The wounded and the maimed

The thing about war, in any of its myriad forms and titles, is that while there are invariably those who are killed, through battle, disease, or as unintended victims, there are plenty of other people who are wounded, of which, oftentimes there are those that are so severely wounded that they are maimed, in which, by definition, to be maimed is to have part of one’s body that will either no longer work as it should, or simply have a body part that doesn’t exist anymore, such as a missing arm or leg.  Further, it could be stated, that those through battle who no longer are right in their mind, could be seen as also being maimed in the sense that their brain and thereupon their thinking have been seemingly permanently impaired.

 So then, it would make a whole lot more sense when classifying those who have been wounded, to see that the powers that be are more cognizant of how many of those wounded, are, in fact, actually maimed.  The reason that this is so important is that while we can mourn the loss of somebody who has died, it could also be said, that those who have been permanently maimed, are entitled to be mourned, as well, for now existing in a society in which they are handicapped as they are no longer physically or mentally whole.

 Indeed, war is a terrible thing, in which, one of the things that should be better disseminated must be a greater emphasis on addressing those who have been wounded -- for being wounded can be not only quite serious and debilitating but especially in the case of those that are maimed, something that permanently affects the person in a way and manner that they will have to conduct their life without the usage of an appendage or a good mind to make their way in the world when they come back into civil society.

 So too, because of medical advances, we find that the type of catastrophic injuries that would have easily killed a soldier or civilian years ago now provide those who would have lost their life, with the continuation of their life. Still, sometimes that continuation involves having to compensate for a very serious wound that has maimed the person.  This indicates that probably more needs to be done by a conscientious government to see that those who are amongst the living, but have been wounded in action, are accorded the vital material support that they need, so that they can have a fair opportunity to have a good life, because to not do so, shows an uncaring regard to those that have been wounded.

 In short, nowadays, humans can sustain some very serious injuries, of which, that person will still live, but when their body or mind is not whole, then some entity needs to step up to the plate, to make good on seeing that those who are wounded can still have viable and quality lives, which is the duty that this governance has to all who have faithfully served them.

The favored race and getting into trouble with minimal consequences

Those who clamor the most for more law and order are typically those who don’t need to worry about law and order negatively affecting them all that much or even ever.  Further to the point, the reason why they need not overly worry about police officers causing them personal trouble is the very fact that the favored race often sees the policing arm of the state as their friend, willing to come to their aid, making them therefore not to be their enemy.  Indeed, those of the favored race, almost by definition, are provided with the type of courtesy by police officers which labels them as the type of people to protect as well as to show consideration to, as opposed to being seen as targets that need to be dealt with by the criminal justice system in a harsh and unforgiving way.

 To live within an enclave in which interaction with the police, is not something to be afraid of, is a real privilege because the police when interacting with these people are going to give the benefit of the doubt to those that live and congregate there, mainly because the police know that these juveniles and young adults are the products of good families, so that those that are privileged need not worry that the state will impose their will against them, and because of that, they have more room to breathe and to make juvenile mistakes because they will not have to pay the fair price for their misbehavior.  On the other hand, not being the favored race, and living within an enclave that has a bad reputation, places a high degree of stress upon juveniles and other young adults because they know for a certainty that police presence in their community isn’t there to serve and protect them, but rather often serves as something to be feared, for the punishment that they could be susceptible to, in which, the wiggle room to get out of trouble, is minimal, if it even exists.

 In life, there are going to be growing pains for a significant portion of juveniles, in which, mistakes and misdeeds will occur, that could by the letter of the law, get these juveniles into some serious degree of trouble, so that, to be in that privileged position, in which, bad behavior is forgiven is going to be a heck of a lot better place to be, as compared to that place in which forgiveness is not in the equation.  Indeed, those who are the favored race need not overly worry about trouble affecting them, because they are protected and given plenty of space, by the policing arm of the state; whereas, those that are not protected, are quite vulnerable to the very same, and therefore need to tread a heck of a lot more carefully, because their lives can be turned upside down, in a blink of an eye, which will place them upon a pathway which has a very bleak outlook, mainly because the trouble that they get into, has the type of consequences that make them pay a very heavy price.

Build underground!

While virtually all homes and buildings are built aboveground, it has to be noted that oftentimes aboveground structures necessitate the need of the underground for items such as pipes, cables, general utilities, sewage, water supply, structure stability, gas, electricity, and just about anything in which traveling below ground, will result in having to deal with fewer obstacles, problems, or interferences, along with the fact that by being underground this alleviates having to deal with extreme or dangerous weather events, in addition to the superiority of the underground for its being quite robust in the accomplishing of these tasks.

So too, when it comes to transportation, while it is common to travel aboveground, as well as to use the waterways or even the air, there is something to be said about the brilliance in the construction of the underground subway system, which first began in London in the 1860s and is fairly commonplace to be constructed in cities of high density that need to move people from one place to another, thereby helping to alleviate the suffering from undue and undesirable gridlock aboveground. 

 While it might not be easy to build underground, it is typically well worth the effort, especially when taking into consideration that what needs to be constructed, has a purpose that will help serve society well over a very long time.  So too, we can see that ancient civilizations understood the value of underground structures for their protection from outside elements, in addition to the fact that underground living often does not necessitate the need for much heat or cooling, providing those with the foresight to understand that underground living is a safe and valued refuge to lean upon.

