The Laws of Nature and of Nature's God

Our Declaration of Independence contains these immortal words “The Laws of Nature and of Nature's God,” signifying that there is a known moral law, or an ethical code, that supersedes what rulers such as Kings and Queens so dictate as to what they believe the law should be, and how they believe the law should be implemented.  Rather, our Founding Fathers believed strongly that Kings and Queens were subject to the very same Laws of Nature as every other human being was subject to, no more and no less.  Therefore, this meant that the era of Kings and Queens proselyting to the people that their power was somehow granted to them by God, was circumscribed by the fact that Kings and Queens were themselves subject to that same law, and therefore whenever there was an inconsistency between one law and the other, Nature’s God took precedence.

We live in a land in which each of us, rich or poor, black or white, is entitled to equality under the law, and to the degree that this does not so happen, fairly reflects that the spirt of the law has been violated.  Indeed, to be a citizen of a land in which the rights of its citizens, are the same, no matter their standing and no matter their religious faith or lack thereof, is to live in a land which represents freedom and liberty.  So too, while it is true that humankind through its legislative acts, can enact all sorts of laws, well-thought out laws or not, the bottom line is that while society’s laws may change through the eons of time, what does not change is the moral code from that which gifted us with life and our thinking mind to begin with.

It is well to remember that governments the world over, may or may not try to be fair to their constituency, but even those governments that are the fairest, have a tendency to devolve into that sort of governance which wants from its subjects, primarily obedience and compliance to the prevailing laws of the time, and consequently are not interested in any meaningful dissent to those laws.  While this may well be what governments prefer, it is not in accordance with the Laws of Nature, and therefore it must be recognized, that obedience to a bad and unjustified law is no virtue; whereas, standing on moral principle, no matter the law or its consequences, is the absolute epitome of ethical courage.

To live in a land which recognizes that all are subject to Nature’s God, and to have governance which thus reflects this sound principle, is to be in a land of liberty, which is well worth fighting for and defending, because it is our natural right to be a free-will people.  Those then that are those people, need to hold their government of, for, and by the people accountable to not only the Constitution which is the highest legislated law of the land, but also to hold that government answerable to the principle that the prime purpose of government is to duly defend and to uphold our unalienable rights.

Sacrificing freedom for security

There are plenty of people that are scared to walk in certain neighborhoods, or visit certain venues, or are concerned that they or their loved ones could be randomly attacked at any given moment.  To a certain degree, those that are concerned about their safety, are being sensible and prudent, for there are for a certainty, bad actors out there.  The problem though comes when our concern about our personal safety exceeds the reality of our situation, in which, we end up being scared or frightened about things that could happen to us which aren’t going to realistically happen.

For instance, there are people that feel that a terrorism attack could occur if they decide to fly, or that they are in some reasonable danger of a terrorist act happening in their community, when the true possibility of those things actually happening to them, aren’t going to be appreciably higher than being struck by lightning.  To a large extent, we can be our own worse enemy, because we spend too much of our time, permitting ourselves to be scared, by listening to or watching those types of reports, that present us with notorious crimes and present-day dangers, that we then “project” as being something that could happen to us.  Sure, bad things happen each and every day, but then again, America is a really large country, which has troubling civil unrest and other worrying issues, due to all sorts of reasons, which aren’t going to be solved anytime soon.  That though doesn’t mean that the trouble need reach us, especially if we are sensible and prudent in our behavior and actions, so taken.

The disappointing thing though is that our own government, has its reasons why it wants us as a people, to be scared and frightened, because the more that we feel that we could be attacked by another country in some sort of sneak attack, or by a terrorist organization, we find that this often goes hand in glove with a willingness by the general public to thereby sacrifice some of their freedoms and liberty, in exchange for more security and safety.  While this might seem to make sense, it has to be recognized, that powerful governments, including our own, aren’t really all that comfortable with the general population having unlimited and unrestrained freedom and liberty, because their preference is often to have a population that marches to the beat of that government, so as to be better able to manipulate the people, or redirect them in the direction that the government feels is beneficial to it.

So then, governments often make it their point, to create for the people, a simplistic binary choice, of which it is sold to the people that either they can have all the liberty that they are entitled to by that governance, or if they are sensible in these troubling times, they can voluntarily relinquish some of that freedom, for their own safety and security.  While this might even seem like a good thing to a whole lot of people, the problem is that governments want their people to believe that only their strong government can protect them, and this can only occur if they know everything about their people, so as to properly protect them, and those that willingly provide all their personal information to the government in regards to who and what they are, have sacrificed their freedom, for possible safety, or possibly the opportunity for that government to better manipulate and to control them.

Praise and blame

Each of us desires to be praised by the other, and few of us wished to be blamed by the other, irrespective of whether or not the praise or blame is accurate.  That is to say, we appreciate being praised, especially when we feel that it is deserved, but even when it is not, we are appreciative of it.  On the other hand, we typically don’t like to be blamed, especially in those cases where that blame is misdirected to us, but even when we are at fault and therefore to be blamed, we seldom embrace such because we dislike the feeling that we get when we are blamed.

So then, to be praised would appear to be something that we should aspire to, and to be blamed appears to be something that is best avoided.  The thing is though that there is many a case in which whether we are praised or blamed by the other, we find that the person so adjudging us does not really have all the information so needed to actually correctly render praise or blame, because they do not know all the circumstances so involved, which is the significant reason why we will be praised in a situation in which it really isn’t warranted, and also why we will be blamed when that isn’t warranted, either.

