Thought for the Day

War and peace, or peace and war? Which will it be? What has it been?

Thomas Jefferson stated firmly:

            “I abhor war and view it as the greatest scourge of mankind.”

Such a simple statement, yet so powerful. The avoidance of war requires diplomacy and shared resources. The loss of a valued resource is thus a lessened threat. Diplomacy builds understanding and common wisdom. But how many gamers are in the world of diplomacy today? How many are looking out for only their own narrow interests at the expense of everyone else?

It is an old problem of mankind. It is an expensive problem for mankind today. Isn't it time we found lasting solutions to this primary issue?

August 9, 2014

S&P Says: Wealth Gap Slowing Economy

Well, DUH! When economic resources congregate in too few hands the rest of the population has too few dollars to spend and keep the economy growing. It is basic sense. It is basic math. It is basic logic.

If manufacturers of cars want to sell more cars, how can they if the buying public has fewer dollars available to buy the new car? If food costs more and household income does not grow, lesser food is purchased. Families go on diets whether they want to or not, or eat cheap, junk food. All too evident the latter is pointed out in poorer neighborhoods. Obesity grows in times of recession. Counter-intuitive I know, but just the same, true.

If a family has money enough to pay household expenses and manages to save a few dollars, then they will have money enough to pay for something not absolutely necessary. That is disposable income. When incomes are pinched or lowered, while costs continue to rise, disposable income becomes lesser. Sooner or not, disposable income disappears entirely. No new cars for that family. No new furniture, TVs or fun new clothing, either.

That’s how the economy works. Starve the masses of household income, and the economy starves, too.

The wealthy are small in number and proportion to the entire public. They buy too few things to actually make an industry succeed, unless it is luxury yachts or travel destinations and resorts. The wealthy keep those industries alive and thriving. But those are not the big industries of a nation. No, the big industries are medical, education, utilities, construction and manufacturing.

If the masses have lower marginal income, then the economy in baseline industries are starved for revenue. Their inventories grow. Their profits decline. Workers are laid off until inventories are worked down. And the cycle of recession and decline renews again.

Now. What to do about it? Here are some easy solutions:

1. Change Social Security and Medicare premium tax collections to all earnings; this will improve the funding condition of both programs enormously. It also will allow retirement benefits to be improved for the poorest among us.
2. Sell bonds to pay for revitalizing public infrastructure: water and sewer systems, highways and bridges, public buildings including schools, and government facilities. This will create jobs. Trillions of dollars worth of infrastructure projects have been sidelined in the pasts 15 years. It will take at least 5 years to make a meaningful dent in that backlog of work. And job creation will increase income taxes, sales taxes, and household incomes all at the same time. In turn this will grow the economy among many industries.
3. Provide scholarships to all citizens to acquire the education that fits their talents and interests the most. This will improve the labor pool immeasurably. Improving the reach of education to adults who have experienced career obsolescence is also a target of this approach to funding public education. Learning new skills that will keep up with changing technology and market demands will smooth cycles of bubble and bust.
4. Make a commitment to replace oil as the primary energy source for America by the year 2025. Not only will this create huge new industries for energy production but also conservation technology industries, too. A lasting benefit beyond these two will be the lessening of international tensions over who owns and controls oil supplies. The change in influence and stability of the Middle East will revolutionize peacemaking around the globe. And Russia will no longer be able to threaten shutting off natural gas supplies and oil to their neighbors. There will be other supplies of energy and will support their independence.
5. Declaring war against all pollution – of air, soil and water – will create entirely new and robust industries as well. The oceans cover 75% of the globe. They are dying from pollution and abuse. It is time to protect them, clean them and help them support human life on a much more balanced protocol.
6. Make peace, not war. This is a biggie. But for far too long American industries have profited from war and the threat of war than those profits focused on peace. It is time for mankind to find ways to live peacefully upon this earth. And to collaborate on the doing of just that. The global economy will thrive on the resultant stability.

