ralis

What the Buddhists try to patent and license for themselves is rather ordinary to everyone with no exception. The quality of being luminous is what lights all phenomena so that all phenomena can be seen. The brain works by interpreting frequencies in terms of color, degrees of light etc. In other words there is light everywhere I look. Any text on neurophysiology will confirm that. I guess it is all in my head. :lol: It is no mystery! The problem here is the Buddhists denial of science. They think science is way too material. ralis

Exactly how can you prove that the majority of this cosmos suffers? You posit broad generalizations that have no basis in fact. You state you are not putting Taoists down and yet in the next sentence you contradict that statement. Do you even read what you write? ralis

Actually you are! You always cite your belief system as the most complete, subtle, profound etc. while Taoism is not complete. Buddhism never saved the world, or any ism! ralis

Are you still on your paranoid rant? You don't seem to understand the enormous power corporations have. That is the main problem in the Gulf. ralis

This statement proves what Songs was just talking about! Another not so subtle put down of Taoism. ralis

My point is that Vajraji takes the position that his point of view is superior to anyone else! ralis

Just look up "begging the question" which is a logical fallacy. If it is not the "right view" then why put "right view" in quotes? You judge me from a Buddhist perspective. So, according to you, I am supposed to read the Buddha and accept unconditionally, because you say so? ralis

Your continuing diatribe of untenable arguments, on what you believe as superior, is not about honest debate and continually begs the question. You mistakenly believe you are absolutely correct and proceed from that conclusion. In other words, you aren't engaging in debate, when you tell someone there belief system is wrong and yours is the "right view". ralis

Even in an attempt at humor, you still have to preach. ralis

I am not ignorant of my own nature. ralis

That is one of my favorite albums! ralis http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B2B77-0LW0

The idea that the Buddha was a prince and left a life of opulence may not be factual. Scholars disagree on this. ralis

I never believed that Yuga's existed. Just another limitation! ralis

Wasn't Vortex posting on the Buddhist threads? I thought attachment to money was not being a good Buddhist. ralis

As far as the CRA goes you have mis-characterized it. What do you have against minorities that were segregated discriminated against and kept from opportunities of the majority white population? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_Reinvestment_Act ralis

What is your point? ralis

Thanks for this info. Excellent research! The Republicans lied about the largest tax increase in history. The largest top rate was around 79% prior to WWII. I believe that was for incomes >3M. http://www.ustreas.gov/education/fact-sheets/taxes/ustax.shtml ralis

"Credit Default Swaps" were developed during the gutting of Glass Steagall that allow banks and investment firms to make bets on bets. That is riskier than going to a casino. The insanity of this is ludicrous! http://www.dailymarkets.com/stocks/2010/05/20/what-does-germanys-credit-default-swap-ban-mean-for-investors/ ralis

Exactly! Clinton left a budget surplus and Bush spent that and more. Also Bush borrowed in the form of bonds, money to finance an illegal war. The Chinese are the holders of most of that paper. Bush sold us out! ralis

Chinese wages are low and start around 1000 Yuan/month. USD equivalent is 147.50/month. That works out to 1.22/ hour based on a 40 hr. week. Of course these people are working in sweat shops and work long hours in horrific conditions. Therefor the pay is much less. Take for instance the toxic drywall that was imported from China. http://activerain.com/blogsview/924108/is-toxic-chinese-drywall-in-your-home- Is this the kind of efficiency you want? Toxic food? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/19/AR2007051901273.html This is not efficiency or anything close, just more greed promoted by corporations. This is what you get without proper regulation. However, you conservatives only care about the bottom line and not the health and welfare of all. As far as tariffs are concerned, the purpose is to create a fair playing field. Since there is such an imbalance of trade and more U.S. workers are left without jobs, I suppose the conservatives that are posting here think that is OK? I have no problem with corporations existing for a useful purpose. However, when unregulated and predatory, those corporations should no longer exist. Until the late 1800's corporations existed for the length of their charter and only served for the good of the public. Now that corporations have been given the rights of persons, they have been given incredible power. ralis

If tax cuts for the wealthy really had an effect, then the Bush era tax cuts (for the wealthy) would have created a vibrant economy with plenty of jobs. Instead the very wealthy (top 1%) used that money to create bubble economies i.e, stock market, oil futures (150.00/ barrel) hedge funds and private equity firms etc. There was no net increase in jobs during the Bush era! This propaganda started with Reagan's trickle down theory of economics. Some of you that post here do nothing more than listen to propaganda and believe it. Propaganda is not real journalism. The U.S. basically produces very little in real goods (real wealth). Instead the jobs are sent to China where junk is produced for pennies and sold here at outrageous profit. The corporations are rewarded with tax cuts to behave in this manner. Also the small or lack of tariffs imposed on Chinese goods that are exported to the U.S. causes very large trade deficits. ralis

You address nothing around the corporate greed problem that I briefly addressed. The banking corporate problems must be addressed. Let's not forget the increased military spending for a standing army that is no longer needed!

One of the reasons for the current economic crisis is the passage of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999. This Republican law gutted the Glass Steagall Act. Glass Steagall was enacted during the depression to keep separate, banks and investment houses. What that entails is, banks are no longer just ordinary banks, and now are able to invest everyone's money in high risk derivatives, credit default swaps, hedge funds and selling mortgages. These high risk bets are backed (insured) by AIG which caused it's et al demise during the Bush years. Further, companies such as Goldman Sachs are also classified as banks and investment houses. Goldman is able to borrow unlimited money from the Fed at 0% interest and invest in derivatives and other high frequency trades, which essentially is predatory for the reason that they know who is buying and selling (insider trading) and are therefor are able to undercut (naked short selling) all competition. Hedge Funds are the problem for the EU countries in that these type of predatory companies engage in (naked short selling) against small countries debt. This practice can bankrupt countries (Greece). OK Joe, I have given a brief factual description of corporations out of control and associated problems. However, you blame entitlements on the problem. That is a Republican talking point that has no basis in fact. What I briefly posted can be researched by anyone to verify as fact. Further, my Republican brother blamed poor people buying houses through Fanny and Freddie (Republican talking points) as the cause of the mortgage crises. The losses from the crises were approximately 780M. However, the derivatives (high risk bets) in which these mortgages were bundled and insured (AIG) are valued at around 2 Trillion. Therefor, it was the banks that bundled these bets and bought and sold derivatives. Therefor, it was the banks that caused their own demise. Further, it was the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act that made "too big to fail". ralis

Were you trying to help? Also, it is inappropriate to give counseling on this site. ralis

Here is the latest nightmare scenario! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/05/bp-oil-spill-relief-well_n_635608.html ralis