During the 18th Century, the British Colonies in America found themselves feeling more and more oppressed by a government that not only was not listening to them, but was so removed from them that they had no idea about the lives or issues facing the daily lives of the colonists. Ironically, most of the leaders of the Revolution were originally willing to remain British, if only their country would treat them properly. The first attempts to bring about change between the Acts coming out of Parliament and the quality of life of the colonists was in the form of editorials and pamphlets or the use of free speech and freedom of the press. When that brought no relief then the colonists sent envoys to plead their case in person in front of Parliament and the King. Benjamin Franklin was one such envoy and was actually initially a very loyal subject of the crown; that was until he was shown first hand exactly how poorly the Crown looked down on His subjects from 'across the pond'. It was after this experience that Mr. Franklin returned to the Colonies to sadly state that there would be no comfort found under the rule of the Crown. Thus, the Revolution became necessary.
After with the founding of our free republic our forefathers wrote one of the greatest living documents ever. The whole point of the document was for it to be adaptable to the needs not of the government but the people. To insure the eternal freedom, or so the founding fathers thought, of the people of the United States the Constitution included 10 Amendments, commonly known as the Bill of Rights. The rights include the most sacred and necessary rights for the people to be able to keep the government in check.
Amendment II
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
The current government would tell you that an individual's right to bear arms is limited to the purpose of the sport of hunting or sport target shooting and at the pleasure of the government. However, one needs only read the first 13 words of the Second Amendment to see that any limitation of any person of the United States to own any arms is a direct violation of the Constitution. The purpose of the Second Amendment clearly states, that our founding fathers understood that the public needed to be equally armed with the government so that it was the government that feared the people not the people who fear their government. An armed population is the ONLY guarantee of a free state. Any state that removes the right and means by which the population is to be equally armed with the government is a questionably oppressive government.
24 March 2014
18 March 2014
US One Step Closer To Ukraine
President Obama stated yesterday, in his address on the Ukrainian Crisis, that the US was imposing sanctions on several high -ranking Russian officials as well as ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and Vladimir Konstantinov of the Crimean Parliament and Viktor Medvedchuk of Ukrainian Choice. So basically, everyone that isn't supporting the American view of what is right for Ukraine. It is a fact that Crimea is ethnically Russian with very strong ties to Russia. It is very natural for those with Russian heritage and contacts to be concerned with the very anti-Russian rhetoric coming out of the "new" government in Kiev. There have been concerns that some of the groups that make up the new leadership contains those with neo-Nazi ideas, this mere suggestion instead of being properly investigated and then with sourced and verified information refuted, has been buried under all the Russian/Putin imperialistic accusations. While I am not denying any such motive on Putin's part; he is a very ambitious man with a real desire to see Russia increase her international presence. That is not anything different than any other world leader. That is how world leaders become world leaders.
In this instance there is the fact that Russia is certainly more justified to be involved in Ukraine than the US or even NATO. The first is that Ukraine boarders Russia; second Russia has military interest in Crimea; third there is a strong Russian populace in Crimea that feels insecure with Kiev.
Ironic that it was okay for Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Macedonia to succeed from Yugoslavia over 'ethnic' differences, but it isn't okay for Crimea to succeed over basically the same issue. The major difference being that Crimea isn't seeking NATO protection, it is seeking Russian protection and that cannot be allowed.
Ironic the same supporters of the 'elections' in the Balkan break away states now consider elections in Crimea illegal and unfair, carried out under the duress of the alleged presence of armed "Russian soldiers" "on every corner". Where was the out cry for armed men in black on every corner in Bosnia and Kosovo? How can any armed person be a Russian soldier in Crimea, yet the same individuals in the Balkans were "freedom fighters"? How is it so awful that persons in the streets for any reason in Crimea are said to be outsiders from Russia, yet it is NEVER mentioned that a majority of the "freedom fighters" in the breakaway Balkan states were outsiders that had previous military training and experience?
In this instance there is the fact that Russia is certainly more justified to be involved in Ukraine than the US or even NATO. The first is that Ukraine boarders Russia; second Russia has military interest in Crimea; third there is a strong Russian populace in Crimea that feels insecure with Kiev.
Ironic that it was okay for Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Macedonia to succeed from Yugoslavia over 'ethnic' differences, but it isn't okay for Crimea to succeed over basically the same issue. The major difference being that Crimea isn't seeking NATO protection, it is seeking Russian protection and that cannot be allowed.
Ironic the same supporters of the 'elections' in the Balkan break away states now consider elections in Crimea illegal and unfair, carried out under the duress of the alleged presence of armed "Russian soldiers" "on every corner". Where was the out cry for armed men in black on every corner in Bosnia and Kosovo? How can any armed person be a Russian soldier in Crimea, yet the same individuals in the Balkans were "freedom fighters"? How is it so awful that persons in the streets for any reason in Crimea are said to be outsiders from Russia, yet it is NEVER mentioned that a majority of the "freedom fighters" in the breakaway Balkan states were outsiders that had previous military training and experience?
13 March 2014
I May Be A Loon, But You Are Greedy.........
