Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Friday, January 08, 2010
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, March 09, 2007
Will the World Really End on December 21, 2012?
By Jean-Claude Koven, author of
Going Deeper
How to Make Sense of Your Life
When Your Life Makes No Sense
Website: http://www.GoingDeeper.org
I was recently asked how I interpreted the Mayan and Hopi predictions that the world, as we know it, will end on the 21st of December 2012. Would there be global war B possibly triggering a nuclear holocaust? Would the planet?s life forms finally succumb to the ecological quagmire that?s been building in our soils, oceans and atmosphere? Would the current steady increase of previously unknown diseases overcome our ability to defend against them? Or will we suddenly move into a new Golden Age in which the lion lies down with the lamb and struggle, pain, and suffering are gone forever?
This is no small question. Quite the contrary, it deals with some of the larger concepts in the universe. From a metaphysical perspective, the world ends and recreates itself every instant. December 21, 2012 is certainly no exception. However, it does offer a target date that brings all the possible scenarios into vivid focus.
What we perceive from our vantage point of being in human form is only a teeny sliver of the infinite swirl of interpenetrating realities that make up the universe. To us, there is a past, present, and future. Time appears to move predictably from moment to moment forming the days and years of our lives. 2012 is a real date on our calendars and each of the possible scenarios can be seen to be advancing steadily toward it like racehorses to the finish line.
If you were to ask the ?2012 End-of-the-World? question of a gifted psychic, she (or he) would gaze into several of the parallel universes making up our possible futures and report back on the one that seemed to be the most vivid. This is like a handicapper picking the favorite in a particular race. Just as in horse racing, the favorite often wins, or comes close. But, not always. On any given day, one of the long shots might cross the line first while the favorite trails the field.
From a cosmic perspective, picking the winning scenario is easy. Understanding the nature of how this can be done is considerably more elusive. Infinity is impossible to grasp in finite terms. When we pose a finite question in an infinite realm, it?s like trying to cram a herd of stampeding elephants into a matchbox. It won't be the lack of effort that defeats us, but the minuscule size of the container we are trying to use. Our minds are the matchbox. We are going to have to think way out of the box to begin to grasp the answer to how the world will end on December 21, 2012.
The simple answer is that every one of the possible scenarios you can envisage will find expression in one or more of the myriad parallel universes that manifest in every instant. And that includes the date spoken about by so many as the moment our world comes to an end. What adds weight to this date is the fact that with each passing hour more people are becoming aware of it and adding their energies to the consensus. We have already seen the power of agreement at work in events such as World Healing Day, The Harmonic Convergence and other moments of focus. It was not the calendar date that created the power; it was the cohesive intent of those who took part.
Having said that, it is no mere coincidence that so many disparate cultures all around the world that have had no known contact with one another should focus on the same date. There is increasing evidence that the time leading up to 12/12/12 does mark the presence of an energy portal that has never before been accessible to the human race. Each of us is being offered an opportunity to shift that may not again arise in thousands of years to come.
Whether or not December 21, 2012 marks an immutable cosmological event or not becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy is moot. There is no question that it looms as a very significant moment. What concerns us most, is wanting to know what will happen. At one end of the bell-curve of probabilities is total physical annihilation. At the opposite end is the arrival of the Golden Age we all dream about. Every other conceivable possibility lies between them. Somewhere near the center of the curve most people will find their most probable possibility in which the monumental moment will pass quietly like Y2K and their lives will appear to continue as if nothing happened at all. December 22, 2012 will dawn as clocks continue to tick and the human race continues to move one day closer to whatever future harvest it has sown. That doesn't mean that many other people, who live their lives at the extremities of the curve, won't experience radically different events.
Imagine if you will, that you are in the center of a vast central train station. The tracks are arranged like the spokes of a giant wheel, each moving away from the center in a different direction. The trains are all scheduled to depart at the same moment on December 21, 2012. Every human being on Earth is at the station; free to board any of the trains he or she chooses. Each train is destined for a different parallel universe in which one of the innumerable possibilities is played out. You (like everyone else) are at the station free to board any one of an almost infinite number of trains. But, like the psychic, you can only see one or two of them. Your choices appear meager B almost as if you had no choice at all and your future was determined totally by fate. Such is not the case at all B unless, of course, you want it to be.
