Gaming the stock market

It would seem that in today’s stock market trading, in which, commissions have never been lower, as in oftentimes, those commissions being actually free in the buying and selling of those equities – that we also do so find that there are certain financial companies that specialize in the trading of stocks, in which, in fractions of a second, they are able to manufacture a profit, by the small difference between the buy and ask prices so being detected, and thereby, to buy or sell a particular stock, right before another entity purchases or sells it, thereby making money from that small difference in price, which in conjunction with the sheer volume of trades that they so do, every single trading day, profits their organization.

So too, it is a known fact, that quarterly earnings have a definite impact upon a given stock’s price, in which, those stocks that miss their quarterly earnings are often punished, especially when that miss is huge; whereas, those companies that unexpectedly crush earnings, are often rewarded with a higher stock price.  The thing about earnings, is that the SEC requires that companies issue their earnings statements no later than 45 days after the end of a given quarter, thereby providing an awful lot of time, for those that know what those earnings will be, to possibly profit from such.

While, it is true, that insider trading is a crime, of which, occasionally some prominent names have been convicted of such, to somehow believe that everyone engaged in insider trading, is always found out, would be incorrect.  Further to the point, when it comes to making a profit, or the making of money on a particular investment, most people and many an institution have a strong desire to be successful in that which they invest in, and in consideration that in today’s market, the “buy and hold” investor seems to be a dying breed, we do so find that those then that know what a particular company’s earnings will be before nearly everyone else, have actionable information, which is of value to a considerable amount of people, as well as to institutions.  So then, to believe, somehow that those in the know, will never be susceptible to the making of money by divulging such, or the trading on such, as through dark pools or offshore brokerage accounts, would be rather naïve.

Indeed, reliable information always has value, especially when that information is known only by a few people or entities.  So too, America, seems to be a nation that celebrates people and institutions that have money, and further to the point, how that money was made seems to be of no real importance to a lot of people, a significant amount of the time.  This thus signifies, that there is plenty of opportunity, for those that have connections, or are the connected, to profit upon information, such as knowing the earnings of a particular company before it is released, to their own benefit, without having to overly worry that such will be discovered, because there are a multitude of ways to disseminate actionable information, which is hard to detect, even when being ostensibly observed.  So then, in short, there has never been a better time to game the stock market, because earnings matter and those that know those earnings ahead of time, are in the supreme pole position to profit.

Prejudice and exploitation

People, societies, and governments are not adverse to using all sorts of dubious justifications to take advantage of what they perceive to be and have therefore designated as the “other.”  The reason that this is so, is often not really because the other, in actuality, is inherently inferior or subhuman, but rather it really comes down to the practicality that describing or proselytizing that the other is inferior, makes it far easier to get those that are credulous or lazy in thought, to believe in the righteousness of what is so being propagated by those in authority as to what needs to be done.  In other words, prejudices first begin from a desire to take advantage of the other, and the most effective means to do so, is often to utilize surface characteristics of the other as that exploitation point.

That is to say, the main reason why there is, for instance, racial prejudice based upon essentially a given person’s skin color, is the fact that this is quite obviously an easy visible way to identify the other, and when those that have the upper hand, can arbitrarily decide that one skin color is superior, whereas, the other skin color represents the inferior, it makes it a relatively easy sell to those that are considered to be of that superior skin color, to buy into exploiting the other, because people and societies, understand that in that exploitation, there are material advantages to them by cheating those that are labeled as inferior – by thus precluding those labeled as inferior from having their fair rights to liberty, freedom, labor, shelter, and the like.

In life, there is typically going to be some logic behind how some prejudice came to be the prevailing orthodox view, of which, the easiest way to understand prejudicial attitudes is to first to figure out, by that prejudice so being enforced, what advantages do those that are superior, thereby reap, from this mindset.  Oftentimes, what is reaped is the taking of resources away from those so labeled as inferior, which signifies that quite frankly there is no better price in the obtaining of those things, such as valuable land, minerals, goods, livestock, and produce then the price of zero.  So too, by labeling certain people as being inferior, all sorts of uncivil behavior can be directed towards them, without those that are doing such deeds, losing face in their own community, because when the other is seen as something other than fully human, pretty much, just about anything done to them will be perceived within that society, as being fair game to actually do.

