I’ve been thinking a lot about this blog and some of my other efforts to speak about what I see happening in the government and our society. I’m weighing the need to stand up for what is right with the possible fallout that would be harmful for my family. For the foreseeable future I’ll be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I’ll play the part of the pathetic harmless ignorant serf that those in power apparently wish we all were. I will still teach my family correct principles, but will no longer attempt to address a larger and less secure audience.
My final thoughts for the time. We have less than a week until the fascist take over the government. I think we will see several things happen.
1. They will secure their hold on business so that no one can work or live without special permission and conditions.
2. Despite the many claims from the left about Patriot Act we won’t see the anti-warrant aspect repealed. We will see further laws that undermine the Bill of Rights. The “Fairness” doctrine will place freedom of speech firmly at he whim of the federal government. Assault weapons bans will reduce the 2nd amendment to the right to keep a disassembled musket in a locked cabinet if you have enough permits. “Anti-discrimination” and “hate crimes” laws will make being in some social class’s (IE someone who works for a living), religious orders (anything Christian), gender (Male or female that don’t think men are to blame for all the worlds problems), races (white) and sexual orientation (straight) illegal or at the very least heavily punished. In short the Bill of Rights will be turned so upside down that the founding fathers would not recognize it.
3. In order to enforce these changes some sort of secret police will be used. The starving citizens will be offered a decent living for a year or so to turn in their neighbors. Those tuned in will be sent in for reeducation or disappear after they are convicted at a speedy and private trial.
4. Public out cry will be framed as sedition. A state of emergency will become the normal. The constitution will be rewritten to deny all citizens of all of their rights and to only provide them with food and shelter so long as they behave themselves. The land of the free and the home of the brave will become a 300 million person nation of slaves.
I’m sure that looks rather bleak. I don’t think it will all happen over night, but that is the direction our nation is moving. Sadly far to many of us are willing to give up our freedom of speech for a DVD player or a Wii. Those who despise freedom are working effectively to rob us of our most basic rights. In almost all cases under the guise of safety fairness or being helpful, but the damage is serious and it will take many years to return our country to what it is supposed to be. I’m sadden to say that I don’t think we as a whole are even going to try for quite some time. Members of congress have engineered a major crisis in the public markets and are blaming private businesses for the problems. They offer a solution that is simply more of the problem and as the crisis gets worse they prescribe stronger medicine. While many people now living may value their fine foods and toys over freedom, but what right have they to rob the freedom of their children to support their whims.
I will hold to the God given freedoms this nation is supposed to ensure until I die. I wish I could hope for things to go well, but I believe that our freedoms will only be won back by blood possibly deaths in the millions before we as a nation wake up and take control over our lives once again.
I close with a reminder of what the Federal government is supposed to do and NOT do.
Amendment 1
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Amendment 2
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.
Amendment 3
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
Amendment 4
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Amendment 5 -
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
Amendment 6 –
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
Amendment 7 -
In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
Amendment 8 –
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
Amendment 9 –
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Amendment 10 -
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Please Mrs. Governor can I have a license to live?
So I’m doing a little research into some of the laws and policy’s that impact the way a social service agency runs (school assignment). I’ve learned a few things. I used to think it was strange that states require plumbers to be licensed oh how I miss the bliss my ignorance granted me. But first things first my school project was to look into the laws and regulations that impact the delivery of social services to people. I found that the most common requirement after being baby set by a more experienced person for 2-3 years was continuing education. I can not find 1 peace of research that demonstrates that a social worker (or anyone else) does a better job as a result of continuing education requirements. I did several searches with Google Pro quest and Ebscohost. I could not find anything that even approached the issue thought one article was attacking athletic trainers for paying for the conference and than spending the entire time on the golf course. Most states require continuing education for professionals in medical related jobs. But I can’t find any research to back up the assumption that it has any benefits. You do however have to jump through the hoops the state has created in order to do your job. In fact I’ve yet to run into a good argument for the licensing of most professional activities. I understand that people who provide services that save lives or could endanger them need to be carful and while I’m not sold on the idea that a license makes a difference I can understand why people would want someone doing those sorts of jobs to have some evidence that they are not hopelessly incompetent. Now none of this means I object to the State requiring a person to declare what they do so they can be tracked down in the case that a civil suit is filed. I’m Bob the plumber and contact info being kept on file can be almost no cost and not get in the way of someone doing whatever they do. However in looking into WA states policies I was surprised.