This would seem to indicate that those that are dependent upon receiving praise by their peers or by others, and are duly fearful of being blamed for much of anything, have made the cardinal error of basing whether they consider themselves to be a good person or not, upon what other people have formulated as to their opinion of them, which leads to the type of mindset, in which, we make it our point to then try to look good in every possible circumstance, and are quick to run away from those situations in which we might well be consider to be at blame for something that didn’t go right. 

Look, it is strongly suggested that each of us needs to stand up on our own two feet, and just be the best person that we can be – regardless of what the naysayers or believers have to say about us, because at the end of the day, the judgment that we rightly need to fear, is not going to come from people, who are clearly fallible, but rather will come from that which is inerrant.  Further to the point, within each of us, good or bad, are characteristics that are praiseworthy as well as those characteristics which are problematic.  Clearly, none of us are error-proof, and because of that, we are not perfect, which therefore signifies that each of us has done those things that we should be blamed for, as well as also having done those things which are praise-worthy.  Indeed, we need then to put things in perspective, with the understanding that what is expected of us is to learn well from our mistakes so as to become a better person and not to worry about how much praise or blame that we thus receive, but rather we need to essentially care about doing what we can to press forward, one solid step at a time.

Last Mile Delivery

In today’s world, more and more people order what they want online, and expect such to either be delivered directly to where they are at, or for those that find it more convenient or are precluded for various reasons for having packages dropped off at the door, their package will thereby be delivered to a locker for them to retrieve.  To a very large extent, people receiving deliveries don’t much care about the logistics of how the package is delivered, and who that package is delivered by, but pretty much just want their stuff to arrive on-time and undamaged.

So then, the thing about deliveries for these companies that need to get their goods to the customer is to well understand the best logistics for achieving this in an efficient and effective manner.  Not too surprisingly, while there are advantages to a company when they utilize their own employees and therefore their own company vehicles, this isn’t necessarily going to be the most efficient way to accomplish such, when it comes down to the “last mile” which is basically that step in which the goods are being delivered to the customer’s house.  That is to say, companies are usually quite efficient at getting goods to arrive at a central warehouse but the cost of getting that particular good to its final destination, is something that can be not only cost prohibitive but also time consuming.  This is why so many companies prefer the usage of contractors, of which these people making those last mile deliveries, aren’t actually employees of the subject corporation, but rather are independent contractors to them.  This signifies that the delivery person picking up the goods to be delivered to homes, are going to use their own vehicle to make those deliveries and get paid per the company formula, which will often take into account, the distance so traveled, the overall price of the goods, as well as the weight of the goods, amongst other assorted factors to arrive at their compensation pay.

For instance, Walmart, has a program in which a message is sent to the customer on deliveries, that states, “This shipment is coming from your local club, will be delivered by a driver in their own vehicle and may arrive unpackaged.”  For those customers that even bother to read that note, they might easily conclude that the management at Walmart at some point during the day, got together with their employees, to thereby find someone that desired to leave Walmart a bit early in order to make some deliveries on behalf of Walmart -- but here’s the thing, we have to recognize that a behemoth corporation such as Walmart is not going to do that at all, instead they will follow the given written procedures for that corporation which isn’t going to involve some employee leaving early for the day in order to make deliveries for Walmart.  Rather, what is gong to happen, instead, is that Walmart will outsource that work to a contractor that is not employed by Walmart to make that delivery, and that person will actually be driving their own vehicle.

Indeed, deliveries that come to our door, may or may not come to us via USPS, UPS, FedEx and the like, but instead will come to us from regular folks, working in what is known as the gig economy, in which, one way or another it is fair to state that the corporation contracting them for this work, knows well how to structure their compensation in a way that is favorable to that company and not so favorable to that delivery driver.

The right response

Even the most cursory of looks at our world and the society that we are a part of, tells us that not all is well.  Indeed, there is way too much discord, injustice, selfishness, and unnecessary bad behavior exhibited day after day after day by all sorts of people, who really ought to know better.  Those then, that are expecting that we are going to live in some sort of paradise anytime soon, have got to realistically recognize that this isn’t going to happen in the foreseeable future, because the trajectory of humankind becoming more civil and considerate one to the other, appears to be a change that is happening, if it is so happening, at a glacial pace. 

Each of us has enough experience in our daily interactions to know what behaviors and actions would appear to be appropriate when confronted with other people that are behaving badly such as through their unrestrained anger, selfishness and lying.  One response which humankind seems to draw upon again and again, is basically to respond like for like, when confronted with someone or something that troubles them.  In other words, when we are threatened with the sword, our go-to response, is often to respond with our own sword, so righteously drawn.  That is to say, because we believe that we are on the side of right, we are thereby entitled to use force to dispel force.  Yet, how long has humankind and their governments done that very thing, and here we are, no more truly civilized, today, as we were decades upon decades ago.

So then, the right response to when we are confronted with a bad actor is seldom going to be like for like, for that isn’t progress, but it is in its effect, stagnation.  This thus signifies that the right response to somebody that has unconstrained anger towards us, is to first of all, to try to listen as to what it is that has occurred and has gotten so deeply under their skin, so that our response becomes one of consideration, empathy, and kindness.  Sure, that isn’t going to always work, but for a certainty, the way to put out a fire, is not going to be to add fuel to that fire, for anger is the type of thing, that takes its inevitable toll upon the person that is angry and they then will eventually run out of steam, of which, if we do our best to try to calm matters down, their anger has a tendency to dissipate more quickly.