So then, while people and societies may seem to be able to justify why their particular prejudice makes sense, the fact of the matter is, that this is just the excuse so being utilized, so that those in power can exploit the other, to their heart’s content.  After all, when a given people and society can exploit the other, by unfairly taking advantage of or cheating the other of their material possessions and opportunity, along with wringing the bread from the sweat of the other’s labor, then prejudice will so happen, until such a time as humankind properly comprehends and understands, that all of humankind have actually been created equally.

In lieu of reparations, invest in minority housing and businesses

In America, it would seem that reparations ever happening for those that have historically been discriminated against and still are discriminated against, apparently is just not going to ever happen.  The proximate reason for this necessary aid not to occur, doesn’t really come down to the governments’ lack of monetary resources, bonds, and infrastructure so required to enact those reparations, but rather comes down to the fact that for many a person, there just seems to be something wrong with providing “money for nothing.”  Though, of course, it really isn’t money for nothing, but perceptions are perceptions and if the majority of the people in America, or at least those that are the actuators of governmental policy are never to get on board with such reparations, then alternative ways and means must be seriously considered, instead.

In consideration, that America is perceived as being the epitome of the free enterprise system and thus of capitalism, perhaps  a better way to help those that have been marginalized in society, is to create therefore incentive programs, that invest in minority communities as well as minority businesses.  That is to say, provide specific bonds, monies, low-interest loans, and grants to minority interests, in which, those receiving those loans and grants would then have a vested interest in the specific success of that program, so provided to them as a fair opportunity to prove their mettle.

Indeed, when it comes to minority housing, we know for a certainty, that monies invested in minority areas, can most definitely be successful, for that is the epitome of what gentrification of particular neighborhoods, so represents.  This thus so indicates that in lieu of people and institutions that already have money and connections, receiving therefore the benefits of that gentrification, that we should instead have those that are the minorities, receiving those benefits.  So too, when we look at the great middle class of America, the asset that is most prevalent in their arsenal in the sense of their net worth, is often, their ownership of housing; so that, by making it thus a priority of this government, to take those that historically have been discriminated against in housing and lend thus a helping hand, we can improve their status, significantly, by increasing the ownership of housing for those minorities.

Additionally, when it comes to wealth so created through a given person’s labor, it has to be admitted that while “working for the man” may well be of meaningful assistance in the obtaining of material goods of all sorts, that in actuality, those that are the owners of a particular business, are typically far better placed to reap the benefits of businesses that become quite successful.  Therefore, this government should make it a point to invest through grants, low-interest loans, guarantees, and infrastructure assistance of all types, into minority businesses, to thus help better establish security and good success for those businesses, in the recognition that under-capitalization and the inability to financially stand strong during troubling times, is often a reason that many a business ultimately fails.

In sum, this government needs to put its money where its mouth is, by investing in minority businesses, while also assuring minorities obtain a higher home ownership rate, so that the wrongs of yesterday, can surely become the rights of tomorrow.

What you want to hear and what you need to know

An awful lot of people, seem to be seeking for the most part, validity from others in life – of which, that validity thus helps them to believe that they are fine, just the way that they currently are.  So that, in effect, if they are doing that which they know that they shouldn’t be doing, they don’t feel all that guilty about such, because they believe that as they are, is actually acceptable not only to themselves, but also to esteemed others.  In short, many people, aren’t interested in having their character challenged or examined, and pretty much desire to hear from others, that they are respected, and appreciated, just the way that they are.