If you do not think just like me then you are a loon, at least according to Russell Saunders. In his op-ed, he claims that those parents whom wish to not vaccine their children are causing new outbreaks of Measles, which was considered eliminated in the US in 2000. In his slamming of parents that do not fund big pharmaceutical industry, he claims the risk of the virus for causing few deaths and some disabilities, the figures are fewer than deaths by prescribed medicines. However, if you read his own words about the disease being eliminated, then you have to logically conclude that his statistics about deaths and disabilities are irrelevant.
Once again this is just another example of quantity over quality. We think that if we can keep more people biologically alive for longer that we are making life better. However, we have forgotten that life isn't about how many breaths we take but about moments that take our breath away. Just like with the implementation of ObamaCare, I as a healthy, young adult that eats well, has no bad habits and takes care of myself without running to the doctor over every little sniffle asking for pills am being penalized with a tax, because others like my father's wife whom have never done anything to improve their health or quality of life and thinks that if the cure isn't in pill or shot form then it isn't not worth it is draining the insurance companies billion dollar profit margins.
The concept of health care is so money driven that instead of telling patients that you need to eat a better diet and exercise and stop smoking and drinking excessively, doctors simply write prescriptions that might treat or mask one symptom and cause other issues or side effects that require, guess what.....more pills! This is just one more example of the complete lack of common sense and personal responsibility. We are not suppose to live forever and honestly we do not deserve to. And things like childhood illnesses are actually better for humans as a whole than all the vaccines that are forced onto us when we are at an age that makes us unable to agree to what is done to us and with the duress consent of our parents whom are under informed and over intimidated.
Once again this is just another example of quantity over quality. We think that if we can keep more people biologically alive for longer that we are making life better. However, we have forgotten that life isn't about how many breaths we take but about moments that take our breath away. Just like with the implementation of ObamaCare, I as a healthy, young adult that eats well, has no bad habits and takes care of myself without running to the doctor over every little sniffle asking for pills am being penalized with a tax, because others like my father's wife whom have never done anything to improve their health or quality of life and thinks that if the cure isn't in pill or shot form then it isn't not worth it is draining the insurance companies billion dollar profit margins.
The concept of health care is so money driven that instead of telling patients that you need to eat a better diet and exercise and stop smoking and drinking excessively, doctors simply write prescriptions that might treat or mask one symptom and cause other issues or side effects that require, guess what.....more pills! This is just one more example of the complete lack of common sense and personal responsibility. We are not suppose to live forever and honestly we do not deserve to. And things like childhood illnesses are actually better for humans as a whole than all the vaccines that are forced onto us when we are at an age that makes us unable to agree to what is done to us and with the duress consent of our parents whom are under informed and over intimidated.
11 March 2014
Finding Patriotism or Self-Promotion.......
Last week anchor Liz Wahl quit on air from her post at RT. Her claim was that she did not like taking money from Russia, nor for "white-washing Putin's actions". I am some what confused and certainly unimpressed by her "patriotic" actions. Wahl has been an anchor for RT for some time, has she never read her contract or her paystub? How did she not know that her money came from Russia? Is she not a journalist, did she not know whom she was seeking employment from, did she never figure out that the R in RT was Russia? All those questions, certainly makes one wonder why she was ever hired by RT to begin with. I do understand why she was on the desk and not out in the field; she could not conduct an interview or broadcast without extreme assistance of her legal pad. Matter of fact even upon finding her "Patriotism" she was so passionate and determined about her decision that she sat melancholy and despondent with legal pad in hand, reading her new found passion like a school child reciting a list of unappreciated historic dates.
I also find it ironic that she doesn't like that her previous employer was pro-Putin. Does she actually believe that any mass media outlet is not biased? Is she that naive that she thinks that the likes of CNN, MSNBC, FoxNews, or BBC are not biased in their presentation of the news? Does she not think that they do not "white-wash" stories to the benefit of their audience and producers and ratings? This is just another example of how lacking our education system is that we produce individuals in fields where open-minds and free-thinking are primary components yet the individuals have no idea how to think for themselves, how to seek the truth, how to investigate the event without having a biased point of view. Of course the government and big business do not want reporters and a press that seeks the truth, that thinks for themselves, that is out for the common good of the people. That is why big business bought up all the news outlets. How can you call any mass media outlet unbiased when 6 corporations own over 90% of the news published in most countries.
I am sure that Wahl will find her 15 minutes of fame in US mainstream media, they cannot wait to exploit her antics in their very biased anti-Putin stance. Therefore, she will be a praised pawn for the very pro-Obama pieces, especially during the Ukrainian unrest. She should enjoy her 15 minutes and charge top dollar for her selling her legal pad patriotism and invest that money well, she has no real future in journalism, she is not smart enough, nor is she pretty enough to be of lasting rating for anyone worthwhile in the industry.