The life that is presented to us, and the conscience that we develop, does not need to be overly complicated, for if we keep foremost in our mind that we will fundamentally be the voice of reason, as well as to develop the living discipline to recognize that goodness, kindness, love, truthfulness, and generosity are the type of vital qualities that help make for a better and more inclusive society, then we will be doing our fair part to respond to people in the most appropriate manner, so as to make our relationships to be better and more caring, and by doing so, to live by our actions and behavior, as a responsible person, so done for the betterment of the society that we are an integral part of.

One-sided justice is not justice

Most people have a strong tendency when they tell a story, or their version of events, to spin such so that they are perceived by the person so listening as being in the right, or in cases in which they were harmed that they were the ones that were wronged by the other.  In other words, many of us have a strong inclination to want to justify ourselves to other people, and we help that process along by disseminating our story in a way and manner that is favorable to us, and not so favorable to the other.  So too, many a person that tells their story strongly prefers to do so, when the other is not physically present, so that in short only one side of the story is heard, because these people only want their side to be told, and none other.

Look, it has to be said, in important situations, when we as a neutral party have the responsibility to judge such, but only listen to one side of a story, then we have done an injustice to the other, for we have not given the courtesy or the consideration to listen to what the other party has to say, and because of that, it isn’t possible to render a fair and just decision upon it.  Indeed, not only is the other side entitled to tell their story, but ideally, we want both parties to a dispute to be present, and for both of those parties to then have their fair say.  Only then, will it be truly conceivable to render a fair decision.

Additionally, when we look at society, we find that one of the seminal problems of society is the fact that far too often we are inclined in this modern day and age, to just want to listen to only one side of an opinion, such as what so happens, when we only read that which reinforces what we already believe, or do the same when we listen to a favorite television program or a favored podcast.  Those then, that only want to live within a construct, which represents for them, an echo chamber, are doing themselves as well as the society that they are intertwined with, a disservice, because they aren’t willing to voluntarily challenge themselves to hear what could be for them, something that is uncomfortable to their given beliefs, but yet they still have an obligation to at least occasionally do just that.  Indeed, those that are unwilling to have their cherished beliefs put to a true test, are those that are blind faith believers, as opposed to free thinking individuals that have done their research and homework.

To live in a society, in which neither side to a dispute desires to give the other side, some reasonable space to state their case, is a society that will inevitably divide itself, between different factions, which makes not for a united society, but rather makes for a divided one.  In a healthy society, we should want to encourage people to speak their mind, and therefore to have their say, in which within this forum, both sides have a fair opportunity to speak their piece, which provides then for the good chance to not only find common ground between these parties but also recognizes the important value of hearing the other party out.

Be constructive not destructive

What we think, say, and do has a material effect upon others, for better or for worse.  This thus signifies that we need to do our upmost to consider how what we do in our interactions with others, is in sum, a benefit to them, and thereby make it our point to avoid as much as possible being harmful to others in our interactions with them.  While it is good to have good intentions, not everything that we do actually has the intended good effect and when it does not, we need to do our level best to correct such, so as to make things better.  Also, there are those situations in which for whatever reason, we are being mean-spirited to the other, purposely being harmful to them, perhaps as a form of payback, or incivility, or because we are under stress, in which, those that are considerate at heart, thus need to make amends for their bad behavior, and the sooner that they do so, the better.

As non-perfect beings we aren’t always going to make the right decisions, but right decision or wrong, we need to always own up to what has been decided, and if there are things that went wrong, because of those decisions, we ought to do what we can to try to make things right.  To be a constructive person, is to be someone that is helping to make society a better place for their participation in it, and those then that do that very thing, are the very type of people that help society become a better place for their good impact upon it. This then should be our priority in life, to do our good part, to help make this world, a better place through our good constructive actions so committed to help bring this about. 

So then, to get to that place in which we will consistently be constructive to others, as opposed to being destructive, is something that starts with the right thinking and when thereby enacted and done consistently, thus becomes a good habit, of immense worth.  For those, that lack that creativity and discipline to be as constructive as they ought to be, it must be recognized that each one of us has the capability to make the changes that we need to make in order to become a better person.  Each day, we have the opportunity to grow, to stagnate, or to regress, and when we make the effort to become better and stick to it, we are becoming the change that we desire to be, which not only makes us a better person, but helps make our interactions with others, more constructive.  Look, we have a true obligation to overcome our childish ways in which when we can’t get what we want, we whine, we strike out against the other, or we stomp our little feet, of which, all of these particular actions are destructive at their core.  Rather, we need to outgrow our childish inclinations to understand that this world and society, involves some degree of give and take, and thus we need to do as much as we can to be a constructive force in society, and thereby to let go of destructive characteristics that we have such as hate, spite, jealousy, and revenge.  Those then, that are constructive are the very same that help build people up, and freely then let go of their destructive tendencies.

Be constructive not destructive

What we think, say, and do has a material effect upon others, for better or for worse.  This thus signifies that we need to do our upmost to consider how what we do in our interactions with others, is in sum, a benefit to them, and thereby make it our point to avoid as much as possible being harmful to others in our interactions with them.  While it is good to have good intentions, not everything that we do actually has the intended good effect and when it does not, we need to do our level best to correct such, so as to make things better.  Also, there are those situations in which for whatever reason, we are being mean-spirited to the other, purposely being harmful to them, perhaps as a form of payback, or incivility, or because we are under stress, in which, those that are considerate at heart, thus need to make amends for their bad behavior, and the sooner that they do so, the better.