Again I understand having the guy cleaning up toxic waste being licensed .What I have a hard time with though are things like Time keepers for boxing, egg handling, animal message, Hulk hullers (those who transport wrecked vehicles), Nail salons, homeless shelters and hotels etc. I was going to include the entire list, but who wants to read a 17 page long list?
Not only do you need a license to operate a boat but you need one to sell one this appears to be separate from the basic license just to have a business in the first place. This is no doubt a great funding stream for the state. If you can require everyone to need half a dozen licenses the ones I looked at ran $20-150 each that must be renewed every year or two that’s a lot of money. Sure it makes the cost of everything go up buts that’s okay the state taxes the sale of things so higher prices mean more money.
I wonder how many lives have been lost as a result of low quality nail painting? Would an unlicensed homeless shelter somehow be worse than living on the streets? Is moving a peace of scrape metal from one place to another so hard and so dangerous that the state has to make rules for who can do that? Does anyone think that a little peace of paper makes someone a better time keeper or wrestler? Yet the great state of Washington uses their power to deny freedom and property to require them. Please someone tell me how is the public being served.
Again I understand having the guy cleaning up toxic waste being licensed .What I have a hard time with though are things like Time keepers for boxing, egg handling, animal message, Hulk hullers (those who transport wrecked vehicles), Nail salons, homeless shelters and hotels etc. I was going to include the entire list, but who wants to read a 17 page long list?
Not only do you need a license to operate a boat but you need one to sell one this appears to be separate from the basic license just to have a business in the first place. This is no doubt a great funding stream for the state. If you can require everyone to need half a dozen licenses the ones I looked at ran $20-150 each that must be renewed every year or two that’s a lot of money. Sure it makes the cost of everything go up buts that’s okay the state taxes the sale of things so higher prices mean more money.
I wonder how many lives have been lost as a result of low quality nail painting? Would an unlicensed homeless shelter somehow be worse than living on the streets? Is moving a peace of scrape metal from one place to another so hard and so dangerous that the state has to make rules for who can do that? Does anyone think that a little peace of paper makes someone a better time keeper or wrestler? Yet the great state of Washington uses their power to deny freedom and property to require them. Please someone tell me how is the public being served.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
In whom do you trust?
I’ve been doing some thinking about the apparent way people in our great nation think. While I tend to not be too shy about telling people what I think I also believe that it is my duty to allow them to think as they wish. Also to understand what they think and why so I can avoid misrepresenting their positions as much has reasonably possible. In my school program I have a lot of opportunities to hear the ideas of people of different values and views than myself. They are often shared casually as many assume (almost correctly) that everyone in the program is extremely liberal (at some point I should address how that term has mutated into a horrible and deadly cancer, but I’ll save that for another day).
What I find taught in so many ways day in day out is a deep and profound belief that the federal government is going to solve all the problems if only the backwards thinking conservatives would stop getting in the way of progress. So I’m trying to understand were that idea has come from.
Is a total faith in the goodness and kindness of the Federal Government a result of their personal experiences and the history of our nation?
Was it our Governments original tight restrictions on voting rights that inspire their trust?
Maybe the years of slavery in our nation in the South.
Perhaps when the two ruling parties struck a deal that prevented the federal government from enforcing the basic rights of the now “freed” slaves that assures them of their good intent and great ability.
Doubtless the countless treaties that we “renegotiated” with the Natives inspires trust.
Let us not forget our worship based foreign trade policies.
Maybe our providing amnesty to war criminals in exchange for their research is the key event that makes them love the Feds.
