A better purpose for psychiatry

There are plenty of people who go to psychiatrists or to psychologists for all sorts of reasons, of which, the point of such sessions, should be to put the patient in a better place for having had these sessions.  So then, for some patients, perhaps all they are really looking for, is a sounding board, or they simply want to say what they say, without being judged, or else to get something off of their chest.  Then there are those others, that don’t feel right about a certain something that keeps on triggering in their mind and want to see some sort of meaningful resolution for that.  Also, some seem to have “demons” of the mind that thereupon play upon their memory, that they wish to see disappear so that they will feel more normalized.  In short, the reasons people visit a psychiatrist or psychologist vary, but the bottom line is that the hope is that by such a visit, the patient will ultimately be in a better place than they were before such visitations started.

It would seem that the purpose of psychiatry should be not just to understand where their patients are coming from, but rather to take what is the ostensible object of their discomfort and replace it with something which is beneficial for the patient.  This would signify that for many a patient, there is something that is playing on their mind, perhaps periodically, perhaps constantly, that disturbs them, of which, they deeply desire for that disturbance to be ameliorated, once and for all.  So then, for the most part, there are those patients who have specific thoughts and memories which for them, are so negative that it makes them unable to deal with the world per their preference, thereby signifying that the duty of the doctor attending to their mental discomfort or illness is to see that they do what they can to negate these negative thoughts and memories, by replacing such with something of positive worth.

No doubt, it’s no easy task to take something that appears to be ingrained in a given person’s psyche and replace such with something that will make them perceive things in a better frame of mind, but that should be the foremost duty of a psychiatrist.  In other words, find the disturbance, and then correct that disturbance, by negating such or replacing such with something positive and beneficial.  Indeed, as much as many a person believe that they cannot fully control their mind or their thoughts, the bottom line is that these can be controlled, by the sure knowledge that we, as individuals, have sovereignty over our own mind, our thoughts, and our memories. 

It has to be noted that nothing remains the same, forever, thereby signifying that we have the agency to make the necessary changes to make our life better, of which, when we see a doctor for a mental issue, it is thereby their duty to help us in that task, in which, that doctor should thereby do their fair part to provide us with alternatives and pathways that will put us into a much better frame of mind, and therefore help to relieve the discomfort that we experience, which is the best purpose for any doctor, for they are meant to first do no harm, and then importantly to help improve the dynamic for the patient’s benefit.

Evolution without a Creator

What we find presently is that especially in Western nations, there is the orthodox belief that all that we see and observe has somehow come forth from nothing into something, and that this something is in a never-ending process of evolution.   The problem with evolution isn’t so much the theory behind it, though that has its problems, but rather the fact that as propagated by Western nations, there is the belief that there is no Creator, or Master Designer, behind life and all that life represents.  This means, for instance, that the Declaration of Independence, the seminal document for the foundation of the United States is fundamentally flawed when it states “… that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights…” for it so follows that this is therefore, for all those that believe in evolution without an Intelligent Designer, a fable and no more.

Indeed, whenever governments formally determine that we have evolved from other more primitive forms, then this therefore indicates two things -- the first is that there is no life after death, for death is the annihilation of the physical body and since the brain resides within that physical body, the very existence of the person ends.  The second is that within governance of all sorts, humankind has no unalienable rights because humankind was not created by a Creator; therefore, whatever rights that we have are always alienable, and are therefore at the discretion of the governance that we so have.

Now, that we understand the fundamental foundation that evolution is based upon, it becomes easier to understand why governments, are so eager to embrace the evolutionary theory without God because it thereupon provides for those same governments the impetus to be the masters of its citizens, in which there is no higher authority that the people of a given nation can appeal to or believe in. That is to say, whatever the government declares to be right is right, and whenever that same government declares that a previous right is wrong, or that a previous wrong is right, the people somehow must accept that as the new doctrine.

So too, without a God, there is no definitive truth.  Rather, each of us has our own truth, subject to the vagaries of life.  So then, in short, there is never going to be agreement or harmony as to what our objectives are within a civilization since there is, in fact, no common ground to stand upon, other than what is propagated to the people, which is itself, subject to change.  Not surprisingly, this leads to not only the dissatisfaction of life as experienced under that sort of governance but is also at odds in regards to the reality of what life and the meaning of life are actually about.  Indeed, to believe in evolution is one thing, to believe that evolution did not involve an Intelligent Designer is the reason why despite great material progress, humankind is often so dissatisfied, for humankind yearns for meaning, and when our God is dismissed as an irrelevancy -- then chaos, hatred, discord, and incivility will be the result, for without a God to keep fair score, everything is permissible.

The right of the people to be secure in their house

The United States 4th Amendment of the Constitution stipulates that the right of the people to be secure within their own home shall not be violated, except upon probable cause, supported by an oath or affirmation and in particular describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.  Yet, we live in a day and age, in which warrants for probable cause are seemingly issued without any real due diligence, or independent party monitoring, or true accountability to the people, along with the disappointing fact that we also have court decisions that support the entering of a person’s home under exigent circumstances, which would seem to be a violation of the 4th Amendment, which does not contain that exception, whatsoever.

Look, it has to be said, that there is hardly a right more important than to be secure in one’s own personhood as well as one’s own property, such as in their dwelling place.  So then, whenever a governance essentially determines that the policing arm of the state can enter anybody’s home for any reason, or no reason at all, then that nation is not a republic, it’s not a democracy, rather, it’s tyranny, pure and simple. 

The thing about a home is that except for those few homes on wheels, is that a home cannot move, so that, rather than kicking a given door in, or forcefully entering in some other way, the fact that people are holed up in their own home, signifies that they are clearly in a place in which their location has been confirmed, and if there is indeed a need to enter by the police, that would be most appropriately done through a true warrant, in accordance with the 4th Amendment.