As non-perfect beings we aren’t always going to make the right decisions, but right decision or wrong, we need to always own up to what has been decided, and if there are things that went wrong, because of those decisions, we ought to do what we can to try to make things right.  To be a constructive person, is to be someone that is helping to make society a better place for their participation in it, and those then that do that very thing, are the very type of people that help society become a better place for their good impact upon it. This then should be our priority in life, to do our good part, to help make this world, a better place through our good constructive actions so committed to help bring this about. 

So then, to get to that place in which we will consistently be constructive to others, as opposed to being destructive, is something that starts with the right thinking and when thereby enacted and done consistently, thus becomes a good habit, of immense worth.  For those, that lack that creativity and discipline to be as constructive as they ought to be, it must be recognized that each one of us has the capability to make the changes that we need to make in order to become a better person.  Each day, we have the opportunity to grow, to stagnate, or to regress, and when we make the effort to become better and stick to it, we are becoming the change that we desire to be, which not only makes us a better person, but helps make our interactions with others, more constructive.  Look, we have a true obligation to overcome our childish ways in which when we can’t get what we want, we whine, we strike out against the other, or we stomp our little feet, of which, all of these particular actions are destructive at their core.  Rather, we need to outgrow our childish inclinations to understand that this world and society, involves some degree of give and take, and thus we need to do as much as we can to be a constructive force in society, and thereby to let go of destructive characteristics that we have such as hate, spite, jealousy, and revenge.  Those then, that are constructive are the very same that help build people up, and freely then let go of their destructive tendencies.

A stitch in time saves nine

We all remember the old adage that “a stitch in time saves nine,” which basically means that it is best to take care of an issue that needs addressing in the here and now, rather than to let such develop into something possibly much more damaging and therefore much worse for us.  When it comes to our character, we should keep in mind that a stitch in time saves nine, for the best time to take care of a character flaw is to address it in the immediate, as compared to letting it slide for another day and another time – for plenty of people have those good intentions to correct what so needs to be corrected, but subsequently lose the concentration and the discipline to actually make amends to that which they already recognize as being a problem that needed to be forthrightly addressed.

Indeed, it has to be admitted, that nobody is born evil or is absolutely destined to become evil, for all of us are born free and clear of evil.  So then, what we develop into, is in essence, at our volition, so determined by the decisions that we make day by day, for better or for worse.  This thus signifies that what so becomes a bad habit, was first of all, not a habit at all, but because we insisted upon doing the same bad thing again and again, it thereby became a habit and because it is now habitual, it is much more difficult for us to correct, even if we have the abiding desire to do so.

This thus indicates that those that become evil, or have developed evil tendencies and habits, don’t just wake up one day, having somehow changed into this persona, but rather, what has typically happened is that they have consistently thought the wrong thoughts and made the wrong decisions, that have thereby developed into something quite toxic for them, as well as for others.  In other words, the bad decisions that we make, which may appear to us initially to be of little or no consequence, are the very actions that thereby creates in us, the damage to our outward fashion that requires a needful stitch, but if we do not address this forthrightly, we will inevitably discover that the one stitch so needed to repair such, will begin to inexorably increase to having a need for more than just that one stitch.

The evil that we do, becomes ever worse, if we don’t address what needs to be addressed in order to mitigate such in a timely and direct manner.  It is a serious character flaw, when we belittle what we have done that is wrong, as being of no real concern, because it is perceived by us as being no big thing.  In truth, it is often those tiny errors of judgment that takes us down a path that is best avoided, because those that believe that little sins and little wrongs, won’t ever add up, are clearly not playing the long game, for repeated errors and bad decisions, are the very basis for why those that aren’t really all that bad at their core, end up becoming quite bad, instead.

The mark of a true friend

It’s important to have good friends, but not every person that we consider to be a good friend, is actually a good friend.  That is to say, not everything that glitters is gold, and those that are unawares are perhaps too credulous for their own good, are thereby the very type of people that may well discover to their ultimate dismay, that a person that they always considered to be a good friend, wasn’t really a good friend, at all.

In order for us to know who a true friend is, we have to first know what the good qualities of a true friend are, and when we don’t know that, than we are indeed quite fortunate when we have obtained a good friend, despite our lack of knowing what those good and necessary qualities are.  For instance, a good friend is the type of friend that knows the difference between what is right and honorable, as contrasted to what is wrong and dishonorable – and further to the point, they will then do their best to discourage us from committing those types of acts which are wrong and thus detrimental to not just our own character, but also are hurtful to other people as well.  Indeed, a true friend is that friend that does what they can to demonstrate in their own behavior and actions the superiority of committing to doing the right thing, as well as the reasoning behind why it is beneficial to do the right thing, as contrasted to doing that which is wrong.  Additionally, a true friend, is that friend that will take the time to explain to us, how it is important that we consistently toe the line and not take then those missteps into wrongness, by displaying the discipline and thus the wisdom of not giving in to temptation, that will ultimately be of harm to us, though perhaps at the moment, it doesn’t seem to be that way.

So too, a true friend is that friend who understands the importance that they have a duty to see that we are ourselves able to develop our thinking so as to utilize our mind in a way and manner that is in keeping with good judgment; in addition a true friend will impress upon us the importance of not only to think for our own self, but to evaluate what we interact with in a way and manner that we learn the difference between right and wrong, which we surely need to know in order to make the right decisions and then to subsequently follow through with the necessary actions to honor properly those decisions so made.  Additionally, a good friend, has taken the time to examine their own life, and thus to understand the purpose of that life, and then has made the wise decision to honor that purpose in all that they say and do – in which, they then encourage us to do the same, because they desire to see us to grow and to thereby become the best person that we can be, in which, by doing so, we together help to make society a better place for our good participation in it.

