as the overwhelming opinion of those collective people, feel is worthwhile and then, no more.  In other words, what the people like and favor, has its season, so that those, that are dependent upon the people always supporting their work and their efforts, are probably going to find that sooner or later, that sort of approval, dissipates, as it invariably moves onto other things.  So then, the satisfaction that we get out of life, should not be about trying to get as many pats of the back, that we can achieve, but really comes down to faithfully fulfilling our calling in life.

When it comes to Jesus the Christ, Holy Scripture informs us that Jesus, performed many miracles, of which, in none of those miracles, did Christ ever say or imply, that these miracles came from the hands and genius of Jesus, but rather whatever credit was given, was always given to our God.  This thus demonstrates that Christ, acknowledged that His power came from that God-given power, which is a power, that all can call upon, if they are in the right and faithful frame of mind.  Further to the point, to prove that Christ, was not about His own ego fulfillment, or desiring fame and respect, it has to be wholly recognized that for all the miracles so performed by Jesus, not a single miracle so recorded, ever had to do with Christ performing a miracle for His own self.  That, in a nutshell, is not only humility, personified, but demonstrates in action, that Jesus was never about seeking anything other than God’s good will.

It indeed can be a hard thing, to not clamor for the praise and appreciation of our family or our peers or even of society, at large; but that should not be the driving force of what we so do each and every day.  Rather, we are meant to fulfill the sincere calling of our heart, with the understanding that what we so do and accomplished, could not be done without the wisdom and grace of God’s influence into our being, and hence that is why, those that are most humble, are also the very same, as those that are most faithful to the implicit nobleness that we have been preciously gifted with.

The other Israel

When we read Holy Scripture, we may well find ourselves being dismayed by the apparent fact that God seems to display favoritism to those that are Jewish, and of Israel.  Yet, we know for a certainty, that each and every one of is valued just the same in the eyes of God; and further to the point, this thus makes us, equal children of God.  This then would presuppose that our interpretation of what it means to be Israel, must be incorrect, for we are interpreting such, in a literal manner, when it is meant to be seen instead, on a figurative basis.  Additionally, it has to be admitted, that our apparent separation from God, is never from God forsaking us, but it is from us, misusing our free will, to our own detriment.

God does not will that any of His sheep should ever be lost.  Yet, there are millions upon millions of those same sheep, which are lost, because they do not recognize who and what they really are, or even to acknowledge their true heritage.  Because God and His legion of Angels care so much about our human condition, and wish to see that we escape from that which holds us in bondage, we are graced then with the presence of great prophets and avatars, to help lead us out from the dark desert of unbelief and ignorance, into the enlightenment of sound belief and knowledge faithfully applied.

So then, when it comes to Israel, we need to see that the true Israel, is not a separate people, in a separate state, that have been birthed into some sort of special uplifted status, but rather, Israel, is a state of mind – so available to each and every one of us.   That is to say, those that are truly part of Israel, are those that are focused upon doing what is right and good for themselves as well as for others, which demonstrates in action, that they are in harmony with God’s good attributes, and allied with justice, applied.  We are meant, to become a body politic, driven to find not only the meaning and purpose of life, but to live up to that ideal, by willing the good of the other, and thus through our faithful service, benefiting one another.

What we so think and subsequently do, absolutely matters.  This world, is presented to us, as a fair test, in which, those tests are meant to determine our character.  Those then, that are best able to rise up and to meet those challenges are those that have not only learned their lessons well, but have demonstrated that they have put those lessons into meaningful action, so as to help make this world, a better place for their participation in it.  Indeed, the highest calling for those that wish to find Israel and to be an integral part of Israel, is not only to be our neighbor’s keeper, as well as to love God, but to, above all, seek Truth, for it is in that Truth, that those were blind, will now clearly see.

Greed and materialism

For those that believe that the only world that we live in, is indeed a material world, which,  by definition, must then have material limitations of the products so being available -- then such a belief as that, especially when the society, at large, believes fervently in the exact same thing, is going to lead to conflict, and therefore to the expression of individual greed, writ large.  In other words, it has to be acknowledged that there is only so much material goods in any society, to go around, and of which, what a given person so desires to have, can conceivably be limitless, thereby leading to all sorts of ensuing trouble.

There are plenty of people, that believe that they have a right to have whatever material good that they so desire to have, especially when they have the monetary funds to purchase such, and it is thus exclusively their business what they so spend their monies upon.  Indeed, that seems to be the nature of the capitalistic society that we live in, but that doesn’t mean that each of us, needs to buy into such a philosophy, for to do so, entraps us into a construct which will not end well.