Further to the point, when it comes to warrants, and the entering of the home by the policing arm of the state, it is absolutely mandatory that each warrant be thoroughly examined after the fact, to see whether or not, that warrant actually produced the goods, so supporting such action, and in those cases, in which the warrant did not do so, those suffering from such a search, should not only be duly compensated, but the decision makers in regards to that warrant being exercised, should be, when appropriate, reprimanded, fined, and possibly charged with the crime of trespass, so that the people can be assured that there will always be accountability for those that are overzealous in the issuance of such warrants.

It has to be acknowledged that people have an innate desire to have a place of sanctuary, typically done so with the home that they reside in, and when that sanctuary, is not secure, then the people are not secure.  Additionally, to the point, when warrants are not examined thoroughly for their necessity and purpose, and exigent circumstances are exaggerated, time and time again, then we clearly have a construct in which those of the people, that the government finds to be an annoyance or an inconvenience, or are considered to be in need of being put in their place, by any means necessary --signifies essentially that the government and their agents have vacated their duty to the highest law of the land, the Constitution, to support their unconstitutional actions, instead, under the color of law.

Are Jews God’s chosen people?

The thing about the Bible is that it consists of stories, similes, metaphors, and symbols – thereby indicating that it is subject to interpretation depending upon the intelligence, the perception, the background, and the teaching that a given person has been exposed to.  This thus signifies that the word of God can be corrupted, misinterpreted, or become fundamentally misused when those that we believe are the religious experts of such, simply fail in the correct or best interpretation of scriptural passages along with lacking the insight to properly convey the overall message of the Bible correctly.

One of the core beliefs, especially what we get from what is commonly called the “Old Testament” is that the Jews were God’s chosen people.  What we have to remember, though, is that in the telling of any good story, there need to be at least two sides to the story, so, the Jews often symbolized those who were faithful to God’s word, knowledgeable to that same Word, and dedicated thereby to fulfilling that Word.  Those then that were “hard-headed” such as the Egyptian Pharoah, the Philistines, and Canaanites, were those that did not believe in the living God of that Bible, but had their own beliefs that conflicted with that God.  This thus meant that as in any good story, the true believers, the Jews, were essentially right, and those who were not true believers were wrong, and thereby suffered and paid the price for their obstinacy and error.

Yet, as in many a thing, whenever somebody or some agency believes that they and they alone are the enlightened one, or the chosen one, we find that rather than humbly appreciating this, far too often they appreciate it more from a prideful manner, and where pride is, destruction of the soul invariably follows, so that we end up with a construct in which many of those of the Jewish faith, believed that by simply having the label of being Jewish, meant that they were God’s chosen people, no matter their behavior; whereas the truth of the matter is that for anyone or anybody to be God’s chosen people, is a matter of demonstrating their faithfulness to the good commandments of God, above all else.  That is to say, those who in their heart choose God and behave in a manner to their fellow humankind that reflects this in a loving and uplifting way, are God’s chosen people, Jewish or not.

Remember this well, each of us is the creation of God, and all are created the very same way, of which, the society and the family that we grow up in, are going to be invariably different because people have different backgrounds and different priorities, thereby signifying that there are differences amongst us, and therefore the common ground for all of us to get back together in harmony is to not become fixated on the supposed “letter of the law” but rather to see the bigger picture that justice and fairness must come forth from a heart that recognizes the inherent dignity that we all have, thereupon signifying that we are meant to get along, for we are all, in the scheme of things, God’s chosen people, when we are attuned to our inerrant God.

Evangelical Christians are no Christians

We live in very strange times in which, there are certain sects within Christianity, that have specific views about Israel that logically make no sense; but for them, they believe it makes sense.  For instance, Evangelical Christians are known for believing that the creation or re-creation at the end of World War II of Israel was necessary to fulfill Biblical prophecy and that as Evangelical Christians it is imperative that we support Israel so that the Second Coming of Christ can occur, and that those of the Chrisitan faith, living and dead, will thereby be subsequently raptured into Heaven.

The fact that so many people, have faith in this rapture belief, and therefore make it their point to support Israel in all that Israel does, good or bad, is highly disturbing.  Indeed, to believe that those who are Israeli are somehow God’s chosen people would presuppose that God discriminates between those who are fully created in God’s image as contrasted apparently to those who were created as some sort of lesser image.  Look, it has to be said, that all of God’s children have been created equally by God, and therefore God, in essence, favors none over the other.  What God cares about, is for His children to make good and faithful decisions that are in accordance with Biblical principles, such as to love thy neighbor as thyself.

So too, when it comes to the concept of Israel, to believe that those of the Jewish faith, or those who are sympathetic to Israel, are the key to the rapture occurring in the near future is nonsense. History is replete with sects of religion after religion, and prophets within those religions, prophesizing that Christ will return on such and such date, and none of these prophetic visions have come to fruition. To believe, somehow, that ministers such as John Hagee, actually know what they are talking about, in regards to their belief of what Christ will or will not do, the rapture, or what Israel truly represents, is madness.

In truth, those who wish to please and honor God are the very same who behave in a way and manner that is true to the good attributes of God, such as being considerate, patient, loving, kind, and just, while also being no respecter of other human beings.  Again, this is fairly obvious, especially for those who have done any reasonable amount of studying of the Bible, which tells us quite clearly, that the orthodox Jews of the day, who should have embraced Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, did not do so, because they errantly believed that Jesus was not the Messiah, and to the point, believed strongly that Jesus was a menace to society and especially to the authority of those orthodox Jews.  This would seemingly signify that some of those clamoring the most for the return of Christ, and believing that they will thus be raptured up to Heaven, are going to find, that they should have thought very carefully about what they wished for, because it probably, for them, will not fulfill their beliefs, whatsoever.

