Deep Thought

‎"To love our neighbor as ourselves is such a truth for regulating human society, that by that alone one might determine all the cases in social morality."
- John Locke

Questions you should ask yourself everyday

What did I learn today?
What did I improve today?
Who did I help today?

How to be a better person

Economic goal

Everyone would have enough resources (or steady income) to provides for current needs
Save for Future goals
Save for emergencies
And save for retirement

When this is achieved
There would be no need for government assistance of any kind

Deep Thought

Just because I want something,
doesn't mean it's a good idea

There's more to this world...

You can criticize corporations and capitalism without being for bigger government

There is such a phenomenon as a person who doesn't like big business or big government

I'm the type who thinks big business controls big government
They create big government
Big business create laws that stifle competition from smaller businesses, defraud their consumers, and exploit their workers

More government is not a solution to poverty and it doesn't create prosperity
Also, unfettered corporations are not a solution to poverty and they create their own prosperity at the expense of others.

Big government is tyrannical, guilty of force, fraud, waste, and abuse.
So are big corporations

From my perspective, private industry holds the power and government is their tool to enforce their will on the people.

There is not a law or regulation in existence that private industry didn't create or allow
Laws that seem to benefit the worker or consumer are only there to keep us placated. Only there to prevent us from rebelling.

As long as there is a lawmaking body in a society that can enforce rules upon others, private enterprise will control that lawmaking body

If you want a true free market,
you either have to get rid of laws and the power to enforce them completely, since there is no way to create a law that has no economic impact
Which is why we've never had a free market in the USA
Or you have to create a government that derives its Powers from the informed consent of all individuals.
No one would have to follow a law they didn't agree to, nor would they have to fund it.
If a law they did not consent to some how affects their life, they have means to circumvent that law.


I denounce all hierarchical structures.
And structures that do not operate by informed consent of all parties involved

Secession Bullshit

Ugh
I'm so tired of hearing about this secession bullshit.

I'm going to give a lesson in critical thinking right now.
I want Everyone to Go to the White house petition page
White House Petitions
Click on 'view petitions'
Then Click on 'popular' next to 'all petitions'
The first one you see should say:
"Peacefully grant the State of Texas to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government"
Click on that Petition.
Read it.
Now go down to the signatures
Take note of how many signatures are from people in states other than Texas.

Now, I want you to search through those signatures for Texas or, better yet, search the petition for your own state.
See if any of those are from your governor or search for your own state representative and see if they may have signed the petition.
Then I want you to contact your governor and your state legislature and find out if they support secession.
Then ask them if they have written any legislation to start secession.

Now, go back up to the top of the white house page.
Click on 'responses'
Now click on any response you wish and read it fully.

Now I want you to go back to that time you wrote, called, or emailed your own representatives.
Remember the response you got back?
Yes, the one that basically says, 'thanks for your concern, we'll do whatever the fuck we want. If you have any further questions feel free to contact us."

Now I want you to ask yourself a question.
Does the president have the power to allow states to secede?
What does the constitution say about secession?

What would be a more effective way to secede if your state wanted to?


Now I want you to think hard about all the media outlets that have ran this story.
Did any of them talk about the actual legitimacy of these petitions?
What possible agenda would they have in running this story if it is actual bullshit?

I'm done

one issue voter...

How can you represent me if you don't accept who I am as a person?

Deep Thought

“If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.”

- Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Politically Correct?

I am not politically correct
I TRY to treat everyone with dignity and common courtesy
Not because I'm afraid of offending anyone
But because that's how you are supposed to treat others and that's how I want to be treated

Federal Budget solution

Repeal the income tax and have all states use a consumption tax.
Transfer all government departments, agencies, and programs, that are not explicitly stated in the constitution, to the states.
Let the states allot a certain amount to the federal government to pay for those powers explicitly enumerated in the constitution

Emperor of America

Start with affirmation of freedom

We are all fully autonomous beings.
We have ultimate, final authority over our own life, liberty, happiness, safety, and property.

People are free; only restricted when their actions harm others.
Only obligated to the contracts they make with others.

Stating that the Constitution is a document defining the powers and
responsibilities of the Federal government. 
More importantly, defining the limitations/restrictions of the government.
The rights and freedoms of the people are inherent. 
The constitution does not grant rights; it guarantees them.

There will be no legislation against personal actions.
Or actions between informed, consenting individuals.

The 9th and 10th amendment especially confirmed
All laws restricting freedoms that do not infringe on the life,
liberty, and property of others are not enforced. They are Suggestions/recommendations or outright abolished.

All federal entities not explicitly mentioned in the constitution are
turned over to the states.

All federal regulations and executive orders are turned over to congress for review and approval. Any regulation/order that is not explicitly supported by the constitution is turned over to the states for their review and approval. 

