For those of you in the USA I want to wish you a good day! Many are starting to question whether or not we should continue daylight savings. The original idea was to provide more daylight for work. Now we have modern lighting and people have so many options for work and transportation that we may no longer need to move our clocks around for increased sunlight. It will be interesting to see how this issue will play out as our society deals with changes in work, climate, and family.
“Discipline = Freedom” – Jocko Willink
The idea that discipline equals freedom has been stated in different ways I think. The phrase “There are no rights without responsibility ” comes to mind, but “discipline equals freedom” is a stronger statement that casts a wider net. Everyone I know loves to eat, but most of us know that if you don’t balance meals with activity there will be problems. The same balance (or discipline) applies to everything we enjoy….too much of it is a bad thing. The quote applies to what we want, what we look like, how we interact with others, and where we want to go in life – without discipline we cannot make things happen for ourselves. Implied in the quote is that we own our experience of life. The quote is profound.
American politics can be frustrating for citizens who follow it. There are times when you expect elected leaders to lead, but most of the time they seem to follow the mood of the majority of their voters. The midterm elections revealed that the majority of voters want checks on the executive, and the investigations are an important part of the process. Let’s hope the truth is revealed and decisions that protect our republic are made.
Today we had the governor of Washington announce he was running for president and his #1 priority would be climate change; I think he is on the right track. I am not supporting any candidate at this point, but I do believe the human race has a major threat to it’s survival; climate change. Earth will survive the worst-case scenario of climate change, but the human race as we know it will not. I agree with President Lincoln that America is the last best hope of mankind. America must lead the world in addressing climate change, and our next president must express the will to be the leader of our survival as a species. 12 years is not a long time; but many scientists are saying that is how much time we have left to change our direction, or the worst case will likely take place.
When is a liar made? Is a person forever a liar after misspeaking once? Does lying or misstating to the same person, or group twice make you a liar? If you lie to a group of people thousands of times make you a liar? I guess it is in the eye of the beholder. I think we all recognize what we would call a liar when we see the behavior. I believe when you disbelieve or doubt a person due to prior experience then you are dealing with a liar. But can’t a liar tell the truth,or be on the side of truth based on experience also?
We elect our representatives to be leaders and protect our interests, but increasingly this view is being challenged. We see people gain the office and appear only interested in keeping the job, or moving to higher paying positions in government or lobbying. As citizens we are the ultimate accountability system for our government. We have to challenge dark money (which may come from a foreign power – how do we know where it originated?) and protect our power. We (the citizenry) must maintain the ultimate power in our republic and make sure the representatives are ours, and not working for other groups, countries, or corporations.
When are you not qualified to be a member of the cabinet of the President of the United States of America? If you make an illegal deal not to prosecute a child rapist are you not qualified to serve the American people? Or does it not matter if you excuse the rape of dozens of American teenage girls? Do we have no standards of decency for the President of the United States or the people he puts in charge of our federal agencies? When do people who say they have morals become outraged? Is outrage by the people who say they have morals a thing of the past? The American people must speak loudly.
Power pollutes; obedience enslaves
– Unknown
Some questions: Why does power pollute? What ethical expectations should we have for those in power? Where should resistance begin, and what forms should it take? Is eternal vigilance the true price of liberty, or is more required?
What is a pathetic President? Is a pathetic president one whose word is meaningless because he lies all the time about everything and anything? Is a pathetic president one who does not believe the people that they have appointed to give advice? Is a pathetic president one who runs up debt for future generations to pay without good reason or explanation? Is a pathetic president one who destroys and threatens democratic institutions to preserve their twisted self-image which itself is based on lies? Is a pathetic president one who drives allies to express concern about the trustworthiness of the United States of America? Is a pathetic president all of the above?
Abraham Lincoln was a great president because of his intelligence, his growth, and his actions. President Lincoln freed a lot of people. Lincoln freed African-Americans held in bondage by those who wanted to be paid for their labor while abusing them. Lincoln was a man of his time who did not feel the African-Americans could live among whites, but he grew as a person and a leader. Lincoln helped to free many whites through education with Land-Grant universities helping to create a broad middle-class. These are just a few reasons to cite Abraham Lincoln as a great president.
Ethereal Bulwark 