In actuality, it is a loser’s game, for all those that insist upon playing that game, which is built around who has or has not the most “toys.”  Rather, a healthy society is one that is not overly materially conscious, and certainly isn’t in a race to get things that they insist that they really need, when in reality, by any true definition, they don’t really “need” those things.  Instead, societies, should well understand and to acknowledge that each of us does have a need for good health, for proper sustenance, for shelter, for schooling, for opportunity and for employment – as well as it also must be recognized that we need love, friendship, safety, security, and purpose.  This thus signifies that the best societies are always those that create a structure that provides a material floor, for each individual, so that the things that they thus need are theirs for the taking, in exchange, for their being an integral part and cog of that society.

On the other hand, those societies that are most ill, are those societies that are overly focused upon the achieving for their own self, material success, above all; of which, nothing is worse, than those that insist upon measuring their worth, based not upon their character, or upon their good deeds, but rather upon their material possessions.  It is that greed for more, and that belief that lifelong satisfaction can only exist, based upon having the appropriate material symbols of success, which leads to unresolvable conflict with others, for all those that are captured and enraptured by that mindset.  Those then, that insist that their happiness comes primarily from what they so possess, are often the very same people, that abandon their good ethics, to get what they insist that they must have, never seeming to realize that they have traded for that which is temporal and limited, over that which is eternal and limitless.

“Mankind must put an end to war--or war will put an end to mankind”

The above quotation comes from President Kennedy in his address of September 25, 1961, to the UN General Assembly.  Yet, in America, today, the military-industrial-technology complex, believes wholeheartedly, by its very actions, that the way to peace, must come through the sword.  Indeed, this is the very opposite of what President Kennedy was expressing, for Kennedy rightfully feared that this world, if it continued to try to resolve issues with warfare, could end up with this world, totally annihilated through nuclear conflagration.

It is exceedingly dangerous for this nation, as well as many other nations, to continue to build up their respective armaments, without seeming to understand that all these resources devoted to such armaments, will either essentially be a total waste of those funds, or will end up being utilized for the wanton destruction of infrastructure, as well as the brutal killing of other human beings.  Those that will not learn the lessons of the past, or choose to ignore such, are going to continue to make the very same mistakes that they have been making, for generation after generation, in which, warfare in this day and age, cannot be, and should not be seen as being the sensible solution to the problems and disputes that confront us.

In consideration, that Americas’ military budget, exceeds the next ten countries combined, this reflects fairly that America believes that might makes right.  Such a belief as that, is consistent with a nation that doesn’t believe in or adhere to the spirit of its own Constitution, and does not believe that diplomacy or treaties or arms control, has any real legitimacy, anymore.  This is why the world continues to have so much warfare, and further why there is no hope for any lasting peace throughout the world, whatsoever.  It is extremely disappointing that the so-called “leader of the free world” leads not by diplomacy, leads not by democracy, leads not by justice, but leads, first and foremost, by war or the constant threatening of such.

The question that is seldom asked, but yet needs to be asked, is what is all the fighting about?  The second question that needs to be asked, is why is it that America needs to insist upon being involved in every dispute that one nation has against another, or that one peoples have against another peoples, in which, rather than playing the role of peacemaker, America prefers to choose a side and then conduct its warfare, directly or indirectly, through proxy or not. 

It is so disappointing that through all of these wars, society never really finds itself coming ever closer to peace, but rather, one war needs to the next war, and then the next, ad nauseam.    There isn’t any real good reason why Kennedy’s words need to be prophetic, but the trajectory that this superpower nation is on, is clearly that, in which, it can only end in the annihilation of mankind.  And for what? For indeed, the intelligence, the knowhow, and the capacity for a lasting peace, is ours for the taking, which would make for a better, fairer, and more just world, if only we would exert our efforts for that very thing.

Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that plunder the vineyards

The above scripture comes from (Song of Solomon 2: 15), and should be a word of warning for all of us, not then to find ourselves committing the type of “little” sins that impugn our own character, by, for instance, being envious of others, by being prideful, and by all the other little things that we so do day by day, that are of no good and are harmful.  That is to say, most everyone, acknowledges that exceedingly bad acts, such as armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, and murder are the types of crimes, that deserve severe punishment of some sort, as an appropriate form of justice.  Yet, how few, especially when it pertains to their own being, are willing to face the music, when it comes to their “little crimes,” of being hateful to others, of undercutting others, of backbiting, and of purposely being a thorn in another’s side.