To be a Christian necessitates behaving as a Christian, which signifies, that no matter the faith of a given person, it is their actions, that define who they are, and to the extent we can through our interactions help therefore to make society a better, a fairer, and just society, along with giving praise to our Creator, through our humility and appreciation are the same that are on the right path, and those that veer off such, are not.

Imagine a world without internet, cable, or cellphones

There are plenty of people who can imagine a world without cable, internet, or cell phones, because their generation, grew up without those very things, so they definitely understand how the world worked, back in the day.  On the other hand, there are plenty of people, who essentially have lived their lives experiencing a world with the internet, cable, and with cellphones, and it is these very people, that we should want to know as to whether or not they are the same type of people in the sense of their characteristics as a couple of generations ago, or whether because of the internet, cable, and cell phones, they are in many a way, different.

It needs to be understood that whenever some new tool or advancement comes into play and thereupon becomes pretty much commonplace, that there is going to be for many a person, a situation in which besides not only taking that tool for granted but also because they eventually become dependent upon that tool, they thereupon can’t phantom how to live their lives without it.  For instance, the great thing about the internet is it truly gets us connected to the world, so that we can accomplish our work, and homework, as well as look up things, necessary or not, watch videos, access our social media, and so on and so forth; however, the downside of the internet and our cell phones is it can serve as a constant source of distraction, of disengaging us from dealing with real people in real-time, and it can serve sort of as a sugar-substitute for the real thing, or even be worse.  Additionally, another problem with the internet is that because it is constantly on, that means that to a certain degree, we are constantly on, and thereby available to do work after hours or to become involved in activities that don’t have any real good purpose, other than to occupy our time.

So then, a person might reasonably think that having access, for example, to an online encyclopedia, in real-time, would for a certainty make us smarter, but the reality of the situation is that it seems to make us lazier, because rather than contemplating a particular problem and thereby thinking, we use the crutch of the internet to sort of do our thinking for us.

Also, it would have to be said, the biggest problem with cell phones and the like is that they far too often substitute for a real conversation with real people, with counterfeit conversations, which aren’t the same thing – so that for all those, that just have to look at their phone whenever it pings them when they have an email, or a text message, or a social media update, this serves to break our concentration on what we should be concentrating upon, to replace it with something that we shouldn’t even be considering.

For all those who believe that they have full control of how they utilize the internet and that they therefore are the masters of such usage, the full test of that dynamic, would have to be when the internet is completely turned off, and then to see how that person’s life changes.  One would suspect that the biggest change besides frustration would be that people would be more engaged with other people in conversations and doing things together, which arguably would be an improvement to what they are currently doing by having unlimited access to the internet and the like.

The importance of fasting

Those who live in Western nations and are not food insecure are probably also those who virtually never fast, for because food is plentiful and easily available, they have ingrained within their habits the necessity of eating food, for food is the fuel for our physical body.  While it is true that bread has its place in our diet, it has been said that “man does not live by bread alone,” which signifies that to be overly concerned about having to have food at particular times of the day, every single day, ad nauseam, is a road well-traveled, but isn’t really the best road for any of us to be on.

Indeed, those who want to maintain their health, need to recognize that we, through our mind and through our spirit, are the masters of our body, so to allow thereby our body to continually dictate to us, that we must eat three meals a day, are else we will die, or be in poor health, is simply not true.  Instead, we should recognize that even our physical body and the organs that we utilize to process the food that we ingest, should themselves, have an occasional day off, in order to give them a chance to cleanse themselves as well as to reinvigorate those organs. So too, it is well known by the medical profession, that certain illnesses must be starved of food, in order for us to more effectively recover from that illness, for food necessitates bodily processes to digest that food, which can serve to overload more a body that is already overloaded enough, and not feeling well.

Additionally, each of us needs to value self-discipline, because those who insist that everything that entices them, should or must be indulged, or the very same who have not learned self-control, and by virtue of that fact, are prone to making decisions that are not going to be beneficial to them.  While it is true that our bodies need nutrition, it is also true that our bodies do not need to have that nutrition day in and day out, with nary a break.  Also, anytime that we fast, it gives us the opportunity to appreciate those things that we take for granted, such as having good food, and to recognize therefore that each of us needs to spend some part of our day, in appreciation of the gifts that have been bestowed upon us, that we habitually don’t pay much attention to, until they have been taken away from us or have become damaged.

It also should be noted, that America used to be a country in which occasionally our President, would call for the nation to have a day of fasting, so proclaimed to the people by John Adams, James Madison, and Abraham Lincoln.  After all, when any nation decides that its people should never humble themselves, or confess their sins, or to pay homage to their Creator, by an act of the sacrifice of the eating of food for one day, then that people have forsaken that which is sacred, for that which is secular, and done so, to their own sure damnation.

Non-fatal shootings, fatal shootings, and murder rates

There are many big cities known for an exceedingly high murder rate, that are therefore proud whenever they see that their murder rate has gone down.  The thing that is not taken into account, far too often, when it comes to lethal or almost lethal violence upon another, is that the medical doctors and medical facilities within America, for people who are trauma victims, contain some of the most competent medical doctors, medical personnel, as well as state-of-the-art equipment that provides those that would die without such aid, a much better chance to live.  Indeed, the sooner that an emergency vehicle can arrive at a shooting, and take the necessary means to do what they can to sustain that victim on the way to the hospital or trauma center, even those with catastrophic injuries have a reasonable chance of survival.  In other words, not everybody who is shot has been shot in an execution-type manner, and therefore the wound(s) that they have sustained, though often serious, will with competent and robust medical attention, provide a saving of their life; and therefore, in crime situations, since they did not die, they would not count as a murder victim, though without such aid, they probably would have died.

We read at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov that back in 2002, they stated “Murder rates would be up to five times higher than they are but for medical developments over the past 40 years.”  The fact that murder rates have not gone up as much as they could have should be rightly attributed to medical doctors and the institutions that support their vital work in competently dealing with trauma situations that thus save lives, that if not for their vital assistance, would result in the person dying.

