Zoning and all the money that justice can buy

While there is a good purpose in having zoning laws, in which virtually every community has some sort of known policy to address zoning issues, which are typically handled on a county or local level, it has to be said, that the way that zoning is dealt with in the real world, has an awful lot to do with the amount of influence, power, connections, and money that a given community area does or does not have.  In other words, there are plenty of times when a specific area of a community has been zoned for warehouses or for apartments or for chemical facilities or for open space, in which, despite the fact that these areas have been specifically zoned for very specific things, we find that those that know the right people or that have the right influence are able to overcome such zoning restrictions to favor instead, what so interests them.  That is to say, open land, which residents believe has been zoned for one purpose, are subject to change, depending upon who has an undue interest in that land, for better or for worse.

When it comes to the usage of land, it has to be admitted, that the scales of justice are definitely not blind or equitable, which is why, what will never happen, is for noxious enterprises and other undesirable businesses, to be zoned within rich and prosperous areas of town.  Those then, that have money are quite adept at raising an incredible amount of hue and cry, about what is and what is not permitted to happen in their neighborhood, which therefore means that those very nice areas of a given community, need not ever worry that something undesirable will be built in their neighborhood, or nearby, for they will fight tooth and nail, against any and all who have the audacity to contemplate doing so, and in consideration, that lawyer fees and overall civility are typically something that businesses do not want to get on the wrong side of, those with money and connections, are pretty much never going to lose.

So then, when it comes to noxious enterprises and other undesirable businesses, we do so find, that those with any real sensibility, aren’t even going to consider building near a prosperous part of town, because it isn’t going to be worth the battle, so even when that area might well meet their needs better, they are going to look elsewhere, and that elsewhere is often going to be those types of areas in town, in which those that live and congregate there, don’t have much of a voice, or much in the sense of connections, and are often also lacking in monetary funds. 

Indeed, there are plenty of business enterprises or county obligations, that involve noxious chemicals, waste disposal, sewage, and the like which necessitate that some portion of the community be dedicated to those necessary processes, and we do so find, that none of that will be in the rich areas of town, but rather almost exclusively such enterprises will be in those areas in which those that live there, have no voice, and therefore will have to accept their drawing of the short end of the stick, again and again.

Taking on the risk without sharing the benefit

There are all sorts of  unfair and unequal things that happen within societies, of which, the proper governance of that society, should be to see that unfairness and inequality is reduced by that governance, for the benefit of all.  Indeed, those that put forth wise words into Constitutions and the like, but do little or nothing to see that those meaningful words actual have effective application in the real world, have not lived up to the very Constitution that they were duly sworn to uphold.  In society, we often find that many a person and institution knows very well what is the right thing to do, but have not the integrity to do what so needs to be done in order to put substance behind that principle.

In a capitalistic society, those that are true capitalists, understand that for those that wish to pursue profit, that this therefore necessitates some degree of risk, of their person as well as of their capital.  That is to say, what makes capitalism such an interesting economic system, is the very fact that people and institutions are risking something of substance, in order to have the opportunity to make something of substance, in return.  Obviously, this clearly means that some businesses and enterprises are not going to be successful; whereas, others will be quite successful.  That is what makes capitalism, so intriguing, because it is an economic system, that has attendant risks associated to it, and at its best, can indeed bring out the best in people.

Not too surprisingly, there are plenty of people and institutions that aren’t really interested in putting their personhood or their capital at true risk, but rather desire wholeheartedly to “game” the system in their favor, which is why we see that some of the dirtiest and most dangerous jobs are never going to be performed by those that are the executives of such companies, but have instead been outsourced to others of that company, for them then to take on that personal risk, and not then the executives.  Further to the point, there are plenty of companies, that aren’t interested in conducting a business, in which they have to compete against other companies, so then deals are made between companies that would normally compete, in which there is an implicit understanding between them, of what has to therefore be considered collusion.  And then, even worse, there are governmental set asides, which are sole sourced, thereby generating a certain profit, to a company, without entailing any real risk for them.

It is a very unfair thing for companies and powerful people to not take on any of the risk, or very little of it, and then receive in return, the lion’s share of the profits – which is made even worse by the fact that those that take on all or most of the risk, are often poorly paid, exploited, and are considered to be expendable; who having put forth the risk, day in and day out, share not anywhere close to a benefit equal to the effort and the risk that they have duly put forth.  In other words, unequal societies, are fundamentally built upon all those individuals that take on risks and work, without receiving commensurate benefits in return -- for what they so richly deserve has gone instead to those that are in the pole position to exploit them, which they proceed to do, without much hesitation.  