Federal workers have option of being absorbed by the states
or creating a private non-profit oversight/research entity with no
government powers


Economic policy
People are free to participate in any consensual exchange of goods,
services, and labor
Free of fraud, coercion, abuse

Abolish income tax.
State consumption taxes that exempt all essential needs under a certain price
This would be agricultural product sales, non-elective medical procedures, primary residence
States allocate a portion of their revenue to the federal budget


All government assistance programs converted to community service programs.
Anyone who takes from the community must give back to the community.

Defense policy
Diplomacy
Focus on defense
Less use of military for foreign conflicts. More covert/drone operations.
Only operate in foreign countries if the people insist on our help and
they compensate us for our protection

Consensual democracy
Preferential Voting
National referendums
Every bill in congress is sent to every citizen for approval before a vote in congress
National initiatives

All laws expire after 20 years

Term limits for Congress and Judges
12 years for Congress
16 years for judges

A person campaigning to be a representative in the house:
They would have to sign a contract with at least 30,000 individuals in their state. Those contracts state that they will be the representative for those citizens residing in that state.
(there might be an issue with the size of congress. Contract would have to be signed by about 500,000 to keep current number of representatives)


Line item vote on congressional bills
or
A bill will only have one subject. No pork

Reaffirmation of all judges every 4 years.


Currency
Federal reserve will be controlled by the federal government.
No private entities involved.
precious metals measured in grams.

*post called emperor of America because u would have to be emperor in order to make changes like this

*original post Jan 2012
Apr 2012

Deep thought

Boy! You better not believe half the things you say about yourself

Joe Louis to Muhammad Ali

Right to health care

You have the right to do whatever you can to maintain your own health
You have the right to associate with whomever for that endeavor
And to purchase from Whomever
Those associations and purchases have to be mutually consensual

You do not have the right for others to provide anything for you without their consent

Solutions
Increase number of healthcare providers

Consumer inspection,investigation, and reporting

Local, public, democratically funded options as competition to insurance companies

Deep Thought

That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.

John Stuart Mill
On Liberty

I hate assholes

First I want to start with a definition

asshole
noun vulgar slang

One who makes someone suffer for their own pleasure or gain
One who finds pleasure in other people's suffering
(that they did not cause)
or uses it for their own gain
One who causes suffering and has no remorse
or makes excuses/justifications for it
or minimizes it.
One who sees someone else suffer and shows no compassion
minimizes the suffering or makes justifications for it.

General condescension
Concentrating on the faults of others

Liars. I know everyone, including myself, has told a lie and probably will in the future.
But, I acknowledge that dishonesty is an asshole trait.
And a very subtle asshole trait is not acknowledging others as human beings.
Whether it be someone who is serving you dinner, ringing up your new shoes, or passing you on the street. To try your hardest to dismiss their exist...

*updated

Community Balance

Individualism
And
Community

Liberty
And
Obligation

The only natural ethical responsibility a person has to anyone else is not to violate the rights of others. We are ethically bound and responsible to not interfere with the life, liberty, security, and property of others without their consent.

The only other obligations a person has are the ones they explicitly consent to. Not to some socially constructed community they were born into.

You choose to be a part of a community. If you make that choice then you are accountable for all agreements you've made in that community. If you can't abide by those agreements, you need to find another community.

Who has the authority to determine someone else's ethical responsibility? Who has the authority to impose (force) their ethics on others?

There are Christians (and other religious people) that have decided that gay people have violated their ethical responsibility to the society. And they, as christians, have the right to hold gay people accountable, by whatever means they deem necessary.

A discussion about accountability should not be condescending. There are 'I' statements. The ones where you say how an action is affecting you and what you will do to keep yourself safe and healthy. It recognizes that you do not have authority over other people's actions, only authority over your response to those actions.

"If the community could really take responsibility about us being honorable to each other, then it doesn’t matter what the legal system does;...there’s actually more certainty and less wrenching if there is a sense of responsibility. We are responsible for the decisions we make with each other."
-Sarah Schulman

The key point is 'we are responsible for the decisions we make with each other'. Not for decisions you make and expect others to just automatically be accountable for because they have some characteristic. That's why communication, equal, honest, and respectful, is key to any relationship or community

Treat others the way they want to be treated

Nietzsche:
...no man has ever done anything that was done wholly for others and with no personal motivation whatever; how, indeed, should a man be able to do something that had no reference to himself, that is to say lacked all inner compulsion (which would have its basis in a personal need)? How could the ego act without the ego?— Human, All Too Human, Sec. 133

Everyone doesn't agree with Nietzsche

Science as shown that humans (and other animals) are 'naturally' capable of altruism and selfishness. Cooperation and competition. Indifference and empathy. It's our dual nature.

There have been plenty of people who have helped others with no thought of themselves; and plenty who have destroyed the lives of others with no remorse. It depends on the person and the situation

And regardless of how naive or childish it may seem, there are plenty of people who have found a place away from the other 7 billion people on this planet that is not in a basement nor under the haze of drugs. And it's their choice.

So, How do I think we can be held accountable to one another to strengthen our community?

Maintain healthy boundaries. Be able to break relations with people who cannot respect your boundaries. Acknowledge other people's equality and autonomy.