 Indeed, while it is fairly common to dig underground to extract minerals of all sorts, and to move soil around for the construction of buildings and the like, there isn’t all that much building underground by the general public, except essentially for the support of utilities and occasionally for transportation needs.  However, it is also true that defense ministries understand well the value of building underground for the protection of valued defense infrastructure, as well as for the storage or the use of offensive munitions that are thereby available for retaliation, to a military attack.

 Still, the overall usage of what the underground could be, in the sense of constructing a true underground city is not something that is done presently, but should at least be considered more forthrightly, for that which is built aboveground is always subject to the ravages of weather events over time; whereas, that which is built underground is not only a lot more energy efficient, but also provides a more stable and sustainable living space with far less maintenance and upkeep to contend with.

 As it stands right now, pretty much only the military has gone forth and constructed underground living quarters, specifically to support the military in their defense of this nation, but this shouldn’t just be happening in the domain of the military, for the will and the drive to build skyscrapers and the like, should be diligently applied to build the very same in its own way, underground.

"Heaven is our heritage, Earth but a player's stage”

Heaven is our heritage, as expressed above by the poet Thomas Nashe, of which, we find that the more people that actually believed in the truth of this sentiment, the better perspective we would have on what life represents in this world.  It is rather sad, that so many people and the societies that are made of those people are absolutely serious that everything that occurs in this world, is the most important thing going, but don’t behave accordingly.  Indeed, it would be one thing, if those who espoused that belief, thereby lived their respective lives with purpose and principle, but alas, many a person who knows better, isn’t able to follow through with interacting consistently with people by being kind, considerate, and caring.

 So too, the sadness that so many people feel when they lose a loved one or see an injustice played out again and again would be better mitigated if we were to understand that this world, represents a proving ground, that tests our character in the “stress tests” of life, which enables us to prove our mettle or to be found out to be untrue with what we should be about.  However, the crux of the matter is, that as players on a stage, each of us has a role to play, and as long as we desire to participate in that play, we will have the fair opportunity to take on many a role, thereby giving us the fair chance to prove that we will have not only learned our lessons well but also, more importantly, that we have applied them for a useful and good purpose.

 Indeed, all the unfairness that we perceive, of how some people seem to have it so easy; whereas, others, have it so difficult, should provide us with the first clue, that the object of the exercise is to do our level best with the tools that we have at our disposal.  So too, the temptations that we encounter are there for us to contend with, so that we are given ample opportunity to prove that our strength of character is greater than what is tempting us, which thereupon affects the role that we are playing.

 Additionally, the interplay of good and bad is necessary, or else this world without any evil or free choice would be a construct of boredom and tedium, serving no good purpose, of which, when there comes that time when there truly is peace of earth, the earth, itself, will no longer exist, for it has truly run its course.  So then, the times on earth that we are an integral part of, are our opportunity to have our say upon the player’s stage, and those that are up to the task, are the same that graduate into being what they were always meant to be, which should be the abiding desire of all those that are sensible and perceptive, for that which is our heritage, is never going to be earth, for the earth is no more than a player’s stage, which in due time, the final act will play out and the curtain will close.

Alcohol at stadiums and arenas

There are plenty of people and do-gooders that don’t really want alcohol or liquor to be served at sporting events, for some pretty good reasons, such as reducing bad crowd behavior or perhaps also as being a bad influence for those that are underaged.  Yet, the thing about permitting alcohol and liquor is that there is a specific meaningful segment of fans that associate having an adult drink with being part and parcel of experiencing the sporting event and their reasoning really comes down to the fact, that they are of legal age, and should be permitted to enjoy their entertainment without some sort of nanny state dictating to them, that they cannot.  The bottom line therefore is that most stadiums and arenas sell alcohol and some also sell liquor, obviously done in the pursuit of extra income and profit for the stadium operators.

 In regards to young fans and those that don’t particularly care for alcohol, most of these people, don’t mind that alcohol is sold at sporting events for various reasons.  One of the reasons is as straightforward as when it comes to seeing beer hawkers that go up and down the stadium stairs, selling bottles of beer that they pour into plastic cups for the patrons of such. Indeed, many a person admires the strength, grit, and overall hustle that these beer hawkers display, because carrying lots of beer, especially when it is hot and humid is no easy task to perform, so the sweat generated is honest sweat that a hard-working man emits while performing their duty, and therefore patrons and others see them as being deserving of the compensation, appreciation, and tips that they get.

 So too, there is something to be said about a fan that comes into the stadium, apparently sober, but as the sporting event goes on, proceeds to get intoxicated, of which their behavior typically does materially change, which to the uninitiated is a lesson to be observed.  First, there is the fact that for some drinkers their face begins to get flushed, and their eyes begin to look less focused, in addition to their general demeanor changing, which for some of those that have been drinking, turns to disgust, frustration, despair, self-deprecating humor, or resignation.  To a certain degree, fans who have been drinking, especially when the game is no longer relevant, become the entertainment for those who are young, uninterested in the sporting event, or just curious, for a significant amount of people who are impaired by alcohol, have an entertainment value to those that haven’t been drinking.  So too, there is another lesson to be learned, that alcohol definitely seems to change people’s behavior, not necessarily always to make them uncivil, but seemingly to make them seem different than what they had previously appeared to be, all from the drinking of alcohol, which is an object lesson, that the imbibing of alcohol, does indeed modify people’s behavior, providing those that do not indulge or have yet to indulge, the opportunity to learn firsthand whether they desire themselves ever to be a spectacle, or would prefer instead to watch the spectacle unfold.