Perhaps our locking up every person of Japanese decent we could find in the entire country and selling their homes out from under them provides that big warm fuzzy.
I know our large nuclear arsenal and the assorted tests leading up to its creation just brings smiles to the faces of so many.
Lets not forget our good friends at the FBI and the fine job they did at Ruby Ridge and Waco. Know that a large number of people might come and harass me and my family and kill us really makes we want to go hug the nearest federal employee.
Perhaps having congress now trying to micro manage (in addition to bleed dry) every major corporation in the country makes it all seem just so right.
Maybe it is an understanding of how the FDA only allows us to have safe food and drugs oh yeah and the ones congress says we should have or not have because some company wants to that way.
You know maybe it is the huge national debt that we have which is reaching a point where we can not even afford to make the interest payments that inspires so much trust in the abilities of the Federal Government.
Perhaps it is their ability to provide us with one of the most expensive and least effective school systems in the known world that makes them want to hand over the rest of our lives to their watchful care.
This list could no doubt get a whole lot longer. I think I’ve touched on enough topics from enough different view points to make it clear that the Federal Government has a history of making some really bad calls. They made some really good ones too, but it is too large and too disconnected from the lives of people to be trusted to micro manage them. The feds can and should provide protection and insure that our basic freedoms the ones mentioned in the bill of rights not the ones we wish were there are enforced. Sadly we see way too much time and money being spent doing everything else and the shameful ignoring of those primary responsibilities. If the Bill of Rights were a child the President and Congress would all be in prison serving time for their criminal neglect and abuse.
I’ve hear about this off an on for years I don’t know who wrote it, but I take no credit (except for recognizing that it is a very valuable lesson)
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.
When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.
Our federal Government has come for the Mormons, the Japanese, the Natives and the Communist. If you doubt any of that please get a history book and cure yourself of your ignorance. One could make a good argument that they have come for the Africans, the Catholics and anyone who works hard and provides for their needs and wants without government subsidy. I don’t know who will be next, but ask yourself if they will come for someone else what is to stop them from coming for you?
In whom do you trust?
If it is in someone or something that changes with the winds of political expediency or whims of personal interest one day you may well find yourself at the mercy of a monster you helped to create.
What I find taught in so many ways day in day out is a deep and profound belief that the federal government is going to solve all the problems if only the backwards thinking conservatives would stop getting in the way of progress. So I’m trying to understand were that idea has come from.
Is a total faith in the goodness and kindness of the Federal Government a result of their personal experiences and the history of our nation?
Was it our Governments original tight restrictions on voting rights that inspire their trust?
Maybe the years of slavery in our nation in the South.
Perhaps when the two ruling parties struck a deal that prevented the federal government from enforcing the basic rights of the now “freed” slaves that assures them of their good intent and great ability.
Doubtless the countless treaties that we “renegotiated” with the Natives inspires trust.
Let us not forget our worship based foreign trade policies.
Maybe our providing amnesty to war criminals in exchange for their research is the key event that makes them love the Feds.
Perhaps our locking up every person of Japanese decent we could find in the entire country and selling their homes out from under them provides that big warm fuzzy.
I know our large nuclear arsenal and the assorted tests leading up to its creation just brings smiles to the faces of so many.
Lets not forget our good friends at the FBI and the fine job they did at Ruby Ridge and Waco. Know that a large number of people might come and harass me and my family and kill us really makes we want to go hug the nearest federal employee.
Perhaps having congress now trying to micro manage (in addition to bleed dry) every major corporation in the country makes it all seem just so right.
Maybe it is an understanding of how the FDA only allows us to have safe food and drugs oh yeah and the ones congress says we should have or not have because some company wants to that way.
You know maybe it is the huge national debt that we have which is reaching a point where we can not even afford to make the interest payments that inspires so much trust in the abilities of the Federal Government.
Perhaps it is their ability to provide us with one of the most expensive and least effective school systems in the known world that makes them want to hand over the rest of our lives to their watchful care.