If you remember the station scene in the Harry Potter books (or movies) in which the wizard children were able to board the Hogwarts Express on platform 9 3/4 by walking straight through a concrete pillar, then you will begin to see how all this works. What is delightfully easy for wizards is equally impossible for muggles (non-wizards).
The Hogwarts Express is bound for the next dimension B the Golden Age of our dreams. The problem is that until you become a wizard, you have no way of finding the right platform. The world, as you know it, will definitely end on December 21, 2012, if that?s what you choose. You will definitely be there when it happens, boarding one of the infinite number of trains leaving the station. Every one of us will be required to be on board.
Now that you know where you will be on the day the world ends, you get to decide which train you'd like to ride. There is still time (according to the calendars of this illusion) before the trains must leave the station. Plenty of time for you to leave your muggle world behind and become the wizard you already are
Going Deeper
How to Make Sense of Your Life
When Your Life Makes No Sense
Website: http://www.GoingDeeper.org
I was recently asked how I interpreted the Mayan and Hopi predictions that the world, as we know it, will end on the 21st of December 2012. Would there be global war B possibly triggering a nuclear holocaust? Would the planet?s life forms finally succumb to the ecological quagmire that?s been building in our soils, oceans and atmosphere? Would the current steady increase of previously unknown diseases overcome our ability to defend against them? Or will we suddenly move into a new Golden Age in which the lion lies down with the lamb and struggle, pain, and suffering are gone forever?
This is no small question. Quite the contrary, it deals with some of the larger concepts in the universe. From a metaphysical perspective, the world ends and recreates itself every instant. December 21, 2012 is certainly no exception. However, it does offer a target date that brings all the possible scenarios into vivid focus.
What we perceive from our vantage point of being in human form is only a teeny sliver of the infinite swirl of interpenetrating realities that make up the universe. To us, there is a past, present, and future. Time appears to move predictably from moment to moment forming the days and years of our lives. 2012 is a real date on our calendars and each of the possible scenarios can be seen to be advancing steadily toward it like racehorses to the finish line.
If you were to ask the ?2012 End-of-the-World? question of a gifted psychic, she (or he) would gaze into several of the parallel universes making up our possible futures and report back on the one that seemed to be the most vivid. This is like a handicapper picking the favorite in a particular race. Just as in horse racing, the favorite often wins, or comes close. But, not always. On any given day, one of the long shots might cross the line first while the favorite trails the field.
From a cosmic perspective, picking the winning scenario is easy. Understanding the nature of how this can be done is considerably more elusive. Infinity is impossible to grasp in finite terms. When we pose a finite question in an infinite realm, it?s like trying to cram a herd of stampeding elephants into a matchbox. It won't be the lack of effort that defeats us, but the minuscule size of the container we are trying to use. Our minds are the matchbox. We are going to have to think way out of the box to begin to grasp the answer to how the world will end on December 21, 2012.
The simple answer is that every one of the possible scenarios you can envisage will find expression in one or more of the myriad parallel universes that manifest in every instant. And that includes the date spoken about by so many as the moment our world comes to an end. What adds weight to this date is the fact that with each passing hour more people are becoming aware of it and adding their energies to the consensus. We have already seen the power of agreement at work in events such as World Healing Day, The Harmonic Convergence and other moments of focus. It was not the calendar date that created the power; it was the cohesive intent of those who took part.
Having said that, it is no mere coincidence that so many disparate cultures all around the world that have had no known contact with one another should focus on the same date. There is increasing evidence that the time leading up to 12/12/12 does mark the presence of an energy portal that has never before been accessible to the human race. Each of us is being offered an opportunity to shift that may not again arise in thousands of years to come.
Whether or not December 21, 2012 marks an immutable cosmological event or not becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy is moot. There is no question that it looms as a very significant moment. What concerns us most, is wanting to know what will happen. At one end of the bell-curve of probabilities is total physical annihilation. At the opposite end is the arrival of the Golden Age we all dream about. Every other conceivable possibility lies between them. Somewhere near the center of the curve most people will find their most probable possibility in which the monumental moment will pass quietly like Y2K and their lives will appear to continue as if nothing happened at all. December 22, 2012 will dawn as clocks continue to tick and the human race continues to move one day closer to whatever future harvest it has sown. That doesn't mean that many other people, who live their lives at the extremities of the curve, won't experience radically different events.
