Deadly Game!

      “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” so begins the 1859 novel “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens. And so it seems with us as humans in our society of constant conflict and pursuing peace.  Sometimes, we as humans, despite all logic, will want to cut off our faces to save our noses.  We can’t see the practical side of a situation because we have focused our attention on what we WANT to happen and not really on what should practically happen, even in our own best interests.  Let me tell you a little story that highlights the value of being savvy in a practical way against what might seem to be the logical thing to do.

               There was a small town in which lived a young man whom the citizens had deemed to be the town idiot.  When any of their relatives or friends would visit they would call the young man over to let their guests see what an idiot he was.  They would have him stand in front of them in the yard.  They would show him a coin in each hand, one a small gold coin and the other a very large silver coin.  He was told that he could choose either coin for himself to keep.  The young man would grab the large silver coin and run off.  The people would stare in amazement and just laugh.  One day when this was done for a visitor he ran after the young man.  Upon catching him he declared, “I have to ask you a question.  Why do you keep choosing the silver coin?  Don’t you know that the gold coin is worth many times more than the silver coin?”  The young man replied, “Of course, I do.”  The man was puzzled, “Then why do you choose the silver coin?”  The young man answered, “If I choose the gold coin the people would stop playing the game.  Do you know how many silver coins I have?”  These people wanted to continue playing the game even though it was costing them a large sum of money, as the young man was merely “playing” them against their best efforts.

            When we think about the larger picture, as on a global scale, we can’t afford to continue engaging in war.  And almost everyone you talk to, even politicians, seems to go to great efforts to achieve peace.  But regardless of all such efforts, peace (real peace) always seems to be evasive.  Many people, even though claiming to be Christian, don’t put very much faith in the bible. However, I do find it interesting when speaking about the political powers of the world, calling them the King of the North and the King of the South, Daniel, chapter 11, verse 27 says: “As regards these two Kings, their heart will be inclined to do what is bad, and they will sit at one table speaking lies to each other, …”  Does this not sound like the activities of governments today?  But if governments wanted peace, why can it not be obtained?

            You may be surprised to know, since 1914 (the start of the Great War, known today as World War I) there have been NO days when there was NO conflict or war of some kind somewhere on the planet!  That’s almost impossible to believe if so many people were really trying to make peace a reality.  One possible reason is, it appears, that war (or the preparation for war) is a continuous effort by nations since the economy seems to thrive during such periods of time.  However, many experts call this belief a “myth” and blame it on a false perception from a misunderstanding of the economic way of thinking.

            However, is that a myth?  A report entitled “Economic Consequences of War on the US Economy” published by the Institute of Economics and Peace examined the macroeconomics effects of government spending on war and military since World War II.  It specifically examined five periods: World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Iraq/Afghanistan Wars.  The conclusion they reached?

            “For each of the periods after World War II, we need to ask, what would have happened in economic terms if these wars did not happen?  On the specific evidence provided, it can be reasonably said, it is likely (italics mine), taxes would have been lower, inflation would have been lower, there would have been higher consumption and investment and certainly lower budget deficits.”

            In 1969 Edwin Starr recorded a song entitled “War”.  Within that song the continuous theme was “War, what is it good for?  Absolutely NOTHING!” So, WHY do we continue something that NO ONE wants, that NO ONE can afford, and EVERYONE wants to end?  The problem is the way our system has been established and continues to run. And the fact that we’re only human!

            (I have included a poem I wrote on this topic a number of years ago.  Please enjoy.)

This Deadly Game Called War!!

 Wonder how to say it now?

The words I long to pray.

I only hope, one day, somehow,

The game will go away.

It seems so little that I ask,

So small a thing, indeed.

Except, so large to cover all,

These words they’ll never heed.

A point is made for us, or them,

But who is in the lead?

Peace must come to all the world,

It’s we who’ll plant the seed.

I know not why, it lingers on,

We need this game, no more.

I pray ours sons could shortly end,

This deadly game - - - called WAR!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If we can agree to a cease fire for today,

why can't we cease fire EVERY day?"

Let's Debate!

               It seems that as humans we want to argue or debate any (and all) situations.  And to some degree this is not a bad thing.  But, we have become a society of people who want to have OUR say in everything!

                Let’s debate:  Should a major highway be widened?  Should you plant the tree on the south side or north side of the building?  Which is most important, vanilla ice cream or chocolate?  Then regardless of the topic debated and regardless of the outcome there will ALWAYS be those who are going to disagree with the decision.  That is our human nature.  And often, regardless of the facts (not the suppositions) there will be that group (regardless of how small) who will not believe. Think back to when the US put men on the moon. Until my father’s death (in 1994) he was convinced (in his own mind) that the entire account was fabricated by NASA and staged by Hollywood to fool people.  The government had to produce SOME type of “evidence” to account for all the money that was being spent.

