For the sins of the nation

It is said that America is a religious nation, and if not so religious today, its foundation was based upon the implementation of religious freedom.  So too, the very laws that are impressed upon the people are based upon moral law as to what is right and what is wrong.  Additionally, for those who go to church or are familiar with church doctrine, it is understood that certain actions or even certain inactions are designated as being wrong, and are thus typically labeled as sinful.  In fact, come judgment day, everyone will have to answer for what they have done, and those who have been sinful will have a heavy price to pay.  None of this should come as any real surprise, for not only is this general belief pretty standard for Americans to know but is consistent with the understanding that what we say and do does matter, of which, those who commit bad deeds are sinful, and what we do sow, we will for a certainty, eventually reap.

 We do so find then that the same sort of logic that applies to individuals is fairly applied to nations, as well.  That is to say, there is many a nation that commits crimes, such as murder, unjust war, undue interference in foreign affairs, injustices, exploitation, and so on.  To believe then that nations get off scot-free; whereas, individuals must thus suffer their due punishment, isn’t just, isn’t fair, and isn’t correct.  This means that nations are subject to the same punishment, as individuals are, for their sins against their own people, as well as for wrong actions done to those outside their borders.

 So then, just as individuals should rightfully fear God’s justice, so too, should nations fear the very same.  That is to say, what a nation does on behalf of the people, rightly or wrongly, makes a difference, and those nations that are sinful in their actions will surely pay a heavy price for having done such, which is why we see that many a nation once considered to be great ends up eventually disintegrating, of which, the greater the rise, the greater becomes its fall, which is why those nations that have committed serious wrongs and sins, need to repent of the very same, and then to make good, where they can make good, as a just recompense for their previous bad actions.

 We live in a day and age, in which not only individuals are in denial, but nations are, as well.  But, denial or not, that judgment awaits all, big or small, and therefore nations that are sinful and wrong in their actions, will be judged, and those found wanting, will suffer the righteous punishment for their mistakes, because what we do as a nation matters, and those that choose to ignore this fact, are the very same, that puts their nation into the path of damnation because, for a certainty, there will be justice, sure and true.

The non-elected power that influences and controls society

While it is impressed upon Americans time and time again, that they have a duty and an obligation to vote, we do so find, that not only do a whole lot of Americans not vote, but that in actuality, what is voted upon, whether it be legislators, judges, or propositions, aren’t even all that important, because what we find presently, is that those that actually control the levers of true power in this nation are the primary beneficiaries of that which represents meaningful significance within America, thereby trumping whatever is voted upon.

 There was a time when the highest progressive tax rate for individuals was 94%, and for corporations, it was 53%.  This doesn’t mean that those in those tax brackets, actually paid that high of tax percentage, but it does mean that at least on the books of this nation, these were the tax rates, of which, the bottom line is that when the progressive tax rate was significantly higher than it is today, for both individuals as well as corporations, that the government thereby collected a higher percentage of its tax revenue from those that could most easily afford to pay such in taxes.  So then, the reason why taxation has come down so dramatically for those who are the richest and the most powerful is that money and important personages unduly influence governmental decisions, thereby typically circumventing what would be the people’s democratic desires.

 Indeed, it doesn’t make sense that there are so few that have so much; yet, this nation, can’t seem to figure out a way to extract from these very wealthy and quite powerful entities, a fair portion of what would be therefore of benefit for the people, in whole.  Additionally, while America loves to sing the praises of capitalism, what we often find in America, is that there are typically a few corporations, or even less than a few, that own the lion’s share of their particular market, and because of that fact, can pretty much dictate the rules of the road for all those that wish to purchase or to utilize their products, which thereby means that more money is being extracted from the general public and thereby being funneled into just a few hands.

 So too, we find that mainstream media of all types aren’t controlled by journalists but rather they are controlled by corporate entities. Thus, the message being proselytized to the people is going to favor what benefits these corporate entities, and therefore, the narrative is going to be in harmony with what these non-democratic institutions desire, above all.  This is why we often hear a lot of talk about how wonderful America is, but when we take a look around, we consistently find that for a lot of people, it isn’t so great, and further to the point, we have to wonder how it is, that the most powerful and the wealthiest nation in the known history of the world, has so many that are impoverished, are shelter and food insecure, and dissatisfied that their life has not provided them much hope, opportunity, or fairness, whatsoever.  The answer to that question is rather obvious, which is the voice of people through the democratic process has in essence, been coerced by that non-elected power that exerts its influence and control over all aspects of American life.

The two-party system isn’t working

America has essentially just two political parties, and none other.  While there are indeed other political parties, they are pretty much a non-factor and a non-starter, for these very small parties simply don’t have the traction, the money, or the power to be of any real relevance in America, even when these other parties have excellent ideas that could be quite beneficial to the American public, if listened to and implemented.  Lo, we have just the two political parties, that dominate our political system, and therefore any vote other than for one of the major parties should typically be perceived as a vote in protest, and not a vote that will make any meaningful difference, ever.

 The problem with having just two dominant political parties is that the people really don’t have much of a say as to what does or does not happen concerning political issues, for these are basically decided by higher-up political operatives who do not answer to the people and are often in lockstep to those that donate incredible sums of money to either of the major political parties, to assure that those so elected as legislators are true to the hand that feeds them.