Indeed, the thing about statistics is that the story that they are telling can be deceptive, when we don’t take into account what needs to be taken into account, of which, non-fatal shootings should be seen for what they really are, a serious crime that could have resulted in the death of the other, if not oftentimes because of medical intervention.  This signifies that those who are proud of murder rates having gone down in their city, need to recognize that attempted murder and crimes of aggravated assault are themselves a clear and present danger to the good citizens of that city, and therefore in the absence of these bad events, being reduced significantly, true progress in the safety of the community is actually an illusion.

In reality, America is a violent country, and to the degree that murder rates have been reduced, that is a good thing, but when the most proximate reason for that reduction is the advances in medical technology, logistics, and medical personnel -- then whatever means that have been taken by governance to reduce such, have not been nearly as effective as these governmental officials apparently believe.  In a land in which gun ownership is so high and of which those guns are far too often in the hands of people who do not use those guns to protect themselves or others, but rather are the aggressors in the shooting of those guns so as to commit violence against another -- has clearly not been close to being resolved.  That is why it is so important to look behind the statistics, and the narrative, to see the real truth of the situation which is that the amount of violence in America is high, systemic, and troubling.

“A riot is the language of the unheard”

On April 14, 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a speech entitled “The Other America” at Stanford University, in which, he stated that “…A riot is the language of the unheard.”  MLK, Jr. also stated that “Certain conditions continue to exist in our society, which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots.”  Indeed, for all those who decry the violence, incivility, rioting, and disrespect for institutions and authority at present, they need to take an honest look at their perception, so as to comprehend and take to heart those two sentiments so aptly worded by MLK, Jr. as something of immense value, providing them thus with the insight to know what needs to be addressed to help make America the nation that it should be, as opposed to what it has failed to become.

It has to be said, those that who don’t care about the proximate reason for a riot, because all they want is continual peace and quiet, are the very same, who aren’t doing their good part to alleviate the conditions of injustice and discrimination that make for a nation that favors some at the expense of others.  The society that we live in fairly reflects the injustice or justice of the society as it actually is, and whenever there is civil unrest of any sort, to believe that the most appropriate way to take care of such, is for more law and order, creates the breeding ground for rioting.  Look, in actual fact, the fuel that sparks riots is often not just injustice, but injustice that never corrects itself, and doesn’t appear that it will ever correct itself, and when people lose hope and have little or nothing to lose, they are going to be prone to rioting, so as to act our their frustration of the unfairness of it all, in this the richest nation that the world has ever known.

In this nation, the voiceless do not have a voice, because the powers that be, don’t permit them to have that voice, because this would represent an inconvenience to them, and if that happened, this might actually be a call for them to thereby have a conscience for citizens that are suffering, and that would thereby distract them, from pretending that all is well and interfere therefore with their pursuit of their self-interests. The reason why riots do not go away is that those who are unheard, are going to, sooner or later, find the means, to be heard, and even though this might not resolve a thing, it will at least provide them with a voice, that has now been heard.

America needs to take a good look at itself and its institutions, and fairly determine as to whether the opportunity for a good education, adequate healthcare, secure employment, and a satisfactory life, exist everywhere within America, or does it not?  Because, what we find, is that those with a vested interest in America, typically have such, because they have at least some of the accouterments of success or believe that they have at least a decent opportunity to achieve such, and therefore are the types of people who aren’t going to riot, because they truly believe that America does represent the land of opportunity, and because they have hope, they believe in America; whereas, those that are placed in hopeless situations, are going to want to have their say, one way or another.

Morality, illicit sex, and abortion

To the rational mind, it does seem puzzling why there is a very specific minority of people who are absolutely against abortion and do not believe therefore that a woman should be sovereign over her own body or that her decision, about whether or not to abort her fetus, should be her decision to make. The reason that this is so puzzling, is that despite the supposed fact that pro-life proponents are actually pro-life, they often aren’t consistent in their belief, for to simply preclude someone from aborting a child, and thereupon to provide that mother with perhaps diapers, counseling, clothing and other assorted goods, is never going to be sufficient in and of itself, to give a fair chance to every child so born within America, to have a vibrant and productive life.  Rather, it seems that far too many pro-life people, though not all, just want to stop abortion, and other than that, are perfectly fine with acting later with benign neglect to that same child, even supporting the death penalty for it if so warranted, which isn’t consistent, and isn’t right.

When it comes to pro-life, and especially for those who take it even further by believing that a woman, not even in the privacy of her own home, should be permitted to take medication that would induce an abortion or should have access to medical instruments that could conceivably help or aid in that process, seems like a real overreach. Indeed, to not believe that a person’s home is their castle, or that the right to engage with a physician in a medical office should not be inviolable, or to take substances that induce abortion should not be permitted, are all considered to be consistent with many pro-life proponents, because they believe that their position supports the moral good of society, which is the key to why pro-life people are so often adamant and stubborn in their ways.

In reality, for the most part, when we dig into the roots of those that are the most pro-life, at its core, is the present-day morality play that they believe that they should enforce on a free society.  In other words, the type of people, for the main part, that desire to have an abortion, usually aren’t part of a healthy and vibrant monogamous marriage but rather are typically those that have engaged in what is considered to be illicit sex, and when found to be pregnant, they usually desire to abort their fetus, for the construct that they are in, doesn’t provide them with any other good alternatives.  So then, the fight over abortion rights, has a whole lot to do, with those who consider themselves to be moral agents, imposing their morality on those who appear to have violated that morality, and these moralists desire therefore that immoral people should suffer the consequence of their bad act, by insisting that a fetus that is inside the womb of a woman that is not them, should be their business on behalf of all those that believe the same sort of thing, for the necessary benefit and justice of a moral and upstanding society.