Perhaps this is all to the good, that we should as societal members, respect one another, and from that respect so generated one to another, we then will not therefore be susceptible to being criticized for our own shortcomings and failures.  In truth, that would seem to make for a more civil society, in which, our attitudes would thus be of a more forgiving nature -- but what we so find is that hidden just beneath the surface are the unsaid criticisms of the other, saved only for those stressful and trying times when we so desire to hurt the other, or belittle the other, or to dismiss the other – signifying therefore that though we talk of forgiveness and love, we are ever ready to attack the other, if the situation so seemingly provokes us to do so.

That, in a nutshell, is the problem with telling people want they so desire to hear, because in that telling, we often, don’t really believe that this represents the whole truth, whatsoever; and because we choose not to express our truthful opinions, that which should be examined and looked at, is thus left alone. Indeed, if we really care for the other, we have a responsibility to do our best to aid and to assist the other, best accomplished by our telling them not what they wish to hear, so as to act therefore as some sort of mindless echo chamber, but rather to challenge the other, to rise up and to become a better person, by letting them know in considerate terms, what they really should know, in order for them, to be a better and a more complete person.

Perhaps though, in such advice to the other, we may not have it completely right, in the wisdom that we so impart to them.  But what of it?  The point isn’t really to get every fact and nuance correct, but rather the point of our imparting such advice is to get those that are stuck in their bad habits and wrong ways, to wake up from the lethargy or ingrained weaknesses which is thus precluding them from progressing to where they really ought to go.  In our most honest moments, those that are the best of our friends, aren’t really those that just tell us what we want to hear, but actually are those courageous enough to tell us what we ought to hear, and therefore what we need to know, so that we can turn around what needs to be turned around, before it becomes too late to do so.

What we take with us

There is a general belief, especially held in Western civilizations, that when our physical body dies , that for those that are faithful God believers, that our soul thus essentially rises to Heaven, and all thereafter, will simply then be an existence of love and goodness.  That certainly seems like a fairly easy construct to accept, especially for all those that have committed many a sin, and have essentially also failed to have consistently to hold up good attributes such as patience, love, forgiveness, fortitude, integrity, good will, and justice.  Unfortunately, for those that belief such, our existence after death, is not nearly as cut and dry as so many wish it would so be.

In reality, it has to be recognized that those that were known for being petty, disrespectful, dishonest, selfish-minded, hurtful, and the like, but have also demonstrated some degree of capacity to commit good deeds, as well, just aren’t going to be able to simply waltz into Heaven, and leave therefore their past, behind.  That is to say, God is perfection, and those that have developed bad characteristics are going to have to work that out or else they will be perpetually on the outside of God’s great sanctuary and never on the inside; for remember this well, there are no shortcuts to Heaven, for we earn our way to Heaven, by the very thoughts and deeds that we so perform in our interactions with others.

That which represents the eternal kingdom of God, is that which only is consistent with the attributes of our God, so that each of us thus has a sacred obligation to get first our own house in order, allowing us then to be able to travel to the only destination that really matters.  Indeed, all that which we have failed to address constructively in this world, are going to have to be eventually worked out, one way or another, at some time or another, or else, we will be on the outside, always to be looking in.  For all those that believe that this seems somehow to be unfair, it has to be pointed out, that God closes not a door to anyone at any time, but rather because our conscience recognizes its faults, we are thus precluded from entering into that sanctuary that can only accept those that have developed that which is consistent with being a true representative of God’s good grace.

In short, the best time to work out our faults and our wickedness is to do so, whenever we are consciously aware that we have the personal volition to do so.  That is to say, none of us should put off till tomorrow all that which could be and should be dealt with, today, for the longer that we hold onto bad habits and bad behaviors, the stickier such becomes, and therefore the necessary efforts to rid ourselves of that which we do not want and should not have, is going to get ever more difficult.  Finally, we need to be honest and to recognize that what we truly take with us, is the essence of who and what we really are, and if that doesn’t seem to be up to snuff, then the change that we so desire to make, we are responsible to take good care of.