 So too, the choices provided to the people are perceived as not really being a real choice, because neither the candidate nor the parties that they are part of seem to listen to much of anything that the general public desires, but pretty much just speak platitudes which thereby signifies that at the end of the day, nothing of merit, will change.  In other words, powerful entities, whether that be individuals, consortiums of individuals, or corporations, aren’t really interested in the people having a true choice but prefer that it be binary, in which, no matter which choice is made, it’s going to be okay with these entities.  Sure, there are going to be exceptions to this general rule, but essentially, the fewer parties that there are, the more concentrated the money can be and therefore the more effective that money will be in the buying of influence.  Additionally, there has to be at least two parties, or else the people will understand that they don’t have any choice at all, though, the choice that they currently have, isn’t all that much of a choice, anyway.

 So then, there are powerful interests that do not desire to see this country have anything other than the two-party system, and further to the point, have the abiding desire that each of those parties is structured so as to be good for what fundamentally is beneficial for those powerful interests which is what we see occurring in the present day.  Indeed, the military-industrial-technology complex does not ever get smaller in budget, nor does it ever get smaller in influence, even though there are two political parties that in theory, have differences, but when it comes to the biggest amount of budgeted money earmarked for the “defense” of this nation, either party will get the job done to the satisfaction of those that wield the real power.

 In sum, although the people have the democratic vote, nothing much seems to change for the better for the people, because the two-party system is specifically structured to preclude exactly that.

Need a good purpose: help your community

There are plenty of people who really don’t know what to do with their life or with their free time and therefore have difficulty in finding their overarching purpose in life.  In truth, life doesn’t need to be overly complicated, and therefore those who can’t seem to find their good purpose in life, can easily find such, by simply making up their mind to help their neighborhood community, and by doing so, their life will not only have good purpose, but it will be purposeful.

 Indeed, the best reason to help one’s community is the fact that people will stay engaged more often in those areas of interest in which they can see that their efforts are making a positive impact, which is why volunteering to help out one’s community is going to be not only a benefit to the community but also will be beneficial to one’s self-esteem because when we can tangibly see that what we are doing and participating in, is helping out others, it makes for a beautiful feedback loop.  Further to the point, the more that we get to know others, the more that we can appreciate who and what they are, which helps us to acknowledge not only the similarities that we might have but also to appreciate that we are not all the same, which makes us able to better comprehend that healthy diversity makes for a more intriguing and a more interesting community.

 Another thing about helping one’s community is the fact that there is always something to do, because no community has every resource at its beck and call, nor does every community have an endless supply of good people and good Samaritans to lend a helping hand.  This means that our efforts will always be appreciated, because the help that we provide is meaningful for those who are the recipients, so of.

 So too, most of us can recall from our own life when we have been helped in a situation in which we were struggling with our homework, or at our job, or in just feeling of value – thereby indicative that those that reach out and provide aid, are invaluable, and therefore why we should feel the urge to desire to do for others, what we have experienced ourselves; and in those cases, in which we feel that the help that we wanted seemed always to have been sorely lacking, then we can make up our minds to step up and provide such help to others, rather than bemoan our luckless fate.

 In sum, for all those who wonder what they can do to help make society a better place for their participation in it, the answer is to first of all, to participate in that community by providing whatever skills and goods that will help to make that community better for our gifts to it.  This then, provides us with a good purpose, and those who have a good purpose in life, are the very same who will have a far more satisfying life in knowing that they did their good part to be caring and of service, by listening to that still small voice, within, and acting forthrightly upon it.

The need for car parks

As much as people want to believe that America is the land of opportunity, in which, anyone who puts forth a decent effort will be assured of having enough income to afford an apartment, a vehicle, health insurance, food, clothing, internet access, and just about everything that people need in this modern-age to live decently, we do so find that this isn’t true for a significant amount of people, at all.  There are a multitude of people who not only struggle paycheck to paycheck but don’t even have a consistent paycheck to lean upon.  Indeed, there are millions of people who are food and shelter insecure, and pretty much are in a constant struggle, despite governmental and charitable handouts meant to help keep their heads above water.

 One of the things we find in America with the exception of cities such as Boston, NYC, and WA DC, is that the mass transportation that is offered to residents definitely leaves something to be desired.  It isn’t like there isn’t any public transportation, it’s more akin to the available public transportation, often being not all that good, and thereby is inadequate to get around for those that have no vehicle. This thus signifies that for many adults, having their own transportation is essential in order to have any semblance of living a decent life.

 That said, when it comes to the expenses that people have every month, we find that an ever higher percentage of one’s income is being allocated to one’s living space, which thereby means that everything else that a person needs, is under constant threat in the not having enough income to cover such.  This indicates that for all those who currently are using their vehicle as a place to sleep as opposed to having an apartment is thus saving themselves a lot of money, or if not saving money, can allocate their income to that which is of more importance than being in their own apartment.

 So then, in consideration that people need cars, and that people can sleep in cars, which provide for those so sleeping, with the comfort of knowing that they can lock their car for the protection of themselves and their goods, as well as being protected from the weather elements that would make them quite uncomfortable, it would thereby behoove governmental agencies to do their fair part to actually repurpose or to create car parks, specifically set up for people in cars to essentially live there.

 The ideal car park would be one that would offer internet access, electricity, lighting, showers, toilets, cooking facilities, clean water, a food truck or vending machines, some free space to walk around, and some sort of basic security, along with general rules and regulations that residents would have to adhere to.  The purpose of the car park would be to provide the citizens of the community with a safe space to collect themselves and to live in, which would help them better to meet their day-to-day expenses, in the sure recognition, that while cars may not be the preferred place to lay one’s head down, that at least, it is a decent alternative to all that is currently happening, but is so often, swept under the rug.

