Tag Archives: Government

by | May 9, 2012 · 11:13 pm

The World, The web and a needed change

MP900289198The world is connected by a spider’s web of communication, information and all the junk that comes with such a large social connection. There are no more borders between the people or barriers between the cultures of our world. Yet governments still fight over imaginary lines on a map and the resources that they consider critical. Only if the governments could learn from the people and start looking beyond the illusions of separation and tolerate the differences between us all they might be able to pull together to find peaceful solutions to the problems this world faces as a whole. I am not promoting one world government, I think that would be a bad idea due to the ability of one person controlling everything. But I do support the idea of one world co-operation for the betterment of our world for everyone. The promotion of peace, compassion and the acceptance of our differences as an asset instead of a hindrance. So many of the problems we face in the modern world has been with us for such a long time, so many grudges between nations, Peoples and belief systems that have been amplifying through so many generations. It is so hard to try to fight against such anger and fear when it so embedded in the core of a groups beliefs. Trying to convince those who been raised to hate to see that there is hope and that people change individually as well as in multitudes.

MP900444203We have so many tools at our disposal as citizens of the information age to share our cultural differences as well as to become a more peaceful world. The internet with all its tools at our fingertips that can help spread a peaceful mentality as well as gathering together as a world to deal with the issues we are facing in modern times. We as a species have such great potential and yet we cling on to negative ideas and beliefs and hold ourselves back from our destiny. We can become the great caretakers of our world and explorers of our vast universe. World hunger, water shortages, disease and the disregard for life can be things of the past if only we can grow enough to except each other as we are and co-operate on a global level for the good of our world. Seems sad we still hold on to prejudices and hatreds that have plagued us since the dawn of civilization. We need to grow up as a species and take responsibility for the crimes we have committed towards our planet and all life that lives upon it. Take responsibility and begin healing the wounds we inflicted on our world as well as the hurt we caused to our fellow humans and animals alike. We need to get past our lust of money, power and the fear of the unknown.

MP900437376The future of our world and our species is in our hands and we should take life and all that is in it seriously. Not only this generation of humans are in danger by our current path, so are the many generations being born today and those that will follow.  We can let them inherit the mess of ours along with the aftermath of the problems from the generations before ours or we can step up to the plate and try to fix the problems we face today. Some of the choices we will have to make will be hard and will require sacrifices that we may not like but it is something we will have to do in order to change our future into  something our grandchildren can live in as well as enjoy.

We are the architects of the future and the students of the past.
Raymond Barbier

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by | September 11, 2011 · 6:44 pm

Just some random thoughts on a Sunday afternoon.

p10104  Why is it so many people over seas dislikes western culture and the governmental powers of the western world? Well far as our culture, to a morality based religious culture the western culture would appear to be quite decadent and low in moral standards. Besides the cultural differences there is the past colonization of the middle east by the British and French. Even though all the colonies were dissolved and abandoned the resentment is still there. Then the long dislike between Islam and both Christians and Jewish faiths doesn’t make things any easier between the western and middle eastern powers. Sometimes I believe the west in general seems to interfere too much with the middle east and that keeps mistrust and hatred brewing.  A lot of the tension in the middle east is spawned from the constant debate of the Holy places in Israel. The fact that civilized people can not come to a fair way of sharing the Holy sites. The holy sites do not belong to one religion, they belong to all of God’s children be they Muslim, Jewish or even Christian.

After all we are all followers of the same god regardless the fact that the prophets we choose may be different or we may believe the messiah has already came once or not. Religion put aside there is the presence of military forces in middle eastern countries, even if they are invited by the governments or not they are seen as invaders by some in that region. Places like Iraq and Afghanistan may require our presence for a short while longer but the sooner we pull out and let the active governments stand on their own the better. The fear of a terrorist supporting government taking over or infiltrating the new governments in Iraq or Afghanistan is a waste of time. Regardless of how long you train and support the current governments the fact remains there will always be the risk they will turn terroristic or unfriendly after we leave. Our military presence isn’t going to make any difference on that fact. Plus with a about a decade of military and financial support, both Iraq and Afghanistan should be able to stand on their own by now.