I also find it ironic that she doesn't like that her previous employer was pro-Putin. Does she actually believe that any mass media outlet is not biased? Is she that naive that she thinks that the likes of CNN, MSNBC, FoxNews, or BBC are not biased in their presentation of the news? Does she not think that they do not "white-wash" stories to the benefit of their audience and producers and ratings? This is just another example of how lacking our education system is that we produce individuals in fields where open-minds and free-thinking are primary components yet the individuals have no idea how to think for themselves, how to seek the truth, how to investigate the event without having a biased point of view. Of course the government and big business do not want reporters and a press that seeks the truth, that thinks for themselves, that is out for the common good of the people. That is why big business bought up all the news outlets. How can you call any mass media outlet unbiased when 6 corporations own over 90% of the news published in most countries.
I am sure that Wahl will find her 15 minutes of fame in US mainstream media, they cannot wait to exploit her antics in their very biased anti-Putin stance. Therefore, she will be a praised pawn for the very pro-Obama pieces, especially during the Ukrainian unrest. She should enjoy her 15 minutes and charge top dollar for her selling her legal pad patriotism and invest that money well, she has no real future in journalism, she is not smart enough, nor is she pretty enough to be of lasting rating for anyone worthwhile in the industry.
28 February 2014
Americans Slaves to Political Correctness.......
Americans have become so enslaved by political correctness that they will not speak the truth at any cost. That fact will be the final destruction of American society. The willingness by a whole people to shun the truth for illusion, image and political correctness is the greatest tragedy that any society can self-inflict. There were times in the past that valued an individual's character and integrity. Good people conducted themselves with self-respect and dignity. They, also, treated others with respect. When a person's character and integrity matter, there was an understanding of personal responsibility and accountability as well. Somewhere in the last several decades the concept was not only presented, but somehow became the foundation of societal behavior that someone else was responsible for our short comings, our bad decisions, as well as, our safety and security and well being. This concept is completely absurd, however it makes a great environment for the clever deceivers to gain power and distract the masses through the focus on such trivial issues as the color of skin or the religions that are practiced so that individual liberties are willingly given up by the public.
This can be seen in every aspect of our life. An individual arms himself and enters a public building and commits murder and suddenly for our safety we are told to prevent this we need to attack gun owners and remove guns from society. We do not say, we need to hold the individual accountable for his actions. If an underage driver is killed in a drunk driving accident we want to increase the drinking age, we do not say, where were the parents that they did not raise their child to respect laws or to make the choice to not drink and drive. The most common answer given by parents after their child commits some horrible crime or makes a poor choice that leads to a horrendous tragedy is "I didn't know" or "It had to be someone else's fault, my child would never do that on their own" Yet the truth is that most parents are so involved in their own lives and their own pursuits of material wealth and gain that they have not cultivated real relationships with their children, in fact most members of society do not have more than maybe ONE real relationship in their whole of all interactions with all others in their entire lives. In addition their own desire to secure and protect their image and delusions are to demand that others be blamed for their child's actions.
Another error common with these same parents is that when their child gets in minor or mild trouble, they do everything they can to prevent their child from suffering consequences or stepping up and being responsible for their actions. Thus the child grows up without any real understanding of either sympathy or empathy for the ripple effect of their negative actions and believing that they are entitled to get off easy and that privileges are in fact rights. This error in thought and conduct creates the opportunity for government to have a basis for dictating more and more of their behavior "for security and peace." There is absolutely no reason at all for any government or the public of any society to write common sense in laws. This is a waste of time, energy, money, judicial and social focus. If members of society are so berate of common sense that they need laws to keep them safe from life and desire such laws then maybe the role that individual plays in society should be reviewed. And you can be sure that if as a whole the public shows that it is not capable of making simple daily decisions without government interference the rest of our delusional rights will be removed in short order. There has been the mention of the Cold War in the news recently, most people have forgotten that time, the difference if that mentality resumes is that the West will no longer be the side of individual liberty and freedoms.
This can be seen in every aspect of our life. An individual arms himself and enters a public building and commits murder and suddenly for our safety we are told to prevent this we need to attack gun owners and remove guns from society. We do not say, we need to hold the individual accountable for his actions. If an underage driver is killed in a drunk driving accident we want to increase the drinking age, we do not say, where were the parents that they did not raise their child to respect laws or to make the choice to not drink and drive. The most common answer given by parents after their child commits some horrible crime or makes a poor choice that leads to a horrendous tragedy is "I didn't know" or "It had to be someone else's fault, my child would never do that on their own" Yet the truth is that most parents are so involved in their own lives and their own pursuits of material wealth and gain that they have not cultivated real relationships with their children, in fact most members of society do not have more than maybe ONE real relationship in their whole of all interactions with all others in their entire lives. In addition their own desire to secure and protect their image and delusions are to demand that others be blamed for their child's actions.
Another error common with these same parents is that when their child gets in minor or mild trouble, they do everything they can to prevent their child from suffering consequences or stepping up and being responsible for their actions. Thus the child grows up without any real understanding of either sympathy or empathy for the ripple effect of their negative actions and believing that they are entitled to get off easy and that privileges are in fact rights. This error in thought and conduct creates the opportunity for government to have a basis for dictating more and more of their behavior "for security and peace." There is absolutely no reason at all for any government or the public of any society to write common sense in laws. This is a waste of time, energy, money, judicial and social focus. If members of society are so berate of common sense that they need laws to keep them safe from life and desire such laws then maybe the role that individual plays in society should be reviewed. And you can be sure that if as a whole the public shows that it is not capable of making simple daily decisions without government interference the rest of our delusional rights will be removed in short order. There has been the mention of the Cold War in the news recently, most people have forgotten that time, the difference if that mentality resumes is that the West will no longer be the side of individual liberty and freedoms.