The good purpose of good government

There are a fair amount of people who don’t care for the government to be in their affairs, nor do they care to contribute much of anything such as in taxation or their labor to that same government – yet, what these people fail to understand is that quite obviously government does have a good purpose to its existence and to the degree that the people in conjunction with its representatives can direct that government of, for, and by the people to take care of those tasks which are best suited for the government, the better it will be for the people.

 For instance, there are plenty of things the government could do, but not everything that the government could do is appropriate for it to do.  This thus signifies that what the government should or should not do, should be broken down into that which is most suitable for a government to do, such as building roads and other infrastructure, regulations, and public education, which are best done through the aegis of government, because the individual effort to take care of these important tasks doesn’t lend itself to being readily accomplished by individuals.  On the other hand, that which the efforts of an individual are preeminent and thereby should be left in their hands are their pursuit of earning money, their preferences, and their interests, which should be left to the individual, as to what they do or do not desire to do, subject only to the reasonable laws of the land.

 It has to be said, that within any community there are going to be plenty of necessary needs to be accomplished for the good functioning of that society, and rather than hope that individuals will join together to accomplish such, it behooves the government to take on these necessary tasks which will be of beneficence for the people, because individual effort, alone, is not going to get the job done.  Indeed, governments are necessary to utilize the resources that the people have helped to create and then take from that a portion of such, for the betterment and safety of the community through doing those tasks in which collective action will best make progress for that society.

 Those then that are part of the government, have an inherent responsibility to be good stewards to the people, in regards to the money, trust, and faith that have been placed within them, to thereby competently address what that government can do for the people to make therefore that community a better place to be a part of.  The government should therefore do all that it can to provide the infrastructure that helps to produce a good and valued civil society, of which, it is the people of that society, through their efforts and through their cooperation with their government that thereby help that society to advance and to grow, with the sure recognition that any government is only as good as the people that are the members of such, who do their fair part to help make their society a better place for their good participation in it.

The wise self-edit

Not every thought that comes to us do we bother to express – for a lot of reasons, of which the most important reason is because not everything that comes to our mind is of value to express.  That is to say, those who are incapable of self-editing, who decide that they don’t want to think before they speak, but simply blurt out whatever is on their mind, are surely the same ones who are going to get themselves into the sort of trouble, that would best be avoided.  Indeed, just because a thought comes to mind, does not necessarily mean it is appropriate to express that thought, which is why those who rightly develop discretion, and further to the point, understand that how we communicate with one another makes a difference in how we get along, are going to not only hold their tongue when that tongue needs holding, but also are going to say the right words at the right time, as well.

 When it comes to communication, it’s important that we develop the discrimination and thereby the deportment to express ourselves in a manner in which what we have to say or to comment upon, will make a given situation better, as compared to making it worse.  This is why we really should try to think through what we are going to say before we say it – and in those situations in which we don’t have a lot of time to think, to do our level best to express ourselves in a way and manner which is not mean, hateful, or harmful to the other.  After all, once we have expressed what we have to express, through words that we speak, or write, we cannot take it back; though truth be told, we can attempt to walk it back, but that shouldn’t be something that we ought to be doing very often, for those that express themselves in a manner which is consistent with the being of help to the other, aren’t going to need to backtrack very often.

 No doubt, there are those temptations that make us want to say what we do say, but the best way to overcome that temptation is simply to leave alone, what is best to leave alone, for it has to be said, that when the shoe is on the other foot, we may well tend to hold onto hurtful words and actions done to us, for incredibly long periods, which thereby hurts our relationships and makes us to be more “gun shy” when interacting with other people.  Indeed, it often takes a more experienced and wiser person to understand the value of saying the right thing, and leaving unsaid what doesn’t need to be said, because hurting the other when it isn’t necessary or appropriate to do so, is not going to sit well within our heart, whatsoever.

 At the end of the day, our thoughts are our own, and those who utilize discretion in the expressing of their thoughts in a format that is consistent with civil discourse, are the very same, who will sleep better, knowing that they did people right, rather than wrong.

To conquer temptation

There are plenty of people who aren’t interested in conquering temptation, mainly because they don’t believe that to be tempted to do this or to do that, is a real issue for them.  Yet, it is that temptation that is the proximate reason why we get into the sort of trouble that could have been avoided if we had developed the self-control as well as the wisdom to know that giving in to temptation can be a serious mistake that we will often ultimately regret.

 While it must be said that part of life, is trying to enjoy our life, and thereby to take in the beauty and the overall experience of that life, we have got to realize intuitively that when we decide that it is our senses that should be the commanders of our life, as contrasted to using our mind and spirit, to recognize that not everything that we think we should indulge in, should actually be indulged in, we would be the wiser for using that sort of discretion, and further to the point, letting our senses to know that we are master of what we do or don’t do.

 To believe, somehow, that we can’t control that which tempts us, and to at least take the time to think through clearly as to why we should or should not follow the pathway of a particular temptation, or simply ignore such as being worthy of contemplation, is a serious mistake – for it is a temptation that could well run havoc over our good sensibility so that we end up doing things that we really ought not to do, as well as developing the type of bad habits that are thereby exceedingly difficult to break, especially when they are not only ingrained upon us, but also because we see these bad habits as being part and parcel of our character, and thereby who we believe that we are.