                Government cover-ups, conspiracies, and other such activities will probably continue to exist and will continue to be debated.  Is Elvis still alive?  Who really killed John F. Kennedy?  And more recently: What really happened to Malysia Airlines flight 370?  There will never be an end to such debates!

                And we also have to remember that just because a person, or a group, or even a nation, may WIN the debate on such a topic, this doesn’t mean that their response is the RIGHT response.  Nor does it mean that the issue has been settled.  Sometimes, in many areas, the individuals involved have agree to capitulate to the majority - - - even when the majority does not have the best solution available for the whole.  Our human nature is to still complain!  To feel that OUR needs have not been fairly considered!  For some reason we have been cheated of OUR right!  But, even under these conditions we have (usually) agreed (in some fashion) to abide by the outcome.  But we will still complain.

                When this happens (once again) we want to debate!  Our view becomes “it ain’t over till it’s over!”  But how long does a situation continue before we will admit “it’s OVER?”  Debates can go on for years, decades even.  What truly has to be considered is the situation we find ourselves in.  Consider this as an example:  Situation 1.  Should the community put shrubbery on Main Street in front of local businesses?  Does this need to be debated?  Certainly!  Who is actually going to plant the shrubs?  Who is going to pay for them?  This will affect the businesses, the community, even the people in that community.  But, it may take some time to reach a conclusion.  City committees will want to plan and then postpone.  You know how the system works!  Situation 2.  There are one hundred fifty people in a plane whose engines have failed.  Should the pilot and co-pilot hold a debate with the passengers about what should be done?  Time is critical.  Action is needed immediately!  However, depending on the outcome in this situation, the pilot will be a hero or not!  And sadly regardless of the decision there will be those who will continue to debate if the right decision was made!  Think of Captain Sully.  It just highlights a constant consideration - - - we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If the airplane "black" box is indestructible,

why don't they build the entire plane from the same material?"

Your Cake - - -

              “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.”  You have probably heard that said more times than you want to remember.  But, have you ever noticed, that according to our human nature, we almost always want the opposite to be true.  We want a regular, steady paycheck, but most of (be honest!) don’t want to work!  We’d rather have the life where we can get up whenever we want, slowly go through the day caring for whatever activities we choose, not like someone else who is tied to a routine of watching the clock.  But we know for most of us that’s not going to be the case.  We work hard every day to provide the funds needed to give us what we want for ourselves and our families.  Sometimes we tend to confuse ourselves with what we really NEED with what we might WANT.  And this type of thinking becomes exactly the way we view other things, such as outside community services.

                Let’s take a look at what I’m talking about.  You’ve heard many say it.  You’ve got to be honest, you’ve probably said it yourself.  We want better schools for our children.  We want better police and fire department services.  We’ve got to have better roads, and on and on and on.  But, we want it ALL WITHOUT raising our taxes!  Sure, let’s have our cake and eat it too!  Do we try to convince ourselves that it’s okay to be stupid and think we can get all these services without having to pay the bill for them?  Surely we know that schools and municipalities function from the funds they receive from taxes WE PAY!

                Again, we have to honest and admit - - - NOBODY likes paying taxes.  And it does seem today that every possible entity wants to get their hands into the “tax” jar.  And the greed to get more and more of a share of that “tax pie” is a constantly increasing factor for the tax payers.  With the constant adjustment of funding budgets and requests for tax payer demands it is difficult to find the optimum balance.  But, who are we kidding?  NOBODY gets everything they want.  And the area concerning taxes is only one place we can really see where this is true.  Another area to consider is the everyday problem of advertised products.

                Think about it!  If it wasn’t for advertising we would miss out on how many items we’re told we need and we would never know it!  How did we ever live without color television, cell phones, microwaves, and the internet?  Hold on just a minute!  Don’t get me wrong and think I am against advancement or improvement.  Besides, you’d be unable to read my blog if we didn’t have the internet.  But, have you ever noticed that there are times that we are striving to get the latest and greatest gadget, and before you are able to afford it - - - a NEW latest and greatest is out on the market?  So, instead of waiting until you can really afford the item - - - you get instant “buy it now --- pay later” credit.  But, that is an entirely different subject, maybe for a later blog?

                Because of this, many young couples want to have in their twenties what their parents achieved when in their forties or fifties.  They want their cake and eat it too!  We’ve become a NOW generation.  We don’t want to wait for anything.  You may have found yourself standing in front of the microwave impatiently waiting for the water to warm for your coffee.  Never before have we been such a NOW --- NOW --- NOW bunch of people.  But we have to remember - - - we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER:

THOUGHTFUL GEM:

"Don't forget! 

