TzuJanLi

Greetings.. Hi RFC: I try to avoid labels like 'left or right', center is okay, but.. i'm a realist, it works or it doesn't, and.. i'm patient, willing to give a process its fair chance, before concluding that its function is helpful or harmful.. and, the current version of corrupted capitalism is harmful. Welcome to the growing ranks of people willing to think for themselves.. Be well..

Greetings.. How many ways can we divide a seamless whole?.. Be well..

Greetings.. The "country as we know it" is failing due to the harvesting of wealth and resources by the elite class for their excessive exclusive lifestyles, at the expense of those whose "time and efforts" are plundered by the corrupt capitalist policies (as opposed to regulated and functional 'Capitalist policies).. Joe, you are playing the scare card to try to preserve a failing system.. while "one percent" benefit from the current system's corrupt policies of defining, in their favor, what 'value' is assigned to the "time and effort" of those that are manipulated by the system which has been seized by corrupt means and by the force of influence by that same "one percent".. that "one percent" demonstrates no compassion for the 99% they manipulate to their own advantage, in fact.. the "one percent" influences and lobbies for government legislation that would lower the tax rates for themselves, further burdening the 99% to carry the weight of the lavish excesses of the "one percent", and.. that same "one percent" lobbies and influences the government to reduce the benefits it is obligated to pay back to those that paid into those benefit systems, another broken promise of the "corrupt" manipulators of Capitalist policies which began with the 'treaties' made with Native Americans.. it is the identifying characteristic of 'The Capitalist Hierarchy', the bottom of the hierarchy will suffer for the benefit of the top of the hierarchy.. there is no example of Capitalism where this is not observably true.. but, it doesn't need to be that way, all that is needed is real compassion, and.. the willingness to live within a structured system that assures everyone within that system will benefit from the collective effort, while rewarding specific efforts with 'reasonable and sustainable' variations within a regulated scale.. Nice!!, Joe.. now, is there any chance you hold a rational discussion?? "Beat you"??? how very sad, that you think this is about 'you', it's about freedom and the 'American Dream' that the policies you propose have raped.... no, i have put forth idea after idea for rational discussion and you 'blast' rhetoric and mischaracterizations as if that defends whatever you think is appropriate, but.. you fail to articulate even a fraction of a suggestion that might fix the broken system, and.. any suggestion that the 'status quo' is sufficient is uninformed or an outright deception intended to secure ill-gotten gains from that system.. The "compassion" i show by confronting your indefensible position is for the 'greater good', and whether you realize it or not, it is for your own good, too.. sooner or later, the oppressed will level the field, you will find a way to negotiate a compassionate social arrangement, or you will face a reckoning.. i am here to help you see this, it is a 'compassionate' effort, call it 'tough compassion'.. Pay attention, focus!! read the last five pages without your conservative ideology guiding your mind.. using ecologically sound farming practices, maximize yield.. create new jobs by shipping the excess to places that 'need' it, where there is suffering due to lack.. then, those regions can stabilize and become productive contributors to a civil society.. THIS requires compassion and will, This is "the rising tide that lifts all boats".. do you resist this, too, joeblast?? Be well..

Greetings.. If the teacher is authentic, money makes no difference.. if the teacher has the means to teach for free, that's their choice.. if the teacher needs to subsidize what income they may or may not have, that's not an issue, if the teacher is authentic.. The notion that there is some inherent principle that precludes charging for 'services rendered and value received', is just wishful thinking.. freeloaders wanting to take advantage of a tradition where nothing was charged, but honor and respect of the students made certain that their teacher was cared for.. times have changed, and Taoists adapt.. Be well..