To know why you believe what you believe is much better rather than to just have blind faith

There are plenty of people that are adherents of a certain religion, who haven't really studied the religion, but just take it pretty much on faith that all is good within that religion, and do not then feel that they need to devote much time or energy to actually comprehending the religion that they profess to be a good member of.  Look, to take things just on blind faith, is something that shouldn't be a default position by anyone of intelligence, unless under the most exigent circumstances, and or when it simply represents common sense.

Each of us has been gifted with a brain, of which it is our duty to develop our intelligence, and then to utilize our thinking process to question that which should be questioned, as compared to blindly to accept things as they are, as being how they should always be.  Those then that have blind faith, especially in those situations in which they are called to have at a minimum, the usage of some degree of discernment and free thinking, are those then that are not fully utilizing the tools that have been provided to them.

Of course, many a government, or an advertiser, as well as a given religion, aren’t really interested in the masses, exhibiting some sort of independent thought and thus to think for themselves, but rather they are basically interested in seeing that what is believed, is what has been proselytized to them, and further they prefer that what has been served to them is accepted as being right, and hence is not ever independently studied or questioned, but just basically accepted as the way that things should be. 

A free thinking person is the type that will do the research and will pursue what needs to be pursued, in order for them to understand and to comprehend things better and therefore to learn, as compared to simply memorizing what has been given them to memorized, without really thinking about what it is, that they have been taught to commit to memory.  In life, many a breakthrough comes from those that are not stuck in their ways, but are actively trying to figure out things in new and innovative ways, and from those steps to therefore increase their knowledge and thus their value to society, at large.

It is vital to recognize that simply asking why, when it comes to information that is being imparted to us, as to its importance or usage, is the first step to useful learning.  Indeed, we need to know the why, in order not only to engage, but also to comprehend at a deeper level, what it is that we are being taught, and why what we are being taught, has relevance to us.   In life, the easy road is to just get along with the prevailing opinion of the time, assuming that this is correct; whereas, the more challenging road is to question that which are conventional beliefs, not so much to overturn them, but rather to understand their value better, and then to the degree that we can do so, to dig deeper and more thoroughly so that we know why we believe what we believe, rather than to just behave like an automaton, so as to accept on faith that which hasn’t been properly examined.

Wars bankrupt nations

There are certain countries that believe in the necessity of war, without seeming to take into account not only the human cost of war, or of the devastating destruction to infrastructure because of those wars, but also the inconvenient fact that many a war does not successfully resolve whatever the problem was that represented the proximate reason for that war in the first place. So then, a reasonable person should have a tendency to believe that nations must do everything possible to avoid or avert war, so as to come to a responsible diplomatic solution, rather than to insist that the way to solve problems must instead come through the sword.

Additionally, there is the monetary cost of war, for the need of soldiers, materials, and the logistics of war necessitate an incredible amount of money that must be expended in order to make war upon the other.  So then, in our modern age, a lot of the expenditures so required for war, actually ends up being borrowed, of which, we read at Watson.brown.edu, that “Through Fiscal Year 2022, the United States federal government has spent and obligated $8 trillion dollars on the post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and elsewhere.”  This thus signifies that because American citizens are as taxpayers responsible for the debt so incurred for these wars so fought on behalf of America, and of which because that money has been borrowed, monetary interest has to be paid in order to service that debt so incurred for those massive war expenditures, that the price of war is quite expensive, indeed.  Further to the point, it is fair to state, that monies expended on war and the debt to such, necessitates a tightening of the belt for those other governmental departments, such as education, welfare, infrastructure, and social services, that are not part of the war effort, which affects what citizens do or do not subsequently get or are entitled to from their governance.

Additionally, the further any nation gets into a spiraling debt, the more vulnerable the coin of the realm will be to depreciation, even to catastrophic depreciation, because when those investors in American bonds, no longer feel the confidence that the monies so borrowed will actually be safely paid back, they are going to demand two basic things: the first is a higher real interest rate of return on their investment because it’s stability has been called into question, and second is that they will desire to see that proper monetary and budget controls are thus put into place so as to stabilize the monetary unit, or else they will have a distinct tendency to find another nation or venue to invest their monies in, more prudently.

Indeed, nations come and nations go, and to believe somehow that the United States of America need not ever worry about the massive deficits it has been running for decades in their reckless desire for the need for endless wars, will definitely be something of which there will be a forceful reckoning.  History, has demonstrated to us, time and time again, wars will not only bankrupt nations, but will also change the very nature of that governance, for better or for worse.

The utter waste of early boarding on airplanes

For those that fly on airplanes, the overall experience is at best, tolerable, and at worse, it's just plain bad.  Not too surprisingly, people want to try to do what they feel that they have to do to better their experience, of which, one of those things that some people insist upon, is early boarding, of which, we do so find that there is a certain percentage of those people that are apparently so eager to get onboard the airplane that they are willing to even pay extra just to board early.