This list could no doubt get a whole lot longer. I think I’ve touched on enough topics from enough different view points to make it clear that the Federal Government has a history of making some really bad calls. They made some really good ones too, but it is too large and too disconnected from the lives of people to be trusted to micro manage them. The feds can and should provide protection and insure that our basic freedoms the ones mentioned in the bill of rights not the ones we wish were there are enforced. Sadly we see way too much time and money being spent doing everything else and the shameful ignoring of those primary responsibilities. If the Bill of Rights were a child the President and Congress would all be in prison serving time for their criminal neglect and abuse.
I’ve hear about this off an on for years I don’t know who wrote it, but I take no credit (except for recognizing that it is a very valuable lesson)
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.
When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.
Our federal Government has come for the Mormons, the Japanese, the Natives and the Communist. If you doubt any of that please get a history book and cure yourself of your ignorance. One could make a good argument that they have come for the Africans, the Catholics and anyone who works hard and provides for their needs and wants without government subsidy. I don’t know who will be next, but ask yourself if they will come for someone else what is to stop them from coming for you?
In whom do you trust?
If it is in someone or something that changes with the winds of political expediency or whims of personal interest one day you may well find yourself at the mercy of a monster you helped to create.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
66,882,230
66,882,230 According to CNN that is the final number. They call it the total votes for Obama. I call it the number of persons who have spat on the graves of every man women and or child that has ever died defending liberty.
Freedom is a precious gift. A gift which has come from two sources. The Almighty God himself and the sacrifices made by our fathers and mothers for well over 200 years. November 2008 this nation choose to put racism and greed over freedom. We have sown the seeds and we will reap the harvest. If we get smart, repent and start standing up for he liberties we have been blessed with we may yet be spared much of the destruction that will come other wise. Pol Pot murdered 2 million or so men women and children and destroyed a countries entire infrastructure. Hitler caused the death of several million Jews and other disliked persons. Stalin however takes the cake with an estimated 34 million people murdered under his parties rule.
Despite this history we in the land of the free and the home of the brave have elected to our highest office a man who has patterned his camping after Hitler and his policies after Pol Pot and Stalin. It does not bode well for us as a people. It is said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Maybe after this next cycle of repression murder and who knows what other violations of human rights and decency perpetrated by our own government we will learn and stand up for our liberty and not sell it for the empty promise of free money.
When the oppression and murders come remember that 66,882,230 of us said we want it.
Freedom is a precious gift. A gift which has come from two sources. The Almighty God himself and the sacrifices made by our fathers and mothers for well over 200 years. November 2008 this nation choose to put racism and greed over freedom. We have sown the seeds and we will reap the harvest. If we get smart, repent and start standing up for he liberties we have been blessed with we may yet be spared much of the destruction that will come other wise. Pol Pot murdered 2 million or so men women and children and destroyed a countries entire infrastructure. Hitler caused the death of several million Jews and other disliked persons. Stalin however takes the cake with an estimated 34 million people murdered under his parties rule.
Despite this history we in the land of the free and the home of the brave have elected to our highest office a man who has patterned his camping after Hitler and his policies after Pol Pot and Stalin. It does not bode well for us as a people. It is said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Maybe after this next cycle of repression murder and who knows what other violations of human rights and decency perpetrated by our own government we will learn and stand up for our liberty and not sell it for the empty promise of free money.
When the oppression and murders come remember that 66,882,230 of us said we want it.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter
A long time ago this guy named Isaiah said that there would come a time when people would put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. While I don’t think we‘ve seen the worst of it yet we do see some. Take proposition 8 in California the 2nd time that the voters of the stat have declared what marriage is. The first time the courts said it was not constitutional. Now after round 2 a large number of people who do enjoy all discernable monetary benefits of marriage in their relationships in the state though not under the title of marriage are unhappy. There are now calls for the government to punish the churches who expressed an opinion on the matter. The demonstrations/riots are accusing the churches of hate and demanding their “civil rights”. Funny thing freedom of speech and freedom of religion are civil rights spelled out in the constitution marriage as being whatever anyone wants it to be is not.