Greetings.. Many humble thanks, for the kind words.. There is no great diminishing of anyone's existing 'reasonably comfortable' lifestyles needed.. when it is clearly reckoned as to the waste of resources, it is apparent that the waste alone could dramatically improve the lifestyles of the most unfortunate of our brothers and sisters.. what is insane, is the illusion of scarcity perpetuated to protect the illusion of wealth.. in the US, as in many countries with regulated commerce, farms are paid to NOT grow food as it might unbalance the delicate relationships that assure maximum profits.. when the rewards of experiencing a healthy civilization outweigh self-interested indulgences of excesses at the expense of a suffering civilization, we will put people to work creating an infrastructure that distributes resources to those in need.. then, everyone can begin to contribute to symbiotic civilization.. Suppose people simply went back to work 'somewhere', anywhere.. suppose they show up on January 5, 2012 at businesses and construction sites, and farms, and started helping.. "no pay", they say, "i'm just going to help make this thing work".. there's a lot of skilled and talented people out there, but they're unemployed or under-employed, so.. they go where they can be most useful, and they actually contribute, they actually help the businesses 'produce more', better, and more efficiently.. the result is greater efficiency, more supply/less cost.. this translates into the ability to provide the basic necessities for those willing to "just do it", so.. at the end of the week, the people that "just did it", are either rewarded appropriately, or.. they organize and 'go shopping' for the necessities, plus a minimal improvement to their potential to continue, i.e.: replacing 'a few' of the clothes or accessories needed to return to 'help' again the next week.. The 'helpers' on the farms will subsidize the food supply for the helpers at the construction sites, which will subsidize shelter, for the farm help and the teaching help, which are subsidizing the education of the children, that will improve their skills.. this will work, people working together to make Life better for each other.. except when some people unfairly want more than others, and that applies to all parts of the equation, to those unwilling to contribute as they are able, and.. to those that feel like their gift of unique abilities 'entitles' them to more than someone willing to contribute equal "time and effort".. Gold, although relatively rarer than most metals, has no intrinsic value that warrants its high prices.. there are not too many life or death situations that require gold to remedy, its high price is a function of 'desire'.. in fact, some people's 'desires for trinkets' are so overwhelming that they are willing to watch others suffer just so their 'desires' are fulfilled.. when does Life become so trivial that a person's 'desire' for non-essential excesses allow that person to justify the suffering of others as a valid exchange for having their extravagant 'desires' fulfilled? When the 1% realize that it is the disproportionate distribution of resources that creates poverty, and that it is poverty that is the most curable ailment that harms a healthy society, maybe.. they will realize that they have created the very conditions they complain about.. whenever anyone finds a way to rationalize excessive waste and wasted excess while others suffer, they are creating the conditions for conflict.. there is no justifiable reason that the wealth and resource gap between the least fortunate and the most fortunate or most ruthless should exceed a factor of ten, and.. when what was once decadent excess reserved for the 0.5%, is restructured to a fair and reasonable excess dependent upon the ability to empower social healing and social evolution, then.. the decadent portion of the excess is redistributed among all peoples, and the benefit will raise everyone's standard of living, while creating the sustainable process that fairly addresses global solutions for a healthy and prosperous civil society.. Be well..

Greetings.. You are singing the Swan Song of a dying ideological paradigm, one where you abandon any social morality in favor of your well-cultivated self-interest, your carefully nurtured greed.. you make crap up that was not posted nor implied to try to scare people into agreeing with you, how quaint.. scurry off, now.. count up your trinkets and weep.. justice is coming.. Be well..

Greetings.. 'Tolle' is word-play and escapist fantasy.. an adventure in manipulating people's imaginations.. The contract you signed in the 'past' is due in x number of equal payments into the future.. 'Time' is very real, and you only have a limited amount of it in the physical existence, so experience Life fully, unconditionally and with uninhibited gusto.. not, pretending you're enlightened or that your imagination is a suitable substitute for the magnificence of the physical experience.. Be well..

Greetings.. Stop tearing down solutions that don't preserve the status quo, you only want to protect your own kind.. the system isn't functioning well, it rewards "time and effort" unfairly and disproportionately, and everybody knows it, and.. finally, people are willing to change that system, and THAT is what's bothering those that might have their wealth dependent 'social status' compromised.. you can swim against the flow of change and be a casualty of it, or.. work to build a more fair and equitable system.. I hope you are not suggesting that the life-terms of Supreme Court Justices are appointed fairly.. the appointment and confirmation is political theater, and no less corrupt than the system that writes that script.. Political Parties are simply well-dressed gangs of sophisticated thugs, taking what they can under the guise of representative democracy.. they serve the highest bidder or the most influential potential investor in their re-election.. The American Dream is an amazing potential, but it has been corrupted to the point that it has to radically cleanse itself and restructure its wealth distribution "more fairly".. are you, the one percent, willing to give up a moderate amount of wealth gained through an oppressive system, in order to repair and preserve that system, or.. will your greed clench onto that ill-gotten excess until those that suffered by the system's oppressive policies revolt and take it from you? Now is the time to work together to rescue the American Dream, but all i see from conservatives is resistance, their way or no way.. Change it or lose it Be well..