 Indeed, it isn’t possible to conquer temptation, if we don’t see it as something worthy of our time, dedication, and effort to conquer.  So that, if we want to appreciate better the world and the society that we are a part of, the very first thing that we need to do, is to develop meaningful self-control, or else we will like a child, believe that everything that we like, should be “mine” and only mine; whereas, the truth of the matter is that we need to develop discretion, so that we will properly order what should be the priorities in life, and what we should or should not be doing in our behavior and our interactions with others.

 The frustrations and thereby the anger that some of us are prone to, have a lot to do with not getting what we believe that we should have, which has an awful lot in common with giving in to those temptations that we believe that we must indulge in.  What we really need, is seldom that which tempts us, but rather is the peace of mind to know that when given the choice between a given temptation and the wisdom to know what we ought to do, we thereupon do the right thing, consistently, and in this, we become conquerors.

The only thing that can regulate free market capitalism is….

We live in a day and age, in which never has there been more power in the hands of not people, as individuals, but rather in the legal entity of a corporation, in which, unlike people, which have a finite period of time on earth and thereby in society; we find that Western nations have instituted corporations, which are as structured currently are perpetual. This means, that long after a given corporation has been founded by its original founders, it will still be in existence, as long as it continues to make a good profit and stay relevant. This is why there are many a corporation today, that have been around for well over a century, and why the biggest and brightest corporate entities of today are well-structured to last as long as this nation exists in its current form.

 While there are a lot of good things when it comes to capitalism, in which, it has to be said, that money is a great motivator for many a person or corporation – it also has to be admitted that any institution that makes its point that its primary responsibility, as argued by Milton Friedman, is “to maximize profits and increase returns to shareholders,” presents a clear and present danger to a government of, by, and for the people, because when any corporation, is driven to make a profit, above all, this means that anything that gets in the way of that pursuit, such as labor, regulations, competition, and fair play, is going to take a back seat to those profits, which is why the only thing that can properly regulate these gargantuan corporations which exert undue influence upon markets and people, is a robust government acting through its agencies.

 Indeed, it is the duty of government to see that the playing field so played upon by capitalistic entities, must be a field that first of all, respects the fact that the continual exploitation of labor, environmental damage, collusion between corporations, or the buying out of competitors, and so on, are monitored and thereby corrected by the government, or else, America will have ceded to those corporations, that the pursuit of profit supersedes what this government owes to its people, because whenever corporations are permitted to have their way, with little or no interference by governmental agencies, then what we will see is more power held in corporate hands, which will undermine governmental policies that conflict with what these corporations are wont to do.

 It has to be said, that capitalistic corporations that have sales of billions upon billions of dollars, and own assets that are also in the billions upon billions of dollars, need to be properly taxed by governmental authorities and need also to be properly regulated, or else important things such as environmental concerns, or the paying of a fair wage, will be pushed to the background, and the less that corporations behave to the people responsibly, the more that the government will be stuck having the responsibility of providing an ever bigger safety net, for those that have been exploited as well as that government being needed to ameliorate environmental damage, all because corporations are given free rein to make a profit, without the attendant responsibilities that they have to be a good steward to the government that permits their existence.

Bombs away!

Since America is the world’s policeman and insists upon its involvement where trouble is brewing implicitly or explicitly all over the world, but nevertheless doesn’t want to risk losing American blood, because the general public is not comfortable in seeing a multitude of American boys in body bags, we find that America thereby uses aerial bombardment again and again, in its foreign conflicts and wars. The thing about bombing is that bombs are quite effective in creating absolute havoc and destruction. However, what is taken into consideration far less than it should be is that almost invariably when a bomb is dropped within an area that has some semblance of a population or actually has quite a few people living there, is that there will be civilian casualties from that bombing which are to the degree that America can control the narrative, are conveniently forgotten, dismissed, or typically substantially minimized as to the amount of civilians so injured, displaced, or killed.

 The main reason why America loves to bomb other civilizations is because it desires to minimize the amount of actual American boots on the ground, and in consideration that those who are the bombardiers are seldom in any real danger, this seems to be a strategy that saves American lives, under the belief that this bombing, strategic or not, will get the enemy to surrender or to lose the will to fight.  In actuality, aerial bombardment is almost never truly “surgical” or “smart” in its effect, and has a way of taking civilian populations and making them to despise and to hate those that rein this seemingly indiscriminate bombing upon them.

 To believe somehow that it is right to kill civilians, consisting of non-combatant men, women, and children, is a great wrong that America continues to bring down upon its enemies.  In truth, war is a dirty business, which entails risk, blood, injuries, and death, of which, the bombing of a given country is going to increase the amount of civilians injured, killed, and displaced, which should be seen as a crime against humanity.  America, drops the bombs upon those that are its alleged enemies, not because this tactically is the best way to win a battle, but rather because it wants to minimize American blood, at the expense of the civilian blood of those that are unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 The thing that America tends to forget is that there are definite cycles in civilizations, and those that were the top dog, will eventually be replaced by another, so that, the more pain and punishment that America imposes through its aerial bombardment, the more blowback there will eventually be, of which, it has to be remembered that those that do all the bombing aren’t particularly concerned about civilian deaths and injuries so inflicted, until such a time, as the worm turns, and that bombing hits American civilians, as well.

 There doesn’t seem to be any real rules when it comes to aerial bombardment, or to the degree that there are, appropriate sanctions are never imposed against those powerful entities that violate such, signifying that when that reckoning does so come, America will feel the type of hell that it has been dishing out for decades, and will deeply regret the bloody harvest that it has reaped.