Diplomacy should be the first priority for both the west and the middle eastern powers, both sides need to put their past differences aside for the good of our world. Trust can be earned on both sides if they are both willing to work at it and maybe sacrifice a few things along the way. Peace is always a possibility if both sides are truly willing to work for it. Just think how much money both sides would save and be able to apply to helping the people who are in need. All the money spent by governments and terrorist organizations to wage war could be used to build houses, schools and feed the hungry or heal the sick.

Just some random thoughts on a Sunday afternoon.

Raymond Barbier

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by | April 9, 2011 · 10:53 am

Just an opinion of a common man

A guiding light

Image by ::: M @ X ::: via Flickr

As usual the Congress has half way done their job and gave themselves more time to act like children fighting in a school yard. They keep trying to cut entitlements and yet they are not putting their own wages and benefits on the line to save our national budget. The poor and lower middle class always seem to either pay the bills for the government or loose entitlements to help the government to spend money on earmarks and pork. I think they really need to take a look at all the projects they are funding that doesn’t help the citizens nor the nation and cut them off from funding. Leave Social Security and Medicaid/Medicare alone. Far as welfare it should remain but should be structured to be an assistance program not a life long support system. Unfortunately there is a lot of entitlement abuse and fraud going on in our great country, many people who are capable and unwilling to work use the entitlement system in our country. But there are many who need the assistance and either are denied or are too proud to accept the help. Should we get rid of entitlements? No, To become caulis and uncompassionate is not the answer. More regulation and a better system on confirming the need of assistance is a must. Follow up inspections of the recipients and their residences to confirm that they are indeed in need and not just abusing the help is what must be done.

There are many ways to reduce the national debt, one is to reduce our foreign aid, Borrowing money to give it away to another country is just plain stupidity. Instead we could help the developing countries and countries in need by getting them loans from those countries able to lend. The tax code also needs to be revamped, The rich have too many loopholes and tax breaks while the middle class and poor have very few tax breaks at all. Both rich and poor should have to pay the same percentage of taxes per dollar earned. Why should someone who makes millions pay less per dollar in taxes than some one who makes thousands? Another big strain on our budget is all the military actions (wars) we are involved in, The world seems to want the U.S. to play the role off planetary policeman but yet none of the countries seem to want to help pay the bill for our involvement. This is a world of many countries and or nationalities and therefore it should be a global effort to enact change and also to police the rouge nations. The U.N., N.A.T.O and the rest of the global organizations should work together to improve the quality of life for all of mankind and be a part of the global solution.

Not one man nor one nation should shoulder the responsibility for our world alone, it should be a totally global responsibility and universal effort to fix the problems our world faces today. Regardless of ones religion, race or creed we are all part of the great human race. Not one life is greater or lesser than another and all life is sacred.

I think all the governments of this world need to either grow up and face reality or they need to wake up from their dream state.

Well once again I rambled on long enough.
Peace and Truth Be your Guiding Light
Raymond Barbier

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by | February 24, 2011 · 9:44 am

No country is immune to the divide

Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Hebrew, (English and...

Across the globe citizens of all walks of life are protesting and rioting against governments that are now learning the lessons of not listening to their citizens. Imbalance of power, wealth and education is creating a wave of anti government sentiment and actions. In the U.S. the Unions and workers of many states are in a battle for their rights to have a good wage and decent retirement / Insurance coverage. The citizens of the middle eastern countries and north Africa are fighting for basic human rights. All of this is due to the greed and the inability of governments to listen to the wants and needs of their citizens.

I find it quite sad it takes such protests and riots to enact change in countries and governments of the modern world. Maybe some good will come out of all of this unrest and un needed killing in countries such as Libya. Maybe, just maybe other countries and their governments will learn to listen to the public and be more concerned about their needs and wants. Possibly they may even see the great gap in the wealth and health issues within their own borders and try and find a way to make it a bit more fair and balanced.