Greetings.. Let's talk about "time and effort", there are people working 12 hours a day, busting their asses, putting more "time and effort" than you could hope to muster.. Whoa there, when the system rewards "time and effort" equally, then we have that discussion.. but, the system rewards 'specific' kinds of 'time' and effort', rigged against those not approved by the system.. For the 'working poor', the minimum wage Joe.. that 'gun' is food, health care, and shelter.. Most couldn't keep-up a week's worth of the work with a real labor crew, your whiny 'it's 'mine' attitude and your style of ridicule, indicates you would likely fall in with the 'most'.. So, how do you account for those that work their asses off sun-up to sun-down on their FIRST of 2 jobs, while you play on your computer.. seems that by your standard of "time and effort", they deserve more than you.. Don't be an ass.. you don't get it, no one here (well, maybe Twinner) is suggesting anything of the sort of sensational inflationary rhetoric you want people to believe.. what is so confusing about a "more equitable" distribution of resources? What you are proposing, is that you see yourself as deserving more for doing less.. I've got a better idea, you pay the people that do the work you won't or can't do for yourself, the same rate per hour that you earn.. "time and effort". Why do conservatives resort to ridicule, sarcasm, smoke and mirrors, deception, and abuse just to try to convince others that it makes sense to rig a system that oppresses many for the benefit of the few? because you can't change the math, the 1% is always 1%, and.. the US poverty rate in 2010 was 15.1%.. "Someone with a well-paying regular job who is paying high taxes that fund various welfare programs" who is lobbying their representatives to lower their taxes even more than the lowest they have been in 3 decades? the same someones that want to cut health and socials services so they can make more money?? The solution is the US is that we begin to act responsibly across the board, we all suffer higher taxes for a decade, at 35%-40%.. and we leave no one behind. No, not everyone shares equally, those unwilling to bear their fair share of the "time and effort" needed to fix the problems only receive the minimum standard of reasonable care and services.. We re-institute programs like the CCC or WPA along with Americorps and the Peace Corps, and.. no benefits unless contributing, providing someone is physically able.. the US welfare policies have no alternatives, no provisions for getting a product on the investment.. welfare and unemployment recipients must DO something for the money.. this provides services to the nation, training for the recipient, and an incentive to find regular employment.. I do not suggest 'labor camps', there are many useful projects that can put welfare and unemployed people into useful positions and paying them a fair wage.. beautify America, restore the infrastructure, bring the internet and other services to rural and remote communities, restore the environment, and.. all of these are teachable skills.. build and maintain regional 'welfare colleges', staffed by unemployed or semi retired educators.. THIS is how higher taxes are used to rebuild a system that rebuilds self-esteem and a Nation.. and, that is the source for the revenues that pay-down the National Debt.. I'm a consultant for environmental projects, restoration and rehabilitation of wetlands and water resources.. i experience government waste at levels that are insanely criminal.. mountains of redundant paperwork in a "paperless" system, corruption at every level.. from the selection of consultants through bidding and negotiations, and the entire management process, even closing a project out means you will need to 'take care' of issues.. The reward for whistle-blowers needs to be substantial enough to expose the processes, and protections guaranteed.. the penalties need to be so severe that it's just not worth it.. one of my competitors said, "i make so much by bending the rules, that the occasional fine or slap on the wrist is well worth it".. it is a deeply entrenched culture of corruption that justifies itself by believing that it's just the way business works.. as my attorney said, "How much justice can you afford"? If the existing system can be cleansed and overhauled, i'm all for it.. but, i see no evidence that it is possible, every new crop of idealistic falls prey to the system or is beaten by it, and.. it is the conservatives that finally gave up and chose to make the system of greed and corruption work for their own agendas of wealth and power.. Some suggestions: Do not re-elect any incumbents for the next 20 years, breaking the connections between big money special interests and career politicians.. Legislate Citizen's United into the dumpster, corporations are not 'people'.. one person one vote.. ALL campaign contributions MUST be anonymous and no larger than $1000.. Supreme Court Justices are elected by by the Deans of the the nations accredited Law Schools for one 8 year term, half on alternating 4 year cycles, with the Chief justice staying on for an additional 4 years. Each Bill or Law must be voted on separately, no 'riders'. Be well..