Extraordinary rendition and the selling of America’s soul

In the United States of America, this nation is supposed to obey the highest law of the land, which is its Constitution, and to the degree that it does not, it has betrayed its own principles.  We find that extraordinary rendition is essentially the practice in which America forcefully snatches a person, typically accused of heinous crimes from wherever they are currently, by any means necessary, to be rendered to a pliant nation, that will thereby permit the United States or those that are working in conjunction with United States’ interest, the opportunity to abuse and to torture the individual so captured.  In other words, extraordinary rendition as practiced by America means that certain individuals as determined solely by the United States to be terrorists or to have engaged or aided terrorist organizations or other things of this general ilk are taken from wherever they are, no matter the cost to other individuals or the damages done, to innocent or non-involved parties or not, and no matter the sovereignty or freedom that the nation-state that is being invaded represents, they must therefore kowtow to the sole superpower of the world, so that the United States can do whatever it so desires to this person that they have captured, without limitations or law being fairly applied.

 There are several serious issues regarding extraordinary rendition, of which, the first one, is the questionable legality of such.  In fact, no matter what legislation or laws have been passed, extraordinary rendition, cannot be and is not consistent with the Constitution of the United States, which thereby signifies that all those that support, aid, and abet these measures, should be seen not as patriots to this country, but rather as criminals, committing acts which are anathema to the Constitution, under the guise that all is well and fine when it certainly is not.  Further to the point, the discussion as to who, what, and why a given person must be kidnapped and taken from one place to be tortured, is never transparent, it is never brought before a truly independent court and is typically hidden, under the excuse that to provide full disclosure would negatively impact national security.  Finally, those suffering from extraordinary rendition may not even be guilty of anything in the real sense, and additionally, they may not even be the right person to have suffered from this extraordinary rendition, because of a mistaken identity or similar, which is a terrible crime against humanity.

 The truth of the matter is that America consistently insists that it is above the law, which is why it seeks only its own approval to kidnap, torture, and to kill whomever it so desires, without limitations or penalties, which thereupon is indicative that America does not respect the law, but only respects its ability to impose itself upon any other country or territory that stands in its way of rendering its “frontier justice” at any given moment for any spurious reason.  Those nations that insist that they can do whatever they do to anybody at any time while failing to recognize the sovereignty of other nations or an individual are the very same as to why there is no true peace in this world because when the so-called leader of the free world, behaves in a manner in which moral and ethical law is disrespected, that nation has truly sold its soul.

Too many Americans believe that their nation is always the “good guy”

There isn’t any doubt about the dumbing down of Americans, in which, quite frankly, some of the stupidest and credulous people that the world has ever known, are Americans.  In fact, many Americans don’t question anything whatsoever that the government feeds them, seemingly always believing everything they have heard from their governmental representatives as thus representing the gospel truth.  Indeed, many Americans believe wholeheartedly that by definition, whatever it is that American governance does, it does so because America is always representing the “good guys” and those that oppose America are always, therefore, the “bad guys.” 

 This signifies that in every war and incursion that America thus gets itself involved in, it doesn’t much matter what the opposing side has to say because America is right, and always will be right, which is why we need to prove to the enemy, that by killing them, they will know that might makes right, which is why they were wrong to pick a fight with America, in addition to its being their fault that it had to come to warfare because they would not be obedient and compliant to American demands. 

 So too, when it comes to domestic issues, such as our historical slavery, America made sure to pass the Fugitive Slave Act, which stipulated that slaves escaping into free States or federal territories, were wrong in doing so, and therefore those free States and federal territories were mandated by law to return fugitive slaves, signifying that those adhering to such, were considered to be compliant with the law of the land, therefore making them good, and those that were in defiance of such, because they were non-compliant were designated as bad.  Additionally, the forceful removal of American Indians, through the Trail of Tears, was necessary and therefore good, because progress needed to be made which is good for society, and those that oppose progress by not assimilating into the American way and by making it more difficult to conduct business, are therefore fundamentally bad.

 In everything that America touches or espouses upon, America portrays itself as being forever good, and therefore any other entity that does not agree with such, is designated as being disgustingly bad, and will remain bad, until either they surrender or essentially integrate themselves into American norms and desires.  Indeed, the hubris of the American belief that they are perpetually good, and everyone that does not accept this belief as being the absolute truth is forever bad, represents the ethical and moral decay of this nation and therefore the abandonment of what this nation is supposed to stand for, because whenever a given nation will not investigate its own character, and will not make amends to what it is deficient in, then that nation is a nation that has deliberately blinded itself to the truth, and deserves the righteous blowback that it will certainly face as the justice that those that will not listen, must be answered to, sooner or later, for though America is mad as the maddest of hatters, that which judges us, is not.

The hidden agenda behind the endless war on drugs

 In June 1971, President Nixon declared a war on drugs, of which, we find that over fifty years later, this war still continues.  It would be one thing if the war on drugs could be seen as some success on some level. Still, rather it has to be seen for what it is, an absolute failure in its ostensible mission to interdict and to eradicate dangerous and illicit drugs from coming into this country.  However, as in many a thing, there is a hidden agenda behind the war on drugs, and on that level, perhaps it could be said, that it has succeeded in its mission.

 The hidden agenda behind the war on drugs is the fact that the American GDP pretty much dwarfs completely every single country that is part of Central America, or South America, with the sole exception of Brazil. This thus signifies that when the United States comes knocking on a country’s door requesting their aid and cooperation in eradicating the trafficking of drugs into America, that these countries that they are speaking to, don’t have a lot of good options, because being on the bad side of America, is not only bad for business, but is also bad for those that are the leaders of those nations, because the United States of America is quite capable of replacing, through by whatever means suits its purposes, those that would lead a small country with somebody else that listens and obeys American desires, without hesitation. 