While there are indeed some airlines, that necessitate early boarding in the sense that they do not pre-assign seats, such as Southwest Airlines, most airline carriers provide the passenger with a specific seat assignment.  So then, for all those that have no carry-on luggage and no little kids, there doesn't seem to be any legitimate reason to get on board the plane, earlier than so necessary.  Also, for those that do have carry-on luggage but know for a certainty that they can stow their luggage, such as a backpack, under the seat in front of them, there surely isn't any good reason to board early.  As for those that know that their carry-on luggage must be stowed in the storage bin, that is above them, there is then a reasonable concern that perhaps luggage space will run out for them.

So then, for all those that are quite concern about overhead space, the very first thing for them to do is to find out through the agent at the gate, how full the plane is, and if it isn't real full,  then not to worry about finding space.  The second thing for them to consider is that people are entitled to stow their luggage wherever it will fit, so that a good plan to have when a plane is quite full is to stow one's luggage in the first available bin that presents itself, on the way to one's seat.  Sure, there may well be a situation in which all the bins are full, and perhaps that necessitates some degree of prudence in boarding the plane, but to pay extra to early board seems like an unnecessary expense.

Further to the point, flying on planes is uncomfortable, and those that board early are then sitting in their seats, a heck of a lot longer as compared to those that are still in the airplane lounge area, in which, these people have plenty of room to spread out, finish up tasks, and just be comfortable.  The rush to board any plane, just seems insensible, valid excuse or not, because as long as you are in the line, before the departing gate closes, you will be allowed to board.  All those then that complain about all the contingencies that could go wrong that therefore necessitates their early boarding, need to recognize that this is true of not just boarding airplanes, but life itself, and virtually nobody spends their time in a rush to always be the early bird, when the meeting time isn't going to ever adjust to their early arrival.

The root of all evil has got to be ignorance as well as also the lack of discipline

For a certainty, there is evil in this world, of which, there are many theories about why there is so much evil and why it is so prevalent, in which, the most sensible conclusion to draw is that it must have to do with the fact that we are free will agents, and as free will agents we thus are thereby enabled to think the wrong thoughts, to make the wrong decisions, and to conduct those types of acts which are fundamentally flawed.  Further to the point, there are a fair amount of people that perform evil or inconsiderate acts, that actually profess their belief that they see nothing much wrong with what they are doing, which thus represents ignorance.  So too, there are plenty of people that have a good understanding of what is the right thing to do, but because of temptation or a weak will, lack then the discipline to toe the line and to thereby then consistently to do the right thing.

So then, the very first thing that we need to do, is to remove the false view that we have of our own position in this world, and endeavor to embrace the true view, instead.  After all, those that live in a delusion of their own making because they will not embrace truth or bother to sincerely search for such, are not ever going to be paragons of virtue, because they lack the ready capacity to do so.  Indeed, within each one of us should be an implicit understanding that if we do not know who and what we really are, as well as the inherent principle of what we are supposed to be about, then it will be happenstance as to whether we get to the destination that must so be reached in order to effectively have liberating knowledge.

In life, there are a multitude of ways that we can go about our business, in which, for those that demonstrate aforethought, they understand the importance of the need to comprehend who and what they really are, in essence.  Indeed, there isn't any good point in being on the train that leaves the station, if we haven't been properly prepared for our destination, and  further don't even know whether that destination is even the right place for us to go.  This thus means that we basically need to diligently search for enlightenment so as to overcome the ignorance or misrepresentation of who and what we currently are, so that we can thus take in the right stuff so as to become a liberated being, instead.

Look, we need to get our priorities right, or else we will be susceptible to just spinning our wheels, or end up making the same types of mistakes, again and again.  In western societies, there is a strong emphasis upon material achievement, but this doesn't mean that this is correct – for what we see in society is fairly reflected in all the inequality, discord, and incivility that society so often suffers from.  So then, there must be room for improvement, and there indeed is, for when we are successful in removing the scales from our eyes that blind us, we will overcome the ignorance that hinders us, and when we faithfully embrace the truth, we will say goodbye to falsehood, and thereby destroy the root of evil, and replace such with the resolute flag of truth.

Christian art and its strange obsession of the crucifixion over the resurrection

There are great museums all over the world, of which some of these museums have a serious collection of Christian art.  While it is true that Christ in such art, is depicted in many forms, such as in his birth, or while performing acts from within his ministry, or in his crucifixion – what seems to be missing is that we are often left with virtually none or little art that reflects the resurrection of our Savior.  This is indeed puzzling, because for sincere Christians, if there is no belief in the resurrection so depicted in art, then the mission of Christ, would appear to have ended in tragedy and not ever to be seen as actually being triumphant.

Look, even as good as great art can be, and even as good as great art can affect us in a meaningful way, it has to be said, that seeing paintings of Christ's crucifixion over and over again, but not being able to balance that by seeing not even one resurrection of Christ is disturbing.  Indeed, one of the tenants of Christianity is that Christ rose from the dead, demonstrating that mankind could not kill not only this messenger, but that it could not kill even His body, despite seemingly having done so.  That is a very powerful message, which brings us hope, increases our belief in justice, and helps to make us to have faith that physical death is not ever the end.

The problem with the emphasis upon the crucifixion over the resurrection is that Christian art seems to be fixated that the sacrificial death of Christ is the seminal event of Christ's ministry.  Perhaps this interpretation is correct, but in reality, without the resurrection, Christ becomes nothing much more than a gifted soul, that met what would appear to be an ignoble death at the hands of the Romans.  That is to say, we need the resurrection because the resurrection completes the story of Christ, and hence should itself be emphasized above the crucifixion, so that the more important construct to have is that the birth of Christ, celebrated at Christmas, represents the avatar that is the anointed one, and Christ's resurrection celebrated at Easter, represents that Christ is immortal, unconquerable, and triumphant over the physical form.