Those that live by the sword will surely die by that sword, again and again

Humankind likes to believe that it is constantly evolving and ever getting better and better as we become ever more knowledgeable about bending this world to our will and to our supposed overall benefit. Yet, it doesn’t really appear that societies are getting more civil at all, but rather, societies are ever so quick to draw the sword against one another, whenever their will or their desires are being thwarted, wrongly or rightly, by the other.  That is why, warfare still exists and persists; and it is also why individual violence against one another remains so distressingly high.

Perhaps it could be said that the only real difference between society today, as compared to centuries and centuries ago, is that our ability to kill one another, is vastly more effective and efficient than it was so back then.  Still, it does appear that with so many people around the world, literate as well as understanding that they are entitled to certain unalienable rights, that there has been a marked improvement in the understanding that all humans are entitled to free will, opportunity, and a just society.  Yet, despite this implicit knowledge, humankind insists, again and again, that some humans are more equal than others, therefore implying that some humans aren’t really human at all, because of their religious faith, or because of their color, or because of their class status, thereby signifying that they should be viewed as being subhuman, which therefore is the impetus for the destruction of such.

There are plenty of people that truly believe that the way to resolve a problem is not to come to a civil solution through the usage of diplomacy, reasoning, and accommodation, but rather they believe by their actions that it is far superior to simply drop down to the animal level, and let that party which is stronger or more devious, or both, to simply have their way.  This thus indicates that people really do believe that by killing the other, that this forever means that the other cannot ever rise again, or to bring trouble, ever again.  Regrettably, for all those that buy into this misguided belief, in actuality, a problem that is not properly resolved through positive action that takes into account the validity and worth of the other, but rather deals with such by destructive means as a way thus to silence the other, will not ultimately accomplish this, whatsoever.  Remember this well, those that insist upon adding fuel to a fire with their own fire, believing somehow that this won’t thus cause a subsequent conflagration, have it got it seriously wrong, for the only way to put out a fire, is with the sensibility of the prudent utilization of a lot of water.

To somehow believe that a negative action, which has in response another negative action by the other party, will produce a greater good, is fundamentally unsound.  The only thing that will conquer evil, is acts of good, for evil that is met by evil, serves only to fuel the fire of evil, and therefore problems that have been dealt with only by violence and unjust actions, will never die, but will keep on coming back at humankind, again and again, until it begins to dawn on humankind that only right actions can overcome that which is wrong, which is the very thing that society needs to concentrate its efforts upon.

The Revenue Wealth tax on corporations

It is well to remember that corporations are artificial  creations of the state, which sanctions such, and since corporations have the ready capacity to exceed in their existence, far beyond the normal lifespan of any human being, it is thus absolutely critical that the government, on behalf of the people, thereby make sure to treat and to deal with corporations in a way and manner, that these perpetual entities do not, as time goes on, become too powerful, controlling, and basically dominating that which they have been created to serve for the overall beneficence of the people, but never to lord over.

For a given person to create and to thus maintain a dynasty, it has to be taken into fair account  that this person has been subject to not only income taxes during their time on this earth,  but also upon their death, they are thus subject to an estate tax, which helps therefore to redistribute a portion of their wealth to that which provided them with the opportunity to make such wealth, in the first place.  In other words, those that create and maintain wealth, while they are alive, are entitled to do whatever that they so desire to do with such, subject to mankind’s laws, but upon their demise, a portion of that wealth should be redistributed to that society, for this earth and our society belongs to the living, and should never be left in the control of, in essence, the hands of the dead.

The proximate problem with corporations, is that there is no set end time for those corporations, which is why some corporations, have been around, not just for decades, but have actually seen some of them be in existence for centuries.  This thus signifies that since corporations, are not subject to an estate tax, that they should, in lieu of having to suffer an estate tax, as well as in consideration, that the larger that a corporation gets, the more powerful it so seems to become, that corporations, need to therefore be charged an annual revenue wealth tax, based upon their size. 

A fair wealth tax for corporations would be so proposed as follows: that all those corporations in conjunction with their subsidiaries that have an annual revenue of less than $100 million would not pay any revenue tax at all.  Those with revenues of $100 million to $500 million would pay .5% as an annual revenue wealth tax, those with $500 million to $1 billion in sales would pay 1%, those with sales from $1 billion to $10 billion would pay 2%, and all those with revenues above $10 billion would pay 3%.  This would seem to be more than a fair price to charge those large corporations that have an undue influence upon governmental policy throughout America, and would thus serve as their direct contribution to that society which permits their existence as artificial entities.  For all those corporate executives, who would raise a hue and cry about such, the alternative to such a revenue wealth taxation program, would be to simply dissolve such complaining corporations, of which, it has to be acknowledged, that as artificial creations of the state, corporate existence relies solely upon and at the behest of governmental authorities.