Resentment and forgiveness

It could be said, that far too many people, are overly sensitive, about how they are individually treated, and not so sensitive, about how they so mistreat others, along also with the corresponding upshot of that aftermath. While there are plenty of people that want to believe that they never do a single thing wrong, the truth of the matter is that wittingly or not, each of us, has, at a minimum, those occasional moments of indiscretion, of words spoken or actions taken, that they in hindsight, wish they had not done.  While it is true, that we cannot take back words or actions, what we can do, however, is to make it our point to try to ameliorate our mistakes by first admitting to them, and then by trying to correct what can be so corrected, by our subsequent words and actions.

Instead, we do so find, that people are often not so concerned about their own errors, but are rather more fixated about the other person’s wrongs, slights, and errors so directed towards them.  In fact, many a person, can dwell upon a particular undesirable event that occurred to them, over and over again, for not just days or weeks, but months, and even years.  Yet, during all this time, when we resent the other, even hate the other, how little of that time is ever spent engaging with the other, about what so troubles us, but instead we are content to repeat inside our mind, what bothers us about them, all being played and replayed back in our mind on some sort of endless loop.  In truth, we have to admit, that it could be that what is so tragic and wrong that happened to us, may not even be something that the other even ponders upon, though, no doubt, there are those times, when people most definitely know that they have wronged the other, but won’t ever “man up” and thus do anything constructive about it.

The thing is though, whether or not, a particular wrong is corrected to our satisfaction, isn’t nearly as important as the understanding that there may well be those imprudent actions that we have taken, without really being consciously aware of the distinct possibility, that we have hurt the other; yet, to the other persons’ credit, they have forgiven us for it, because they know that things are said as well as done that occasionally do go astray, but they also know us to be good at heart, so they refuse to dwell upon it, and thus let it go.  That is indeed, the attitude that we need ourselves to take, far more often, because it may well be that while we are fixated on all the wrongs so apparently done to us, we have not taken into fair consideration, that we have wronged the other, many times, as well.  It is therefore important for each of us, to take to heart, that when we are so “big” as to forgive the other, that we need to take into fair account that they also have been “big” in forgiving us, as well.  

Dear Christians: Was the Cross only meant for Christ?

The amount of people that profess that they believe in some denomination of Christianity, surely numbers in the hundreds of millions upon millions, if not a couple of billion of people.  Yet, despite so many that profess their love for Christ, how many of those, are willing, without compunction, to go to the Cross, if so necessary for their belief in Christ?  That is to say, how many Christians are actually willing to figuratively, if not literally, fight a noble battle for their religion, by at least at a minimum, not denying Christ in their daily interactions and behavior, and further to the point, are also willing to always stand up for their religion and their faith, come what may.

While it certainly could be said, that Christianity, does not need some sort of modern-day Crusade, to thus force Christianity upon other nations and peoples, through the sword – it has to be said, though, that far more Christians need to put at risk, something of real value, in order to demonstrate that their belief in Christ, actually has some substance to it.  After all, consider all that Christ had to endure, and endure He did – the injustices imposed upon Christ, the indignity of being crucified, of being misunderstood, and even of being betrayed by one of His disciples.  Our Messiah, did not have it easy, in fact, Christ knew the fickleness of crowds, the short appreciation of those that claimed that they were on His side, as well as even the lack of comprehension and understanding so often displayed by His own hand-picked disciples.  Yet, Christ, through this all, did not waver when it most counted.

There are plenty of people that believe that taking on the aura of being Christian in spirit, through such observances such as Mass or baptism, and then pretty much being good and nice to others, along also with some generosity so displayed, is going to basically guarantee them a spot in Heaven.   Indeed, that would be so easy – but what kind of Heaven would that really be, in which, lukewarm believers are good enough to be in Heaven?  Rather, it would be better to comprehend at an early age, that what we put into life is indeed what we get out of life, and those then that claim to be Christian, have a sacred obligation to their faith, to actually earn their place in Heaven, by taking up their own cross, of behalf of that Christianity.