I fear that we have dark days ahead when good will be called evil. The prisons will be filled with those who stand up for their rights and the courts will be filled with suites by those who are offended that others do not endorse their behavior nor matter how odd or immoral it becomes. I love this land, I love our constitution and I love freedom, but we will not long last if this redefining of values and rights continues.
I fear that we have dark days ahead when good will be called evil. The prisons will be filled with those who stand up for their rights and the courts will be filled with suites by those who are offended that others do not endorse their behavior nor matter how odd or immoral it becomes. I love this land, I love our constitution and I love freedom, but we will not long last if this redefining of values and rights continues.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A few recent thoughts.
Thought 1:
Humans have significant subconscious minds. There are things which are understood and known innately even if it is not discussed openly. Killing other people is wrong it does not take a lot of training to convince someone that they should not kill others. In most cases you have to do a lot of training to get someone to kill someone else. While this is not an absolute rule we can safely say that it is much more often than not.
Thought 2:
There is a big difference between what a person is entailed to unconditionally and those things that they are entitled to only on certain conditions. These benefits should be kept and shared in accordance to the rules for them. When these rules are broken it does harm to the people involved. A mother that does not show love to their child will cause harm to that child. She has kept a benefit that she owed to her child. She would also do herself harm she has robbed her child of a benefit that he needed. Her lack of care for her child will result in feelings of guilt and shame. When a person gets benefits that a person should not have or that are contrary to the rules set up for it harm is done. A husband that receives the benefits of love from their wife while instead of returning that love only gives hurt is robbing her. He has received that which he has no right to and has denied her that which she has a right to. An employer who undercuts an employee a few hours on their pay check has robbed them just as an employee that has turn in hours beyond what they have worked. Harm can also be done if the payroll clerk gives more money to an employee than they have earned. Every penny given to that employee beyond their agreed wage takes it from the share holders, owners and other employees of the company. It could also lead to the employee to an inaccurate understanding of the demands of their employment and the compensation for it. Over time the employee might incur unreasonable debt based on the inflated wage. It also creates a situation of inequality with their fellow workers who agreed to the same work and same pay, but who are in fact being paid less. (This does not mean that a person can not honestly have a higher rate of pay than another if they and their employer have agreed to that.)
Thus everything you have or do not have in violation to the rules that determine who gets what (I should have a catcher phrase for that) causes harm to those involved.
Thought 3:
Humans need mental/emotional/spiritual etc. equilibrium. Equilibrium keeps things in balance. It can be as simple I hit Johnny so Johnny hit me. The same rules apply to larger interactions. When this system gets out of balance we have to do something to fix it. If Johnny can hit me and no one cares but when I hit Johnny I get in trouble I have to find a way to make that make sense. Now if Johnny is 2 and I’m 15 we have an age rule that allows us to bring some balance to the inequality. When we are not able to find a rule that can make the inequality work it creates a pain and anxiety. Overtime we have to find a way to address these pains. There are healthy and unhealthy methods for dealing with these pains. Some inequalities will heal over time (few if any people are still annoyed over their sibling getting the biggest peace of cake 20 years ago). Others are too large to heal themselves without effort (A parent who abused their children often for their entire childhood may have their children’s anger out live them.) When we are in pain we want relief. When the pain is bad enough we will do just about anything to make it stop or at least go away for awhile (think about the last time you had a bad case of the flu). Most people can take some pain for awhile, but if it is ceaseless for years people become desperate.
Thought 4:
Much of the addictive behavior in our society starts as an attempt to end pain. There are those who are board or curious, but I believe that the vast majority of people start addictive behaviors in a self medicating attempt. Once they are engaged in the behavior it takes on a life of its own and the involved person may need help to stop, but stopping the behavior (treatment) without addressing the causes of the pain that lead them there in the first place is only a temporary solution. The pain will in time drive a person back to their earlier addiction or another addiction (remember the bad flu even if you don’t like the side effects of the medicine the pain often seems so bad that nothing could be worse).