We are meant to do good to one another, and further to the point, we are meant to be willing the good of the other – and especially to those that we love and respect.  Unfortunately, we live in a world, that seems to be, more times than not, competitive rather than collaborative, of which, there is many a person that believes that there is only so much material goods to go around; or for that matter, only so much love to be had.  Those then, that feel that they are not getting what they so desire, but do not wish to recognize that perhaps what is so happening to them is in the scheme of things, actually fair, are going to be susceptible to taking then those actions that will enable them to steal undeserved credit from another, or to damage another, unjustifiably, in order to take what is not rightfully theirs, away from the other.

When we look at somebody else’s vineyard, and see that theirs is clearly superior to our own, those that cannot control their emotions, will allow envy to override their good judgment, leading them to take from the other’s vineyard, what is not rightfully theirs.  So too, those that believe that the best judge of who and what they really are, is in the comparison of their own achievements against those that have the same sort of general background, are going to be dismayed whenever that they so find that they are coming up well short, in that comparison, for that hurts their pride, which can lead then to some form of retribution, directly or indirectly, so as to retake the status that they believe they should rightfully have.

The thing about the character of a fox, is that a fox knows that in order to accomplish its particular mission, it will need to be sneaky, to be stealthy, and to be strategic, for it wants what it so wants, and in order to do such, understands the value of the cover of darkness, of deception, and of misdirection.  Indeed, those little foxes that are most successful, can take prideful solace in having accomplished their objective, but it must also be acknowledged, that having plundered the other, that when it comes for their day of reckoning, it will come, for those little foxes, like a thief in the night.

The right determination

There are those that are absolutely determined to reach their goals that they have set before themselves, and many of those people, either eventually achieve those goals, or else achieve something else of significance, which they thus take suitable satisfaction from.  It would seem that there isn’t anything much better than outlining a plan in life, and then succeeding in executing that very same plan.  However, in truth, not all those that succeed in their goals, actually find a lasting satisfaction, from such; for perhaps, when they compare themselves to other people, and look closely at their accomplishments, they aren’t then so impressed with their own personal results.  Even worse, are those that having achieved their goals, recognize, that in the end, the goals that they had set before them, that they thought were so important, actually served no great purpose, except perhaps to satisfy their own vanity.

It is good to have determination, for it is that drive that helps us to get things done – but, it is even better to have the right determination, in which, what we are so trying to accomplish, will not only bring us personal satisfaction, but also will help to serve our society, as well as our God.  That is to say, for all those that have examined their life, they then know for a certainty that life has a true purpose to it – and hence our determination should be, first and foremost, to do those proper things that will make our lives to be purposeful and therefore of meaningful merit for the greater good.

There are plenty of people that are determined to chase after their dreams, good or perhaps not so good, and spend little or no time, then, chasing after their Creator.  These then, that care not for God, or fail to express thankfulness for the beneficence that God has in God’s wisdom, bestowed upon each one of us, as our unalienable rights in this world, have taken for granted that which should not be taken for granted.  This then is why so many, despite material success, despite high educational achievements, despite the appreciation and respect of their peers, and despite good friends and family, find themselves, in those moments of absolute honesty and candor, to feel that they have not done what they could and should have done, despite having within their makeup, the right stuff.

Perhaps, for some of us, we weren’t trained right as a child, as, for instance, where the best use of our talents should have been directed -- or perhaps we had mentors that though meaning well, directed us in a way and manner that ultimately took us, off course.  That said, there does come that time when we are fully responsible for who and what we really are, of which, that thus gives us the opportunity to change our direction, to reset, and to re-evaluate where we are and who we have become, of which, those that have the right determination will make adjustments, as needed, that will thus take them then to where they really ought to be, and those without that right determination will stay the present course that they have set, for better or for worse.

The government should regulate online pornography

The inconsistencies of United States law and how it is applied, is disappointing.  While, on the one hand, minors are not permitted to legally purchase alcohol or marijuana or cigarettes, all legislated for the supposed benefit of those minors – for some reason, when it comes to online pornography, for those that are desiring to peruse such, the only barrier to entry through the dominant leaders of this industry, is apparently the “trust” system, in which a person, just needs to affirm that they are of age to consume and to watch such material, even if they are not, in actuality, of age.