At the end of the day, art is art, and if a particular artist wants to concentrate on the crucifixion or has been contracted to do such, then it is what it is.  Nevertheless, from a patron standpoint, there are only so many ways that Christ's crucifixion can be portrayed; whereas, there are a multitude of ways to paint His resurrection, because Christ's resurrection is not physically described in the Bible, which would thus present the opportunity for artists to bring their own interpretation and imagination to the depiction of that resurrection. This thus would mean that there would thereby be a fair multitude of interpretations of Christ's resurrection, which would present to those so viewing such, a fair chance to have a more vivid and more meaningful engagement to that resurrection.

Towards income support for working Americans

The disparity between those few that have it all and the many that are either struggling or just treading water, seems to be getting progressively worse, which thus indicates that this government of, for, and by the people needs to do more on behalf of those that don't have all that much, but yet are themselves hard working Americans.  For a certainty, most people that labor cannot dictate the wages that they will be paid, of which, those that do not make a lot of money, are often going to have to pay the same types of bills that those with pocketfuls’ of money must also pay, but alas must do so with a very short supply of funds.

So then, what we need to see happen at the present time is for this government to come up with a program, that supplements peoples' income on a monthly basis, which should be based upon one's previous years wages and the hours so worked, of which, a reasonable proposal would be to provide financial assistance to all those that have labored at least 1,000 hours in a calendar year, and then their monthly stipend should be based upon the total annual income of that person, structured in a graduated progressive stipend way, in which those that have earned less would get a higher monthly stipend, and those that made more would get less of a stipend, before eventually having this stipend phase out for higher wage earners.

Indeed, for those that are low-income wage earners, knowing that they will be aided by a monthly stipend of up to $1,000 would be of a great material benefit for them, and in consideration that those that are low-wage earners, are often going to be the very same people that will probably spend a significant portion of that money on necessary goods and services within the community that they live in, would essentially mean that this government handout would basically see those monies being circulated within the communities that received such, for the overall benefit and health of that community.

After all, it just seems logical and fair that those that play by the rules but do not make a living wage, or barely are  keeping their heads above water, should be the very same people that this government should desire to lend a helping hand to, because it is these unsung people that help make America great.  In reality, many a person is not actually looking for a direct handout, for they do not want to be perceived as being a beggar, but rather they often want to do their good part to be an integral and vital part of the workforce, but sadly lack the overall compensation package to live a satisfactory life, which is why this government needs to step in, and do their part to backstop their own people, above all, or else the civil unrest and unease that we see around us, will not simmer down, but will instead be susceptible to creating the type of havoc that will effectively end up suppressing the people at a very terrible cost to the integrity of this nation and what it so represents.

A new vision for Social Security

Those that labor and are paid wages for their work are thus compelled by law to pay a specific portion of those wages into the Social Security program, paycheck by paycheck, which will, in theory, ultimately benefit them at their time of retirement by their receipt of a monthly Social Security stipend.  The thing is though is just because Social Security is currently setup one way, does not mean that there isn't a better way or alternative ways to look upon what this government could do for those of retirement age, to help make the lives of those American senior citizens better.

As might be expected in a capitalistic society, there is going to be a huge disparity between people that have labored for many years, but have done so at low wage jobs as compared to those that have been paid substantially better, of which, the senior citizens then that subsequently need the biggest aid from that government of, for, and by the people are those that have limited assets, as well as those that are just barely scraping by. This thus indicates that simply providing a monthly stipend per the current rules and guidelines of Social Security for all those that have paid into Social Security, is probably something that can and should be improved upon, and needs to be, in particular for those that are in the greatest need.

Indeed, a far better vision would be the acknowledgment by this government that there remains a substantial portion of senior citizens that need assistance and specifically assistance for room, board, and healthcare, of which, all of these things should be subsidized, as necessary for them, as well as being readily available for their direct use.  In other words, American governance needs to step up and do more to help those that are its most vulnerable senior citizens, by making Social Security a program that has a distinct mission to support those that definitely need a helping hand.

The proposed reconfigured purpose of our Social Security program should be to not only provide a safety net for its citizens, but also should be to provide the type of assistance that will allow those that are of retirement age to live out their lives in a decent and dignified manner, by receiving the type of help which would permit them to have adequate shelter, nutritional food, and good healthcare, without having to give up something essential to achieve such.  It is well to remember that America is the richest nation that the world has ever known, and if America governance will not take good care of those that have provided their labor which has diligently greased the wheels of its free enterprise system, then something in that governance seriously needs to change, so as to make that to happen, because all those that have played by the rules are deserving of expecting and thereby receiving that which will permit them to not have to stress or worry about how they are going to make ends meet, when their heavy legs and their tired arms cannot carry them any further in their sunset years.

God is justice and therefore there is the necessary law of karma

In Christian western nations,  many a person basically believes that if you are sincere in your admission that Christ is our Savior, who thereby died as our substitute on the cross for our sins, that this essentially permits us to enter the eternity of Heaven, as a forgiven and redeemed soul.  Perhaps this is true, but it sure doesn't seem fair, right, or just, whatsoever; and further to the point, what we know about God is that God is inerrant, omniscient, and is absolutely just in all that God judges upon.  This thus reflects that as in many a thing, we have a fair amount of people who readily believe that there is somehow a way to escape justice, when, in fact, that escape only seemingly exists in this world, but in actuality, does not actually exist, at all.