Greetings.. That song, in its more vulgar form, is how conservatives express compassion, and.. in a discussion where some people are interested in real solutions for ALL members of society, you choose to reference that song?? thankfully, you have bowed-out. Conversations like these open people's eyes and point to solutions that can actually improve all of society, and that is not what conservatives want to hear.. conservatives 'need' cheap oppressed labor to support their excesses. No, it's not "all conjecture", like the rest of society you are beginning to realize the inequities of the US Capitalist model, and that scares you.. the 'truth' that sets men free, is usually the 'truth' they do not want to hear.. Be well..

Greetings.. As time allows i will post more, but.. no, it's not about 'money', well it is to conservatives, but.. we could remove money from the equation completely, and that would send the power-brokers into a tail-spin.. we do not need money. Money could be useful if used ethically, it is not used ethically, especially in the capitalist systems.. "Hard work for good pay"??? No, and not even close.. Spend a day in the shoes of a migrant farmworker, a sun-up to sun-down day, at less than minimum wage and with no benefits.. the wealth and 'good-life' you enjoy is dependent on someone filling those shoes.. to avoid losing too much of your wealth, you are willing to put others in positions of poverty and suffering.. otherwise, you would pay more for goods and services to insure that others could have a share of the the wealth that they 'worked hard' for, too.. Higher taxes across the board.. pay for equal distribution of services that are basic human rights, Life, health care, education.. Higher taxes to pay for excessive spending in the past, and.. cut spending, no.. slash spending, intelligently.. but, no one wants to lose the cash-cow that is the government's protection of their banking system's corruption.. Anyway, more later.. Be well..

Greetings.. You are interested in protecting "the hand that feeds you", that leads you around to do its bidding and make it rich and powerful.. some of us are interested in distributing the resources, wealth, and power more fairly.. others, like you, are interested getting what you can, doing the bidding of those with more, and the suffering of those with less be damned.. in every instance of social justice in the US it has been the Liberal that leads the way for change, conservatives are self-interested and morally deficient in matters of social justice.. Be well..

Greetings.. Hi Ralis: Thanks for thinking about 'solutions', we simply can't afford rhetoric and picking sides anymore.. you have chosen bold measures for stabilizing the unbalanced system, thanks for the courage to care.. I am leaning toward overhauling the system itself, as i guess you could discern from my posts, but.. as you have pointed-out, first the power structure must be wrested from the grips of the power brokers, and your measures move in that direction.. I wish Twinner could apply his Utopian Idealism to a practical application for a globally interconnected civilization.. Compassionate Pragmatists and Social Democracies can restructure a functional Creed that guides the individualistic efforts of people and groups toward a functional civilization.. i do not propose the following lightly, but.. i am convinced that religion and, to a lesser degree, philosophical belief systems, are dysfunctional artifacts of human evolution.. i wholly approve of understanding the historic significance and the emotional effects of these artifacts, but.. at this place in the evolution of the human experience, those influences confuse the mind's understanding of the actual issues that threaten the future of the human experience.. climate change/global warming being paramount among the issues.. oops, i'm rambling, enough for this evening.. Be well..

Greetings.. Hi Twinner: You don't read my posts well, i'm not "putting words in your mouth", you just don't understand what you are saying.. you are inconsistent in the application of your beliefs.. you don't understand the term 'natural' or it's application to Life.. and, i'm hoping to converse with people looking for solutions rather than defending beliefs.. your model fails in this interconnected global civilization, start there and let's work to improve what is real.. seriously, i'm very interested in people's understandings for changing a failing world model, but be clear and practical, please.. Be well..