The tyranny of the elites

While it might be supposed that all are equally held accountable to the rule of law, we find that not only is this seldom true, but the actual laws so legislated into existence and then implemented, are themselves far too often not fair or appropriate, but rather have a way of being interpreted that structures these laws in a way and manner in which certain personages and organizations benefit. In contrast, the general public will be subject thereby to suffer the ill consequences of those same laws.  So too, plenty of laws are well-intentioned and good, but the enforcement of those laws is not consistent with what those laws should and ought to represent, in actuality.

 To live within a society in which each of us is dealt with according to a fair rule of law is to live within a society in which all are under that same law and thereby are subject to that law. This is so important because we find no matter how well written a given Constitution is, or the intentions behind such a Constitution, that Constitutions have a habit of being interpreted as or suffering from undue influence from those that are in positions of immense power, that thereupon favors those elites, and essentially makes them to be above the law, at the expense of the general public.

 In any society, there is going to be unfairness and inequality, of which, the duty of good governance is to play the role of balancing the scales of justice, to thereupon support those that are the least and most disadvantaged amongst us, and when that governance is compromised or even worse, under the thumb of the elites, than those that have little or no power, will be subject to a constant exploitation of those that are the elites, which makes for a society that is unequal, unfair, and unjust.

 To live in an equal society in which all are treated the same under a fair rule of law is only possible if those who are the elites of a given nation, must themselves live under that law.  This is why, so many people find delight in seeing those that are high up, take a fall; but somehow don’t recognize that the fall that these very influential and powerful people take, has not a lot to do with the rule of law, per se, but mainly has to do with the constant struggle of one elite against the other, which is why, the change that so many desire to make for a better society, never comes into fruition.

 Indeed, the very point of good governance is to defend the defenseless and the weak, by being that bulwark against any and everything that would oppress those who are freely entitled to their unalienable rights, which is why all those who consistently back those who are the most powerful amongst us, by serving them as opposed to serving justice and the people, are part and parcel of the tyranny of the elites, which good governance should by its very nature never encourage or countenance, whatsoever. 

The Electoral College needs to be expanded to the Congress

There are plenty of people who strongly dislike the Electoral College, which is utilized as the mechanism to determine the winner of the Presidential election, of which, a lot of these people who dislike the Electoral College so much, lack both imagination as well as an understanding that the Electoral College typically makes the election of the President to be far more interesting, because of the strategic thinking and strategies that are needed and are subsequently utilized in order to best get their candidate elected.  In other words, if the President was decided solely upon the popular vote, then all of the States that are small, of which, for instance, the twenty-two smallest States have a population that is essentially equivalent to the population of California, would be pretty much, ignored, because their overall impact would be minimal.  Whereas, as it stands right now, smaller and medium-sized States are important to win, of which, some of these become “battleground States” because to win all the Electoral College votes within those States, is a very strong factor as to whether a given Presidential candidate becomes President.

 Indeed, there isn’t any real good reason, why the Electoral College could not be expanded to the United States Congress, of which, for the Senate, it would be proposed that each of the Congressional districts would receive a certain amount of Electoral College representatives based upon the population of that Congressional district, and the winner of the overall State electoral vote, subject to some minimum amount of Electoral College vote totals, which would be basically akin to the 270 Electoral College votes so needed to win the Presidency, would be sufficient to win the Senate seat.  As for those States with just one Congressional representative, nothing would change, but in those States, with more than one Congressional representative, it would change the strategy of the candidates and would make it more likely that “battleground Congressional districts” would thereby be relevant to the Senate election. 

 Additionally, Congressional elections could also be structured into the Electoral College system, by subdividing each district, into Electoral College enclaves, that were made up of the individual counties within each Congressional district, or if that was problematic, something else along those same lines.  This therefore would also make Congressional elections, more strategic, in which, those voters within “battleground counties” would be paid more attention to, than previously, under the old rules.

 Again, to simply elect representatives solely based upon the vote, isn’t all that interesting, because those so running for election, are going to concentrate their efforts upon those population centers that make a material difference in their getting elected; whereas, when the Electoral College is enforced, thereby making it winner take all within each Electoral College enclave, the strategy to win an election, will be different and thereby we will see those seeking election making a more concerted effort to win over those that previously were left behind or ignored by election pamphleteering.  So too, there would be a greater interest in elections, when the people felt that their vote actually mattered, which makes for a better representative government, so meant to be of, for, and by the people.

“…whatever a man sows, that he will also reap”

The above quotation comes to us from Galatians 6:7, and it means what it says, which is the harvest that each one of us has sown through their actions, thoughts, and deeds, is going to be what they will surely reap.  It is fair to state that life is a chain of events, that begins at the beginning and ends at the end, of which, that continuum, writes the story of our life, and thereby what we so reap by the harvest that we have seeded, are the fruits of our labor, of which, this has represented our contribution to the life that we have lived.

 Indeed, there are many a person, that prefers to personally edit their life in a way and manner, in which that which is bad and wrong, is reduced to something akin to a small indiscretion, and the little that they have done right, is magnified into something magnificent.  The problem with this type of belief, is that God will not be mocked, and in consideration that God is perfection, omniscient, and just, there will be a reckoning for each and every one of us, and of that reckoning, we will surely reap what we have sown.