It is important to comprehend and to understand that for every action there is a corresponding reaction, so that what we so think, do, and act upon has an effect upon not only our own self, but also upon others, and when we have made errors in judgment that have unduly hurt someone else, there thus has to be some sort of consequence to that, or else our place in this world is senseless, and basically then it has neither rhyme nor reason.

For a certainty, there is order within the domain of God, and if we ourselves cannot see that order, or prefer to ignore that order, we do so to our own detriment.  This thus signifies that each of us should want to examine our own life, so as to understand our good purpose, and then to behave in a way and manner that is consistent to that purpose of our existence.  Those then that ignore that sage advice in the present, are going to have to face up to the consequences of such a mistaken viewpoint in the future.  So too, those that know better, but cannot seem to hold the line on doing the right thing, are going to have to keep trying, again and again, until they are able to display the discipline to thereby do the right thing.

It is a great shame, to actually believe that our works don't matter, for they for a certainty do matter, whether those acts are good or whether they are bad.  It is well to remember, that this world, represents a testing ground, that represents a fair chance for each of us to prove our fidelity to God and to thus provide to others, the seeds and acts that will help make society a better place for our participation in it.

God does not give up on anyone or on any being, and God never will, of which, within our essence is everything that we need to draw upon  so as to become that which we are surely destined to be.  It is up to us, to meet that challenge, and when we fail in such, we will be provided with the fair opportunity to try again and again, until we find the promised land, fairly earned by our own volition, and often done so through the valued help of those that are wise and caring.

Integrity means not telling lies

There are numerous reasons why a given person will tell a falsehood, such as to protect themselves, or to protect another person, or to not be found wanting, or to not be held accountable and so on. The thing is that lying has a way of coming back to haunt us, because when people feel that what we are saying is rather suspect, it hurts our credibility with them. Basically, when a liar has been found out, people have a tendency not to believe what they are saying, because they don't trust them and because of that lack of trust, they don't believe them, even when they actually are telling the truth.

Look, it has to be said, people of real integrity don't tell lies, or else they wouldn't be people of integrity and for all those that wish then to reach that high standard, they are going to have to make up their mind that telling lies must not be part and parcel of their makeup. Those then that determine that they will be people of integrity, must be on guard to be that very thing, all of the time, for if there is a chink in their armor, this then will reflect that they haven't obtained what they need to have obtained, so as to be that person of integrity.

The reputation that we develop may or may not be totally fair, but it is probably quite fair to say, that those that have a reputation of untruthfulness and those that have a reputation for truthfulness are probably correctly categorized, for people can only be fooled for so long, before they begin to figure out that not all is right with those that are actually being deceptive to them; whereas, for those that are honest, such will mesh up well with the crosscheck so made by people to verify their veracity, and those that are consistently true are thus categorized as being honest with us.

So too, the problem with lying to people, is that it is hard to keep track of every single lie and who that lie was spoken to, for people will lie one way to one person, and another way to another person, making it difficult to keep it straight in their own mind, exactly what they said and to whom. On the other hand, those that tell the truth, don't need to worry about keeping their story straight, for their story is always the same, subject to honest mistakes, like forgetfulness.

So then, if you want people to actually believe what you are saying, the surest pathway to accomplish that goal is to be a person of integrity, and even if previously you were not such an honest person, the bottom line is that your reputation will eventually catch up to who and what you presently are. As for those that don't care so much about being honest, they must surely recognize, that their dishonesty will often by met by other people that will be dishonest to them, for like attracts like.

If you do not wish the best for the other, you surely then do not love them

Love is one of those types of words, that for many a person, this is thereby fairly easily expressed and not so easily lived. For an absolute fact, to tell someone that you love them, but do not at the same time, desire the best for them, reflects clearly that you cannot possibly actually love them, at all. That is to say, love isn't selfish, but rather love properly expressed, signifies that we desire the same good for our neighbor as we would wish for our very self, no more and no less. So then, to not be able to will the good for the other, is a character flaw, that each of us should desire to overcome, which when successfully dealt with, will thus make society a better place for our participation in it.

Look, to will the good of the other, when we have a very competitive spirit, or are selfish or greedy in our mindset and actions is not going to be an easy task, but we have to recognize in fairness that if we will not will the good of the other, then why should we expect them to will the good for us. So too, there isn't any point in taking on the guise of good manners if we aren't actively doing what we can to help bring out the best in others. In other words, to wish the best for the other, and to actually say that to them, but secretly not to really desire that, is hypocrisy, which is to a certain extent, worse than those that are upfront and to the point of what they do or don't care about when it comes to the other, as opposed to those that say what people want to hear, but are being dishonest about it.

The thing about human nature, especially in those western nations that emphasize competition as opposed to collaboration, is that a lot of people allow their competitive spirit to affect their mindset, so that they are worried that if they actually do wish the best for the other, that it will come at their personal expense, and because they do not desire to “lose” in this type of situation, they don't actually wish the best for the other. So too, this is the same sort of scenario that affects personal relationships, in which, many a person, doesn't want to be subservient to or to lose face to the other, so they can't really honestly wish the best for the other, but rather they basically wish that the other does well, but not exceedingly well, because they worry that this will come at their personal expense. Indeed, there are very few people that are willing to as John the Baptist so did, express themselves in this manner that “He must increase, but I must decrease,” (John 3:30). Those that do so, though, are those that truly do wish the best for the other, and do so out of an unselfish and undying love.