There are many other steps we can take to reverse the present gap between haves and have not’s. To make the turnaround, though, we will need to trust one another around the globe and fight hard for the common good of all people. It is that basic. It is a turning away from greed and protectionism and a turning toward a higher common denominator in life.

For far too long American society has been greedy and celebrated the lowest common denominator. It has created a hideous threat to our quality of life. Share and seek humility. The good things will filter up to the most, not trickle down to the least.

It’s time for fundamental change in America and throughout the globe. Let the process begin.

August 8, 2014

An Honest Man

I’m not a sexist, so the title should read ‘An Honest Man or Woman’. OK, that’s out of the way. Now, let’s get back to it.

An honest person (should have said that from the beginning!), oh well, I’m just being honest here. Getting back to the message, again, an honest person knows what he knows but doesn't understand its full context. Therefore there is much that he doesn't know. We simply don’t know all of this stuff.

That said, we do have to face the reality that we do not know many things. That is proposition one of this posting.

The second proposition is this: we fake our way through life much of the time. We do not like to appear unknowing (that’s stupid to most of us!), so we pretend we know what we are talking about, or thinking. It’s a social thing – to get along we go along. Problem is, that requires a lot of letting important things go as though we understand them. It is  a form of social stupidity. And it builds and builds until harm is eventually done.

The third proposition is this: most of us are lured into honestly seeking answers to questions we do not understand. We do this in private of course, because the social context is we don’t want to appear stupid. We share some drinks, imbibe too much, but then feel the freedom to ask the questions we want answered. Or maybe we are at university and a casual bull session forms and many topics are discussed that really do open up our eyes. From there much more is possible to ask and seek answers.

The fourth proposition is the most important: once we experience the freedom of asking stupid questions and discussing all possible answers, we can catch the germ of doing this again and again and soon we are on a journey of discovery. It takes dedication to do this. It also takes a certain degree of courage. We do not know what we will discover that is good and what is bad. Some things will build up our spirit, and others will depress it.

Here’s the thing, without embarking on this journey great leaps of possibility are left abandoned without proper dissection, understanding and use for building the platform for the next discovery. Greatness is like that.

I firmly believe that greatness resides in each of us. Together we can build on that greatness to another degree of greatness, but only if we can forget ourselves and let the freedom of discovery happen. It takes trust in each other. More important, however, it takes trusting the self within me first of all.  Am I capable? Am I worth it? Am I dedicated enough to share, be vulnerable to others, and accept new ideas?

That is the big question. That is the core of what ails us each as persons alone, as well as persons together. Place this on a national platform and the enormity of the propositions grow exponentially. Couple that with other nations living together on the same planet and you comprehend the enormous task of diplomacy.

It is based on trust. On selflessness. On interest in knowing more about other people. It is based on losing the self to gain the other. A leap of faith in mankind is required to do this work.

Who is listening to me? Who is listening to us? Why do we do this at all?

Because it is an elemental truth that one man seeks another, or shall I preferably say, one person seeks another person to experience being human. No person is an island to paraphrase John Donne. Each of us seeks companionship to forge ahead into the unknown and discover what’s out there.

Wasting time, energy and financial resources on weaponry rather than peace is such a colossal loss of possibility.

May honest people come together and make the possibilities come into being!

August 7, 2014

Second Guessing Netanyahu!

Oh Lordy, please, let us not rumple the feather surrounding Netanyahu. 

Israel may be a friend of America, but not Mr. N. He is decidedly an enemy. His only concern is himself first, Israel second, and nothing third.

Anytime there is peace in the Middle East he has messed it up by building Israelis settlements in Gaza. Then when the heat got too high, he stopped the settlements. With more heat he evacuated the settlements. But, not to be outdone, he then bull dozed the settlements so the homeless Palestinians could not use the vacant homes and shaded lots.

Netanyahu is not a man of peace. He is a man of hegemony over his enemies. And he has no definition of enemies that doesn't include once an enemy always an enemy.