In sum, to give certain busybody people sovereignty over our bodies is to believe that because they supposedly know best, we should countenance that violation of our freedom, for our own good, which they consider to be the fair price to pay for our illicit sexual activity.

Dissatisfaction and the continuation of life

While it is not uncommon to be dissatisfied with certain aspects of one’s life, few find such dissatisfaction so overwhelming that they choose to leave that life, through an act that eradicates their physical existence.  It has to be said, that to despair of one’s own life, is a very lonely place to be, of which, to feel down upon something, or to be despondent, should ideally be tempered with an appropriate perspective, which when such cannot be initiated by the person so suffering, then it would behoove them to lean upon some other person, entity, or institution for when a decision is determined when despondent, this could become a decision which will ultimately be regretted.

It has to be said, that we are responsible for the thoughts and actions that we take, along with their anticipated effect upon others, in addition to the salient fact that the place that we are currently at as a state of mind, is pretty much ours to own. Those then who express dissatisfaction with where they are presently at, need to, when the going seems especially tough, to draw upon those good resources, such as friends, family, or institutions, that help to provide that necessary support and perspective so that decisions are not made which have the type of consequences, which cannot be undone.

It is vital to recognize that we are not required and really are not supposed to deal with this world, completely on our own, and therefore without support from others.  That is to say, humankind is a social species, and therefore it is to our benefit as well as to others, to seek and to form social relationships, of which, most people have family, friends, and other things of interest, that keep their attention and interest in a healthy place.  Yet, there are those times, when we are so flummoxed and frustrated, that we can’t seem to find daylight, even when there is daylight to be had.  These then are those times when we need to get our head right, by confessing what troubles us to those who have our best interests in mind, so that we will get a healthy perspective of how to constructively deal with what seems to be so overwhelming to our being.

It is unfortunate, that we are unable to read the considerate thoughts of another, for there are plenty of loving and complimentary words that many a person has in their heart for us, but for whatever reason they aren’t able to express these verbally to us, all that often or often enough.  That is why, when we are troubled, we need to lean upon our good friends, because when the only thoughts that come to our mind, are the hopelessness of a given situation, and therefore our despair --   it is well to understand, that to a very large extent, whatever seems completely devastating to us, will not necessarily always be that way – for many a thing, does change.

We are defined by the decisions that we make in life, and when those decisions are made when we are in a vulnerable, confused, and distressed state, it isn’t any wonder that our decisions thus made reflect that despair, which is why in those times, we need to reach out to the helping hand of a good friend, so as to comfort us, and to ease our troubled mind.

The sure mark of despotism is to continually watch and monitor its citizens

History tells us that Russia has its KGB, East Germany its Stasi, and China its MSS, of which none of those governments were democratic or free in nature, but basically used the agencies of the state to monitor its citizens and their activities, so as to better control them, and to make those citizens fearful of the state, and therefore cognizant that their personal actions and interactions were always being watched, or could be watched and scrutinized, at the state’s discretion.  Those then who live in unfree countries in which they are being surveilled by all possible means are living within a construct in which the despotic state is oppressing them.

We find that in America, that never has it had so many secret or secretive agencies, propagated to the American people as being necessary for “homeland security”, or to stop terrorism, or as a protection for the people, or various other reasons, some that make sense, and many that are quite obviously, deliberate obfuscations of the truth.  The truth of today’s security for American citizens is never has any government, had more actionable information about its own citizenry than we see currently in the United States, through its ability to work its nefarious deeds in conjunction with the most powerful hi-technology companies that willingly or not, wittingly or not, provide plenty of personal data about just about everyone that could conceivably be of interest to those security agencies of the United States.

Indeed, when any government knows everything about you and therefore has the capability to use that information in order to compromise you or to manipulate you, they have an immense amount of despotic power, that private citizens are at the mercy of,  and will have difficulty counteracting such.  So too, no people can be free, when they are forever being monitored, when everything that they do through electronic media, social media, or other activities as recorded by various enterprises, basically builds a very detailed portfolio of every individual, of which this information is not disclosed to that individual, who is kept unaware of just how much of what they are doing has been accumulated and stored by its own government, about them.

The United States prefers to tell its citizens that the information that it siphons up about its citizenry, is meant for their benefit and for their protection, but the truth of the matter is that to be constantly watched and monitored by one’s government, is to no longer to be free.  Indeed, while America prides itself on being the leader of the free world, or the preeminent democracy of the world, its actions belie that completely.  Instead, America’s government is only interested in seeing that those who are not an integral part of the “elite” be thereby monitored, controlled, and manipulated for the benefit of those who are the true despotic rulers of this nation, so done, to enrich and to keep in power those that desire to have it all at the expense of the people, with the clear understanding that those that do not obey, are subject to being compromised in a way and manner that they will ultimately comply or else deal with the dire consequences, so of.  

Age and COVID-19

The United States along with most other Western nations, had a very severe lockdown and restrictions imposed upon their population, which did not discriminate in regards to age, when it came to COVID-19.  In other words, the governance of the United States, sold the story to the people, that COVID-19 was a deadly disease, that was no respecter of persons and their age, and therefore all then were subject to the same draconian laws concerning contact with others, movement, and other restrictions.  So too, the United States applied a lot of pressure on people to get vaccinated, of which, that vaccination, did not in and of itself, actually serve as an ironclad guarantee that a person so vaccinated, would not ever contact and get COVID-19 again.