What is the quintessential element that ties us all together?

Liberty



No tendency is quite so strong in human nature as the desire to lay down rules of conduct for other people.

-William Howard Taft

Oligarchy

noun ( pl. oligarchies )
a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution

Feudalism

word of the day

n


historical
the dominant social system in medieval Europe, in which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles, while the peasants (villeins or serfs) were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labor, and a share of the produce, notionally in exchange for military protection.

New American Oxford Dictionary

the legal and social system that evolved in W Europe in the 8th and 9th centuries, in which vassals were protected and maintained by their lords, usually through the granting of fiefs, and were required to serve under them in war

Collins English Dictionary

A system of obligations that bound lords and their subjects in Europe during much of the Middle Ages. In theory, the king owned all or most of the land and gave it to his leading nobles in return for their loyalty and military service. The nobles in turn held land that peasants, including serfs, were allowed to farm in return for the peasants' labor and a portion of their produce. Under feudalism, people were born with a permanent position in society.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition


fief [( feef )]

Under feudalism, a landed estate given by a lord to a vassal in return for the vassal's service to the lord. The vassal could use the fief as long as he remained loyal to the lord.


Feudalism is the general term used to describe the political and military system of western Europe during the Middle Ages. At that time, there was no strong central government and little security, but feudalism fulfilled the basic need for justice and protection.

Feudalism is often confused with manorialism. Manorialism was the system of organizing agricultural labor. It refers to the economic relationship between the lord of a manor and his peasant tenants. Feudalism, on the other hand, was mainly a political and military system. Both the lord and his subjects, called vassals, were aristocrats. The lord gave vassals land in return for military and other services. The lord and the vassals were bound through ceremonies and oaths.

The word feudal comes from a Latin term for fief. The fief was the estate or land granted by a lord in return for a vassal's loyalty and service. Some fiefs were large enough to support one knight. Others were great provinces of a kingdom, such as the province of Normandy in France. The church, which owned large fiefs, was also part of the feudal system.

In the A.D. 400's, Germanic tribes conquered the West Roman Empire and divided it into many kingdoms. The Germanic peoples were loyal only to their tribal chiefs or to their families. Their customs replaced many Roman laws, and the strong central and local governments of the Romans disappeared. Such changes and further invasions resulted in general disorder and constant warfare in the years following the fall of the West Roman Empire. Feudalism helped establish order in Europe under these conditions.

WorldBook

Separation of church and state

You don't get to use your holy book to legally tell me how to live my life

Black and White

When is violence and destruction justified?

Union evolution

Workers should retire collective bargaining. Public Union workers should quit. Then they should incorporate. Then they should bid for government contracts.
A contract that is renegotiated regularly.

What if unions became worker cooperatives or collectives
Workers would own and run collective, with profits or benefits shared among them.

They would contract their workers out to corporations
They negotiate the wage and benefits of the workers in the contract.
They would not be direct employees of the company

They would create their own customer base and advertise for work

"Worker cooperatives are business entities that are owned and controlled by their members, the people who work in them.
The two central characteristics of worker coopratives are:
(1) workers invest in and own the business and
(2) decision-making is democratic, generally adhering to the principle of one worker-one vote.

The international worker cooperative federation CICOPA established some basic standards for worker cooperatives in the World Declaration on Cooperative Worker Ownership (also known as the Oslo Declaration) at a meeting in Oslo, Norway in 2003. The US Federation of Worker Cooperatives uses this document to determine worker cooperative status."

oslo declaration

shareable

www.usworkers.coop

www.american.coop

workplace democracy

*original post Feb 2012

Other side of Government Cuts

People who advocate for less government need to be a lot more proactive. If there are compassionate capitalists, where are their proposals to take over government programs?

I would like to see private businesses create proposals to buy out government programs. Those programs would have projections for 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years.
They would include how they would be able to serve the government's current customer base and then some.
How they would be more efficient and provide better services.
And how they would save money for the consumers and create more jobs
These would only be non-profit endeavors.
No government program will be turned over to a for-profit company

I don't want to hear the usual, 'we can't because government has too many regulations or taxes.'
There are companies in the U.S.A who made a profit during the recession. Are making record profits now. If they can succeed with such draconian regulations and taxes, there's no excuse
If this is the case, then they need to site the specific regulation or tax that is hindering their ability to help others.

I would like to see real entrepreneurs step up that would give the people a better alternative than government services.

*original post 07 2011

COMPASSION

word of the day

n

Karuna

The definition is: wanting others to be free from suffering.
This compassion happens when one feels sorry with someone, and one feels an urge to help.
The near enemy is pity, which keeps other at a distance, and does not urge one to help.
The opposite is wanting others to suffer, or cruelty.
A result which one needs to avoid is sentimentality.
Compassion thus refers to an unselfish, de-tached emotion which gives one a sense of urgency in wanting to help others. From a Buddhist perspective, helping others to reduce their physical or mental suffering is very good, but the ultimate goal is to extinguish all suffering by stopping the process of rebirth and the suffering that automatically comes with living by reaching enlightenment.