 So then, one way for America to make sure that America gets cooperation from these much smaller countries in South and Central America is to have placed within those nations, a very impressive display of military muscle, that is ostensibly there to interdict drugs, of which, because of that might and with the sophisticated tools of the trade, American advisors, personnel, and weapons, can thereby easily be deployed discreetly or not, in the actual interests of United States global corporations or other entities, to effect policies which will be beneficial to America and those corporations.  So too, this muscle can also be utilized to help put down domestic civil unrest in those countries that are suffering from such, thereby signifying that the drug war, is basically just a front to permit American manipulation of these countries for the expressed benefit of America, while also benefiting the right connected domestic entities within that country, as well.

 As in any good mission, there is the overt mission, disseminated again and again to the credulous media, and then there is the real mission, which is for America to keep it straightforward and simple, which is that they want these small countries to be compliant to American interests, be it corporate or strategic, in which, those that understand well what they are supposed to do, benefit greatly, often though at the expense of their own people and their economy, but as long as that America muscle exists and persists, those that would rise up and rebel will be dispatched, disappeared and silenced, with the cover of the endless war on drugs, getting the blame.

Corporations believe too often that “only the little people pay taxes”

Billionaire Leona Helmsley is alleged to have said, “We don’t pay taxes; only the little people pay taxes.”   Indeed, this appears to be the mindset grasped by so many mega-corporations in America, of which, when we look at the tax rates as estimated by americanprogress.org, we find that within the Fortune 100 of 2021, there were at least 19 corporations that paid a tax rate well below the federal corporate tax rate of 21%, in which, for instance, Amazon’s effective federal income tax rate was 6.1%, ExxonMobil’s effective federal income tax rate was 2.8%, Bank of America’s effective federal income tax rate was 3.5%, and Ford’s effective federal income tax rate was 1%, to list just a few.  This indicates clearly that a significant proportion of America’s biggest and most profitable corporations do not come close to paying the 21% federal corporate tax rate, of which, the less in taxes that these super profitable corporations pay, the more that the citizens of the United States, have to pick up the shortfall in the payment of.

 What many people fail to recognize is that our biggest corporations have annual sales in the billions upon billions of dollars, and corresponding profits, year in and year out, also in the billions upon billions of dollars, and these entities that have an abundance of money are the very same that can easily afford to hire the best tax attorneys, the best CPAs, the best lobbyists, of which when combined serve to do everything possible to reduce their tax footprint, at the direct expense of the American people.

 Far too many corporations, mouth the words, that they pay all the taxes that they legally owe, which may or may not be true. What is true, though, is that many of these same corporations are not good servants to the government that permits them to exist and to persist, in the first place, because these same corporations are not paying even close to the taxation rate that they truly owe to this nation, and because these superrich corporations don’t pay their fair share, the burden of picking up the slack on taxes not collected, falls upon the aching shoulders of the America public, instead.

 When it comes to taxation, it really isn’t all that complicated, as to what this governance should or should not do, because as much as we might decry or even admire the individual billionaires that this country has -- corporations, routinely make profits in the billions upon billions of dollars each year, signifying that for those in the taxation business, it is corporations, above all, that should be focused upon, because they are the ones with the wealth of money that needs to be more effectively taxed.  To believe, somehow, that corporations should be permitted to avail themselves of all sorts of pathways to circumvent paying their fair taxes, is fundamentally wrong, for these corporations are not only well positioned to pay their fair share but need to pay their fair share, especially for the privilege that has permitted them, as artificial creations of the state, to have vibrancy, in the first place.  This signifies that until such a time as the “big boys” pay their fair share in taxes, the “little people,” shouldn’t have to pay a dime.

How good is our government?

There are a lot of ways to measure the goodness of a given government, of which, one of the fairest ways is to see how that government treats those that are most disadvantaged and vulnerable.  Of course, another way to measure a government is by virtue of what that government does or does not do on behalf of a given individual and society, in whole.  So too, governments should be measured by how prudent they are, in the distribution and the usage of monies collected through taxes of all types.  The bottom line is that while most governments profess that they are agents of good, the reckoning about how good a government is or is not, should be best adjudged by the people who are the subjects of that government.

 Indeed, when we look upon our governance, it has to be determined as to whether or not what is occurring to the people is to their direct or indirect benefit in the sense of infrastructure, education, healthcare, safety, employment, shelter, and so on.  That is to say, there are fundamental things that people need in order to have the semblance of a good life, and to the degree that our governance helps to provide access to those necessary things, the better that government actually is. Additionally, we need to know as to whether or not our government plays favorites, which presupposes that by doing so, there are obviously those other people and entities that are unfavored.

 While governments are prone to stating that they as a government are only as good as the people that they govern, it is fairer to state, that what the people possess and the quality of their respective lives have an awful lot to do with the governance that they have to contend with, of which, the best governance isn’t necessarily that which governs least, but rather the best government is that which does its best to provide a level playing field, to be fair to all, and to lend a helping hand to those that need it most.

 When we take an honest look at our government, we want to believe that the laws as initiated and implemented are fair, necessary, applied correctly, and wise – for if the laws of the state are corrupted then the end result will be a corruption in which the connected few will have all the advantages and the many will not.  So too, a good government isn’t necessarily a representative government but rather is a government in which the people collectively have a true voice, as opposed to that governance selling the illusion that it answers to the people, when, in fact, it answers to a small cabal that have an undue influence upon it. 