 There are plenty of people, that really like their lives, and feel that overall that they are a good person, who perhaps has made a few mistakes, but as in anything, our own perception, can be distorted, so that, if we really want to know how we have been behaving, we probably need to reduce our ego, and to thereby take an honest reflection upon who and what we really are – and if lacking in certain good qualities that make for virtuous character, to do our level best to actually achieve those attributes, so that we will become a better person.

 In this world, there is plenty of opportunity to not only to deceive our own self, but to deceive others, but in the end, all the tricks and games that we have played, will be fairly accorded to us, come judgment day, and those then, that have lived high up on their horse, will find that their fall is indeed great, which is why we need to do what we can do to make sure that the seeds, care, and diligence that we put into our harvest, will result in us our reaping what is good.

 The world that we live in is a proving ground, of which, each of us has to answer individually to that which called us into existence, and upon that calling, we will find that all the pretense will be eliminated, to thus expose our actual character.  Those then that take what they say and do in this world, with the understanding that this matters and then make it their point to do the right thing, are going to stand in a far superior position to those that either ignore or dismiss such, for in the end, we will fairly sow what we have reaped, and the difference between those that have chosen wisely as compared to those that have been fools, will be stark.

Vehicle speed

Because modern-day vehicles can travel at such a high rate of speed, in which, the driver of that vehicle, doesn’t even really notice how fast the car is traveling, because the ride is often fairly smooth, we don’t seem to comprehend that the faster a vehicle travels, the less time we have to react to adverse events, and further to the point, the greater the velocity of a given vehicle, the more damage that will be done should that vehicle encounter an obstacle, such as another vehicle, or a deer, or a human being.

 The bottom line is that most drivers simply want to get to their destination as quickly as they can. Given that the roads that vehicles travel upon lend themselves to driving at a fairly high speed, this signifies that drivers are going to drive their car about as fast as they feel that they can safely handle, limited only by restraints such as vehicle traffic, weather, and speed limits.

 The rub when it comes to the speed that cars travel is that those driving the cars have difficulty in conceptualizing how fast they are traveling and thereby how dangerous it can be, when an unforeseen obstacle gets in their way, thereby providing them a limited amount of time to avoid that obstacle or to brake with enough force to slow down the car, sufficiently.  In other words, while there are many reasons why we have car accidents, one of the factors why there are so many car accidents is the traveling speed of a car, of which, it has to be said, that the slower a vehicle is traveling, the less potential damage there will be to all that are involved in an accident.

 This then would presuppose that when it comes to vehicle safety and because cars travel so fast, more needs to be done to preclude damaging accidents, which signifies that braking power, including the automatic usage of brakes when a collision is imminent, along with more robust safety belts, restraints, airbags, and other safety devices which are being developed or contemplated upon, have a definite role to play.  While it could be said, that lowering speed limits would also lower car fatalities and reduce car accidents, the fact of the matter is that today’s drivers routinely violate speed limits, so this probably isn’t going to do enough to change much -- though, the usage of smart speed limits, that take into account weather conditions, traffic patterns, and frequency of accidents on certain stretches of roads, could be of real assistance in this area.

 Another thing that would be helpful would be the designing of vehicles that utilize less overall weight to the vehicle while maintaining structural integrity, because the more weight a given vehicle has in conjunction with its speed, the greater the impact there will be when a collision occurs.  Indeed, when it comes to vehicles, it has to be said, that while governmental regulations have been of help in improving driver safety, more could be done to increase that safety, by concentrating on the recognition that the traveling speed of vehicles needs to be addressed, more forthrightly.

Are you what you earn?

The Western world seems to be structured around money, the making of money, and the value of that money.  Therefore, there are many people, that see their value being fairly reflected by the assets that they have or don’t have.  This sort of viewpoint is corrupt, for to value one’s self solely by the coin of the realm, does nothing to value the true worth of a human being and their corresponding character.  It is a grand mistake to believe that our value is tied to our material worth, and therefore that our utility to society should be based solely upon whether we are net contributors to society by the assets that we have or the money that we have in our possession or control. 

 The fact that so many of us, are judged, fairly or not, by our material assets, demonstrates a society that doesn’t have its priorities right.  The better way to value anyone is whether or not they are contributing in a wholesome way to the society that they are an active member of, along with whether or not their character represents positive traits, such as generosity, compassion, sincerity, honesty, and helpfulness.  That is to say, we should not be judged by what we earn or have but rather we should be judged as to whether we are doing our fair part to help make society a better place for our contribution to it.

 Yet, because Western nations, inundate us with all sorts of advertisements and try to make the point, again and again, that happiness comes from material objects that we obtain or the appreciative acceptance that we seemingly get from others who want what we have, thus creates not only an ongoing tension between members of society but also means that the default structure of capitalist nations, represents not a society founded upon our collaboration and cooperation with one another but rather seems to prefer that we see this world, as a competitive sport, so judged as to whether or not, we have played the game well, demonstrated by the material assets that we have.

 In truth, what we earn through our labor and the amount of assets that we have accumulated, does not reflect whether we are a good person or not, but rather simply represents the pay that we receive and the wealth we have accumulated, that is in our possession.  To have money and to make a good salary, has its value, mainly because many material things require money in order for us to have ownership of such.  However, in the scheme of things, what we really need, is often a much smaller subset of what we either perceive that we need or reflects our pursuit that the accumulation of ever more material things equates to more happiness, which to the degree that this takes us away from being a good person, is a serious mistake.