No country is immune to the divide between the economic classes, some countries have a larger gap than others and this will eventually create either unrest or a economical downward spiral for those countries. The working class is the one that both helps create/provides goods and is the major consumer of such goods/services. Neglect that class and allow them to become impoverished both financially and in education then you will see a economical disaster in the making.

Another lesson that the world may learn is that we really need to move away from the dependence on oil as our main source of fuel. The unrest in the middle east has already increased the cost of oil per barrel to over 100 U.S. dollars and has effected the stock markets across the globe. An oil based economy like what most of the world is connected to is not a very stable one due to the increase of demand and the dwindling oil supplies and reserves across the globe.

To those in Libya, Egypt and the rest of the countries in the Middle East / North Africa I send my best wishes and my condolences for the lives lost in the revolutions/protests.

Peace is the path seldom walked.
Raymond Barbier

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by | February 17, 2011 · 9:21 am

An Old Mans Reflections on 2/17/2011

HPIM0012b  As a child I saw the world through rose colored glasses and believed that all was fair and just in the world around me. I grew through my childhood and teen years trying to live as a fair and just boy / young man only to receive the wrath and cruelty of my peers. I watched friends being bullied and found myself at times standing between the bully and those he wanted to terrorize. Never the cool guy and always the average guy in the middle is the part I played through my teens. The older I got the more my eyes were open to the unfairness and injustice in the world around me. Even though the world seems to run on greed and selfishness I still tried to hang on to the idea that there was goodness in this world.

  Every time I was close to just giving up and giving in to the fact the world was cruel and had little chance of redemption someone would come along and show me there is still kindness and love in this world. Even now in my forties I have hope for the whole of humanity even though governments and businesses have gotten so powerful and rich that most average people have to struggle to even survive. The fact we must face is governments and the business sector will always be greedy and will always put their own wants and needs above the wellbeing of others. This is due to the fact the majority of politicians and business people had chosen their professions for the purpose of to gain wealth and power. Their may be a few who chose to be a politician to help and serve the people, but they are a rare commodity in modern times.

  In my life I had seen several wars occur and energy shortages several times but never saw so much come to a head at the same time. Riots in the middle eastern countries , China growing into the new super economic power and the decline of the American financial system. I do not believe the United States it yet doomed to total financial ruin as of yet, though if we do not focus on education, innovation and government financial reform we may be heading for another great depression. Though I see some progress in Washington D.C. there is a long way to go far as fixing our nations debt. The debate over entitlements is one of the hot topics on capital hill and across the U.S. at the moment. Should they raise the retirement age or increase the percentage individuals have to contribute. Seems to me if you want to save money in a company or government you either decrease the staff or their salaries. This of course is not an option the congress wants to consider due to the fact it would be their pay checks on the line.

  Even in this mess we live in I still see hope, but this hope is not found in government but among the citizens. Human beings are very adaptable and when they learn to work together there is very little as a species that we can not accomplish or overcome. When we learn to put our selfish natures behind us long enough to see the advantages of a community based mindset we will start to head down the road of recovery and prosperity. As a great author John Donne (1572-1631) once wrote “All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated…As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness….No man is an island, entire of itself…any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

The world may be full of cruelty and unfairness but it is also full of compassion and love. The chore is to learn how to sort through it all and separate the wheat from the chaff without being overwhelmed by it all. To get lost in all the negativity and sorrow around us and or get trapped in the escapes from reality we have made is not an easy task either. It surely is hard to be a single candle standing against the winds of the world and the wickedness it contains. Between the wickedness of the world and the weaknesses we have to face within our own character makes the tasks at hand seem unachievable to our weary souls. This is why we must learn to rely upon the strengths of our fellow humans in life, to combine the light of each candle until we become greater than the darkness we face. Though a voice of an individual can cause change it is limited to the range in which it can be heard. The Voices of many can carry further as well as cover a larger area, therefore create change exponentially.