Thought 5:
Government, in particular the federal government can impact the conditions of people living in this country. Policies made can either promote a proper balance or an improper balance for the population. A rather popular government policy is that of wealth redistribution. It works by taking a larger portion of a persons income in taxes than is needed to run services and giving that to another person as a form of income. This can be done in a variety of ways but the effect is consistent. Policies literally rob Peter to pay Paul. This upsets Peter who has worked for his money and it harms Paul by making him dependent on Peter through the inefficient policies of the Government. Paul has to address this problem. He may find a means to alter his situation so that he does no longer takes Peter’s money. He may decide that he is somehow entitled to it and start asking why not rob Mary too. Or he may find some means of taking his mind off of the imbalance. (see thought 4).
Thought 6:
People are creatures of habit. Over time we develop a way of doing things and we have a hard time changing. This is extra true when the change means more work for us even if it would be better for us. Seriously ask yourself about your exercise habits? Maybe you are the exception, but many of us don’t do as much exercise as we should it is inconvenient and not a lot of fun. Animals have the same problem. Many parks have sings instructing people to not feed the wild animals. This is because they quickly become dependant on handouts and lose their ability to provide for themselves. This is bad enough when a single creature becomes dependant on handouts, but they teach their offspring how to get food inside a few generations the basic skills to live can be lost. I’m not saying that we should not have any emergency programs for people. Just like animals if there is a major shortage of food a human could supply for a short term an alternative food source if it is done rarely and only when it is needed it will not become habit forming for the animals. Some might say that a dependant animal is just fine like a domesticated dog. The problem though is in the loss of freedom and over time the loss of an understanding that they can be free. An animal that can only eat when its master feeds it will quickly learn to do as it is told or it will die. When human basic needs are supplied from a single source the source can (thought it may not always) become abusive. One of the great strengths of the free enterprise system is that a person can get their needs meet through different means depending on their needs. I recently got upset with a can insurance provider. I made the choice to change to another one. If there was only one insurance provider and I was compelled to have the insurance I would have to comply with whatever they demanded no matter how outrageous it was. When there are choices there is freedom. If we become conditioned to getting things from a single source we will over time lose our understanding of other choices. Our children will be like the domesticated animal that has given up a great deal of freedom for its food. Don’t get me wrong I like dogs and I okay with someone choosing to be loyal to something or someone, but when that choice is forced or when our choice means that our children can not choose we have entered a dark place.
Thought 7:
The farther a person goes down a path the harder it is for them to change to another path. At present the United States has a large number of persons who can with no reason beyond having no money get a large sum of money cheep or free health care, housing, food, power, phone etc. There are some safe guards in place, but they can be worked around. The culture of I deserve what you have earned is frightening. If while walking down the street a person pulls out a gun and demands your money we would say that you had been robbed and that the person who took the money committed a crime. The place we are very near to now is one where you are walking down the street and a cop pulls out a gun and demands you money. He than keeps some and gives the rest to others. He states that these people where called names and therefore decided to not get jobs and that because you have a job you have to give them all the money they want. They have a house that is about as nice as yours they have about the same number of kids, but because you work and they don’t you must support them. Aside from the obvious moral issue here there is also a practical issue at some point the person working will decide that they are not being paid well enough for their efforts. They will quit their job and collect money from those who do work and keep their current life style with the added bonus of not being gone 40-80 hours a week working. At some point enough people will be not working the number of people who are working can not support them all. At this point we will have to force people back to work. It will be hard remember they have had years of not doing it and have been told they don’t need to. Their skills will be reduced and they will scarcely be able to provide for themselves. We will than be at a point of choice do we take from those who do well and give to those who don’t or do we encourage those who don’t do well to do better. Option A takes us right back to the point where everyone quits working. Option B is hard, but takes us to a place where everyone provides for their own needs.