 In sum, a good government is one that does its best to provide the people with the tools of the trade that will give those same people a fair opportunity to live a wholesome and valued life.  On the other hand, a bad government is that which seeks its own good for those that are its principal power brokers, at the expressed detriment of those that it governs, by cheating the people of opportunity, fairness, equality, and a pathway to a good life, by manipulating and controlling the population to its own preferred ends.

Tests, trials, and the overcoming by the Christ

People understand Christianity in different ways, of which, one of those ways is to recognize the great character of our Messiah, for this in the scheme of things, proves the mettle of the Man.  That is to say, as much as we want to believe that healing, proselytizing, and profound words of wisdom, are the marks of an astute and gifted man, that isn’t necessarily going to be enough to demonstrate that Jesus was the Messiah, for each of our lives are filled with important trials as well as temptations, in which, those that pass these specific tests are indeed great souls, deserving of our appreciation and admiration.

 In regards to Christ, He endured many trials, including the unjust trial that led to His crucifixion.  Yet, Christ would not bend to the laws of the land, or the injustice meted out to Him because this world is not the creator of souls and because it is not, it is not our master. Indeed, this world represents the opportunity for all that engage upon it, to prove themselves through the boiling cauldron of troubles and tests, of which, no greater test is there than the one that impinges upon the content of our character and has us risk what appears to be everything, represented by glorious life and of ignoble death.  Indeed, Christ faced that trial and did not bend, compromise, or diminish who and what He represented, because to do so, would give in to what was mistaken and wrong, which would be an abomination to His mission for all of us.

 So too, Christ was tempted with false flags and bad agents, subtly administered against Him by bad actors that desired to distract Christ from His mission, of which, these were real temptations, that would take down a lesser man, but did not take down Christ, because those of principle, who not only know the difference between right and wrong, but also have made it their solemn duty to always do right, will not relent from that which is superior to give in to that which is inferior, no matter how tempting such might be, on some level.

 In truth, Christ’s willingness to face trials and temptation without wavering, and without making a mistake, is the epitome of that which has surmounted those trials and temptations, demonstrating to all that have eyes to see, and ears to hear, that we are obligated to do our level best, when facing our own challenges in this life -- for those that subsequently fail their trials and temptations are the very same, that have done so to their own diminishment and shame.  Yet, Christ proves to us, that we need not hang our heads in shame because we have erred, but rather that we should be about our proper business, in the understanding, that we cannot and will not graduate to the level that we need to be on until we prove that we have the strength of character demonstrated by overcoming and thereby conquering our individual obstacles, so as to become a strong pillar in the temple of our Holy God.

Let there be Light

There are plenty of people who live lives of despair, desperation, hopelessness, and fear.  For these people, there appears to be no way out, but there is always a way out if we make it our point to search for the right way and thereupon to follow it, without ever meandering away from that pathway.  To live a life in the darkness of despair is not something we are ever compelled to do, for our free will provides us with the opportunity to replace that which is without light, with light, which should be our abiding desire to accomplish.

 So too, plenty of people somehow seem to wallow in their pain and misery, and thereupon express such to friends, acquaintances, and family, without having a real interest in seeing that this pain and misery should ever dissipate.  Those who will not turn to the light are the very same who prefer to live in the shadows, for they fear that leaving what they are familiar with, might perhaps be worse, or they are simply fearful of the unknown and thereupon take comfort in what they do know, even though it isn’t what they claim to desire or want.

 Those who continue doing the wrong things or doing nothing constructive about what has sadly occurred to them, which places them in a position of unhappiness and despair, are the very same, that will not ever generate the escape velocity to get to where they ought to be, because they don’t ever avail themselves of what they could lean upon to get to where they should be.  Those who prefer darkness are the same that seem to prefer isolation, for those who cannot see are the same who do not know that within the darkness that surrounds them, is always a light and the opportunity that comes with such that if turned on, will help free them from their misery.

 While it is good to share our pains and troubles with one another, it is better if, with that sharing, we decide that we will do something of meaningful substance with our lives, for those who will not put forth the effort to improve their condition, for whatever reason, are not doing their good part to become that which they could be, for without light, we stumble here and there, and thereby progress is made much more difficult to come by.

 Look, it has to be said, that berating oneself over one’s failures, perhaps has its place, but it’s not going to do much to improve a given situation without appropriate positive actions.  So then, rather, than beating ourselves with a figurative stick, or having someone else do that to us, we need to wake up and activate the light that will permit us to actually see and to change our perspective for when we do see the light, we become better able to not only take in our surroundings but also to understand what we need to do, because Light eliminates the darkness, and from there opportunity abounds.

We can’t all be rich

There are certain objectives that it is important for societies to try to achieve, of which, one of those objectives should be to provide for one another, the necessities of life, and further to the point, set the foundation for as many people as possible, to better achieve those necessities.  That which is necessary for life consists of liberty, freedom, employment, shelter, food, opportunity, education, healthcare, justice, and fairness.  This thus signifies that the governance of any society needs to prioritize the achievement of those very necessary things because without certain necessities of life, such as food and shelter, life, itself, becomes problematic and troubling.

 To live in a capitalist society is to live in a society where without proper government controls to ensure that there is a level playing field of fair and open competition, as well as appropriate taxation being imposed, lends itself to being a society that can easily tilt in which the very few have it all, at the overall expense of the many, thereby signifying that those very few will have an abundance of the wealth of everything that could ever be imagined and then some; yet, within, that very same society there would be plenty of people, that is, an underclass, that would be struggling to just have some fair portion of such.