27 February 2014
Where has real news gone???????
This past week the news has reported on a substitute teacher being arrested for DUI in Oklahoma and an elderly man taking home the wrong student from a school in Connecticut, not to mention updates on plea deal offered for Bieber and issues with Katy Perry's accessories in a music video........
Really??? This is the best that you can do???? How does national news channels justify that the whole nation needs to know that some drunk was arrested in the school parking lot in Oklahoma? Where is the story there? There are thousands of drunks arrested everyday, a lot of them are headed to work, some as healthcare providers and others in fields that help protect our weakest citizens. If we covered every arrest we would know absolutely nothing of real importance in the world. While these stories might be important to the parents of said schools, they have absolutely NO impact on the nation as a whole.
The intentional distraction of the American public with stupid, needless nonsense to facilitate the abuse of power prevalent in the current and recent administrations as well as the reality that big business and government are allies without regard for the public is only magnified by the fact that 6 mega-news corporations control over 75% of the news in the nation as well as in the world. Comcast and Time Warner will merge to create a basic national monopoly in the cable/internet provider sector and there is not a single outraged government voice yelling about anti-trust laws and the courts are not going to consider the merger illegal under monopoly regulations.
Our schools no longer educate our youth, instead they teach conformity and rule following without questions. They insist on our children being tattle tells and whiners instead of teaching them to solve issues and problems on their own or to be responsible for their own actions or heaven forbid to stand up for themselves. Teachers whom actually teach the Constitution as the living framework of our nation instead of some historical document with no current applications, are disciplined and risk losing their career. This mentality is evident across all areas of government control. Just look at our healthcare system, it is big business and government that is telling doctors what and how to treat patients instead of doctors working with their patients to encourage healthier lifestyles. There is no profit in healthier lifestyles that compares to the profit of chemical masking of increased poisoning of the body so that more chemicals are need to mask the harmful effects of the first chemicals that merely masked the symptoms so that the patient would require the continued ingesting of said chemicals to believe the lie of improved health.
Big business is so in control of the politicians that they can insure their profit margins simply by requiring laws that demand their products be purchased by private citizens. Our forefathers would be so disappointed in the state of the nation that they would lead another revolution. They never intended for government to intervene SO much in private affairs of men, that was the whole reason this country was founded, to PREVENT government's interference in the private affairs of men.
The first amendment we created to ensure the integrity of men and journalists among other things. Yet, today there is NO integrity within the newsrooms of the nations. They are controlled and run by big business, in order to promote the propaganda that they wish to ensure the conformity they require to maintain their profit margins and way of life. The fact that ordinary citizens seem to think this is a good idea, proves just how successful the socialist mentality of the education system has become.
This current state of affairs will be the undoing of this nation. And the undoing will come sooner rather than later. There is no one to blame but the everyday individual American citizen for not loving the nation handed them by their forefathers to insure that it remains for future generations. The country is less secure, not more secure; the individual is less intelligent and educated, not more civilized or advanced; the world is on the brink of major change, not steadily moving forward to some illusion of unity and peace.
There is still time to change the course of history, but only if you stop deluding yourself that actors, singers, and reality TV are in fact REAL and instead remember that your children, your neighbor, your community are what is truly real. Make no mistake this is not something that you can put off until you decide to get around to it.....time will come, when it is too late.
Really??? This is the best that you can do???? How does national news channels justify that the whole nation needs to know that some drunk was arrested in the school parking lot in Oklahoma? Where is the story there? There are thousands of drunks arrested everyday, a lot of them are headed to work, some as healthcare providers and others in fields that help protect our weakest citizens. If we covered every arrest we would know absolutely nothing of real importance in the world. While these stories might be important to the parents of said schools, they have absolutely NO impact on the nation as a whole.
The intentional distraction of the American public with stupid, needless nonsense to facilitate the abuse of power prevalent in the current and recent administrations as well as the reality that big business and government are allies without regard for the public is only magnified by the fact that 6 mega-news corporations control over 75% of the news in the nation as well as in the world. Comcast and Time Warner will merge to create a basic national monopoly in the cable/internet provider sector and there is not a single outraged government voice yelling about anti-trust laws and the courts are not going to consider the merger illegal under monopoly regulations.
Our schools no longer educate our youth, instead they teach conformity and rule following without questions. They insist on our children being tattle tells and whiners instead of teaching them to solve issues and problems on their own or to be responsible for their own actions or heaven forbid to stand up for themselves. Teachers whom actually teach the Constitution as the living framework of our nation instead of some historical document with no current applications, are disciplined and risk losing their career. This mentality is evident across all areas of government control. Just look at our healthcare system, it is big business and government that is telling doctors what and how to treat patients instead of doctors working with their patients to encourage healthier lifestyles. There is no profit in healthier lifestyles that compares to the profit of chemical masking of increased poisoning of the body so that more chemicals are need to mask the harmful effects of the first chemicals that merely masked the symptoms so that the patient would require the continued ingesting of said chemicals to believe the lie of improved health.