No one second guessed Mr. N. But he uses the US for $5 billion of annual aid to maintain his arsenal and rude demeanor toward the rest of the world. The US has been the agent of peace in the Middle East. It partners with the UN to make the peace parlays work and last for at least a few years until the enemies grow restless and begin lobbing missiles at one another. This process has been repeated every few years for 60 years.

Second guess Mr. N? I think not. I think the world has his number pretty well figured out. My opinion, may not count as much, but my opinion is leave Netanyahu stew in his own juices. Oh, and also, whenever he is elected premier, retract our aid dollars until he is replaced. End of story.

Yes America is a deeply committed friend of Israel. But is Israel committed to a working relationship of peace with America? I sincerely doubt it.

I’ve said in this space before, the middle east has plenty of money, power and leadership to solve its own problems without relying constantly on the UN and America. It’s time to let the adopted children manage their own lives. If they can’t, then so be it. They will kill each other off quickly enough.

The only regret is leaving all that oil hang in the balance. But then, I've said often enough in this space, replace their oil with new technology and new energy sources. Eliminate oil from our list of needs entirely. Figure out a new and better way to power our cars, furnaces and airplanes. Without the oil, the Middle East becomes a ghost of a power. Simple as that.

And with that reality, so goes Mr. N. I say good riddance. The despot is without clothes.

August 6, 2014

Looking For…?

What would brighten your day instantly? Is it a food item you’d love to devour just this instant? Or might it be an aroma you have long missed smelling? Maybe it is a favorite personality you haven’t visited with for a long time? Maybe that special person died a while back and you long for their presence?

Or maybe you hanker to see an old neighborhood you used to live in and now wonder what it is like. Would it have the same trees as years ago? Would the houses and people seem the same to you now?

Maybe a trip down nostalgia lane would help? Viewing a collection of old cars, smelling their interiors, feeling their old but once familiar lines. Feeling amazed at the old size of the cars back in the day, much smaller these days, but those were the normal size cars we rode in and drove. At 27-cents a gallon of gas, however, 8 or 9 miles to the gallon was just fine. Try doing that today!

As I ponder this weekend before me, I will attend a morning meeting at the church, then maybe stroll by the car show at the annual summer street festival, then go home for lunch and a nap. At 4 we have a memorial service for a famed local artist who died recently. She was a most special person, the type of wonder who melded life’s experience into so many different artistic expressions. A tour of her home will follow the service so we can see once again the awesome works of art she produced continually throughout her life.

Sunday is church, of course, and then our full traditional breakfast, followed by a nap. In the afternoon we are to visit my son’s family – beautiful wife and 5 month old son – at a backyard cookout with some of his in-laws. It is a rare visit these days. John and Eduenis are in the process of renovating an old house before they move into it. The reno work will consume 8 months of craftsmen and trades reworking the systems and floor plan in major ways. It should be a wonderful home when it is completed. In the meanwhile John and family are living with the in-laws. Lucky them! They are sharing the daily ‘first times’ of baby Jax journey through babyhood. I know it complicates living arrangements but this sort of thing also grows new people skills and family memories that will last more than a lifetime. It is a special time of joy for them.

So that’s the weekend plan. What else could I be doing that would suddenly brighten my days? Here’s a few I ponder often:

-A slow drive out west to Wyoming and Montana to see afresh the mountains and wide vistas, the grand open spaces of this portion of our country.

-Another slow drive through the New England states. Rocky has never really seen Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont or much of Massachusetts. But then there is Rhode Island and Connecticut to be explored as well. It is an enchanting section of America, rich in early history of our nation’s founding.

-Another slow drive out west, this time to the southwest: Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona. To smell the aromas of the dessert landscape, and the sparse vegetation. To view the enormous landscape constantly expanding from horizon to horizon. The feel of the air – hot and dry and somehow embracing like a balm that warms the skin and the bones underneath.

-To taste a freshly made potato salad with fresh corn on the cob along with the sizzle of a freshly grilled steak. Now there’s a menu that puts a zing into life!