 This would surely indicate that any sane society needs to get the proper perspective of what it is trying to accomplish for the greater good, of which, if it is believed, that the overarching objective is to see that all have fair access to a baseline of the necessities of life, than that governance needs to prioritize that, above all.  On the other hand, if such governance has been essentially co-opted by the richest and most powerful, then the end result in this modern age, is going to be something more akin to an aristocracy, because mega-corporations extract profits in the billions upon billions of dollars, and without proper taxation upon these corporations as well as proper taxation upon superrich individuals, then essentially as time goes on, more and more assets and monies will have been funneled and are going to continue to be funneled into those specific few entities, pretty much at the painful expense of those that don’t really have fair access to the necessities of life.

 Indeed, no matter how wealthy a given country is, not everyone can be rich; but, at the same time, everybody doesn’t need to be rich.  That is to say, at the end of the day, what makes for a good society is fair access to opportunity, as well as the comprehension that we must do our best to provide and to see that as many as possible have a seat at the table of opportunity, democracy, and a true voice to express their concerns, and when this is accomplished, society becomes a more caring and a more wholesome place, because where there is fairness and justice, there will not only be peace but also a lasting satisfaction that life is good.

American teeth and the selling of illusion

One of the things that people notice and thereby take for granted is how prominent American personalities, actors, and politicians invariably have great smiles.  Indeed, it is so commonplace to see these nice smiles, that we consider it routine that those who we watch on television will always have a very pleasing smile, which is why we are somewhat taken aback whenever we see a smile that does not measure up to being pearly white and straight.  This thus seems to be the American way, but what isn’t taken into consideration so much, is that not all those smiles represent teeth that are healthy, for Americans are prone to using veneers to cover over their real teeth, along with also utilizing chemicals to color their teeth to what appears to be an unnatural whiteness, that even the healthiest of teeth cannot accomplish on their own.  In other words, not all those with beautiful pearly whites, actually have healthy teeth, but apparently, that doesn’t matter so much, as it is the look that counts, above all.

 That said, there can be some obvious positives to seeing so many great smiles in the sense that it encourages people to take better care of their teeth by visiting and thereby utilizing a dentist or orthodontist, and developing therefore good oral care of one’s teeth.  Then again, there can be a serious problem for those people who desire to have the same sort of smile that starlets have, in which, the way that their teeth align or the mouth space that they have does not permit such – in addition to the fact that the usage of artificial chemicals to achieve unnatural whiteness could be damaging to the enamel of one’s teeth.  Also, there are plenty of people who don’t have the funds to do much about their teeth, not only because they can’t afford periodical dental visits, but further to the point they can’t afford orthodontics, as well, leading these people to feel that because they lack that perfect smile, they are somehow, lesser for it.  

 Therefore, when it comes to dental care, this country should on a very practical level do more to assure that those who are the most disadvantaged have the opportunity to at a minimum, get appropriate dental care, so that they, therefore, have a much better chance of being able to maintain their teeth, through the timely care of dentists to properly address dental cavities and periodontal disease, so that good dental health can be maintained, or at least, not made worse, through the inattention to these things.

 Indeed, not all that glitters is gold, and not every smile, no matter how good it might look, is a true reflection that the teeth are good and healthy, which is why America needs to concentrate far more on seeing that as many of its citizens have healthy teeth, and concentrate far less on artificial looks that people aspire to have, but aren’t either realistic to have, or aren’t actually good or healthy for one’s teeth.  This is why, good dental care, for all, should be an American priority, and leave the illusion of good teeth, to those that feel that they need such.

The need to return to the principles of our Declaration of Independence

The problem with any form of governance is that given enough time, those who should do right by the people that they are supposed to serve, instead concentrate on the favoring of the very few at the expense of the very many, which signifies that the very principles behind such a Declaration have essentially been both betrayed and bastardized which is indeed the case when it comes to the United States of America.

 One of the seminal issues that America suffers from is the fact that it has never truly lived up to its creed, that all humankind is created equal and has thereby inherent unalienable rights.  Indeed, as this country ages, it seems that the equality under the law that we should see in America, which ideally should not be any respecter of any person, but should be equally applied to all, clearly favors those that are the wealthiest, the best positioned, and the most powerful, which reflects that noble declaratory words or not, that this nation does quite poorly in living up to one of its foundational tenets.  So too, the very point of this governance, is not to prioritize above all else having the greatest military and policing force that the world has ever known, or to kowtow to artificial creations of the state, such as our behemoth mega profit-making corporations but rather this government’s primary purpose must be to defend and to protect our individual unalienable rights, above all.  Yet, those rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, amongst others of the same ilk, are consistently undercut by a government that insists on extracting from its people, that it is supposed to serve, for example, all actionable information about each of its citizens, mainly because that information is a form of invasive and intrusive power, which regrettably when utilized by that same governance is far too often done in a way and manner that infringes upon the people’s freedom and happiness.

 Additionally, governments have a habit of accruing onto themselves, more and more power, which signifies that the people, themselves, have less and less individual power.  While there might even be some valid reasons why a powerful government could be beneficial for the people, we find that the governance of this nation, far too often, uses that power clearly as an instrument to manipulate and to control the population to the satisfaction of those that are the true actuators of this government, thus circumventing the rights of the people, in service of often an unelected and all-consuming power.

