The republicans are like an elephant on a skateboard going downhill?
]]>I met Bernard Lietaer a couple of years ago at a talk he was giving at Naropa University and he talked to us about yin currency and working with alternative currencies which would move us further to appreciation of natural value and being more connected to the creator of our goods.
A movement is a wise way to move in a new direction. For me change of lifestyle, not using television, beings selective regarding marketing that gets into my realm, and getting more connected with my community are steps in that direction. Politically I don't know how we break the corporate log jam? I suppose slowly and patiently which I'm not very good at.
Excellent post! I hope you continue to look at leadership in a variety of ways because leadership is greatly needed. Many people would be making changes right if there were leadership to inspire them. I'm sure leaders will arise out of necessity over time and as you say, I would prefer that they have a depth of understanding to not just be reactive.
]]>No true public option that actually cuts costs and is available to 'all' Americans = No Mandate!
I realize neither bill includes a public option which is why I ask that they just remove the mandate from both bills and then just get whatever reform they can.
]]>However based on your response I have determined not to waste any more of my time conversing with someone I find so twisted, fixated, and lacking in wisdom.
]]>We wanted a single payer system... then we were told we should want a public option so that 'everyone' had a choice. Now we are being sold gimmicks and triggers and we are going to be saddled with mandates and we aren't going to get much in return. This is not change I can believe in. It's a real disappointment.
When they say that corporations really run this country with the big ambitions President Obama seemed to have going into his presidency that seem to be falling by the wayside. It does make me wonder what he would tell us about what is really going on if he could.
]]>Fox 'Lies R Us' News with an Agenda, the reason I don't have cable television.
]]>First, it is a masculine/feminine split that says the masculine principle is superior and correct and all feminine principles are lesser and incorrect.
This is at the core of all paradox.
The truth is that both have gifts and marvelous traits and both have failings and shortcomings.
It is easy to see the faults of your opposite to the degree you embody one principle more than another.
It is a demonstration of depth of awareness and character to be able to see the gifts of your opposite as well as your own shortcomings.
Capitalism is wonderful it has many gifts but capitalism alone is flawed and does damage.
Socialism is wonderful it has many gifts but socialism alone is flawed and does damage.
The masculine principle is wonderful bringing many gifts but the masculine alone is incomplete.
The feminine principle is wonderful bringing many gifts but the feminine alone is incomplete.
Life in its complexities calls for the masculine and feminine to dance together allowing what is appropriate in the moment.
(And let me qualify that I believe we all embody both masculine and feminine energy to varying degrees in a variety of balances and even within ourselves we are best served when these aspects of ourselves 'dance' allowing what is appropriate in the moment)
The masculine energy offers leadership and it will assuredly discern the shortcomings of the feminine but it cannot lead well if it is blind to the value of the feminine or its own weaknesses and shortcomings.
Heart and Mind are equally valuable to our essense.
]]>It sucked that the PC crowd pushed him to apologize for the K Street whore comment.
We need more people in congress like Grayson.
But I will give Congressman Dennis Kucinich a shout because he is a man with guts... his demeanor just doesn't express as effectively as Grayson's.
I think Kucinich deserves some props and support as well as Grayson.
]]>Well, yesterday I looked at three flaws with socialist solutions to a nation's problems.
(1) Decisions are made by people other than those who are the best informed.
(2) Decision makers are motivated by a number of concerns other than the public good.
(3) Political systems respond slowly (way too slowly) to changes circumstances.
Conclusion
So, capitalism has its problems. It allows for the gross misallocation of resources, it is a regulatory framework that is subject to all of the abuses of any regulatory abuses, and it can be fully extended and applied only at very great expense.
Socialism has its problems.
The question of whether to adopt capitalist or socialist solutions to our problems is not an either or question. It is a question that requires taking seriously the benefits and the problems that exist in each system and then trying to choose which tool is best for a given job.
http://atheistethicist.blogspot.com/2009/01/three-faults-with-capitalism.html
]]>One of the fundamental faults of capitalism is the basic axiom that if everybody tries to accumulate as much property as possible the general interest of the people will be served. All this seems to create is exploitation.
The factory owners try to reduce as much as possible their expenditures on employees. The factory and storeowners try to profiteer as much as possible without any concern for the public.
It has often been said that such a piggish axiom is needed to motivate people. But there are other motivations besides greed, such as, travel, interesting work, extra vacation time, shorter hours, a feeling of importance, and the feeling of happiness which comes from doing a good job and helping build a better community.