The attitude of a so-called Bodhisattva is Bodhicitta: this is the ultimate compassionate motivation: the wish to liberate all sentient beings from the sufferings of cyclic existence and to become a fully enlightened Buddha oneself in order to act as the perfect guide for them. Actually, this could well be the most honorable and idealistic motivation possible.

view on buddhism

compassion

Compassion, the second of the immeasurables, is the wish for all sentient beings to be free from suffering. It counters cruelty. People can observe the natural attitude of compassion in the world around them. When a mother, for example, sees her son seriously ill, she will naturally be moved by compassion and earnestly wishes that he may be free from the suffering of his sickness. In the same way, most people have experienced the feeling of compassion upon seeing the suffering of a relative, a schoolmate or even a pet. All these are examples of the ordinary feeling of compassion. To become a sublime state of mind, compassion has to reach beyond the limited group of individuals or beings whom one loves or cares for. Compassion has to be extended to all sentient beings in all the realms of existence before it becomes an immeasurable.

buddhanet

bodhicitta

sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others

New Oxford American Dictionary

a feeling of distress and pity for the suffering or misfortune of another, often including the desire to alleviate it

[C14: from Old French, from Late Latin compassiō fellow feeling, from compatī to suffer with, from Latin com- with + patī to bear, suffer]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition

a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.

*last posted Jan 2012

EQUANIMITY

Word of the day

n
calmness of mind or temper; composure

upekkha

The definition of equanimity is: not to distinguish between friend, enemy or stranger, but regard every sentient being as equal. It is a clear-minded tranquil state of mind - not being overpowered by delusions, mental dullness or agitation.
The near enemy is indifference. It is tempting to think that just 'not caring' is equanimity, but that is just a form of egotism.
The opposite is anxiety, worry, stress and paranoia caused by dividing people into 'good' and 'bad'; one can worry forever if a good friend may not be a bad person after all, and thus spoiling trust and friendship.
A result which one needs to avoid is apathy as a result of 'not caring'.
Equanimity is the basis for unconditional, altruistic love, compassion and joy for other's happiness and Bodhicitta.
When we discriminate between friends and enemies, how can we ever want to help all sentient beings?
Equanimity is an unselfish, de-tached state of mind which also prevents one from doing negative actions.

"If one tries to befriend an enemy for a moment, he becomes your friend.
The same thing occurs when one treats a friend as an enemy.
Therefore, by understanding the impermanence of temporal relations,
Wise ones are never attached to food, clothing or reputation, nor to friends or enemies.

The father becomes the son in another life,
Mother becomes the wife,
Enemy becomes friend;
It always changes.
Therefore there is nothing definite in samsara."
The Buddha

"The foundation for practicing the seven-point cause and effect method is cultivating a mind of equanimity. Without this foundation you will not be able to have an impartial altruistic view, because without equanimity you will always have partiality towards your relatives and friends. Realize that you should not have prejudice, hatred, or desire towards enemies, friends, or neutral persons, thus lay a very firm foundation of equanimity."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from 'Path to Bliss: A Practical Guide to Stages of Meditation'

It is said that the awareness of a Buddha is completely even, like the ocean, taking in equally the joys and sorrows of all people, friends, loved ones, relatives, and those never met. This is the meaning of a statement made by so many of the world's great spiritual teachers,
"Love your enemy."
It doesn't mean love the person you hate. You can't do that. Love those who hate you.
From 'Buddhism with an Attitude: The Tibetan Seven-Point Mind-Training'

viewonbuddhism.org

the last of the four immeasurables, is the attitude of regarding all sentient beings as equals, irrespective of their present relationship to oneself. The wholesome attitude of equanimity counters clinging and aversion.

Equanimity can be experienced in common forms in daily life. When a grown-up son settles down with his own family, he begins to lead an independent life with responsibilities of his own. Although his mother still has her feelings of loving-kindness, compassion and appreciative joy towards him, they are now combined with a new feeling of equanimity. She recognises his new independent and responsible position in life and does not cling to him.

To become a sublime state of mind, however, the attitude of equanimity has to be extended to all sentient beings. In order to do this, one needs to remember that one's particular relationships with one's relatives, friends and even enemies, are the result of previous karma. Thus one should not cling to relatives and friends while regarding others with indifference or hatred. Moreover, one's relatives and friends in this life may have been one's enemies in a past life and may again become enemies in the future, while one's enemies in this life may well have been one's relatives and friends in the past, and may again become one's relatives and friends in the future.

buddhanet

insight meditation center.org

bodhicitta

mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, esp. in a difficult situation

ORIGIN early 17th cent. (also in the sense ‘fairness, impartiality’): from Latin aequanimitas, from aequus ‘equal’ + animus ‘mind.’

New Oxford American Dictionary

dictionary.com

*Last post Jan 2012

what jesus said about marriage

Matthew 19
When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan.
2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’
5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?
6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.
9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.
12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

Matthew 5
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.