It would appear the battle about pornography, and its ubiquity in an online format, has essentially been fought and seemingly lost.  Yet, for all the hue and cry about the protection of minors, this would seem to be a definite area in need of a serious reboot and relook, especially considering how pernicious and objectifying pornography is, and potentially quite damaging, for all those that have not reached the age of maturity.  It certainly seems not only a reasonable thing, but just plain common sense, that online pornography in any of its various forms, should not be readily available to minors, and that to somehow believe that internet “parental controls” will take care of effectively precluding such, is both insipid and naïve.

When it comes to rogue and undesirable websites, this government has proven that it has not only the capacity to seize those websites so as to therefore make them to be un-operational, but that it also has shown that it will demonetize content that it does not approve of, whenever it considers such to be a menace to society, at large.  In regards to any business, there are going to be dominant players, and the online pornography business, is not an exception, to such; in which, the best way to regulate online pornography, then, is to contact those that are the biggest players within that industry, and have then put into place, the new regulations which must be adhered to, so as to preclude minors from accessing these types of sites -- so accomplished, in all probability, with those that want to watch porn, having to provide a form of legal identification, in conjunction with webcam facial recognition, to prove that they are of age, or something similar to those general guidelines.

So too, all those that provide online pornography content, should be held to account, as to whether such content, has the expressed permission of all the participants to such, that those that are the participants are of age, and further that those participants were not impaired during the filming of their actions, and so forth.  In other words, online pornography purveyors, should be legislated to have proof that they have the right to disseminate their content, through the documentation that supports such, without any equivocation.  As it currently stands, the laissez faire type of governmental approach to online pornography, does little or nothing to protect those that are caught up in or are the actual participants in such, and leaves those that are not of legal age, carte blanche to watch as much pernicious content as they so desire.

The necessary war tax

The United States seems to be involved perpetually in war after war after war, all around the world, year after year after year.  Perhaps there are good reasons for the American involvement in those wars, perhaps not.  What has to be recognized, though, is that the wars of today do not directly impact in any real way or form, most American citizens.  That is to say, the United States has no conscription, it has no curfew so imposed, in regards to its present day wars, and it does not have rationing either, because of those wars.  This thus signifies that because these wars are being fought overseas, those that are not part of that struggle, because they are not the actual soldiers on the field, typically don’t overly concern themselves about war or its effect, or even necessarily the cost of that war, financially as well as ethically.

In consideration, that this nation runs massive yearly federal deficits and apparently has no intention of this ever ending in the foreseeable future, in which, the national defense budget is now approaching an astonishing one trillion dollars on an annual basis, there is a need then, for those that are the people of these United States, to pay a war tax, in order to do their good part to help finance these wars, which, in theory, the American people, would seem to support, since the politicians that are elected are either the actuators or the enablers of these wars. 

The war tax, should be something reasonable, something akin to the current Medicare tax, which is currently pegged at 1.45% per employee, and a matching 1.45% for the employer.  Additionally, the war tax should also apply to those that have yearly capital gains of $40,000 and above, at that same 1.45% rate.  This would thus take the American public, and make them to have a vested interest in not only the monies so being allocated from their pockets to our various war efforts, but also to make them to realize that perhaps they should consider, when it comes to politics and budgets, that they are the ones that are essentially made to pay the piper, for those wars and budgets, directly or indirectly.

After all, if you really want to know how somebody feels about something, make their involvement be one in which it makes a difference to their pocketbook or to their livelihood or even to their life.  Indeed, if conscription was mandated for these foreign wars, and rationing and curfews were so imposed, the American public, would not be so eager to see Americans participate in these wars.  Yet, because current Americans are not being directly taxed for those wars, leaving such for future unborn generations to have to deal with, that seems to be not only unfair, but also not right.  This proposed war tax should be imposed upon the American taxpayer as soon as possible, in which, perhaps, there will be some hew and cry, or perhaps not.  In any event, a war tax, would be fair price to pay, for those that want war, but desire not to personally fight in such.

To see the real, you

There are lots of people that basically live their lives in such a way, that they believe that only that which is seen, is to be believed – never, seeming to come to grips with all sorts of things, which we cannot see, such as gravity or wind or love; nor bothering to contemplate why it is that we are drawn to that which is beyond our physical senses, so often.  Those then that will not pay much attention to anything other than the physical, are quite obviously living within a construct, in which, their physical birth, must then end with the annihilation of their physical self, which for them, essentially represents a tragedy, which cannot be avoided.  In other words, those that are unable to get beyond being earthbound, believing in nothing other than what this physical world so offers us, are going to forlornly have to face the music that there will come that time when their existence will meet its inevitable end.