Focus, stay on point and stop using meaningless analogies.. what is up for consideration is changing the whole game, no more cards or dealers that rig the game.. there is absolutely NO reason that there should be poverty or starvation, there is an abundance of resources, what is lacking is the willingness to redistribute these resources fairly, why? because those that have the resources would rather see people starve or suffer than to lose what they believe is their 'earned profit'.. No one suggests "choking back those most productive", only rewarding them fairly so that everyone can share in the benefits of Life.. and what fairly means is that no one is entitled to decadent excess while others suffer through no fault of their own.. it's really that simple. You do enjoy pointless theatrics.. You simply can't divorce "market distortions" from the system that uses that characterization to periodically rape the investments of retirement funds, pensions, and uninformed investors in this well-constructed wealth harvesting system.. No.. government is hired by the major corporations to protect their corrupt policies of indenturing the general public for the purposes of sustaining an elite class well into the future.. it is the notion of 'Nobility' dressed-up to appeal to an evolved awareness of the system's inherent intent to abuse its source of elitist status.. people. You really have no interest in social health and well-being, you, like so many other wannabe power brokers, will sell basic human rights for your 0.5% chance to screw those that make that chance possible.. playing the odds that society will not call-in the reckoning until you have hoarded your 'piece of the action', regardless of the unnecessary suffering of others.. Change it or lose it.. either way, there is a tribulation ahead, or.. leave the status quo alone, and the chaos factor will emerge, again.. the system will become too complex to maintain itself, and the workers will no longer bear those burdens.. Regulation is necessary to control the results of greed, but.. the current use of 'regulation' is often onerous and used as a means of suppressing the rights of people to to reasonable enjoyment of the fruits of their labors, AND.. regulations are often used to insure job security within the government/agency of its origin.. what we 'own' are the rights of possession and use as negotiated in the terms of an agreement.. lawyers understand job security very well.. The agreement is appreciated.. An equal measure of both seems appropriate.. "Screwing up the picture" is what unregulated government does, and society is pathetically remiss in managing its elected officials.. Well, i guess it's time to help you understand the system you think is your friend.. since the Great Depression, when the rules were changed to prevent Land Barons and unregulated investment brokers from simply taking what they wanted.. in 1934 NYSE was registered as a national securities exchange, as an attempt at regulating unchecked corruption, but it ended up introducing the government to the 'pleasures of big business'.. now, the 0.5% could purchase protection for the greatest multi-level marketing scam outside of Christianity.. since the Great Depression, the lure of making money simply because you have money has enticed otherwise reasonably intelligent people to play the money-lottery (stock market).. big business invests their proportionately small investments into the selected stocks that create the 'illusion' of an advantageous 'bull' market, thereby enticing lesser informed people to invest their proportionately larger proceeds from Life.. here's the thing, in clearly observable cycles, as the market is engorged with people's investments, big business harvests the wealth that they have enticed people to invest through the revered 'recession'.. then, and in no clearer example than today's market relative to the '08-'09 recession, big business adds a fraction of the wealth they just harvested to entice people's greed to do it again, and again.. YES, greed at every level should be regulated, personal and corporate and government, otherwise the potential for humanity to evolve beyond the conflicts of sophisticated corruption is dismal at best.. the game is rigged, the stock markets are pyramid schemes protected by government and the military, which has been hired by the power brokers, and.. people are pawns by their weakness to challenge the system.. Banks and interest rates, there's a blowout scam of such epic proportions that the label 'criminal' is just flattery.. inflation is caused by printing more money, right? (yes).. and, when someone borrows money at 10% interest, where does that 'ten percent' come from? the money supply represents goods and services already manifested, or liquid liquid assets to back it up, so.. if the 'back up' for the money in circulation is actually there, where does the 'unprinted money' for the additional 'ten percent interest' come from? wrap your thoughts around that equation and the problem is clear.. joeblast Nobody should have cooked books. The government included. Yes, balance the books, disempower the corrupt who abuse their positions. However, the federal government has no basis upon which to "put people to work" outside of government employees, who by very definition have zero economic output. These programs are nothing but taking from productive states and giving to unproductive ones, for the ones that are doing badly and have high unemployment are exactly the ones that have taxed, regulated, spent themselves silly, whereas if you look at the states who have been following the things that I have been highlighting - wow, they're doing excellent in comparison! Wonder why that is? Tzu The federal government has every basis to "put people to work".. to regulate commerce and provide for the common defense.. no work, no food, civil unrest = common defense.. regulating the fruits of the labors of the people "put to work" = regulate commerce.. please stop with the lamenting of taxes and regulations as being the source of unemployment.. the situation is exactly the same as a strike by a union, big business is withholding jobs and lending until the government lowers tax rates, and until workers agree to reductions in pay and benefits, so that the 0.5% can better afford to buy more protection on a global scale and clench their ascension to their place as overlords.. (nicely dramatic, eh??) joeblast Yes, many small businesses fail - why? See my comments regarding taxation, regulation, considered in conjunction with a small business startup, will they have an easier time staying in business with a heavy tax burden, regulatory requirement, or will they have an easier time staying in business and providing jobs for people when there is a comparatively lower tax & reg burden? Tzu They fail because they didn't realize that 'government regulation' is another term for the anti-competitive controls instituted by the 0.05% that determines who fails and who succeeds.. yep, now you're catching on.. joeblast Boy you've just got the entire business cycle down pat, dont you? Hate to sound the refrain, but please answer me why it makes sense for a company to go across continents? Why have businesses been dying or fleeing the state of California in droves? Why did Intel build a chip factory in Az and not CA? Simple questions, simple answers. Tzu Simple answer = to make more money, 'greed'.. they 'flee' because they have no affiliation with social responsibility.. in CA they demand sophisticated services, but when the loopholes dry-up they simply aren't willing to pay for the services.. fix regulation is a good start, but the regulations that protect people from abusive lending, government, and environmental policies are off-limits joeblast Just like minimum wage laws - shown time and again to reduce the availability of jobs, and it winds up having a very disproportionate impact on teenagers, who will often work for whatever just to have a job. Please ignore the fact that "those making minimum wage" is a very dynamic category, those whom are making minimum wage dont do so for too too long before being able to make more. But I'm a bastard for pointing out real world things, of course. Tzu Crap, no.. just no, and you know better.. joeblast Please ignore the man behind the curtain This simplistic view of reality is naught but class warfare in spoken words, only caring about turning the prism a certain way in order to assert something that winds up being half false when you turn the prism in another direction. Tzu Yes, class warfare.. it is the oppressed class of freedom-loving people indentured by the predatory practices of big business seeking a reckoning.. it will come, by peaceful agreement or civil unrest, but.. it will come.. history is crystal clear on this.. joeblast What I am asking is Why are these things happening and pointing out root causes, then because my answers are going contrary to the local populist notions we're seeing the real underlying reasons why this populist meme exists and it does not care about real results, it cares about putting the correct thing upon the projection screen and not caring if the inner workings are inconsistent and do not reproduce that which is portrayed upon the screen. Tzu Don't do that, that's just crap.. meaningless rhetoric.. joeblast You guys are but giving lip service to compassion in supporting "equality" measures that really only serve to depress the whole. It would be one thing if these measures attained their goals, and there's the rub - they don't. Its demonstrable. Its demonstrable that free-er markets will produce a better overall result in terms of human suffering, contrary to the assertions that there needs to be massive government programs to take care of anyone who doesnt quite feel like taking care of themselves. (Those who can't aside, of course.) Time's up. Tzu Yes, Joe.. your "time's up".. your oppressive and abusive capitalistic model is crumbling under the weight of its own bullshit.. Be well..