The forgotten European Thirty Years’ War

Most everyone is cognizant that Europe had two devastating wars in the 20th century, known as World War I and World War II, in which, millions of civilians and soldiers died, as well as there was also a tremendous amount of infrastructure damaged and destroyed.  These wars were absolutely catastrophic for Europe, but to Europe’s credit, out of the ashes of these devastating wars, Europe was able to create the European union, so that nations that had historically been at loggerheads with one another, were now on friendly terms, and collectively Europe has probably never been safer from an internal European war, then we do so see, today.  That is indeed a very impressive accomplishment, for warring in Europe, is something that has been part and parcel of those that are European, for centuries upon centuries, of which, in all probability the population of Europe would be far higher as well as the wealth of Europe would be much larger, if those wars, had never been fought.

Regrettably, since so many people are so bad at history, most people would not be able to hazard a reasonable guess, as to what European war was the most devastating war in Europe, before the 20th century.  That war, was simply known as the Thirty Years’ war, which took place in the 17th century, from the years 1618-1648, in which, we read at history.com, that there were more than “8 million casualties resulting from military battles as well as from the famine and disease caused by the conflict.”  That is an absolutely staggering amount of people to have died during this conflict, in which, it is estimated that the entire population of Europe in 1600, was only about 78 million peoples.

The war itself began as a religious war, between the Catholic and Protestant nation-states, which essentially devolved into becoming a war as to which nation-states would effectively be the leaders of this newly reconfigured Europe, but since no single united coalition could be successfully formed, that could entirely vanquish the other, the war dragged on, for years upon years, in which communities and towns, in which the armies fought their battles, or marched and quartered themselves, meant that civilians could not effectively take care of their own affairs, but had to suffer the indignities of armies plundering their land and resources, time and time again.

As it has been said, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”  Indeed, it would seem that as long as mankind has existed, battles, fighting, and wars of all types have been a serious and integral problem of that experience, as well.  This would presuppose that humankind must come to the full realization, that the resolving of issues and differences between one nation-state to the other, would be better to be resolved via reasonable diplomatic channels, and further to the point, we would be better served by the lucid understanding that might does not make right.  The fact that so many, so-called civilized humans are so quick to reach for lethal weapons, again and again, reflects that we are not nearly as civilized as we might imagine ourselves to be, and apparently there are plenty of people as well as the nation-states which represent those people, that somehow believe that they are superior to the other, which leads to all sorts of injustices imposed upon the other, in an endless cycle of war upon war upon war, without end.

Gifts, giving, and service to the other

It almost goes without saying, that when we are children, we always look with great anticipation upon events such as our own birthday, or Christmas, in which, on those particular days we eagerly anticipate receiving gifts of all sorts as well as love.  That is to say, we appreciate the gifts that we so get, as well as the attention so directed to us, as a form of love and generosity so bestowed upon us.  Indeed, for many a child, just the anticipation of their birthday, is something that excites them for many days or even weeks, before that big event, occurs.

Of course, we are only children for a finite period of time, and all those then that develop in a healthy and wholesome manner, soon recognize that the world does not revolve around their own self, but that society and what we make of that society, involves our meaningful interaction with it, of which, it is our obligation to do our good part to help make that society a better place for our participation in it.  This thus indicates that a mature and sound person is someone that isn’t selfish, but rather is someone that is kind, considerate, and generous to others, so expressed through the time spent with one another, as well as through our conversations, and also the giving that we provide to one another.

In fact, it has to be stated, that all those good people that provide gifts, that are giving of their time and attention to the other, or that provide services of all types to others, in which, in return, they ask for and basically expect nothing of material compensation, are the type of people that would best be described as generous, caring, considerate, and selfless.  That is to say, those that give of themselves, or of the necessary gifts so needed to aid in the good function of society, are, by definition, charitable and altruistic, all done, for the betterment of the society that they are a member of.

The thing that so many people, just can’t ever seem to wrap their heads around is that we are all in this world, together, equally created, and therefore of equal value, of which those that are most even-minded and wise, are no respecter of persons, but rather recognize that within each of us is the exact same divine spark, which can never be extinguished, though it can be ignored, set aside, or suppressed.  So then, what we do for the other, we truly do to our own self, for we are one and same, divided only in the sense, that we are all equally entitled to our own free will and volition, so expressed, for better or for worse.