In truth, those that are true Christians, and hence worthy of the faith, are those that have the battle scars of that faith, so demonstrated by being, for instance, spat upon, pushed down, browbeaten, scorned, and held in utter contempt by opposing forces of unbelief as well as those that are ignorant.  Indeed, this world is a proving ground, of which, we will be tested, and those that will pass their tests best, are those that are able to prove that they are no friend of injustice, unfairness, untruth, prejudice, or evil, by actually having made a noble stand against such through their actions, day in and day out.

Free will, censorship, and Satan

There are a multitude of people that complain about all the evil that exists in this world, and thus wonder why God doesn’t do something about it.  The short answer to that question really comes down to the fact that God has provided each and everyone of us with free will, thereby making us free agents, free to do whatever that we should so desire to do, good or bad, and hence suffer the consequences, so of.  Further to the point, God does not censor us, thereby dictating to us what we are thus permitted to say or to do, for again, we are free agents, not automatons under God’s eternal thumb. 

Indeed, all the evil that we perceive in this world, is the evil that we have created by our subsequent bad actions and willful disobedience, not God. That which is evil, is the opposite of the good attributes of God, and therefore all those that have bad characteristics, should firstly look upon their own thinking and decision making, to have therefore a better concept for where such blame, primarily lies.  In this world, we will be tempted, perhaps by Satan, perhaps by our own inclinations – of which, the very purpose of our experience in this earthly plane, is to be tested, again and again by fire, so as to determine then as to whether, we will ultimately surrender to Satan or whether we will instead show the correct judgment and fortitude to be godly, instead.

So then, in our incarnation, each of us is provided always with the opportunity to do good or to do evil.  Those then that make it their point to sow seeds of hatred, lies, wickedness, selfishness and the like, are going to surely reap a very turbulent wind, in response.  On the other hand, those that make it their point to sow seeds of love, compassion, forgiveness, justice, and the like will surely reap a bountiful harvest, in return.  The choice, as always, is in our collective hands, and the result is the world and the society, that we are an integral part of.

The greatest love that can be provided to anyone, is to provide that which has been created, with the independence of mind and therefore free will, to make their own decisions as to who and what they so want to be; of which, the greatest response that our Creator could ever hope for from God’s created beings, is to thus see that which has been created, do good deeds and then freely return to God, and God’s sanctuary.  The choice is ever ours, in which, God does not cheat, but lets the game be played fairly, which is why Satan exists, so that we are provided with two distinct choices, left at our discretion.

Our earth, is that proving ground, of which it is our sacred duty to puzzle out the where and why of our existence, and then to make it our point, to make those decisions that will get us ever closer to where we ought to be, through the correct usage of our free will, freely bestowed upon us, as our opportunity to therefore through our willful volition to do the right thing.

Big business, big power, big problem

There are plenty of credulous people that believe that what is good for the biggest of businesses in America, is therefore good for America.  In truth, what is good for the biggest of businesses is primarily good for those that are its principle stockholders, as well as the top executives and upper management of those businesses, of which, to a significant extent, we do so find, that the general public, are typically not served all that well by big business.  The proximate problem with big businesses is the fact that they often have undue influence upon governmental officials of all types, as well as politicians, and that they are also quite adept at working whatever angles that need to be worked so that legislation, laws, and judicial decisions, thereby favor their interests, above all.  In short, big business seems to exist for the people to serve big business, and not for big business to serve the people.

To somehow believe that big business is some sort of great benefit to society, seems to miss the forest for the trees, for though big businesses do indeed provide products and services to the general public, the fact that they are so big, typically means that they are also able to garner gains and benefits that best serve firstly their own enterprise which may well then be in conflict with what the people need and want, in totality.  Indeed, to an absolute certainty, size matters; which thereby signifies that big businesses need to be carefully looked at and regulated by parties that represent well the interests of the people, so that these businesses do not themselves circumvent or dominate the greater interests of the people, in whole.