Mark 10
2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,[a] 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Luke 16

Matthew 22

23 The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question,
24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’
25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother.
26 So too the second and third, down to the seventh.
27 After them all, the woman died.
28 In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”

29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.
30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God:
32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.”
33 And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

Mark 12

24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”

Luke 20

34 And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, 36 for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons[g] of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” 39 Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 For they no longer dared to ask him any question.


Genesis 2

The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.
21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
23 Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

1 Corinthians 7

Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 

2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 

3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.

4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 

5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time,so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 

6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 

7 I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. 

9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 

11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.

 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 

14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.

 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Concerning Change of Status

17 Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. 

18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised.

19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts. 

20 Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.

21 Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. 

22 For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave. 

23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. 

24 Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.

Concerning the Unmarried

25 Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.

26 Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is.

27 Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife.

28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned;and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not;

30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 

31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord.

33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 

34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 

35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivideddevotion to the Lord.

36 If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning.They should get married. 

37 But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing. 

38 So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better.

39 A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. 

40 In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

First question that should be asked before introducing a law

Should the government be involved in this?
Or
Does the government have authority over this?

True believers

15He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
18they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

Mark 16

Deep Thought

Article I. All people are born free and equal and have certain natural, essential and unalienable rights; among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties; that of acquiring, possessing and protecting property; in fine, that of seeking and obtaining their safety and happiness.

The Declaration of Rights of the Inhabitants of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Equality

Nature hath made men so equal in the faculties of body and mind as that, though there be found one man sometimes manifestly stronger in body or of quicker mind than another, yet when all is reckoned together the difference between man and man is not so considerable as that one man can thereupon claim to himself any benefit to which another may not pretend as well as he. For as to the strength of body, the weakest has strength enough to kill the strongest, either by secret machination or by confederacy with others that are in the same danger with himself. An as to the faculties of the mind, setting aside the arts grounded upon words, and especially that skill of proceeding upon general and infallible rules, called science, which very few have and but in few things, as being not a native faculty born with us, nor attained, as prudence, while we look after somewhat else, I find yet a greater equality amongst men than that of strength. For prudence is but experience, which equal time equally bestows on all men in those things they equally apply themselves unto.

Thomas Hobbes
Leviathan

Deep Thought

I believe that every individual is naturally entitled to do as he pleases with himself and the fruits of his labor, so far as it in no way interferes with any other men's rights. – Abraham Lincoln

Deep Thought

"The objects of this primary eduction [university education] determine its character and limits. These objects are To give to every citizen the information he needs for the transaction of his own business; To enable him to calculate for himself, and to express and preserve his ideas, his contracts and accounts, in writing; To improve by reading, his morals and faculties; To understand his duties to his neighbors and country, and to discharge with competence the functions confided to him by either; To know his rights; to exercise with order and justice those he retains; to choose with discretion the fiduciary of those he delegates; and to notice their conduct with diligence, with candor and judgement; And, in general, to observe with intelligence and faithfulness all the social relations under which he shall be placed. To instruct the mass of our citizens in these, their rights, interests and duties, as men and citizens, being then the objects of education in the primary schools, whether privet or public, in them should be taught reading, writing and numerical arithmetic, the elements of mensuration...and the outlines of geography and history."

Attributed to Thomas Jefferson
(you never know anymore)

Value

Capitalism is a value based economy
not a meritocracy

Just because you work hard
Doesn't mean others value your work

The great capitalist game is to get people to buy what they don't need

Disenfranchise

Word of the day


verb
deprive (someone) of the right to vote:
• (as adj. disenfranchised) deprived of power; marginalized:
• deprive (someone) of a right or privilege:
• archaic deprive (someone) of the rights and privileges of a free inhabitant of a borough, city, or country.

Oxford American Dictionary



Longing for a time When elections were decided by informed voters
Actually equating male white landowners with those who are informed
Not acknowledge historic systematic efforts to deny education to women and people of color

Emotion

Word of the day

noun
a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others:
• instinctive or intuitive feeling as distinguished from reasoning or knowledge:


ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (denoting a public disturbance or commotion): from French émotion, from émouvoir ‘excite,’ based on Latin emovere, from e- (variant of ex-)‘out’ + movere ‘move.’ The sense ‘mental agitation’ dates from the mid 17th cent., the current general sense from the early 19th cent.



Instinct

noun
an innate, typically fixed pattern of behavior in animals in response to certain stimuli:
• a natural or intuitive way of acting or thinking:
• a natural propensity or skill of a specified kind:
• the fact or quality of possessing innate behavior patterns:


ORIGIN late Middle English (also in the sense ‘instigation, impulse’): from Latin instinctus ‘impulse,’ from the verb instinguere, from in- ‘toward’ + stinguere ‘to prick.’

Intuition

noun
the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning:
• a thing that one knows or considers likely from instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning:


ORIGIN late Middle English (denoting spiritual insight or immediate spiritual communication): from late Latin intuitio(n-), from Latin intueri ‘consider’ (see intuit) .