Those then that are the most noble are also those that are the most humble and therefore the most inclined to be of service to the other, for this world was never meant to be seen as a “zero-sum” society, or a never ending competitive race, but rather society is supposed to represent for us, a chance to be collaborative, so that in service to one another, we can collectively rise to the level that we were meant to achieve and were created for.

Government from afar

There are plenty of people that truly believe that the best government is that government which governs least.  Of course, the type of people that typically believe in that sort of government, are also basically those that have some degree of material success, security, and freedom, which essentially satisfies them.  In other words, those that are content with what they so have, and do not desire to see their wealth or income, suffer from high taxation, or to have governmental interference in their affairs, are going to be inclined to appreciate a government that asks very little of them, and they, as citizens, will in return, ask little of their government.

Then there are plenty of others that recognize that government has a good purpose behind it, in which, quite frankly, the infrastructure such as sewage, clean water, electricity, roads, bridges, internet, laws, military defense, and civic governance of all types, are needed in order to have a proper and civil society.  After all, there has to be some sort of general structure that society has agreed upon as being worthwhile to have so as to make, in whole, society a better place, for our involvement with it.  Additionally, there needs to be institutions created to help those that are the poorest, of ill health, as well as the aged, that deserve to have, in action, competent organizations that can address their necessary needs.

So then, government most definitely has its place, of which, probably the greatest criticism that most people have of our government of today, is the fact, that government appears to be, and often is, an institution that does not in any real form or manner, answer to the people, at all.  That is to say, it would appear that big government, operates to its own agenda, which often seems to be at odds to what the people really need or want.  The problem, then, is not that we don’t need government, but rather the type of government that we need more of is that government which understands us as a people, on a very local and personal level.  Indeed, a big federal government, that imposes its will upon the people is essentially a governance from afar, which because of its sheer size, and its lack of nuance and flexibility, is going to often be a source of complaint and discomfort for the people.

The best government is almost always going to be that government which is local, because a government which is local, when such is made up of almost exclusively a fair representation of those people that are part of that community, in which their involvement as governmental representatives, has been fairly put to the vote, by democratic means, is going to equitably represent the people that they have been duly elected to serve.  Indeed, what the people richly desire to have, is a voice, and to have their voice heard and acted upon, which addresses the needs and desires of that community, above all.  So too, it is important that those that desire to be our governance, should themselves, be subject to what they so champion, which thus keeps those that are our representatives, grounded in sensibility.

Misfortune and opportunity

Obviously, most people do not care for misfortune, and do not like it when their desires are thwarted.  Yet, a life without any challenges, represents a life in which we cannot truly prove ourselves as worthy beings, utilizing well our free will and our thinking mind, while also demonstrating the capacity to overcome that which seems to stand in our way, from achieving well-earned success. An appropriate way at looking at those obstacles that we have to face and subsequently overcome, is to see these as presenting us with a real purpose in life, that we must face directly in order to progress.  So then, each of us is going to be challenged, in our own way, of which those challenges are not meant to be unconquerable, but rather are there, for us to show our true character, in righteous action.

All those that desire to live a life of ease, are either those that have no heart and are just plain lazy, or on the other hand are those that have faced what they so needed to face, and having conquered something of substance, this thus apparently leaves them content then to rest upon their laurels.  There is a marked difference between these two, as well as all those then that will not exert themselves against what they are meant to challenge, for they then are not living their best life, whatsoever.  Indeed, our purpose here on earth, is not primarily to eat, drink and to be merry, but quite obviously it is to do something of substance that contributes positively to society, as well as to our own growth.

When we ponder upon what days have represented us at our very best, how few of us, will pick those days, in which we did nothing, because the accomplishment of nothing, is no accomplishment.  Rather, our best days, are going to be often represented by those days in which we took on something that appeared to be a great barrier, and through our concerted efforts, we were able to break through to achieve the prize, so richly desired.  We are at our best, whenever we accomplish something of merit, through our perseverance, drive, fortitude, and relentlessness.  Those days, when we have sacrificed blood, sweat, and tears in order to achieve a great good, are indeed the days that we can truly say, we were at our very best.

So then, when it comes to misfortune and obstacles of all shapes and forms, these are meant to be properly seen as an opportunity to prove our mettle.  Those then that have the right stuff, will rise above, and get through the troubles that stymie them so as to break through to the other side, or else to take themselves to the next level.  Indeed, misfortune has its place, which will help to define us as to who and what we really are, which signifies that obstacles are really not meant to be our undoing, but rather are a fair opportunity for us to take what we have so learned and studied, so as to apply it diligently, to thus accomplish something of value and meaning, for our own betterment and good.

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.