 In sum, what we are, is reflected in our character, so lived out by our interactions, day by day, recognizing that how we treat one another, and how we care about the other, has lasting purpose; whereas, what we earn or have, should be seen as a sideshow, and no more.

Governmental statistics and governmental lies

This government provides the population with all sorts of statistics on all sorts of things, such as the poverty rate, the graduation rate, the unemployment rate, the growth of the economy, the labor hourly working rate, the inflation rate, and so on and so forth.  The thing about those statistics is even if a given governmental agency was truly trying to provide the most accurate information and thereby disseminate that to the general public, the fact that the United States is so large and that it takes time and resources to gather all of the pertinent information so needed to provide a precise picture, is that we have to take into full account that the government also has an abiding desire to paint a picture that is more positive than negative, and further to the point, the government has the inclination to manipulate numbers to make that government look like its more effective in its programs and agencies than it actually is.

 The truth of the matter is that governments the world over, lie to the people, for various reasons, but the most important reason that governments lie is to keep those in power, at their positions of power, and to a lesser extent not to worry the people, about things that they might rightly worry about.  This is why the government does not present the whole picture, because it doesn’t want to look bad when it comes to the actual inflation figures, employment numbers, or real wages, and just about anything in which the general public wonders what is going on with their tax dollars, and why it is that nothing seems to change for the better when the government insists that times have never been better.

 Indeed, governments don’t desire to tell the inconvenient truth, which thereby makes it more difficult for the general population to hold them accountable to the truth, because the public doesn’t know the long and the short of it. So then, the public may rightly believe that what they are being told, is not the full truth.  Perhaps this is a good thing, because fear leads to restlessness, and restlessness leads to civil unrest, but what governments seem to not take into account, is those that who suspect and then eventually know that they have been deceived, are going to take offense at that, and that therefore this will invariably cause some sort of payback.  After all, our eyes seldom deceive us, and those then that propagate and thereby distort the reality of what is going on, aren’t actually doing anyone any favors, because that which needs to be attended to, remains unattended because it has already been propagated that all is fine.

 This is supposed to be a government of, for, and by the people, and the very least that the people deserve to know is the good and bad of where they stand within that government, and further to the point, it’s difficult to correct what needs to be corrected, when what needs to be accomplished, isn’t known for a fact, because the supposed facts are purposely distorted and wrong.

Finding that which will end all searches

There are plenty of people, religious or not, that profess to have a desire to find the true Actuator of their life.  Here is the thing, though, as in anything worthwhile, to get to where we need to get to, is going to require not only some good fundamental characteristics, but also the determined drive and dedication to get to where we are trying to go, or else we will come up short.  In other words, it isn’t going to be good enough to put forth a halfhearted effort, or an effort that is there for a little while and then gone, but rather step by step, day by day, we must be determined to find God, for when we don’t, then we probably won’t ever achieve what we were meant to achieve.

 It is never that God is hard to find, but rather it is our lack of commitment to find God, that makes God appear to be so distant from us.  In truth, God is omnipresent, so then when we are unable to communicate with that Godhead, the fault lies not in the stars, but rather lies with us, which is why, we need to have the type of determination that puts God first place in our life, for if God isn’t first, then we don’t have our priorities, correct.

 Each of us, when we quiet our minds and take the opportunity to reflect, have got to intuitively know that beyond us, is that Truth that we are meant to engage, and when we realize that we will never be satiated and also that we will never be truly happy until we find that which will end all sorrows, which will enlighten us as to the meaning of everything, we will be restless because, without that connection, we are never going to be complete.

 So too, it isn’t required that we try to find that stairway to God, by ourselves, for those personages who are wise and perceptive, can help us to get to the only destination that really matters, which is why we have institution after institution which is foundationally based on God and God’s precepts.  This then, can provide us with the needed structure and helpful impetus to keep us on the straight and narrow, so that we will not give up in the accomplishing of that which we must accomplish.

 Again, it isn’t so much that God plays hide and seek with us, but rather it is for us, to have the wherewithal and the determination to make it our point to connect with God, of which, a lackadaisical effort is never going to be good enough.  Indeed, if we are so enamored of the gifts and the creations that have come forth from God into this dimension, but never have the courtesy to acknowledge the Creator, as being preeminent, then we have fallen for the illusion, over the reality and permanency of God.  That which pings our conscience to do the right thing is the very same that encourages us to find God, for in that ultimate finding, we will have reached that point, in which we will search no more.

What makes a saint

To be a great saint, one has to be far more than book smart or spiritually smart, but rather one has to be able to prove their character and their wisdom through actual actions, and typically this is demonstrated through the overcoming of character faults, that have precluded one from becoming a saint.  That is to say, this world is a proving ground, and the object of the lesson is not only to learn our lessons but to apply our lessons in our interactions with all those that we meet. This means, that whatever faults that we have, especially those that seem to be unconquerable, are the very faults that we need to overcome, more than anything, so that those that have a bad temper, or are selfish, or dismissive, are going to have to develop those good traits so necessary to make it as if these faults never existed, or else, that person won’t be achieving sainthood.

 As it has been said, the difference between a sinner and a saint is that a saint never gave up on improving themselves, and thereby eventually developed into a saint. This means no matter where we currently stand in life, it is our responsibility to stand up and start doing the right thing, and the sooner that we put our nose to the grindstone to do that very thing, the sooner that we will progress our way to the only destination that actually matters.  Indeed, to believe, somehow, that saints are made, just because somebody is quiet and contemplative, is not ever going to be good enough, because we prove our mettle, day by day, by how we treat others, and the more that we are in keeping with the attributes of God, the closer that we will get to becoming saintly in our behavior.