Our body is always taking everything in. We respond to stimuli without conscious thought
That response is nothing to be ashamed of
Nothing to repress
We actually do ourselves harm by repression
Emotional response is your body telling you something important is happening that you new to pay attention to

Instinct isn't this metaphysical thing.
It's not the same as being psychic
It's just our first response.

Deep Thought

Before you speak to me about your religion, first show it to me in how you treat other people; before you tell me how much you love your God, show me in how much you love all His children; before you preach to me of your passion for your faith, teach me about it through your compassion for your neighbors. In the end, I'm not as interested in what you have to tell or sell as in how you choose to live and give.
Cory Booker

Autonomy

Word of the day

noun

(of a country or region) the right or condition of self-government, esp. in a particular sphere:
• a self-governing country or region.
• freedom from external control or influence; independence:
• (in Kantian moral philosophy) the capacity of an agent to act in accordance with objective morality rather than under the influence of desires.

Oxford American Dictionary


1. the right or state of self-government, esp when limited
2. a state, community, or individual possessing autonomy
3. freedom to determine one's own actions, behaviour, etc
4. philosophy
a. See also categorical imperative
the doctrine that the individual human will is or ought to be governed only by its own principles and laws
b. the state in which one's actions are autonomous


Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition

1620s, from Gk. autonomia "independence," noun of quality from autonomos "independent, living by one's own laws," from auto- "self" (comb. form) + nomos "custom, law"

Emperor of the U.S.A: Education

The foundation of my Empire would be education.
Reading, writing, and arithmetic for everyone

The focus would be autonomy, self-sufficiency, charity, and critical thinking
Focus on knowledge and skills needed to take care of yourself and your community.

Businesses take responsibility for training their people.
On the Job training and apprenticeships

Tuition reimbursement


Turn schools into library/learning centers
With all media and tools needed for learning

Children/parents would determine what they wanted to learn. When they wanted to learn it.

Teachers would become facilitators.
Showing people where to get information.
How to research.
How to use the scientific method.
How to discern information.
How to present information through writing, speaking, art and other mediums.
How to resolve conflicts

*originally posted Nov 2011

Climate change

I'm agnostic about this
I haven't studied it
I can only go by the media

The world lives in cycles.
Climate change is naturally inevitable.

Our actions increase co2
increased co2 emissions trap heat
Causing weather changes
Species may not be able to keep up with that change and may become endangered or extinct
A study says high co2 helped end the ice age.

co2 is fertilizer for plants
Increased co2 may not be a problem if we hadn't drastically destroyed plant life

Spread the Wealth

I think liberals and conservatives are divided on how to create economic growth.

It seems like Conservatives embrace supply-side economics (trickle down economics or voodoo economics). This theory proposes that economic growth comes when you give corporations incentives to produce goods and services. The incentives usually come in the form of tax breaks for businesses and the wealthy. The idea is that these businesses will then create more jobs, increase wages and lower their prices. Everyone would benefit.

Liberals embrace a sort of bottom up theory. Decrease taxes for the consumer and worker. Increase their wages. This will put more money in their pockets. They will buy more things. This will increase demand and therefore increase production. Increased production will prompt companies to hire more people...yada yada yada.

Now, liberals would say that supply side economics actually increases the income gap. When companies see big profits, those profits actually go to the shareholders and the executives of that company. Not to the blue collar workers. And consumers actually don't see any real relief in prices. When the wealthy get more income, they save it. They usually invest it but those investments don't necessarily benefit the workers and consumers of the products they invest in.

Obama says he wants to "spread the wealth". Apparently, he would revoke the Bush tax cuts given to the wealthy and give more tax breaks to the middle class. It is said that he wants to enact policies that would decrease the wealth gap.
Conservatives believe this would cause businesses to cut jobs and raise prices.
Now, some reject Obama's policies because they believe it's not the government's job to redistribute wealth. It's not fair to take someone's hard earned income and give it to people who haven't earned it.
Others believe that Bush was already redistributing wealth when he enacted his tax cuts for the wealthy. Hell, they can even take it back to Reagan. That supply side economics is a redistribution of wealth... in favor of the wealthy.
What do you think about the differences between conservative and liberal economic theories?

I don't see how either theory really works.
They both seem to lead to the same point. The corporation's cash flow. Neither system really encourages the corporations to spread the wealth to their workers, hire more workers, or give better deals to the consumer.
There really is no way to encourage corporations to do any of these things. We could discourage them from hiring overseas by making it more costly. But they may end up taking their business overseas.

But, I'm a little biased because I advocate for abolishing income tax. (yeah, I know... in a pig's eye. Whatever)
I am a bit conservative because I don't think government is really the solution to our economy. Both sides have shown that they are not able to regulate our economy.
Government spending doesn't redistribute wealth, it just creates debt because the corporations have found ways to avoid taxation.
I still think the bailout was a horrible idea. Corporations own the government.(i.e. plutocracy) The government is the middle man between the wealthy elitist and the working class citizens. Govt. makes sure we get just enough so we don't revolt.