[Greetings.. I doubt that you would watch your child die rather than exchange the child's life for the life of the criminal that would kill your child.. if you you would, then you are part of the problem that plagues this existence.. people who lack the courage to call unacceptable behavior what it is, and the courage to control it.. I don't think a person's "job" should dictate their social status or wealth either, but.. their willingness to contribute to the greater good' should be rewarded in comparison to those that will not contribute or that must be coerced to contribute.. i am a compassionate realist, if someone's life circumstances effectively prevent them from contributing to greater good, they enjoy the benefits of a society that is fair and respects all Life, they receive the median benefits and all people enjoy the same standard of health care.. You paint a bleak picture of your understanding of how to organize and maintain a fair system of social equality.. the difference between the 'most and the least' of a functional society is not so great as to inspire envy or to inspire the risk of social disfavor for corruptness or disruptive behavior.. the distribution of wealth and resources is such the the whole society benefits from its functional system.. as you have wrongly assumed, distribution of resources would be based on effort/result, not on 'importance' as a subjective marketable value.. Your reference to "those menial laborers who don't know spit" is inappropriate.. every member of society contributes by the sweat of their brow, the skill of their hands, and the intellect of their minds, and the result of their efforts is the cohesion that binds society into a functional civilization.. without a fair system of rewards for results "beyond the call of duty", or results that "betray the health of society" there is no motivation to function as a collective process for a holistic evolution of the Human Experience.. The organization you describe IS 'government' telling groups of people what to do AND establishing 'borders' that prevent one group from "dictating what happens to another".. you simply want 'government' to function according to 'your' beliefs, and that is a natural inclination that must be disciplined to function on behalf of the greater whole.. it is natural to have a code of behavior, an enforcement against violations of such a code, and a system for promoting the health and well-being of any group of beings.. what is misunderstood and corrupted within much of the human society, is the understanding of what is 'holistic', and how cooperation will reconcile a common purpose and understanding that benefits the greater whole.. all of which will require a fundamental creed of compassion and respect for Life.. Well, you have described the "warring states" period of human evolution, and you are proposing a government to dictate how those states behave, contradicting your dislike for government.. look, government is necessary, corruption is not, what is lacking is the courage to change the systems of dysfunctional governments.. what is lacking is intelligent cooperation between ALL peoples of the planet.. and, please Arron, don't do the condescending "unless you feel the need to dictate" crap.. that's just not part of a productive discussion, i'm looking for solutions.. Be well