 All of the above means that the dissatisfaction that so many citizens feel at present has everything to do with a government that is not in harmony with its own Declaration of Independence, as if today’s leaders, hidden or otherwise, know better, than those that risked it all back in the day, in the pursuit of that which they believed would be a beacon of liberating light not only for its own people but for the world, at large, demonstrating that the best government is that government which concentrates its energy and efforts upon defending the unalienable rights of its people, above all.

Prioritize your life

Not only do more of us need to comprehend the need to prioritize what we should or should not be doing with our lives, but more people need to actually spend time thinking about this very thing; for if we don’t understand how to use our time and serve our interests best, then we aren’t going to accomplish the important things that would make our lives more of value.

 To live in a material world in which so many of us get caught up in the various “rat races” that we feel that we need to be a part of makes it more difficult for us to step away from all that to understand better that perhaps that isn’t the race that we should be running or overly concerning ourselves about.  Indeed, to believe that the purpose of our life, is that we need to be forever competitive in the things that we do and try to accomplish, misunderstands that a better mindset is that which understands the value of collaboration, instead.

 So too, many of us consistently miss the forest for the trees, with our wrong devotion to material things and various achievements which serve to distract us from the understanding that what is most important in life is actually our relationships one to the other.  The mistake that so many of intelligence and talent make is to apply themselves diligently to what they feel that they must do, believing that more material assets or things of that ilk, will bring lasting happiness and joy, without properly comprehending that this pursuit is when looked at properly, a mirage, for in actuality, what we need to recognize is that life has far more meaning to it, other than the material things that we have accumulated, for in the end, that which we truly possess, is the goodness that we have passed on to one another, and no more.

 For all those who are fortunate to live a long and apparently fruitful life, who decide that in their late age that they wish to reflect upon their achievements and accomplishments, few truly believe that the money that they have stored up in the bank is somehow their greatest achievement.  Rather, what people innately appreciate more than anything, is their good relationships, and their fruitful interactions with one another, along also with taking the time for some solitude to relate to that which is their Creator, as opposed to regrets that they should have, for instance, spent more time away from family and friends in the pursuit of more money.

 Those then who prioritize their lives correctly are the very same, who understand well that we are all in this society, together, and that the objective of the exercise is to treat one another, as a good neighbor, which takes into account, that through our help one to another, we will collectively progress ever closer to the satisfaction that a life truly lived well, is a life that encompasses love, compassion, forgiveness, sacrifice, and fairness, of which, those that are true to those noble traits, are those that have prioritized their lives right.

Discover the pristine soul within

The illusion for those who believe in evolution is that there is this general belief that we evolve or progress our way into something better than we are at present.  While this seems to make sense, and perhaps creates some overriding purpose for those who people this earth, this isn’t the actual truth of the matter, at all.  Rather, the first order of business for everyone who is searching for meaning is to comprehend that we are not the body, but the body merely houses our soul.  So then, it follows as to whether or not the soul or our respective souls are evolving, which might seem logical, but is also a fallacy, for in actuality, those that advance themselves in the understanding of who and what they really are, and thereby apply their respective gifts for the betterment of those that they interact with, aren’t actually evolving, but rather to be fair, are unveiling and therefore revealing what they are in essence, by their valued willful and insightful actions.

 Indeed, when we recognize that God is the same today, yesterday, and forever tomorrow – this would presuppose that what God creates must follow suit to that which created its essence.  This thereby logically means that we are the same today, yesterday, and forever tomorrow, which while seeming to be a clear contradiction to all that is happening in this material plane is nevertheless true.  That is to say, the mistakes that we make, or the progress that we achieve, does not change the soul that is our actual essence, for basically every time that we accomplish good, we are essentially removing the fog from our mind, to comprehend that we were created good, and always have been good, but through the delusions and distortions of this world, have been unwittingly fooled as to our true being.

 All of the above signifies that our primary goal in life, should be to be true to who and what we are, which is the pristine soul within, completely in harmony with our Creator, of which, the purpose therefore of our experience here, is to express ourselves in a way and manner that is consistent with the good attributes of our Creator and those that do that very thing, are the same that are actualizing their true being, and therefore are not being false to any man or woman, for there is no higher good than to express truth, in all of its many aspects, because truth lives forever, whereas that which is in error, inevitably dies.

 We are, therefore, pristine souls, of which, so many of us, are deluded into believing that we are not complete, or that we are sinful, or that we are damaged, without seeming to recognize that behind the persona, behind what we perceive to be our identity, is our true identity, which is forever in keeping with all that is good and the sooner that we drop the façade that we are something that we are not, the sooner we will rediscover enlightenment, in which no darkness will remain within our being.

Sirah (Ecclesiasticus) 42: 21

We read in Sirah (Ecclesiasticus) 42: 21 the following: “He has set in order the splendors of his wisdom; He is from all eternity one and the same. Nothing can be added or taken away, and he needs no one to be his counselor.”  This thus signifies to all who have the eyes to read, and the ears to listen, that God is forever unchanging and thereby absolutely complete, along with God being the epitome of wisdom, that no entity can add to or subtract from.  That is to say, God is omniscient, and ever will be -- God is also our rock that has always existed and ever will exist, which all of us should take great comfort in knowing, for we live in a dimension that demonstrates to us, time and time again, injustice, falsehood, and discord, though some do their best to counteract such by their noble deeds and actions done for the betterment of humankind.

 For so many of us, it is hard to fathom what God truly represents, because we have a strong tendency to bring God down to our human understanding, and therefore to believe that God must have a temper, and must be vengeful from time to time, because of all the injustice and wrongs committed by people, over and over again.  So too, many people believe that God has a limit to what God will tolerate before God wreaks havoc upon those who do not listen and will not obey.  These wrongful beliefs persist because of our inability to see beyond our human emotions, and thereby our failure to understand that God is at that supreme level, that is difficult for humans to even come close to understanding, which is why, we as a people, need to spend more time listening to that still small voice within, to better comprehend, our true place in the scheme of things, and in the skeins of time.