While it could be said that the United States and other Western nations, made serious mistakes regarding how to best deal with this “pandemic”, it has to be noted that history clearly tells us, that the United States fundamentally got it wrong.  The biggest mistake that the United States made was to not comprehend or to understand the nature of the disease, by treating it, as if COVID-19 had the same morbidity and mortality rate, no matter the age or physical condition of the person.  What we find as shown on statista.com, is that out of the 1,134,641 USA COVID-19 deaths, 858,323 of those deaths were of people aged 65 and older, and only 8,607 were aged 29 and younger.  This is a staggering difference in the death rate of these respective population groups and is indicative that COVID-19 was a lethal disease to the aged and those with compromised immune systems or other bad health issues, as compared to those that were young, and pretty much immune to COVID-19.

Because the United States failed to recognize that COVID-19 was discriminatory, it shut down public schools, businesses, and social lives for those that were best suited for those very things, which will have a lifetime effect upon those students and citizens who lost the opportunity to educate themselves and to improve their status in life.  Further to the point, for all those that do not believe in the foregoing analysis, when we take a look at Nigeria, which is a country that has a population about 2/3rd of the United States and is considered by all accounts to be far poorer than the United States, with a healthcare system which doesn’t hold a candle to the United States, we find that in total, as reported by coronavirus.jhu.edu only 3,155 of Nigerians died of COVID-19.  This staggering difference in death rates seems unfathomable, unless, we take into account that in America, the population percentage of those that are 65 and older is 17.6%; whereas in Nigeria that percentage is around 3%.  Further to the point, Nigeria has a considerably higher percentage of people that are aged 29 and younger than the USA, so that, rather than COVID-19 devastating Nigeria, as well as other African nations, it did not, despite Nigeria’s lack of vaccinations and infrastructure to supposedly best deal with COVID-19.

Indeed, at this point, the greatest good that the United States can do for its people is to admit its horrendous error, and thereby make good for those that they hurt the most, which are all those that suffered economic and educational loss, by putting forth a comprehensive program to facilitate such.

Unhealthy emotional detachment

Some people emotionally detach from others, mainly because they are afraid to get close to another, for fear of being vulnerable by virtue of opening up about their real emotions, that at some future point, when the relationship has been damaged or comes to a negatively charged moment – believe that because their true emotions have been previously expressed, this could thereby be used as a cudgel against them, and thereby hurt them.  So, their protection for this possible event is to build an emotional wall that seemingly doesn’t make them vulnerable to being hurt, but at the same time, precludes them from having a healthy attachment to somebody else, which could be quite beneficial, and precludes them therefore from all the advantages that a healthy emotional attachment to another person, presents.

That said, there are valid reasons why we should desire not to have an emotional attachment to a particular person, because the fact of the matter is that not everybody that we meet and know is somebody that is stable, somebody worthy of our trust, and somebody that needs to know that which is very personal to us.  The reason that this is so, is that not everybody has our best interests in mind, which is why we need to exhibit discretion when it comes to our overt emotions, for when the wrong person has valuable personal information about us, this can definitely hurt us, and by that hurting, this can change how we react with other people in the future, by being more cautious about our attachments, leaving us possibly bereft of the benefits of a healthy emotional attachment, for our fear of being betrayed or hurt, thus outweighing everything else.

In truth, life involves not only choices but also risks, so that whenever we clam up about what we are really feeling or hold back from expressing our true feelings, we have let the possibility of uniting with another, and thus the benefits of that additional strength to fall by the wayside, because our concern for our own safety takes precedence over the possibility that the other could be of benefit to us.  So too, when we are reluctant to be our true self and therefore to emotionally attach to the other, we inadvertently are hurting the other, because we are not able to bring the best emotional support to them, because we are not close enough to them, to be in that position.

Indeed, it is well to remember that the only time that the turtle makes progress is when that turtle sticks its neck out.  So too, for better or for worse, in order to have a healthy emotional relationship with another, we need to give a little in order to gain a little.  This doesn’t mean, though, that we shouldn’t be selective and discriminatory in our choices, because those who have demonstrated that they are untrustworthy, unstable, and unreliable, are probably not the best person to emotionally attach to, for their character is probably going to be a character that will not only ultimately disappoint us, but be hurtful to us, and thereby emotional damaging.  Instead, we must endeavor to choose well; by doing so, the result will be a much better opportunity for emotional happiness.

Your actions define you

There are lots of ways to define a given person, of which the fairest way to do so, is to simply look at a person’s actions, for it is through those actions, that people speak most clearly.  That is to say, for all those that say one thing but do another, we, therefore, know that their words, well-meaning or not, should not be our only consideration, but rather it is the actions so made, consistent or not with those words, that fairly defines the person.  So too, there are those who will act without thinking, of which, because the act has been done, reflects fairly who and what they really are.

Indeed, all those who commit acts that they later regret and thereby desire to hide behind their supposed good intentions, or offer apologies, have got to recognize that those of maturity and truthfulness, own up to their actions, and when they have behaved badly, make it their point to make their future actions to be in accordance to what a conscientious and caring person would actually be about.

While it is true that our thoughts often create our actions, there is not necessarily a one-to-one correlation between the two, for there is many a person who has the right thinking, but somehow, through impulsion or anger, strikes out with actions that are unbecoming of good character.  This is why it is vital that each of us, take the time to recognize that we need to be mindful of our actions, especially when those actions, have an effect on the other, for most every action, has a consequence, and when that consequence in the cold light of day, is one that is detrimental or bad to the other, we need to make amends, for we have done wrong.

Then there are those others, that for whatever reason lead lives of inaction, not because they are in constant contemplation, but rather because they are slothful and lazy, and believe because they do so little and therefore harm no one, that this lack of motion, will ultimately somehow get them enough credit to get to the destination that they so desire.  The problem with that type of thinking is that a person who takes no action is the same who seldom makes any progress, and for that lack of action, is someone then who has not been willing to do much of anything to make society better for their participation in it, because they are, in fact, not really participating.