Greetings.. I have issues with it, too.. but, the alternative is too frightening to consider.. you might not 'think' "it's not within the jurisdiction of man to determine who should live and die, and for what", but i'll wager that you will actually function in contradiction with what you 'think'.. would you pull the trigger to save the life of your children or family? would you pull the trigger to stop a madman from pushing the button that would 'exterminate' 10,000 people? i'm a realist in a real world, but i think i share the same concerns as you.. Please do not assume that what you are describing as "fair", has anything to do with my position regarding an economic model.. if you had read my post carefully you would realize your description of "fair" is inconsistent with the economy i described.. a system of absolute equality is as dysfunctional as one of unregulated subjectivity.. do you suggest that the terrorist be treated exactly equal with the cancer researcher, or the doctor? what is necessary is intelligent compassion and practical ethics, and.. yes, there is a subjective quality to that process, but it's adaptive and evolving toward a civilized and functional human experience.. I understand your concerns, but your solution is as untenable as Marx's.. ultimately, someone enforces order, and someone decides what 'order' is.. i do not favor "moral agendas", but i find ethical solutions to be a positive alternative.. i do not favor "religious agendas", but i find compassion and respect to be positive alternatives.. i think you will agree that 'regardless of what they do' doesn't include terrorism, oppression or abuse, or maybe you perceive the relationships differently than i do.. Life and the human experience is not a fixed process governed by a fixed code, and that is another aspect of its profound beauty.. the opportunity to explore the process, and to refine it.. Be well..

Greetings.. oops.. i'll try again.. Be well..

Greetings Yes, it is indeed "class warfare".. capitalism creates a worker-class that the 'one percent' manipulates into indentured servitude while the 'one percent' siphons the "fruits of their labors" from them.. you, and those of your persuasion, will use whatever means you believe justify your inclinations to gather excess at the expense of those that make abundance possible through their actual work. The "incentive" is the same as it is now, greed.. even if controls are put in place to regulate disparity and excess at the expense of the health and welfare of others, the greedy will strive to reach the highest possible position of wealth and power, that's their nature they refuse to be 'one of the masses'.. and, it is likely they will resort to other means to circumvent the system, as that is their nature, too.. I agree, but the investment businesses and the banks that crashed the economy in 2008 are holding onto their bailout money rather than reinvest it into the economy, in fact evidence indicates that a new round of skimming has already skimmed 20%-25% of the $850 BILLION out of circulation and into the same elite club's members invisible accounts.. So, i recommend that the people, corporations are people, too, with 'personal' wealth and assets over $12 million, and 'corporate' wealth and assets over $40 million, be assessed a one time "luxury tax" of 20% of their total wealth, and a tax on annual profits and gains of 32%, no exemptions.. this tax, along with other revenues, to be used to establish organizations like the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) and the WPA (Work Projects Administration).. Programs like the CCC and the WPA are essential to balance the equation where people that have been displaced from the workforce by outsourcing, by technological advances, and by economic misfortune can find meaningful ways to contribute to society and reap a fair portion the benefits of society's advancements.. Yes, i am in favor of the government acting as the equalizer where reasonable distribution of resources is not forthcoming from those that have gained the most from work of all peoples.. and, No, i do not favor taking away incentives for investment or inventiveness, or entrepreneurism, but i do favor a tax structure that increase with the increased acquisition of wealth.. No questions??? is that the cooked books questions the 'one percent' wish to avoid? The simple "existential minutiae" you refer to is as simple as equal respect for Life and health of humans.. Balance the books, regulate the corrupt, and establish self-regulating programs that insure each person is rewarded with the fruits of society's productiveness according to each persons contribution to society, AND.. establish a process that provides an opportunity for each person to demonstrate their willingness and their ability to contribute (CCC & WPA). "Business starters" are our saviors?? No, most small businesses fail, my first did.. soon, though small businesses learn to game the system, find the loopholes, pay the right politicians, etc.. so they can raise the prices on the less fortunate to pay for their 'right' to be in business with the 'job creators'.. soon, we find out that in order to compete we must outsource manufacturing to Mexico or China to be competitive with other "American Companies", putting more people out of work so the Conservative Republican Candidates can demonstrate their compassion with rhetoric like "If you're out of a job it's your fault".. "job creators" be damned, they're creating those jobs overseas and ridiculing Americans for not having the jobs they've outsourced, REALLY??? but, oh no, Americans should work like illegal immigrants, for less than minimum wages with no benefits and "no regulation", because that lines the job creators' pockets while insuring insulation from the 'worker-bees'.. it's a rigged game, and and it's rigged at the highest levels.. the only cure is compassion and respect, THAT is "the rising tide that lifts ALL boats", but.. that's NOT what the 'one percent' wants, they want less responsibility for the well-being of society and more from its dwindling resources.. Our children will live in a society where technology has replaced the need for their work and offers them nothing as a substitute for earning a living, AND.. their will be the 'neo-cons' lamenting their drain on the wealth that the 'one percent' has amassed at society's expense.. but, the 'one percent' has hired the military and government to protect their engorged vaults of certificates (money, stocks, and bonds) describing the barter value they have for work and efforts done by others.. No, you regulate foreign aid.. and you incarcerate or exterminate oppressors and abusers, both foreign and domestic.. you change the game to work in favor of the masses, rather than pitting them against each other for the benefit of the military industrial complex.. WTF.. stay on point, that 'story' has no place in this discussion.. i'm looking for solutions and i'm not interested in how you justify your greedy ideologies.. I'm a realist, history teaches that the disparity will not long be tolerated before the masses reset the scales.. the notes to that song never change, only the voices that don't want to sing it change.. If 'job creators' created jobs, we would be in much better shape, but they don't.. they take bail-out money and they take stimulus money, taxpayer money, and they keep it.. yeah, yeah, yeah, 'window dressing' if you're going to tell us about this or that that worked, the 'one percent' had to make a few token examples of why it's good to keep giving them the wealth earned by the middle-class.. but overall, capitalism as practiced in the US is regulated indenture of the poor and middle class, and most of the upper class, to the 'one percent', and actually.. it's more like the 0.5 percent.. most of the upper class are simply better trained and more willing to be the enforcers of the policy and protocol that insures the elite remain that way.. I hope my understatement of the issues doesn't blur them.. Be well..