What you do today will always affect your tomorrows."

HUMANITY

                Humanity!  It’s a word we throw around often these days.  But do we really understand what it means?  The dictionary gives us the following meaning: “the quality or state of being humane.”

                We think that by saving a puppy from being abused we are humane. WAIT!  Before you start mentally choking me to death because you may feel I’m belittling efforts to save puppies.  That’s not the case.  But, let’s be honest.  Organizations request, receive and spend multi-millions of dollars to save this species or that one.  These people would feel their actions make them humane.  And I am not going to argue that point.  However, these people could find themselves in situations involving other humans and they could fall short of displaying this quality of compassion.

                If you haven’t already done so, look at the video attached above to this blog.  Does it look familiar to you?  We constantly scurry around town, eyes glued to our cell phones, taking care of our business and other personal obligations.  You’ve seen them sitting or lying on the streets.  Perhaps they have been standing by the side of the road holding their signs.  Beggars, panhandlers, whatever you want to call them.  Our cities are becoming overrun with the homeless.  Are some of them just trying to “beat the system” and fleece you out of your hard earned money?  Perhaps!  Others are just dealing the best they can with bad circumstances in their lives.  Do we have to share a common understanding of a person’s situation BEFORE we can display sympathy for others?  Would all those people who passed by or ignored such ones have to become homeless themselves before they could react to the needs of such an individual?  Don’t get me wrong - - - I am not condemning these people for walking past such a person.  I do not know their backgrounds or situations.  But, it is interesting that we would expect someone to provide assistance to a person in need and to do the humane thing!  However, most of us have been raised from childhood with the indoctrination of “don’t talk to strangers” or “don’t butt into another’s business.”  Yet how do we ‘balance” this type of upbringing with the tugging of our hearts to care?

                This is what separates us from the animals.  As humans we can discern “what is the RIGHT thing to do?” and then we need to do it!  It may not always be the easiest thing to do, nor may it be the most profitable thing to do, or maybe it’s not going to “look right.”  But it just may be the RIGHT thing to do and we need to do it!

                If you begin to think of past situations where upon reflection you should have done things differently from what you did, DON’T beat yourself up about it.  But, starting today, vow to yourself that you will respond differently in the future.  You will make a concerted effort to be the person who opens your heart to ALL creatures who occupy this earth with us, especially for the benefit of your fellow humans, regardless of their race, creed, color or nationality.  Also remember that we are all imperfect and you are going to fall short.  Just do the best you can each day because - - - we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If you have only ONE thing you can do today,

make someone happy."

A Beginning

                To all things there is a beginning.  This is the beginning of my blog.  Every few days I will share my thoughts on humanity and how I see it, along with other topics.  Am I a doctor?  NO!  Am I a psychiatrist?  NO!  What I am is one person who has lived for decades and observed humanity in many different situations in various parts of the world.  So in this blog I will look at some of our more humorous and our saddest aspects of how we think and function as humans.  And I will look at various situations all in between these extremes.

                At times we think that by our very nature we are humans.  Therefore we will always think and act in a specific manner.  But, we all know that isn’t true.  Two people in the same situation may respond completely different when certain actions become necessary.  Why is that the case?  Many professionals have spent literally hours of study trying to understand this phenomenon.  But the truth is we are all different from one another.  Our education and our training are but only two of the many things that make us who we are.  Yet we cannot ignore to some degree our genetics and the environment we grow up in and how these affect who we are and who we become.  Some years ago the late TV personality Art Linkletter made the statement that if parents would show him the kids that their children hang around with, he would show them what their children are becoming. (Or something to that aspect.)

                Within this blog I will examine specific situations and what it means to be human.  You may think you know yourself.  And you might notice that some of these situations may be very familiar to you.  As you will see how easily you could be in a similar situation.  How would you act?  You may be surprised to personally consider the possibilities.  At least you may be made to think!

                It has been said that there is a thin line between being a genius or being an idiot!  Sometimes, I waiver from one side of the line to the other.  And you may note that within the comments of this blog.  But, I feel I’m in good company because many individuals from the past who have provided unbelievable advances to humanity also had their moments which made us consider them odd or peculiar.  I am by NO means implying that my ranting within the pages of this blog is going to make such a profound effect on the future of humanity.  But - - - who knows?  Maybe someone reading these blogs will make a concerted effort to change their life thereby changing the lives of others.

                I will from time to time review products/services and make recommendations for your consideration.  If you purchase from the source I will receive compensation from them.  If you feel you could use your KICK to your exercise program consider the Lean Belly Breakthrough.  Give it a try!

                We can only wait and see because, after all, we’re only human!

Quote to Consider: 

Thoughtful Gem:

"It's easy to hug your friend.  Today, hug your enemy."