Big business is so in control of the politicians that they can insure their profit margins simply by requiring laws that demand their products be purchased by private citizens. Our forefathers would be so disappointed in the state of the nation that they would lead another revolution. They never intended for government to intervene SO much in private affairs of men, that was the whole reason this country was founded, to PREVENT government's interference in the private affairs of men.
The first amendment we created to ensure the integrity of men and journalists among other things. Yet, today there is NO integrity within the newsrooms of the nations. They are controlled and run by big business, in order to promote the propaganda that they wish to ensure the conformity they require to maintain their profit margins and way of life. The fact that ordinary citizens seem to think this is a good idea, proves just how successful the socialist mentality of the education system has become.
This current state of affairs will be the undoing of this nation. And the undoing will come sooner rather than later. There is no one to blame but the everyday individual American citizen for not loving the nation handed them by their forefathers to insure that it remains for future generations. The country is less secure, not more secure; the individual is less intelligent and educated, not more civilized or advanced; the world is on the brink of major change, not steadily moving forward to some illusion of unity and peace.
There is still time to change the course of history, but only if you stop deluding yourself that actors, singers, and reality TV are in fact REAL and instead remember that your children, your neighbor, your community are what is truly real. Make no mistake this is not something that you can put off until you decide to get around to it.....time will come, when it is too late.
23 January 2014
The Evisceration of Yugoslavia as told by Dean Henderson
Today, I am posting links to a series of articles on the break up of Yugoslavia.
21 January 2014
Ukraine; One Bad Extreme Is Better Than Bad Memories?
Protests continue in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev. The public seems to think that they have only 2 options for their future; Russia or the EU. Maybe the people of Ukraine should decide instead of demanding the government to stop being sheep for the Russians and instead be sheep for the EU they should ask their government to be lions for the people of Ukraine.
A nation does not need to be listed in the rolls of the European Union to be European. Being European cannot be given or taken away by the whims of Brussels. Not to mention that looking at how being European has worked out for Greece, Cyprus, Hungary, Portugal, and how thin the ice is getting in Italy, Spain and Slovenia.
Ukrainians need to look at the whole picture and figure out for themselves how to walk their own path. The European Union is not out for all the citizens of Europe, they are only out for themselves. If Ukrainians think their politicians are not out for their best interests, and that is probably accurate; why would politicians in Brussels give a damn about the other 99% in Ukraine.
Here is a thought, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia and other regional states should develop their own loose confederation and stand on their own. They should hold dearly to the independence that they have fought so hard to have over the last century. They should work for their own improvement and benefit. There are many opportunities for smaller independent nations to walk their own path and show their true strength and pride. But, this path takes courage and innovation and drive and motivation and focus. It can be achieved and the rewards can be monumental.
A nation does not need to be listed in the rolls of the European Union to be European. Being European cannot be given or taken away by the whims of Brussels. Not to mention that looking at how being European has worked out for Greece, Cyprus, Hungary, Portugal, and how thin the ice is getting in Italy, Spain and Slovenia.
Ukrainians need to look at the whole picture and figure out for themselves how to walk their own path. The European Union is not out for all the citizens of Europe, they are only out for themselves. If Ukrainians think their politicians are not out for their best interests, and that is probably accurate; why would politicians in Brussels give a damn about the other 99% in Ukraine.
Here is a thought, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia and other regional states should develop their own loose confederation and stand on their own. They should hold dearly to the independence that they have fought so hard to have over the last century. They should work for their own improvement and benefit. There are many opportunities for smaller independent nations to walk their own path and show their true strength and pride. But, this path takes courage and innovation and drive and motivation and focus. It can be achieved and the rewards can be monumental.
05 November 2013
Random Thoughs About Random Things
So today I am going to point out some random things that display how far we have distanced ourselves from common sense. It just amazes me some days how little most people just go along with the crowd without a single thought. Why do people buy into the idea that EVERYONE has the same DREAM. We don't! We are individuals, we all have different talents and gifts, different strengths and weaknesses. There is a very good reason for that, it is suppose to take ALL of us using our individual talents and gifts to make the world a better place and to make our quality of life better. It should disappoint us greatly that we no longer encourage individualism but instead blindly enforce conformity.
We think it is best for our children to wear uniforms to school, instead of expressing their individuality. And that is the foundation of uniforms. That is why uniforms are used by military, law enforcement, and prisoners. They are a symbol of being just a part of a whole. In those 3 examples the need for uniforms are for the completion of the mission successfully. However, in the instant of schools, the use of school uniforms has limited the individual growth of our children. It inhibits their natural curiosity and creativity. In most states, the whole purpose of the "education" system is not to educate but to teach conformity and blind obedience.