Look, it has to be said, because our actions define us, it behooves us, to first get our thinking right, and then to match our good thinking with good actions, for it is in those actions, that we either help and aid the other, or do the very opposite.  Each of us is meant to do our good part to help make society better, so done through rightful thinking which is consistent with our subsequent rightful actions.  Those then that consistently do right, are the very same that are worthy to be designated as “good and faithful servants” to society, as well as to their Creator.

Revolution and taxation

There are all sorts of reasons, valid and invalid, true or not true, reasonable or unreasonable, that encourage a people to revolt against their governance.  When it comes to America, it has been said, and history has written it as such, that the proximate cause of the American Revolution was taxation, as well as also there being trade restrictions, that precluded or limited the colonists from the interactions that they would prefer, so as to thereby compel the colonists to deal exclusively with, for instance, the British East India Company, and therefore the primary beneficiaries of that trade would be the British East India Company, at the expense of not only the consumers of those goods but also those that desired to compete in that sort of trade.

It might seem somewhat ironic that we currently live in a construct in which, there is plenty of taxation, such as the sales tax, property tax, excise tax, local tax, county tax, estate tax, State tax, and Federal income tax, of which, in theory, the citizens of this nation seem satisfied with this taxation, because though some do moan and groan, there isn’t anything even approaching a revolution to upend our current tax codes or governance, which in fairness, seem to be under the auspices of our representatives and its legislation, of which, that tax code does seem to bend and change with the times.  So then, one could reasonably ask, what the difference was between now as compared to then.

The reason that so many colonists were upset about the restrictive trade conditions and the taxation being imposed upon them, actually does have to do with the fact that the colonists did not have any direct representation or representatives within the English Parliament.  This thus signified that it could be interpreted that as colonists, their right as “Englishmen” to be taxed through their consent had been violated, and instead, replaced by a construct which for all intents and purposes, thus treated those that were colonists, as nothing much more than a people subservient to the British Empire, in which, that British empire to prove that point, sailed the seas with armaments and soldiers to quell the rising spirit of revolution, which would be indicative that the British empire really did see the colonists as being of no more consideration, than if they were classified as a conquered people.

Indeed, while the British Empire had their reasons why they felt it necessary to impose specific trade restrictions as well as taxation upon the colonists, what they did not take into fair account, was that the type of people that would sail the ocean blue, with all those attendant risks, and thereby leave their homeland, are also the type of people that would not appreciate being essentially voiceless and pushed around by a force that they had no representation in.  So too, in an era in which communication was exceedingly slow, from continental America to Great Britain, and with the British Empire not appreciating the nuances of the situation, or the stubbornness of the colonists, led to an armed revolt that really did not need to happen, for sensible minds could have come to a sensible accommodation, but instead, because the colonists held the line, and would not budge, it became revolution.

“Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?”

We read in the Holy Scripture “…Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25).  Indeed, our God is a just, fair, and loving God, whose judgments are forever perfect as there cannot be and will never be any error within God.  This thus signifies that for those of us who know that we have done wrong, that we really should tremble that our God is just, for there will come that day, that cannot be postponed forever, in which God will judge us, and those then that are found wanting, will have to deal with the consequences, so of.

It is well to remember that whenever we are not acting in a way and manner that is in harmony with the good that we should be doing, we have to recognize that every wrong step we take gets us into ever deeper trouble. Therefore, it would behoove all of us, to stop doing the wrong thing, and to endeavor to do the right thing, instead.  Indeed, those who will not listen to the wise words of great mentors, teachers, parents, or friends, but insist upon doing things their own way, even when they know that the way they are directing their efforts is categorically wrong, have chosen poorly, and will surely reap the whirlwind of their own making.

While it is true that we cannot change the past, it is also true that we are provided with the opportunity of every moment of every day, to make decisions which are in harmony with that which is just and right.  So too, it is our responsibility to make good on what we should make good on, and even when we run short of time, at least we have begun the necessary process to get back to where we need to go, or even better, to achieve what we need to achieve.

There isn’t any good reason to cry over spilled milk, but rather as soon as we are cognizant that our God will always judge right, we need therefore to amend our ways, and to the degree that we have to lean on others of good virtue in order to accomplish such, that is exactly what we need to do.  In this world, we are ultimately responsible for our actions, for we have been gifted with free will and a mind therefore of our own, signifying that those who spend an inordinate amount of time, making excuses for their behavior, no matter how reasonable-sounding or even justified, need to understand that at the end of the day, we own what we do, for better or for worse.

So too, there are far too many people who believe that they are clever and have therefore figured out their own shortcut to get into God’s good grace, but the problem with such cleverness is that God is first of all, no fool, and secondly, God is no respecter of persons – therefore meaning that those that believe that they can somehow charm or “get over” on God, have clearly deceived their own self.  In sum, we will be judged and that judgment will be true and just, with no appeal to a higher authority, for God is that sole inerrant Higher Authority.

Which country is the biggest threat to democracy?

For Americans, the answer to the above question would seemingly have to be either Russia or China.  Yet, the Latana polling company surveyed 53 countries in 2021, and the country listed as the greatest threat to democracy, at 44%, was the United States of America, followed by China and then Russia.  It has to be recognized that the prism of the worldview that Americans see, is biased to the American point of view, in which drilled into the minds of its citizens, is the dual threat of Russia and China; whereas, when it comes to other nations, they see the United States representing what it really is, which is an empire that as estimated by Al Jazeera has “…around 750 U.S. military bases in at least 80 countries.”  No other nation has close to the worldwide footprint that the USA has, and the military might of the USA rightfully frightens a lot of nations, because they know that not only does the United States carry a very big stick, but that the Americans are quite willing to use it and have demonstrated such, again and again, to those nations that do not bow appropriately and promptly to American desires.