For whatever reason, big businesses, in recent decades, have for the most part, escaped any real restrictions upon their growth or influence; in addition to the salient fact that these big businesses have done an outstanding job, of deflecting attention to their enterprises, by having the general public look askance instead upon their own government, as in big government being the proximate problem that the public should be most concerned about.  In other words, private enterprise is seen by a significant swath of Americans, as being all to the good; whereas, government is itself seen as being arbitrary, out-of-touch, interfering with progress, and in whole, doing a disservice to the people.

The difference between big business and government, is that through the democratic vote, the people thus make their selections of who represents them; whereas, big business answers only to Wall Street, and none other.  This thus signifies that big businesses have been able to successfully maneuver and to position themselves that they are essentially a law unto themselves, thereby dictating to their workforce what the pay and what the conditions of that employment will be, which quite obviously is beneficial to those at the top of these big businesses as well as its stockholders, and not to the benefit of those that are the worker cogs of such.  So then, any society in which the power rests not in the hands of the people, through its elected representatives, but rather such power is wielded through the hands of private enterprise which thus bosses it over the people, will be a society in which the few have the best of best, and the many have just the leftovers and left asides.

Towards the understanding of necessary enlightenment

We do so find that humankind is constantly in need of great avatars to walk and to espouse divine wisdom to us, so that we can wake up from our illusions and delusions, and thus better understand who and what we really are, and therefore our rightful purpose in this world.  Those that cannot see any further than their material body and the reflection, so of, that thus then overly concentrate on everything material, and in the feeding of or in the over-indulgence of their senses are in a hopelessly poor position, for by believing that the physical is their sole identity, their life thus represents therefore the potential of a great ship, that has, in effect, no direction, and no purposeful destination in mind.

It is very easy to become entrapped in the physical, for despite the fact that our thinking is not something that we can see, or even to really understand how the thoughts that we have, come into our mind, we are thus left often though with the impression that the only things that seem to be real, are those that we can comprehend through our five common senses.  We are, in fact, in our structure and in our essence, that which is immortal, signifying that to ignore that which is eternal, while devoting far too much of our time upon that which is mortal, is a fundamental error, that mentors, make it their point to enlighten us upon.

Far too many of us are asleep at the wheel, in which our everyday concerns seem to be focused upon all of the so-called necessary things that we have to attend to, day-by-day, and hence year-after-year, in which we seldom thus take the time to examine the purpose of life.  Rather, we are meant to live up to what we really are, and in thus understanding that the physical is merely the temporary housing of our soul, we begin to understand, that our identity should not then be about our tribal inclinations, but rather should be about our universal unity within the One.

So then, in consideration, that we are all truly brothers and sisters, we have a responsibility then to be a good neighbor, one to another, in which we thus are each provided with the opportunity to be an exemplar of what it so means to understand that we are meant to break bread together, and not to waste our time, in unnecessary distractions and arguments.  We are meant to make a good impression, one to another, best exemplified by doing good deeds, by caring for the other, as well as by being of aid to one another, in which by doing our good part to help make society a better place for our participation in it, we contribute to the greater welfare of that society.  A successful society, requires our meaningful participation in such, along with us imparting vital words, good deeds, and wisdom, so designed to help draw people towards enlightenment, and therefore to dispel the darkness which precludes them from seeing the Light.

For climate change remediation, nuclear is the answer

There are typically all sorts of ways at looking at a particular problem, of which, when we concern ourselves with reliable electricity, which is absolutely necessary for a modern and connected society to property function, we then also must take into account a solution to our climate change concerns, which would still permit us to have that continual usage of that electricity.  So then, when it comes to climate change, in which it is believed that carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels are the main source and therefore the proximate issue for that undesired climate change, this would thus indicate that governments the world over, have a required need to look at and to then back that which would best take care of these two main problems, so that our electricity needs would thus be met and our contribution to global warming, would also be substantially reduced.