-To think about the many casserole dishes I've consumed and would love to do so again! The lowly, cost conscious casserole – so inviting, so bubbly, so gooey and rich with sauces and cheeses while tantalizing taste buds with chunks of chicken or sausage among succulent vegetables – all nestled in one pot, one tempting dish of smells and tastes and eye popping memories. So good to eat, and so good for the body, too.

Those are some of the things that would suddenly brighten my day. Oh there’s music, too, or a well-worn book read for the umpteenth time. Relaxing in a favorite chair surrounded by familiar things and listening to the music that trained the mind while reading the prose that also trained the mind. But this is for a winters day, not summertime.

We’ll explore that another time.

August 5, 2014

Gaza and More

Now there’s a threesome. All enemies, even those who live in the same territory. Hamas and PLO do not see eye to eye and have not been successful in sharing power. However, PLO has experience governing the area. HAMAS has experience as a terrorist organization and human aid deliverer. Hamas’ experience does not include governance.

Peace in Gaza must come from the meeting of the minds among PLO, Hamas and Israel. It must be agreed among the three of them equally.

It is clear that Hamas believes Israel will never be a peaceful neighbor. It is also clear that Israel will not tolerate Hamas breaking a truce or agreement of any kind without retaliating. For Israel it is a matter of national security. Period. Nothing more. Prove to them that peace is durable and Israel will work with Hamas and PLO. Period. Nothing more needs to be said.

Hamas and PLO have no bargaining power at this point. They have broken every truce. They have constructed miles of tunnels to sneak into Israel to bomb, kill and kidnap Israeli citizens. So, the tunnels must be destroyed, never to be used again.

That’s it. If the three entities agree with this, then peace is possible. If they cannot agree, then peace is not possible, and death of Gaza residents will continue unabated. It is a simple formula. Keep the peace or suffer the consequences. Israel can do nothing else.

Apart from this potential agreement, Israel could also agree never to allow another settled of its people within the Gaza territory. Period. And if there are settlements already there, they must be removed. No exceptions.

The UN peacekeeping forces would be employed to patrol the peace and keep things honest.

If the above agreement is successfully arrived at, then, Americans should be able to agree to a resolution of its immigration issue. I suggest the following:

1. All immigrants illegally living in America at this time be given full amnesty and documented accordingly. No penalties levied against any of them. America is the land of the free and completely composed of immigrants. We celebrate immigration. It has been our past, our present and certainly our future. Accept that and move on
2. Provide humanitarian aid to Central American nations in caring for their children caught in zones of violence so that they need not immigrate to America to save their lives. If this is not possible, bring those children to the USA in an orderly fashion. Federal expense should support resettling the children to areas throughout the USA so as not to overburden communities near the border.
3. Agree that all border communities in the USA have no authority in settling immigration issues. This is a federal issue and must remain in the hands of federal authorities.
4. Agree that no fence, Maginot Line or moats, trenches or rocket installations are appropriate border defenses against immigration.
5. All are welcome.
6. Criminals will be checked and returned to their homelands quickly with minimum fanfare or legal protections. Their home nations must handle the consequences of their criminals and not send them to the USA.

If Gaza antagonists can agree to peace, then Americans can agree to love and accept a lifelong stream of immigrants to our land of opportunity. Open minds and hearts will lead to open arms.

That what our God (yours, mind and anyone else’s) would want us to do. So just do It!

Thank you for reading this far!

August 4, 2014

Thought for the Day

George Takei is an amazing person. Successful actor. Japanese American who survived the Japanese-American civilian internment camps/prisons in the 1940’s. Retired now he speaks his mind on many current events and issues. Here’s one that is thought provoking:

“Hobby Lobby is not a church. It’s a business. Businesses must and should be required to comply with neutrally crafted laws of general applicability…We are a nation that respects religious beliefs, but also the right not to have those beliefs imposed upon you by others.”

Think about that this weekend. Wonder how this matter could have been handled differently. And better.

August 2, 2014