And with the prison system, while the use of uniforms is appropriate, the system itself is so broken that it in NO way accomplishes the mission of rehabilitation. Matter of fact the prison system works just like the welfare system; it is designed to keep the fallen down and to ensure that the broken remain in pieces. The Cook County Jail is the largest jail in the country and it is also the largest mental health facility in the country as well. As a nation we spend hundreds of millions on luxuries for the 'public servants,' which in no way benefits the nation as a whole, yet we release individuals back into society, with no betterment from the start of their incarceration and no path to achieve betterment on their own. And spending money on that would benefit the whole nation, even the greedy corporations that could have a broader labor force and stronger consumer base for their products and services. Which begs the question, why keep them down....
The current state of the US, shows just how much damage can be done when your primary focus is money. When your motivation is greed. When your desire is for instant gratification. When you measure success by the number of things you have. When your dreams come from without instead of within. When you blindly support the inept leaders of your government. When the real leaders of the country are owned by big business. When you allow laws that infringe on basic common sense and human rights. When you surrender unconditionally to terrorism, yet allow a half planned war against terrorist.
If you think the observances are extreme, think, on your own, about these examples. It is illegal in most states to collect rain water on your own property. It is illegal in most counties to grow a garden in your yard. Walking into the Social Security Administration office with picture ID does not prove you are living. You are required by law to purchase products, think of insurance. Everyday you allow the government to infringe on your rights and the rights of your fellow man under the guise of safety and national security. So when you have NO real rights left you have no one to blame but yourself.....cause knowing what the Kardashians were doing and buying the latest shoes was more important than attending the local school board meeting; cause you throw a party every year for the Super Bowl but cannot find the time to vote on election day, both of which fall basically on the same day every year.
We think it is best for our children to wear uniforms to school, instead of expressing their individuality. And that is the foundation of uniforms. That is why uniforms are used by military, law enforcement, and prisoners. They are a symbol of being just a part of a whole. In those 3 examples the need for uniforms are for the completion of the mission successfully. However, in the instant of schools, the use of school uniforms has limited the individual growth of our children. It inhibits their natural curiosity and creativity. In most states, the whole purpose of the "education" system is not to educate but to teach conformity and blind obedience.
And with the prison system, while the use of uniforms is appropriate, the system itself is so broken that it in NO way accomplishes the mission of rehabilitation. Matter of fact the prison system works just like the welfare system; it is designed to keep the fallen down and to ensure that the broken remain in pieces. The Cook County Jail is the largest jail in the country and it is also the largest mental health facility in the country as well. As a nation we spend hundreds of millions on luxuries for the 'public servants,' which in no way benefits the nation as a whole, yet we release individuals back into society, with no betterment from the start of their incarceration and no path to achieve betterment on their own. And spending money on that would benefit the whole nation, even the greedy corporations that could have a broader labor force and stronger consumer base for their products and services. Which begs the question, why keep them down....
The current state of the US, shows just how much damage can be done when your primary focus is money. When your motivation is greed. When your desire is for instant gratification. When you measure success by the number of things you have. When your dreams come from without instead of within. When you blindly support the inept leaders of your government. When the real leaders of the country are owned by big business. When you allow laws that infringe on basic common sense and human rights. When you surrender unconditionally to terrorism, yet allow a half planned war against terrorist.
If you think the observances are extreme, think, on your own, about these examples. It is illegal in most states to collect rain water on your own property. It is illegal in most counties to grow a garden in your yard. Walking into the Social Security Administration office with picture ID does not prove you are living. You are required by law to purchase products, think of insurance. Everyday you allow the government to infringe on your rights and the rights of your fellow man under the guise of safety and national security. So when you have NO real rights left you have no one to blame but yourself.....cause knowing what the Kardashians were doing and buying the latest shoes was more important than attending the local school board meeting; cause you throw a party every year for the Super Bowl but cannot find the time to vote on election day, both of which fall basically on the same day every year.
30 October 2013
"More Money Less Insurance"
Ah, if the ACA, better known as ObamaCare, hasn't totally made you sick yet, give it another few weeks and it will. Looking at the promises made and repeated time and time again, and looking at the numbers, there was never any way that the Affordable Care Act could float as promised.
Let's take a walk down memory lane;
Obama promised that "If you like your health insurance, you can keep it." The fact is that from the time that the ACA was signed into law and companies started seeing the requirements and the number crunchers started crunching the numbers: companies have been cutting full-time employees to part-time status; companies have been limiting the hours that part-time employees are working; companies have informed employees that insurance benefits will be limited or dropped. It is estimated that 2 million Americans have lost the health care that they had. And there are more to follow, not to mention that for those 2 million most are finding that their premiums will increase by up to 50% over their lost benefits and that might not even mean similar coverage.
Obama's stance was that the ACA was a way for those that currently did not have or could not afford health care to be covered. It was to catch those that had fallen through the cracks of the old system. The problem is that a significant number of those millions of uninsured Americans will not only still fall through the cracks they will also be punished for it. And the insurance companies are still making billions in profits every year, as they are raking in on this force purchase of their products.