Greetings.. Thank you, Sir.. every instant of our existence is the opportunity to redefine who and what we are.. there is a glimmer of courage emerging from humanity, a last desperate attempt to salvage its own existence.. Civilization.. "Change it, or lose it".. Be well..

Greetings.. Hi Ralis: The issue overlooked, and of major concern to a functioning society, is role of nepotism and "good ol' boy" policies.. where friends and family are granted access to opportunity while those more qualified or experienced to manage that opportunity to the benefit of society are denied access.. not much different than choosing to pay sports and entertainment personalities unconscionably exorbitant salaries and fees, while our own children are educated poorly and are nutritionally deprived.. as a society, we are so self-absorbed that the plight of civilization and the planet is ignored while we pretend we are looking for answers.. many of the answers are known, we, as a barely functioning society, are simply too narcissistic to care.. we, as a society, are willing to screw the future for our own pleasures today.. Be well..

Greetings.. The Capitalism practiced by the US is corruption dressed-up as incentivism.. where the more wealth that is acquired the more influence is also acquired, and.. that influence is used to acquire more wealth to acquire more influence, and.. the more wealth that is acquired affords the wealthy to use more resources to enhance their wealth acquisition, legally and illegally.. all of which is dependent on the efforts and labors of those who provide the basis of the wealth, actual work.. the ruse in all of this is the well-played marketing ploy that anyone can rise to the 1%, but not everyone can.. and, there's the rub. the 1% are dependent upon the 99% and they manipulate them to maximize the one percent's harvesting of the wealth generated by real work and productive contributions to civilization.. no, the innovators, the job creators, the visionaries, the investors, the sports personalities, the politicians, the entertainers, no one deserves decadent excess while others die of starvation or from lack of basic human rights like healthcare.. wealth earned can be distributed to fairly represent demand and risk vs. lack of incentive or effort without creating such disparity that there is no wealth available for the least fortunate to improve their conditions.. What is evident in the global relationships of 'civilized' peoples, is that corruption, at some level, is the most common form of wealth acquisition.. and, that the institutions created to protect against corruption are often equally corrupt.. all of which is rooted in the measure of respect the participants have for Life and basic human rights.. Be well..