This is capitalism right? And capitalism is supposed to strive in a competitive environment? But people forget that in all competitions someone has to win. That usually looks like corporate take overs. And less competition along the way. Higher prices for consumers.
If we want a share of the wealthy's profits, We have to compete for them on the market.
Redistribute wealth by taking away their profits. This means taking their customers.
So what can our nation do to promote competition? My idea is to create incentives for people to open more small businesses. Put the 'mom and pops' back in charge of the economy. Our emphasis should be on more local economies.
We need more worker owned businesses.
If workers want to see their wages increase, they have to fight for it themselves. Workers must set their own wages. We can't expect government to effectively fight for us.

Redistribution of wealth is not about getting something handed to you.
It's not about taking from someone who earned their money and giving it to someone who didn't earn it.
It's about actually being paid what you're worth.
It's addressing the issue of productivity increasing (that means the Workers work harder),
profits increasing because of that extra work,
CEOs get higher salaries and bonuses because of that work,
Yet, the workers who created that profit see an increase in workload, a stagnant wage, and dwindling benefits.
And they're lucky if they don't get laid off.
CEOs used to get around 40 times that of their average worker. Now they bank 300 times more.
Redistribution of wealth means giving a worker a living wage
Making sure they can afford housing, healthy food, health care, education, transportation.
and making sure someone who works hard doesn't get exploited.
Making sure someone who works hard doesn't have to worry about losing their house or worry about their medical bills.

Govt. policies and lack of oversight have almost destroyed economic competition in this nation.
I think globalization is our problem. It's just another name for corporate imperialism.
We need to take the conglomerates down a notch or two. I think these big bloated nationwide (now worldwide) corporations are what's killing our economy.

*original post Nov 2009

Foundation

Life
liberty
The pursuit of happiness
Which translates as property in the constitution
I translate the pursuit of happiness as love

How to combat prejudice

Stereotypes, discrimination

Realize that what you see isn't necessarily truth.
Realize that you don't see everything
Realize that you ignore some things on purpose

Stop making assumptions
Ask questions

Deep Thought

Although violence and the use of force may appear powerful and decisive, their benefits are short-lived. Violence can never bring a lasting and long term resolution to any problem, because it is unpredictable and for every problem it seems to solve, others are created. On the other hand, truth remains constant and will ultimately prevail.


Dalai Lama

The people's decision

In cases of the media putting out information and citizens making judgements before a trial
Or a private school fining students for having a Facebook account
Or Police(plenary) powers of the states
Or a company firing someone over something they said

We see that the constitution doesn't apply to citizen interactions
The constitution is a document that outlines the duties, responsibilities, and limitations of the federal government

Tenth Amendment
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.

The declaration states that governments are instituted to secure our rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
From whom?
Now it seems we are only worried about our rights being secured from government.

Though, that is not a legal document
What stops other citizens from violating our rights?
Usually done as terms of an agreement or exchange. Usually terms of employment.
The argument is, if you don't like it, you don't have to enter the contract.

Then there's the 14th amendment
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

What about people depriving others of life, liberty, or property through coercion? The laws are ever changing

Realistic Economics

I say
that there has never been a true capitalist state
there has never been a true socialist state
I'm talking about private ownership vs. public ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange

an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange,
characterized by the freedom of capitalists to operate or manage their property for profit
in competitive conditions
VS.
an economic theory or system in which the means of production, distribution, and exchange are owned by the community collectively, usually through the state.
It is characterized by production for use rather than profit,
by equality of individual wealth,
by the absence of competitive economic activity,
and, usually, by government determination of investment, prices, and production levels

When has ownership ever been completely private or public?
The constitution gives congress the power to regulate commerce.
The government (federal and state) has owned a great percentage of land since our independence.

I could ask what percentage of a country's GDP is derived from public or private ownership?
I'll say there has never been true capitalism in America
because the state has always been a tool of the wealthy.
The wealthy elite would never have gotten this much power without the state.
If the state was not involved at all, not benefiting or restricting, then things would look a lot different. I don't know how it would look, but it would be different.
The job of the american government is to maximize profits while suppressing insurrection.
Concessions were made for workers and consumers to suppress an uprising
private profits, public debt.

There are capitalistic welfare states.
I make a distinction between socialism and welfare states
one where everyone's basic needs are met by the state
shelter, food, education, healthcare...
but businesses are owned privately

So when someone says they want a free market or they want socialism, that really doesn't mean shit to me
I want to know what their society would look like. Details.
who owns what, who gives what, what you can and cannot do? what is everyone's role?

People say 'don't blame capitalism, blame crony capitalism'

Whatever they think capitalism is, doesn't exist.
Will never exist as long as there are a few (we call them elected officials) who make, enforce, and interpret the law.
Crony capitalism is the true capitalism
It's the corruption inherent in the system

*Updated from Oct 2011

Letter to my representatives

Enact term limits for congress and supreme court justices
two 6 year terms for senators
Six 2 year terms for representatives
16 years for justices

Deep Thought

"Peace has a great deal to do with warm-heartedness and respect for the lives of others, avoiding doing them harm and regarding their lives as being as precious as our own. If, on that basis, we can also be of help to others, so much the better."