If Obama wanted to really help out the poor and uninsured then he should have taken a very courageous approach to healthcare. He should have fought to make all hospitals and clinics and other health industries non-profits. He should have consolidated the health industry and imposed rules and regulations that insure that patients are put before profits. He should have developed a method by which medical students and others receiving a degree or certification in the health industry are required instead of paying back student loans, those individuals should commit to equal service to their length of education in the poorest and most in need areas of the country. There is even a bonus in this that maybe some of these persons that pursue a health care career for the primary purpose of monetary gain, might actually learn the real and true purpose of healing others. It is about giving and not receiving.
Now there are those that say the naysayers are just trying to scare people for political motives. And the supporters of ObamaCare can show figures for how many people have been helped by the ACA. But here is the bottom line, big business has more pull in Washington than any individual group of private citizens; therefore, the insurance and healthcare industry would have never allowed any law to be passed that would in any way diminish their profit margin.
The real losers here are future American citizens. The way to have a healthier public is to limit the greed of, not only, big business, but also, of the falsely entitled self: to reteach people to be active; to use common sense; to practice moderation; to be responsible for their own choices; to think about the ramifications of ALL their actions.
Let's take a walk down memory lane;
Obama promised that "If you like your health insurance, you can keep it." The fact is that from the time that the ACA was signed into law and companies started seeing the requirements and the number crunchers started crunching the numbers: companies have been cutting full-time employees to part-time status; companies have been limiting the hours that part-time employees are working; companies have informed employees that insurance benefits will be limited or dropped. It is estimated that 2 million Americans have lost the health care that they had. And there are more to follow, not to mention that for those 2 million most are finding that their premiums will increase by up to 50% over their lost benefits and that might not even mean similar coverage.
Obama's stance was that the ACA was a way for those that currently did not have or could not afford health care to be covered. It was to catch those that had fallen through the cracks of the old system. The problem is that a significant number of those millions of uninsured Americans will not only still fall through the cracks they will also be punished for it. And the insurance companies are still making billions in profits every year, as they are raking in on this force purchase of their products.
If Obama wanted to really help out the poor and uninsured then he should have taken a very courageous approach to healthcare. He should have fought to make all hospitals and clinics and other health industries non-profits. He should have consolidated the health industry and imposed rules and regulations that insure that patients are put before profits. He should have developed a method by which medical students and others receiving a degree or certification in the health industry are required instead of paying back student loans, those individuals should commit to equal service to their length of education in the poorest and most in need areas of the country. There is even a bonus in this that maybe some of these persons that pursue a health care career for the primary purpose of monetary gain, might actually learn the real and true purpose of healing others. It is about giving and not receiving.
Now there are those that say the naysayers are just trying to scare people for political motives. And the supporters of ObamaCare can show figures for how many people have been helped by the ACA. But here is the bottom line, big business has more pull in Washington than any individual group of private citizens; therefore, the insurance and healthcare industry would have never allowed any law to be passed that would in any way diminish their profit margin.
The real losers here are future American citizens. The way to have a healthier public is to limit the greed of, not only, big business, but also, of the falsely entitled self: to reteach people to be active; to use common sense; to practice moderation; to be responsible for their own choices; to think about the ramifications of ALL their actions.
24 October 2013
Working Full Time ......For What......
One of the most disturbing problems in the "richest" country in the world is the fact that working full time does not mean you make enough to live. And this statement is not having 1 full-time paycheck trying to support a whole family; it is speaking about supporting just the employee. The fact that someone working 40 hours per week cannot put a roof over their head or food on their table is a huge shame for this country.
The current minimum wage for the U.S. is $7.25, there are 18 states and the District of Columbia that have minimum wages higher than the national minimum. This may sound like a good thing but the minimum wage does not equate to a living wage. “The idea of a living wage is that workers and their families should be able to afford a basic, but decent, life style that is considered acceptable by society at its current level of economic development,” This is a huge variable, however it is not an impossible accomplishment. In an MIT study it was determined that not a single state has a minimum wage that meets a living wage. There are 2 states that come close to providing a living wage, North and South Dakota, all other states are falling short.
Some may say that this issue is not major and shouldn't take up time when there are so many other 'more important' issues that need our attention. Really? The other 2 issues that might be more important would actually benefit from all workers earning a living wage, those issues being our educational system and our justice/prison system.
Congress has argued that the minimum wage was never intended to support a family, the issue is that in most cases the minimum wage as shown in the afore links does not only not provide for a family, it doesn't support an individual. This argument seems fraught with misconceptions and just something as simple as setting a minimum living wage would have ramifications that would benefit all aspects of society. Of course the effects of keeping a majority of people below a living wage benefits the leaders.....it is the same tactic used by war lords, dictators, and terror leaders and recruiters.
In 1968 the minimum wage was $1.60; however, that wage had the same buying power as earning $10.74 today. That might sound not that bad since some figures show that most American workers make that now or close. But the inflation numbers used are the government's and therefore, play down the rate of inflation and decreased buying power of the American worker. "According to Social Security Administration about 40% of American workers make less than $20,000; that means that 40% of American workers earn less than they would have in 1968."