Then there are those that understand that we are not just the physical, but rather we are actually eternal in structure, because that which is our soul, lives beyond this world, and always will.  That is to say, we incarnate into this world, in order to do our best to make this world a better place, for our participation in it – recognizing that our physical presence here, is temporal, for our actual being is beyond both time and space.  Those then, that recognize that truth, are the same type of people who see their incarnation here, as the fair opportunity, to grow themselves, so that they will have the proper spiritual and wisdom accouterments to be of aid and of assistance to deal with that struggle of the illusions and delusions, that preclude these other souls and people, from the proper recognition, that we are meant for better things than merely being earth grounded in our persona.  Indeed, we are our brother’s keeper, for all those then that are able to redirect misguided souls and people into the recognition that we are all in this together, are thus doing their good part to bring needed enlightenment to this world.

Each of us is provided with free will, which is a powerful intoxicant in the wrong hands, and a great gift, for those that wisely use such.  Those that use their free will for their exclusive benefit, are going to reap the whirlwind, within that next dimension that all must so face, upon their physical death.  That then, is truly the tragedy of a life gone wrong, for each of is provided with the fair opportunity to do the best with the gifts and circumstances that we are meant to utilize and to face.  In truth, how we live our life in this world, reflects in what so happens to our soul, in the world to come.  This world is indeed, a proving ground, and for all those that aren’t able to progress or even worse, do regress, they then will have to cycle back again and again until they eventually get it right – whereas, those that know who and what they really are and therefore are true to that which is eternally good by their respective actions so accomplished here on earth, will reap an exceedingly rich harvest.

To escape from the reality of your life situation

Not all of us are blessed with a good and satisfying life.  For some, though they have to deal with that which represents some degree of despair and frustration, this is soon overcome or ameliorated, by other good events, or by the help of good friends.  Then there are those others, in which, it seems that every day is a day of frustration, difficulty, humiliation, and the awareness that their life is not in order, and certainly not where they so desired that it should be.  For those, that seemingly have intractable problems, there are a multitude of sensible ways to deal with such; as in, seeking the advice and aid of esteemed others, working on the crux of the problem that is disturbing and bothering them, as well as basically doing those types of activities that will permit them to make progress in the overcoming of those obstacles that are hindering their advancement and their balance of mind.  Unfortunately, far too many people, either make a few attempts to fix such and then abandon such when their efforts seem to be of no effect; or they take what appears to be the easy avenue of escape, so done through various mindless activities, such as playing video games, endless browsing of social media posts, listless daydreaming, or via the intoxication of drugs, licit or illicit.

There is the personal reality of life, of which, some people see that reality and deal with it, as it is so represented in a positive and proactive way so as to have a satisfying and fulfilling life.  Then there are those others, that cannot handle the reality of their life, and wish only to escape from such, which thus lends many a person, such as that, to the lure of intoxicants and addictions of all types, that will thus serve to permit them to escape the reality that they believe cannot be handled, through sober and sound mind.  The unfortunate thing about “escaping” our problems, is that this escape does nothing to resolve those problems, whatsoever.  In other words, whatever that we escape to, is not going to represent a solution to what is ailing us, because it represents a failure to direct our efforts upon that which needs to be dealt with, forthrightly.  That is why, so many of those so attempting to escape what they seemingly cannot handle, have to return, again and again, to their escape mechanism, such as alcohol, drugs, or mindless entertainment of all sorts.

It is not an easy thing to deal with pain, with disappointment, and the frustration of a life which has seriously veered off course.  Yet, to try to escape from that reality, by forgoing being direct and constructive in dealing with the issue at hand -- by instead determining that the best defense is to escape from the reality of our situation through drugs, alcohol, or other misguided behaviors, doesn’t do much of anything of merit for us.  To escape is almost always not going to be the correct response to what we have to deal with – rather, what we need to deal with, should be dealt with, directly and with courage, for we are meant to go forward, and not to endlessly cycle through that which gets us nowhere.

There is no perfect government for there are no perfect people

It could be said that the form of our governance is a fair reflection of the people that make up that population which is so governed.  That is to say, whenever the people, are themselves no paragons of virtue, or of dedication, or of hard work, or of vision, or of drive, then we should not be all that surprised that our government, isn’t going to be much of those things, either.  Further to the point, when our government leaders are found so often to be, corrupt, greedy, liars, and self-serving -- this would seem to fairly reflect that we get as our leaders, those that are in harmony with our very own selfish tendencies.