A dreamer I may be, But I would rather live my life dreaming of a better world to live in than giving in to the falsehood that there is no hope. For dreams foster hope and hope brings about change.

Well Enough of this Old Mans Rambling

Peace
Raymond Barbier

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by | October 26, 2010 · 7:39 pm

Just Another Political Rant

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  Power, greed and deception are the rules and conditions of politics. Almost every single politician is concerned with their own wealth and the power that comes with their elected position. Campaign promises created to get votes and bills filled with hidden earmarks and agendas fill the congress. Healthcare is only affordable by the rich and pharmaceutical companies push the medical industry to use pharmaceuticals to manage diseases instead of educating the patients or surgery.

  There is far more money in selling overpriced pharmaceuticals to manage a health problem than to come up with an actual cure. This is not to say there isn’t anyone out there looking for cures, just that funding and priority for finding a cure for a disease is lower than the research for drugs that help manage a disease. Though I will give the present administration a thumbs up for the fact they are pushing the idea of better diet and physical fitness as a preventative measure in keeping good health.

It still gets me quite upset that there are some congress officials and hopefuls looking for a way to increase the retirement age and or diminish the social security plan. For one thing even if the average life expectancy is like 80 it does not mean the majority of humans will survive to that age. The percentage that are lucky enough to live to see retirement are usually not as healthy due to having to work so hard and long. With the fact that it takes the lower and below middleclass citizen 2 to 3 jobs to maintain a decent standard of living only puts more strain on the health of those individuals.

  For as Medicare/Medicaid and any federal or state funded health care , it should be limited to legal citizens who have and will contribute to the tax systems both at state and federal levels. The only way illegal aliens could be a part of the system is if the government went to a national sales tax to replace the current income tax. This would insure every individual living in the united states would and could contribute their fair share to the government funds. Of course this federal sales tax should not be on food or necessities of life such as utilities only on luxuries.

  One thing I have learned is if it makes sense the government will either ignore the idea or take it and load it down with so many earmarks or amendments it becomes a useless idea and bill/law. Once in a while one might actually slip through with little change but that is becoming a very rare occasion in recent years.

Well enough rambling on about politics and such.
Peace to all Raymond Barbier.

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by | June 27, 2010 · 3:37 pm

Truth,Responsibility and The Average Joe

AN157  It seems it may be time for mankind to take responsibility for all we have done. No longer are we allowed to make mistakes over and over and claim ignorance. We are a Intelligent species in general and we are more than aware of the damage and destruction we leave in our wake. All for progress, convenience  and greed we lay waste to the natural resources and to the earth. The Child called man is a child no more and we should act as the adults we are instead of trying to hide behind excuses and misdirecting lies and partial truths. Both the Governments and news media throw so much spin on the truth you never know what is true or what is hype. Misdirection is the philosophy of modern politics and News agencies. Very few ever tell us all the facts only pieces of of the facts out there to keep us from knowing the whole truth. I am not going to go into conspiracy theories or big brother ideology, I am just stating there is very few if any in the news media and in government that i would trust. There may be a few whom we could trust, I just haven’t found one as of yet that tells nothing but the truth. I probably will never find one in my lifetime and I find it sad that is a truth i must face.

  The politicians, news media, religious leaders and corporations of the world should be held accountable for their actions and words. If they can not keep their word and are negligent then they should be impeached, fired and or ran out of town. Its pretty sad when the average Joe in America who barely makes above minimum wage has to bail out the banks, financial giants, airlines and the auto companies via taxes. And soon we will indirectly pay for the B.P. oil disaster thanks to the raising of the oil disaster relief fund the congress is trying to pass. But still no National Healthcare for us who can not afford it. I would rather my taxes pay to heal someone than bail out companies that are failing due to the greed and or negligence of their C.E.O.’s. And these same companies are hiring more and more people overseas to work cheap and that takes money and jobs from Americans.

Enough Ranting for now

Peace

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