 So too, we will be tested, time and time again, because that is necessary to prove that we have graduated beyond mere theory and learning to the realization of what we are supposed to do in the real world.  No doubt, those who lack experience and wisdom, are going to go through some difficult times, of which, these are necessary thereby to burn off the dross that precludes them from accomplishing what they are meant to accomplish.

 Indeed, saints are made, when those that have free will, are the same that utilize that free will and the knowledge that they have accumulated for the betterment of humankind.  None of us, lives solely to our own self, but rather, we are here, collectively, to aid one another, in the sure knowledge that by doing so, we are not only benefiting our soul development, but we are also benefiting those that need such development, themselves.  While it is true, that we can admire those of great character, it is wrong to believe that somehow we can never achieve those same heights, for each of us has the capability, to be a saint, if only we would make that the priority of our life, and to do all that we can do to accomplish that very thing.

Lying by omission

There are plenty of people who don’t feel that they ever really lie.  For them, their belief is that when they leave out certain relevant information germane to the subject matter, this isn’t really a form of lying, while additionally they believe that when it comes to “little white lies” that isn’t lying, either.  In other words, from their perspective, they are truthful, and if they have to fudge a little bit, they do that, not because they are a liar, but rather as a supposed courtesy to the other, so as to not hurt their feelings, or create discord.

 In a court of law, we are told to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  Indeed, when it comes to the truth and the telling of the whole truth, this is where those who leave out important information, are thereby lying by omission.  The thing about lying by omission is those who do this, consciously or not, are thereby deceiving the other, for the impression that the other will receive when pertinent information has been withheld, is going to invariably be different than what it would have been if they were informed of everything in regards to the subject matter.

 People lie for all sorts of reasons, such as to protect themselves, to save themselves from embarrassment, to save another, or to not suffer the personal consequences of an action that was wrong, and they believe that when omitting important information—it really isn’t their concern when the person so hearing this, is not able to successfully to read between the lines.  The thing is though, is that lying by omission has not only a way of catching up with us, but those others who surmise that the whole truth has not been told, are not going to perceive us as being authentic, which thereby hurts our trust one to another.

 Those then that lie by omission, believing that even though they didn’t tell the whole truth, but tellingly have not mouthed actual lying words, often believe that this makes them honest, though that belief is fundamentally wrong.  Look, there are a multitude of ways to lie, and omission is one of them, so is misdirection, so is pretended ignorance, so is changing the subject, and so on and so forth.  Those who for whatever reason, somewhat justified or not, won’t willingly face the music, are not people of integrity, which makes for relationships that are going to be damaged, because of that lack of candor.

 So too, our lies by omission, that we impart to others, surely will have consequences for us, in the future, for what is good enough for the goose is good enough for the gander. Those who lie by omission, believing it produces no harm, or stealthily shows their ingenuity or creativeness, have got to realize the same games that they play will be played upon them. This would indicate that those who suffer the effects of those same types of lies of omission by being on the receiving end are not going to appreciate how clever and deceptive the other is but rather are going to see them as being those that lack integrity, as well as the courage to do the right thing when obligated to do so.

Book knowledge and true knowledge

Just about everyone understands the importance of knowledge, with at least the general understanding, that those with more knowledge, are in the superior position of knowing what they ought and should do.  That is to say, those who are ignorant, mentally lazy, or something in-between, are going to be susceptible to making bad decisions because they don’t have the proper knowledge, perspective, or experience to see the full panorama of how their thinking and thereby their choices make a material difference in their life.

 Additionally, it is important to take the knowledge that we believe we have acquired and to apply it in our everyday actions and interactions so that we know the good and bad of that knowledge.  That is to say, we have to endeavor to get beyond mere theory to actual application, of which, by doing so this enables us to learn more about that which we have knowledge of and the dangers or nuances, so of.

 Then there is the inconvenient fact that there are plenty of people who are knowledgeable about plenty of things, but when that knowledge is limited to just the tangible and not that which is intangible, then the knowledge so obtained has not been fully developed, because it has limited itself to this world, and not recognized appropriately that there is a hidden dimension, that is beyond time and space, which has the ultimate knowledge, that is worth considerably more than could be imagined when being limited to envisioning just this earthly plane and its limitations.

 We are meant to discover that which actuated us, and from that knowledge, we will properly comprehend that God is the ultimate knowledge, and therefore to concern ourselves exclusively or to limit ourselves to what this world represents, and no more, is to miss the forest for the trees.  It isn’t so much that book knowledge and the learning that we do, has no purpose – for it certainly does have good purpose, but rather it has everything to do, that we should always endeavor to desire to find that eternal fountain of knowledge, which is well beyond book knowledge, that will not only satiate our curiosity but that will in its function, provide us with the key to that golden door which will dissolve the illusion that precludes us from that true knowledge.

 We are meant to pursue God, because God is the be-all and end-all of our existence, and those who get so caught up in the play of this world, knowledgeable or not, good players or not, have placed themselves in the unenviable cycle of unending good and evil, which while having its place is never going to be our ultimate destination, because it has not the velocity power to bring us to where we need to be.  Those who have true knowledge are those who properly comprehend who and what they really are, understanding completely that they will not rest, and will not find lasting satisfaction until they reach that destiny that answers all questions and brings them everlasting peace.