There isn’t any real reason why we should believe that as flawed peoples, that our government, is not itself, going to be equally as flawed.  This would seem to signify that we as a people, need to do more as a people, to be good and productive citizens, which might very well then be reflected in a better governance, so received.  Additionally, while our government most definitely should be held to account, for all its actions done so in our name; we need to understand, though, that in reciprocity we should be held to account for our respective actions, good, bad, or indifferent.

In fairness, we get the government, that reflects who we are as a people, and when that people consistently cheats the other, or our corporations, are themselves, deceptive, underhanded, exploitive, and driven by an obsessional determination that profit, above all, is the only thing that really matters – then the end result is going to be the type of continual inequality, unfairness, and injustice, that so many suffer from, in this, the richest nation that the world has ever known. 

None of us can escape our destiny, and in order, therefore, to change our destiny, we need to develop the characteristics which actually reflect, good citizenship and engaged sociability with others.  Those that are our elected representatives in government, need to be the type of people, that are both practical as well as being visionaries, whose expressed purpose should be to see that the people, in whole, are presented with a seat at the table of our collective prosperity.

So too, it has to be recognized that the more secretive a government is, and the less transparent that it so becomes, has got to be a signal to the people, that not all is right – for a government that will not be forthcoming with its own people, is a government, that clearly has some things of importance, that it so desires to hide.  The best government is that government, which does not lie to or is deceptive to its own people, but willingly admits to its flaws, while also reassuring the public that it serves, that it will take the necessary steps to amend its ways for the betterment of those same people.  We, as a people, do not expect our government to be perfect, for we are not perfect; but we do expect our government to be responsible, to do the right thing, and to be that light of liberty so as to overcome the darkness of humankind’s worse intentions.

The failure of immigration policies

The United States should take pride in the knowledge, that this land is considered to be the mecca of opportunity – though not necessarily always the ideal conditions for the first generation so coming here;  it is though typically represented as a sanctuary and land of opportunity for the next generation that are thus born within the American border.  The fact that the United States is such a desirable land to come to, for so many, would seem to necessitate that those that are in charge of our immigration policies and the enforcement, thereof, would want to be selective as to exactly whom is permitted to enter this country, and further to the point, would logically desire to see that undesirable illegal immigration be reduced, considerably.

We read at migrationpolicy.org, that it is estimated that there is a bit over 11 million of unauthorized immigrants within America, of which, 67% of those are from Mexico and Central America, primarily because of its proximity to America.  No doubt, the border between Mexico and America, is a very long border, but to believe that in the 21st century that America somehow does not have the good capability to do a far better job in securing that border from illegal immigration seems to be unfathomable.  This would imply that there are forces within America, including policing, border control, and corporate entities, that have a vested interest in illegal immigrants coming into America, as long as they get in return, a piece of that action, or, in regards to those that employ those immigrants, an opportunity to thus fill jobs for wages that are considered to be typically, exploitative of that illegal immigrant labor.

This thus signifies, that one way to reduce illegal immigration is to come to a better understanding of who and what employers of illegal immigrants are looking for, in regards to the employment of these specific people, and then provide a pathway in which a restricted visa can be issued to those that meet not only the general requirements of those employers, but also permits this government to interview and to thus go through an immigration process, before these immigrants are issued a limited visa, and then permitted to enter this country, legally, on a temporary basis, with a tracking system in place, to know of their whereabouts.

As long as there is a need for illegal immigrants within this country, then that need is going to be filled, one way or another, with middlemen taking their share, and unfortunately, some of these immigrants, will thereby suffer not only financial harm, but physical harm, even to death, as well.  After all, it has to be recognized that people desiring to immigrant here, wouldn’t be doing so, if this country did not have any real employment opportunities for them; so then, in recognition, that there are jobs for them, it would behoove this nation to provide an avenue in which this is acknowledged as being factual, and hence then, of having a formal policy which thus legitimizes that immigration.  The bottom line is that there are effective ways that have existed for decades, for immigrants to cross the border, without authorization, in which, one fundamental way to reduce such, is to provide a formal pathway for that immigration, with specific restrictive covenants that have to be adhered to, which are thereby monitored and controlled by appropriate governmental agencies.