While there are many forms of energy, throughout the world, it has to be recognized that a given energy source should ideally be scalable, it should be storable, it should be reliable, it should be efficient, and it also needs to have an exceedingly small carbon footprint.  So then, fossil fuels, for instance, get an especially poor grade when it comes to their carbon emissions, and in consideration of that fact, countries have made it their purpose to reduce such through alternative energy sources over the last couple decades.  Regrettably, the progress so made has not been good enough, for we do so find that it is estimated that in 2020, 61% of electricity was generated from the burning of fossil fuels, and of which, in 2005, that percentage was 66.5%.  While that indeed is an improvement, it could be said, that it really is too little, too late.

In the scheme of things, there is only one energy source, that covers ever single basic need so required for that energy source, and that is nuclear energy.  Further to the point, out of all the energy sources, it is nuclear which has the greatest capacity factor, which basically indicates that nuclear energy is the most efficient energy source at being able to produce reliable electricity at close to its theoretical capacity, which is extremely important for those times in which energy usage is absolutely required, for peak energy draw demands.

Further to the point, nuclear is proven technology, of which, there are countries, such as France, that have deliberately made it their policy to rely mainly upon nuclear for their electricity needs, which has served France well over the decades, and is proof positive, that if more nations were to use nuclear for their electricity needs, that the usage of fossil fuels and therefore the emission of carbon dioxide could be substantially reduced worldwide.

That said, there isn’t any reason to believe that society needs to exclusively rely upon nuclear, forever, for perhaps there will be future energy sources that will serve that purpose even better, and more efficiently.  What could be added, however, is that as it stands right now, nuclear is the only reliable and proven answer, that will resolve our carbon emissions problems that need to be addressed right now in a forthright manner, for the sustainability of our planet and its people.

You are meant to challenge yourself

There are plenty of people that basically desire a life that has no issues, no problems, and essentially has nary a true challenge to one’s being or character.  That sort of life, has got to be seen for what it really is, which is a life of dullness, uneventfulness, and ultimately of total boredom.  After all, whenever we watch an engaging movie or television show, what we are so watching, in essence, comes down to the hero having to overcome difficulties and challenges, which thereby attracts our attention to it – for if the hero had nothing to learn from, or to overcome, the storyline would not engage us, and we wouldn’t therefore have a good reason to watch it.

In this world, there most definitely is a reason for our existence, and that reason has an awful lot to do with the stages that each of us must go through in life.  So then, in our childhood, we will invariably experience and therefore see on a lesser scale, some degree of unfairness, injustice, and meanness, but also we will experience joy, successfulness, and friendship.   This is meant to give us a test and a tasting of what we will encounter when we become adults, so that the objective of our childhood years is to develop the mindset and the skill-set to understand that part of life is the challenges that we will be presented with, of which, it is our duty to not only to take on those challenges, but to be victorious in such, to the best of our ability.

Of course, it has to be said, that not every challenge, will we so conquer, because some of that which we have to deal with, we just don’t have the ready capacity to overcome.  Yet, we should never be dismayed by any of our so-called failures, for it is in the trying, that we show our true character, as well as by our determination, in which, some of that which we challenge ourselves to accomplish, we are not yet ready or accomplished enough to be victorious over.  While it could be said, that there is some degree of value in simply resting on our laurels when we have accomplished that of some substance, those though that are more ambitious, and stronger of character, are going to desire to push themselves to do ever more, because they want to know, how much further that they can advance, for in that advancement, they thus achieve more satisfaction, knowing that they have truly given all.

All those that desire to be seen as great conquerors, have got to recognize that to get to that stage, requires, a concerted effort as well as the knowhow and the mindset to pursue strongly after that which we so richly desire to achieve.  Our greatest victories are those victories, which have come through trial and error, determination, persistence, and a dedicated drive to not relent in our efforts until we have achieved that which we have determined that we so needed to achieve.  Those that best challenge themselves, are the very same, that at the end of their journey, can truly say as well as to believe, that they took on their challenges, with equanimity, and pushed themselves successfully to accomplish them.

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.