Dalai Lama

Deep Thought

If we can manage to refrain from harming others in our everyday actions and words, we can start to give more serious attention to actively doing good, and this can be a source of great joy and inner confidence. We can benefit others through our actions by being warm and generous toward them, by being charitable, and by helping those in need.


Dalai Lama

Deep Thought

The very purpose of spirituality is self-discipline. Rather than criticizing others, we should evaluate and criticize ourselves. Ask yourself, what am I doing about my anger, my attachment, my pride, my jealousy? These are the things we should check in our day to day lives.


Dalai Lama

What is a Healthy Relationship?

Healthy relationships:
make people happier and ease stress
are realistic and flexible
mean sharing and talking
include self-care
use fair fighting techniques


Keep expectations realistic.
No one can be everything we might want him or her to be. Sometimes people disappoint us. It's not all-or-nothing, though. Healthy relationships mean accepting people as they are and not trying to change them!

Talk with each other.
It can't be said enough:
communication is essential in healthy relationships! It means—
Take the time.
Really be there.

Genuinely listen.
Don't plan what to say next while you're trying to listen. Don't interrupt.

Listen with your ears and your heart.
Sometimes people have emotional messages to share and weave it into their words.

Ask questions.
Ask if you think you may have missed the point. Ask friendly (and appropriate!) questions. Ask for opinions. Show your interest. Open the communication door.

Share information.
Studies show that sharing information especially helps relationships begin. Be generous in sharing yourself, but don't overwhelm others with too much too soon.

Be flexible.
Most of us try to keep people and situations just the way we like them to be. It's natural to feel apprehensive, even sad or angry, when people or things change and we're not ready for it. Healthy relationships mean change and growth are allowed!

Take care of you.
You probably hope those around you like you so you may try to please them. Don't forget to please yourself. Healthy relationships are mutual!

Be dependable.
If you make plans with someone, follow through. If you have an assignment deadline, meet it. If you take on a responsibility, complete it. Healthy relationships are trustworthy!

Fight fair.
Most relationships have some conflict. It only means you disagree about something, it doesn't have to mean you don't like each other! When you have a problem:

Negotiate a time to talk about it.
Don't have difficult conversations when you are very angry or tired. Ask, "When is a good time to talk about something that is bothering me?" Healthy relationships are based on respect and have room for both.

Don't criticize.
Attack the problem, not the other person. Open sensitive conversations with "I" statements; talk about how you struggle with the problem. Don't open with "you" statements; avoid blaming the other person for your thoughts and feelings. Healthy relationships don't blame.

Don't assign feelings or motives.
Let others speak for themselves. Healthy relationships recognize each person's right to explain themselves.

Stay with the topic.
Don't use a current concern as a reason to jump into everything that bothers you. Healthy relationships don't use ammunition from the past to fuel the present.

Say, "I'm sorry" when you're wrong.
It goes a long way in making things right again. Healthy relationships can admit mistakes.

Don't assume things.
When we feel close to someone, it's easy to think we know how he or she thinks and feels. We can be very wrong! In healthy relationships, check things out.

Ask for help if you need it.
Talk with someone who can help you find resolution—like a counselor or therapist, a teacher, a minister or even parents. Healthy relationships aren't afraid to ask for help.

There may not be a resolved ending.
Be prepared to compromise or to disagree about some things. Healthy relationships don't demand conformity or perfect agreement.

Don't hold grudges.
You don't have to accept anything and everything, but don't hold grudges—they just drain your energy. Studies show that the more we see the best in others, the better healthy relationships get. Healthy relationships don't hold on to past hurts and misunderstandings.

The goal is for everyone to be a winner.
Relationships with winners and losers don't last. Healthy relationships are between winners who seek answers to problems together.

You can leave a relationship.
You can choose to move out of a relationship. Studies tell us that loyalty is very important in good relationships, but healthy relationships are NOW, not some hoped-for future development.

Show your warmth.
Studies tell us warmth is highly valued by most people in their relationships. Healthy relationships show emotional warmth!

Keep your life balanced.
Other people help make our lives satisfying but they can't create that satisfaction for us. Only you can fill your life. Don't overload on activities, but do use your time to try new things—clubs, volunteering, lectures, projects. You'll have more opportunities to meet people and more to share with them. Healthy relationships aren't dependent!

It's a process.
Sometimes it looks like everyone else in the world is confident and connected. Actually, most people feel just like you feel, wondering how to fit in and have good relationships. It takes time to meet people and get to know them...so, make "small talk"...respond to others...smile...keep trying. Healthy relationships can be learned and practiced and keep getting better!

Be yourself!
It's much easier and much more fun to be you than to pretend to be something or someone else. Sooner or later, it catches up anyway. Healthy relationships are made of real people, not images!

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*Updated post from a long time ago