Humans have significant subconscious minds. There are things which are understood and known innately even if it is not discussed openly. Killing other people is wrong it does not take a lot of training to convince someone that they should not kill others. In most cases you have to do a lot of training to get someone to kill someone else. While this is not an absolute rule we can safely say that it is much more often than not.
Thought 2:
There is a big difference between what a person is entailed to unconditionally and those things that they are entitled to only on certain conditions. These benefits should be kept and shared in accordance to the rules for them. When these rules are broken it does harm to the people involved. A mother that does not show love to their child will cause harm to that child. She has kept a benefit that she owed to her child. She would also do herself harm she has robbed her child of a benefit that he needed. Her lack of care for her child will result in feelings of guilt and shame. When a person gets benefits that a person should not have or that are contrary to the rules set up for it harm is done. A husband that receives the benefits of love from their wife while instead of returning that love only gives hurt is robbing her. He has received that which he has no right to and has denied her that which she has a right to. An employer who undercuts an employee a few hours on their pay check has robbed them just as an employee that has turn in hours beyond what they have worked. Harm can also be done if the payroll clerk gives more money to an employee than they have earned. Every penny given to that employee beyond their agreed wage takes it from the share holders, owners and other employees of the company. It could also lead to the employee to an inaccurate understanding of the demands of their employment and the compensation for it. Over time the employee might incur unreasonable debt based on the inflated wage. It also creates a situation of inequality with their fellow workers who agreed to the same work and same pay, but who are in fact being paid less. (This does not mean that a person can not honestly have a higher rate of pay than another if they and their employer have agreed to that.)
Thus everything you have or do not have in violation to the rules that determine who gets what (I should have a catcher phrase for that) causes harm to those involved.
Thought 3:
Humans need mental/emotional/spiritual etc. equilibrium. Equilibrium keeps things in balance. It can be as simple I hit Johnny so Johnny hit me. The same rules apply to larger interactions. When this system gets out of balance we have to do something to fix it. If Johnny can hit me and no one cares but when I hit Johnny I get in trouble I have to find a way to make that make sense. Now if Johnny is 2 and I’m 15 we have an age rule that allows us to bring some balance to the inequality. When we are not able to find a rule that can make the inequality work it creates a pain and anxiety. Overtime we have to find a way to address these pains. There are healthy and unhealthy methods for dealing with these pains. Some inequalities will heal over time (few if any people are still annoyed over their sibling getting the biggest peace of cake 20 years ago). Others are too large to heal themselves without effort (A parent who abused their children often for their entire childhood may have their children’s anger out live them.) When we are in pain we want relief. When the pain is bad enough we will do just about anything to make it stop or at least go away for awhile (think about the last time you had a bad case of the flu). Most people can take some pain for awhile, but if it is ceaseless for years people become desperate.
Thought 4:
Much of the addictive behavior in our society starts as an attempt to end pain. There are those who are board or curious, but I believe that the vast majority of people start addictive behaviors in a self medicating attempt. Once they are engaged in the behavior it takes on a life of its own and the involved person may need help to stop, but stopping the behavior (treatment) without addressing the causes of the pain that lead them there in the first place is only a temporary solution. The pain will in time drive a person back to their earlier addiction or another addiction (remember the bad flu even if you don’t like the side effects of the medicine the pain often seems so bad that nothing could be worse).
Thought 5:
Government, in particular the federal government can impact the conditions of people living in this country. Policies made can either promote a proper balance or an improper balance for the population. A rather popular government policy is that of wealth redistribution. It works by taking a larger portion of a persons income in taxes than is needed to run services and giving that to another person as a form of income. This can be done in a variety of ways but the effect is consistent. Policies literally rob Peter to pay Paul. This upsets Peter who has worked for his money and it harms Paul by making him dependent on Peter through the inefficient policies of the Government. Paul has to address this problem. He may find a means to alter his situation so that he does no longer takes Peter’s money. He may decide that he is somehow entitled to it and start asking why not rob Mary too. Or he may find some means of taking his mind off of the imbalance. (see thought 4).