 The fact that God is eternal, with therefore no beginning and no end, with wisdom that is perfect and always will be, should give us the greatest comfort that we could ever envision, because this signifies that as important as we might think that our society is, with all the things that are occurring in this dimension, this basically serves to demonstrate that our perspective is wildly out of proportion to what the reality of all that is, actually is.  This should provide us with real relief to know that all that we believe is so dire or that needs to be corrected in the here and now, or else terrible and tragic things will occur -- to understand better, that it will all ultimately be well.

 Indeed, humankind has a tendency to believe that they are the measure of all things, and seemingly the more advanced that we get, the more that we believe that this is right; whereas, what is lost through this egotistical and misdirected mindset is that the most important knowledge is that which comprehends that we are specially created incarnations of God, meant to not only do good one to another, through the appropriate usage of our free will but to seek and ultimately to re-find ourselves back in the loving bosom of God, for that is the sanctuary that ends all miseries and brings us everlasting peace, removing us therefore from all that would distract us from the eternal being of God.

God lacks nothing

Society needs to understand that God lacks nothing, and therefore, God has no desires at all. This must be true because if God had desires, or lacked this or lacked that, this would signify that God is not complete, and therefore, God is ever-changing, which is not the correct perspective of God. Indeed, God is the same today, yesterday, and forever, for God is ever complete, now and forevermore.

 When it comes to humans, this indicates that what we do or don’t do, is in the scheme of things, our responsibility and it is up to us, to do the right thing, or suffer the fair consequence of our bad acts.  That is to say, the point of our creation is to provide each of us with the opportunity to prove our mettle, and those who fail their tests, are provided the same opportunity, again and again, until we get it right, for that which cannot meet the standard of goodness, justice, consideration, kindness, and love precludes them from successfully re-uniting with that which is the be-all and end-all of all that is forever good.

 For instance, one of the characteristics that many humans seem to suffer from is a lack of humility, in which, when a given individual or team accomplishes good deeds or great acts, there is many a person that feels that they deserve an appropriate amount of accolades for what they have done on behalf of humanity.  A better perspective is to recognize that the more good deeds that we do for one another, the more that we have demonstrated our attunement with the good attributes of our God, for we are meant to be a reflection of that which created us, and the truer that we are to that which is eternally good, the better it will be for all that we interact with, day by day, which is therefore appreciation enough.

 This world is indeed a stage, or a proving ground, provided to each of us with the opportunity to do what we need to do for the glory of God by demonstrating in action our good acts one to another, through the exercise of our free will, properly applied.  There are indeed temptations presented to us, because the nature of the beast, is that we must be challenged, we must have obstacles, and we must have noble goals and objectives, that allow us to comprehend that what we think and do is a fair reflection of what we have done with the liberty so bestowed upon us.

 Whether or not we are successful in our life or not, depends upon many things, of which, not everything is in our control, but it is how we react to the vicissitudes of life that determines our success or failure to such.  Through it all, God is ever-watching the stage that all this is enacted upon, serene in the knowledge that however it comes out, it will, in the end, be well, for no matter how dark the day or night may appear now to be, there will always be Light.

Peace without God

There are all sorts of things that are possible or conceivable, but one of those things that isn’t ever going to be possible is lasting peace without God at the forefront of such.  Those that truly believe that humankind will be able to bring true peace on earth, without being in conformance with God’s Commandments are those that are hopelessly lost.  To believe that somehow humankind’s wisdom without enlightenment from God and adherence, so of, is ever going to be good enough to bring any lasting peace to humanity and society, is the very reason why this world is for so many people, a living hell and unjust.

 While it is true, that history is replete with wars fought on religious grounds, this does not indicate that religion is wrong, though how certain people and principalities express that religion can definitely be wrong, but is more akin to the sinfulness of believing that those that misunderstand and misconstrue God are somehow going to be on the right side of justice, love, and mercy, which signifies that they have gotten it fundamentally wrong.

 So too, those who are so enamored and caught up in this world, believing somehow, that humankind is the master of its own fate, and that it is those who are on the cutting edge of this and of that, are going to through their advancements and insight bring forth peace and prosperity for all, without bothering to acknowledge the importance that consideration and fair play one to another, is the basis of true friendship and understanding, are those that are on the wrong pathway, for the most important knowledge, is the knowledge of who and what we really are.

 Additionally, those who believe that lasting peace and justice do come through the barrel of a gun, are the same who can’t understand or comprehend the hypocrisy of such a belief, for those who live by the sword are the very same that will die from such.  Rather, lasting peace can only be birthed from lasting justice, and justice must consist of such being no respecter of humankind, for we are all in this world together, of which, none are above the law, but rather all are subject to the very same law, equally applied, without exception.

 To find peace without the understanding of God, is not possible, for God is the light of our conscience, and without that necessary light, we see dimly and what we see is distorted, making it difficult for us to find our way, of which, we need to be on that one specific pathway to get to the only destination that really matters, of which, when we arrive at where we are supposed to be, we will not only be in a dimension of everlasting peace, but we will also know for a certainty this is the way that it was always meant to be. 

 Indeed, those who resist, ignore, or forsake God, have made a very poor choice, of which, that very decision is the same that will not ever provide them with everlasting justice or peace.