To support the wage-incentive axiom is the myth that luxuries brings happiness. Are we that much on an island that we have no compassion for our fellow man, for there are only so many loaves of bread in our country?
I think a system which is based on an assumption that man is basically piggish and therefore only fit to look after his own needs; such system impedes rather than promotes the good within each person.
JK
]]>pi⋅rate/ˈpaɪrət/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [pahy-ruht] –noun
1. a person who robs or commits illegal violence at sea or on the shores of the sea.
2. any plunderer, predator, etc.: confidence men, slumlords, and 'other' pirates.
You like the title... as you say.
]]>However until you are willing to look at what doesn't work with unchecked capitalism,
I will accept your example of using hunger, where a social program exists to prevent it, as case and point that capitalism requires checks, regulations, and balances in order to be healthy for a society. Economic growth at the expense of life, health, or integrity is not worth very much.
]]>Should read 'We aren't dead yet but we definitely are becoming poorer in support of the rich getting richer.
]]>Our health care costs way too much and is not as good as many other small countries.
Our banking industry has collapsed taking much of people savings and retirement with them.
Capitalism isn't bad but it must have checks and balances. Without regulation and controls human beings use capitalism to the detriment of other human beings.
You seem to be in support of the abuses of pure capitalism.
Thus the name pirate suits you.
]]>The stock market is being used as a way for greedy people to gamble with other people's money. If they weren't making bad deals in order to make 'more money' corporations would not have asked to be bailed out.
Your suggestion that to care about the life of human beings you do not know must be associated religion. Disgusting. I am of no religion just to disprove that theory. And I don't particularly think Obama's health care plan is so very moral because he would be happy to have a public option with a trigger whereas I would like to have universal health care for all.
In fact it is clear that we disagree on just about everything.
But I think I will stop here in trying to have any kind of discussion with you. I think your name gives you away...
Pirate.
]]>And, yes, I believe our society would be better off if we initiated universal health care. Spare me the waiting list and horror stories... what they have would be a huge improvement over our system and our horror stories.
Obama = way better than McCain
Let's move on to something more interesting.
'in the form of death' the word death should be debt.
]]>In my experience both the heart and mind must work together to move beyond attachments.
And in answer to your question... how can we help them to 'weep' the answer is 'there is no one way' but as you say to but to be present in the moment.
To know in some moments it is our role to weep and wish they would join us and to know they are fulfilling theirs.
And the next to perhaps do be an example of compassion as we determine not to let our own hearts be closed and unable to respond.
And another a blast of discernment may jolt us to express adamantly in no uncertain terms the wrongness and damage of another's thinking.
Inquiry, questioning, is what frees the mind in my experience.
A very, very wise man once expressed that sometimes it takes a violent shake to free a man from his mental prison. For some people compassion is to blatantly call out their lies and expose the ill thinking. Others may respond to the soft, gentle, loving presence of a generous heart.
Being present in the moment doing the best we can to both trust and act appropriately is to me what is called for.
]]>Corruption exists on massive scales but among the wealthy and powerful is rarely held to account. So this is where I derive my opinion that capitalism is abused.
To casually say that well 'crime' is everywere la, la, la is to me to recognize nothing about what I am saying.
A teacher that held a pension with the state of WY had worked his whole entire life and saved money for his family and retirment his entire life. He worked extra jobs even though he had this savings and he had saved and earned in his pension $420,000.
Last year he lost about $200,000 of this money. Why? Because of corrupt, greedy people who used the law and capitalism to their advantage. He is just one tiny example of capitalism with no checks and balances and IT DOES NOT WORK.
As I said no pure one sided ideology is going to be healthy no matter how you try to squeeze your perception into that possiblity. It's just not the nature of life.
And the same greed and selfishness is exactly why charity will never suffice.
If you cannot embrace some level of responsbility for all society you don't deserve to be a part of it.
And a man who is sick cannot work hard. And your point of view regarding not recognizing that the person across from you whow may be dying is not worthy of support, for the sake of all individual freedom, disgusts me.
You can look at it as being 'forced' by the government to help other people. But I consider it your good fortune to be contributing to the well being of your society in concordance with the government.
My purpose in mentioning war is that we are not safer, we have killed more innocent people than we lost in 9/11, and we have transferred a great amount of wealth in the form of death from the tax payer straight to corporations that already weild power over us, break our laws, and are never or rarely ever held to any account. Capitlism has its sickness and ailmens. I assure you. When you can talk about what those are... then maybe we will have something further to discuss.
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