Thought 6:
People are creatures of habit. Over time we develop a way of doing things and we have a hard time changing. This is extra true when the change means more work for us even if it would be better for us. Seriously ask yourself about your exercise habits? Maybe you are the exception, but many of us don’t do as much exercise as we should it is inconvenient and not a lot of fun. Animals have the same problem. Many parks have sings instructing people to not feed the wild animals. This is because they quickly become dependant on handouts and lose their ability to provide for themselves. This is bad enough when a single creature becomes dependant on handouts, but they teach their offspring how to get food inside a few generations the basic skills to live can be lost. I’m not saying that we should not have any emergency programs for people. Just like animals if there is a major shortage of food a human could supply for a short term an alternative food source if it is done rarely and only when it is needed it will not become habit forming for the animals. Some might say that a dependant animal is just fine like a domesticated dog. The problem though is in the loss of freedom and over time the loss of an understanding that they can be free. An animal that can only eat when its master feeds it will quickly learn to do as it is told or it will die. When human basic needs are supplied from a single source the source can (thought it may not always) become abusive. One of the great strengths of the free enterprise system is that a person can get their needs meet through different means depending on their needs. I recently got upset with a can insurance provider. I made the choice to change to another one. If there was only one insurance provider and I was compelled to have the insurance I would have to comply with whatever they demanded no matter how outrageous it was. When there are choices there is freedom. If we become conditioned to getting things from a single source we will over time lose our understanding of other choices. Our children will be like the domesticated animal that has given up a great deal of freedom for its food. Don’t get me wrong I like dogs and I okay with someone choosing to be loyal to something or someone, but when that choice is forced or when our choice means that our children can not choose we have entered a dark place.
Thought 7:
The farther a person goes down a path the harder it is for them to change to another path. At present the United States has a large number of persons who can with no reason beyond having no money get a large sum of money cheep or free health care, housing, food, power, phone etc. There are some safe guards in place, but they can be worked around. The culture of I deserve what you have earned is frightening. If while walking down the street a person pulls out a gun and demands your money we would say that you had been robbed and that the person who took the money committed a crime. The place we are very near to now is one where you are walking down the street and a cop pulls out a gun and demands you money. He than keeps some and gives the rest to others. He states that these people where called names and therefore decided to not get jobs and that because you have a job you have to give them all the money they want. They have a house that is about as nice as yours they have about the same number of kids, but because you work and they don’t you must support them. Aside from the obvious moral issue here there is also a practical issue at some point the person working will decide that they are not being paid well enough for their efforts. They will quit their job and collect money from those who do work and keep their current life style with the added bonus of not being gone 40-80 hours a week working. At some point enough people will be not working the number of people who are working can not support them all. At this point we will have to force people back to work. It will be hard remember they have had years of not doing it and have been told they don’t need to. Their skills will be reduced and they will scarcely be able to provide for themselves. We will than be at a point of choice do we take from those who do well and give to those who don’t or do we encourage those who don’t do well to do better. Option A takes us right back to the point where everyone quits working. Option B is hard, but takes us to a place where everyone provides for their own needs.
History has been made
America the bulwark of freedom a Nation that has (for good or ill) fought for freedom and liberty in may parts of the world has elected as its leader and commander in chief a man who believes himself to be above the constitution of the United States. For all the good that having someone who is not a WASP in this office the price we will pay because he hates freedom and has promised to undermine and all but destroy the bill of rights is far too high.
Obama will long be remembered in history. Likely along with Stalin and Hitler. I can only hope that a desire for freedom and the spirit of liberty in this country is not so crushed over the next several years that people give up. Or worse yet that we all become complacent in a totalitarian system that we are no longer bother being told what to eat, wear, think and believe.
Obama will long be remembered in history. Likely along with Stalin and Hitler. I can only hope that a desire for freedom and the spirit of liberty in this country is not so crushed over the next several years that people give up. Or worse yet that we all become complacent in a totalitarian system that we are no longer bother being told what to eat, wear, think and believe.
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