While it is supposed that America could go on a worldwide public relations tour to better its image to other nations, it has to be noted, that all the talk in the world, along with promises, so made, aren’t going to change the fact that America has demonstrated time and time again, that it doesn’t really respect the sovereignty of a lot of nations, of which, when America perceives that it is not being listened to or obeyed by certain of those nations, it will take the law into its own hands, and thereby interfere directly or indirectly in another country’s affairs.  Obviously, these types of actions are not democratic in their effect, so the fact that America proclaims that it is the bastion of democracy, but demonstrates by its actions that it really is not, is thereby reflected by this poll which stipulates that America is seen as being a bigger threat to democracy than either Russia or China.

Anytime that a given sovereign nation, finds itself being squeezed by an outside party and squeezed so hard, that it has to submit to that outside party, which thereby overrides whatever governance that it has, this is not democratic.  Indeed, if democracy is the very best form of governance, it needs no real champion, other than the demonstration by those democratic nations, that their policies to their own people are indicative of a healthy, happy, and free people.  Regrettably, whenever the United States behaves like a bully and insists that what it wants it must get, and then goes about and gets that very thing, so that, for instance, economic markets will be opened to the United States, or vital ports are available for its warships, or the right to oil or other minerals is controlled or dictated by the United States, we find that those nations and the people that make up those nations, suffering under these types of conditions, will be resentful and therefore will fairly see the United States as being the biggest threat to democracy.

"The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth"

In a court of law, those testifying are required to swear or to affirm, to tell the truth, subject to the penalty of perjury if they do not tell the truth.  As might be expected, when it comes to criminal law, parties of both sides, are going to be prone to not telling the whole truth, because they want their testimony to be structured in a way and manner that this becomes favorable to the outcome that they so desire.  Indeed, to believe that courts of law, are actually ever hearing the whole truth, should be seen as the exception, and not the rule in those courts.

When it comes to a criminal trial, those who are members of the jury, have the task of determining which testimony was the whole truth, or a partial truth, or an outright lie, which is not an easy task, but in order to come to fair justice, this determination needs to be made.  This signifies that the motivation of those so testifying along with the lawyers regarding a case needs to be looked at, as to their priorities and their objectives.  Indeed, it could be said, that everybody involved in a trial, has their own agenda, concerning how and what they are testifying to, of which, it is, for instance, critical for the jury to know, whether anyone so testifying is receiving some sort of quid pro quo, from such testimony, as in a particular governmental witness getting favorable treatment when testifying -- for when this is the case, implicitly or explicitly, such testimony as that, should be seen for what it really is, compromised and not the whole truth.  So too, the motivation of a defense attorney has to be considered, for defense attorneys are in the business of getting favorable results for their clients; whereas, the prosecution attorney also wants a favorable result, for their conviction rate is often seen as the signpost of their overall competency, especially in consideration, that the only cases that should go to trial, are those cases in which the prosecution is convinced that a crime has occurred.  Additionally, witnesses typically have their own agendas, of which, what they have to testify to, is tempered by their relationship to the defendant.  Finally, there is the defendant, who, alone amongst all the other parties, it is the defendant that has to suffer the judgment of the court, which obviously has real consequences, which thereby is indicative that defendants are going to desire to say what they have to say in a way and manner that is favorable to the story that they are telling, and seldom are they going to desire to speak the whole truth, for they want to, make a favorable impression upon the jury, typically, by any means, that they consider to be necessary.

In sum, in a court of law, while those testifying are supposed to provide the whole truth to a given matter, we can take it as a truism, that this is seldom going to happen, so that, any hope of justice, really comes down to the jurors reading between the lines, and understanding the motivations of those so testifying, for those that have the most to lose, will not often hesitate to perjure themselves, whenever they think that they can spin a believable yarn to those that are the jurors.

‘Hitherto it has been assumed that all our knowledge must conform to objects”

The above quotation is from the esteemed philosopher Immanuel Kant.  Kant goes on to say “We must therefore make trial whether we may not have more success in the tasks of metaphysics, if we suppose that objects must conform to our knowledge.’”  That is to say, our perception of what we see or know does not start with the object itself but rather begins with our mind.  It is our mind therefore that brings us forth the reality or unreality of a given situation, and therefore our mind is the progenitor of our perceptions, properly understood and comprehended.

For instance, we could say that a wooden table exists, but the only reason why we believe that a table exists is that our mind has told us through self-discovery or through our interactions and education with teachers, parents, or others, what constitutes a table, and therefore knowing what a table is, and therefore seeing that which resembles a table, we are able to ascertain logically that we are looking at a table.  This signifies that the objects that we see around us, and our interactions with those objects as well as in those other things of interest, are constructs of our mind, signifying that if our mind did not exist, that these objects for all intents and purposes would not themselves exist either.

Far too many of us, see that which exists, as therefore being the ultimate reality, but what has been forgotten is that this reality comes through the prism of our mind and that without consciousness, these objects would not be part of our reality, at all.  In life, what we perceive is done through the process of our mind, and the knowledge that we pick up is stored in our mind, so that what appears to be reality is real to us, as long as we have a mind that is actively and correctly working, and if that mind should fail us, the reality of our perceptions will invariably change.

In this world, there is a necessary hierarchy, of which, it is to our advantage to understand that hierarchy so that our interpretations of this world and the society that we are an integral part of, make sense and are consistent with who and what we really are.  We see what we see because we have eyes, and those without sight do not see the things that we see but are still able to perceive the reality of objects through their other senses, as well as also through the knowledge that they have garnered over their lifespan.

Indeed, all those things that seem impossible to us and that can’t seemingly defy some natural law, are possible to overcome, when we comprehend that the reality of what we know, is not held within the objects that we perceive, but rather is controlled by our mind, which is the master of all objects.  To believe somehow, that the most real things in this world are the objects of this world, is to somehow believe that objects have a life and consciousness of their own, when their existence is actually dependent upon the perception of our mind, and without the knowledge of the mind, this so-called reality does not exist, for it is actually more akin to a dream, instead.