Now there are arguments that increasing the minimum wage will not improve those living below the poverty level. Those against raising the minimum wage insist that only part time workers will benefit from a minimum wage increase, since they claim that most full-time workers make more than minimum wage. Their other argument is that less than 10% of those living at or below poverty are full-time minimum wage earners, that in fact almost 70% are not working at all. However, the point they miss is how broken our "welfare" system is that actually prevents people from moving from welfare effectively and efficiently to full-time work force participant. Again, this dependency on the government is of benefit to the government. It is never a good government that wants it people dependent.
The current minimum wage for the U.S. is $7.25, there are 18 states and the District of Columbia that have minimum wages higher than the national minimum. This may sound like a good thing but the minimum wage does not equate to a living wage. “The idea of a living wage is that workers and their families should be able to afford a basic, but decent, life style that is considered acceptable by society at its current level of economic development,” This is a huge variable, however it is not an impossible accomplishment. In an MIT study it was determined that not a single state has a minimum wage that meets a living wage. There are 2 states that come close to providing a living wage, North and South Dakota, all other states are falling short.
Some may say that this issue is not major and shouldn't take up time when there are so many other 'more important' issues that need our attention. Really? The other 2 issues that might be more important would actually benefit from all workers earning a living wage, those issues being our educational system and our justice/prison system.
Congress has argued that the minimum wage was never intended to support a family, the issue is that in most cases the minimum wage as shown in the afore links does not only not provide for a family, it doesn't support an individual. This argument seems fraught with misconceptions and just something as simple as setting a minimum living wage would have ramifications that would benefit all aspects of society. Of course the effects of keeping a majority of people below a living wage benefits the leaders.....it is the same tactic used by war lords, dictators, and terror leaders and recruiters.
In 1968 the minimum wage was $1.60; however, that wage had the same buying power as earning $10.74 today. That might sound not that bad since some figures show that most American workers make that now or close. But the inflation numbers used are the government's and therefore, play down the rate of inflation and decreased buying power of the American worker. "According to Social Security Administration about 40% of American workers make less than $20,000; that means that 40% of American workers earn less than they would have in 1968."
Now there are arguments that increasing the minimum wage will not improve those living below the poverty level. Those against raising the minimum wage insist that only part time workers will benefit from a minimum wage increase, since they claim that most full-time workers make more than minimum wage. Their other argument is that less than 10% of those living at or below poverty are full-time minimum wage earners, that in fact almost 70% are not working at all. However, the point they miss is how broken our "welfare" system is that actually prevents people from moving from welfare effectively and efficiently to full-time work force participant. Again, this dependency on the government is of benefit to the government. It is never a good government that wants it people dependent.
06 October 2013
The Government is ShutDown but Special Forces are Working Overtime.......
In the last couple days the headlines have been touting the successes of US Special Forces Operations in Africa. It is amazing that we have the money to fund more than the basic running of the military services while we are shut down. It is also amazing that there were Special Forces in Libya to take down a terror cell, which I hope was not in control in a government capacity else we have attacked the sovereignty of another country (oh wait we are the US we do not care about the independence of other nations if they are not following our demands): yet, we could not protect our own embassy staff while they were under attack for hours. Even under Clinton we showed more courage and selflessness.
But putting aside the distractions that the Administration is using to keep eyes off of Washington, Kerry's comments are priceless..... Al Qaeda “can run but they can’t hide,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday; so does that mean that we will now support Syrian Government Forces and Al-Basad in their battle against terrorism and Al Qaeda? How is it that the US Government can condemn terrorists one day, wage war on the them next and supply them on the third day????? And lets not forget that in the beginning we trained them.
The US has lost all sense of honor and integrity. There is absolutely no moral basis left in Washington. It is all about money and power and politics. But the real tragedy isn't what is going on in DC, that is purely business as usual; the true tragedy is the acceptance of the American public in the light of such apathetic and appalling behavior as comes out of our government branches. You hear many complain about the situation but few are willing to do anything about it. Even something as simple as writing a blog is too much effort for most. But you have a duty as citizens to participate in your own government. You have a responsibility to your children to participate in your own government. You should have enough self respect to participate in your own government.
But putting aside the distractions that the Administration is using to keep eyes off of Washington, Kerry's comments are priceless..... Al Qaeda “can run but they can’t hide,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday; so does that mean that we will now support Syrian Government Forces and Al-Basad in their battle against terrorism and Al Qaeda? How is it that the US Government can condemn terrorists one day, wage war on the them next and supply them on the third day????? And lets not forget that in the beginning we trained them.
The US has lost all sense of honor and integrity. There is absolutely no moral basis left in Washington. It is all about money and power and politics. But the real tragedy isn't what is going on in DC, that is purely business as usual; the true tragedy is the acceptance of the American public in the light of such apathetic and appalling behavior as comes out of our government branches. You hear many complain about the situation but few are willing to do anything about it. Even something as simple as writing a blog is too much effort for most. But you have a duty as citizens to participate in your own government. You have a responsibility to your children to participate in your own government. You should have enough self respect to participate in your own government.
03 October 2013
What the world needs.....
Today I'm not going to say much. What I have to say is short and sweet today..... What this world needs are more men like Immortal Technique.
You do not need to be a world famous rapper to make a difference, you just have to care enough to want to make a difference.
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