Imagine if you will, that you are in the center of a vast central train station. The tracks are arranged like the spokes of a giant wheel, each moving away from the center in a different direction. The trains are all scheduled to depart at the same moment on December 21, 2012. Every human being on Earth is at the station; free to board any of the trains he or she chooses. Each train is destined for a different parallel universe in which one of the innumerable possibilities is played out. You (like everyone else) are at the station free to board any one of an almost infinite number of trains. But, like the psychic, you can only see one or two of them. Your choices appear meager B almost as if you had no choice at all and your future was determined totally by fate. Such is not the case at all B unless, of course, you want it to be.
If you remember the station scene in the Harry Potter books (or movies) in which the wizard children were able to board the Hogwarts Express on platform 9 3/4 by walking straight through a concrete pillar, then you will begin to see how all this works. What is delightfully easy for wizards is equally impossible for muggles (non-wizards).
The Hogwarts Express is bound for the next dimension B the Golden Age of our dreams. The problem is that until you become a wizard, you have no way of finding the right platform. The world, as you know it, will definitely end on December 21, 2012, if that?s what you choose. You will definitely be there when it happens, boarding one of the infinite number of trains leaving the station. Every one of us will be required to be on board.
Now that you know where you will be on the day the world ends, you get to decide which train you'd like to ride. There is still time (according to the calendars of this illusion) before the trains must leave the station. Plenty of time for you to leave your muggle world behind and become the wizard you already are
Check out this video
I love back when they use to use real phone numbers in videos and movies. Watch in this video you can see Billy Joel dial the New York phone number 516-673-1112. Yes I called it but no one answered only got a voice mail to leave a message or page the person. I would love to know who owns this number
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
He is the most dangerous man in the world.
A warmonger. A crackpot fundamentalist. A fanatic and a fool who has only the barest grasp of the killing power of the forces under his command.
His name is George W Bush and his main battle plan is to set the world on fire.
September 11 was a crime against humanity but from Afghanistan to Iraq, and now in Israel, Bush has blazed a purposeless trail of destruction and multiplied the dangers of terrorism a thousand-fold.
The War Against Terror has turned into a war of terror in Iraq as American troops butcher their way through the civilian population in pursuit of an enemy that grows stronger daily with each dead Iraqi civilian.
And in Israel Bush has overnight primed the entire region for a new cycle of slaughter by backing Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's illegal land-grab of Palestinian territory and offering the Arabs nothing in return only despair.
Bush seems determined to unite the entire Arab world against the West. Already the mass murderer Osama bin Laden has gleefully vowed to avenge the Israeli assassination of Palestinian Hamas leader Sheikh Yassin.
After September 11 Bush promised to fight terror. But the only promise Bush has kept is the promise of more terror, more terrorist atrocities, like the Madrid bombings, to come.
As the American President Bush is supposed to protect democracy and make the world a safer place.
Bush is supposed to be the leader of the free world, a man who directly follows in the footsteps of such great statesmen as John F Kennedy, who saved the world from nuclear catastrophe during the Cuban missile crisis.
But airhead Bush is no Kennedy.
Watching Bush stumble through a live press conference, even when he knows the questions, is like watching a stranded goldfish gasping for air.
Bush is not just out of his depth, he is out of his element.
If it was not so truly frightening you could almost feel sorry for him.
If I was an American I would be ashamed. Ashamed that the greatest nation on earth is so badly led. Ashamed that their commander-in-chief is without purpose squandering the lives of his men, and Iraqi civilians.
And ashamed too of a President who sends men to their death but does not have the courage to attend one single funeral of the 700 US soldiers killed in Iraq.
Iraq and Israel might seem far away but every time you fill up your car you are taking part in the politics of the Middle East. The world economy still runs on petrol and that oil still largely comes from the Arab world.
If anything should ever happen to that flow of oil - civil war in Saudi Arabia or meltdown in Iraq - we would all know about it very quickly by the US$100 a barrel price tag and the three-hour queue down at your local petrol station.
The war against Islamic fundamentalism, the hunt for Osama bin Laden, is a battle for the future of the world. It is a war the West cannot afford to lose. And it is a war in which the clueless Bush is blindly leading us all towards disaster.
As if the quagmire in Iraq was not bad enough, Bush has turned his destructive attention to the other regional hot-spot, Israel.
At the White House Bush summarily dismissed 50 years of Palestinian claims for an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories. Israeli settlements in the West Bank, all illegal under international law, were the "new realities" that the Palestinians would just have to accept, he said.
A couple of months ago I was standing next to one of those realities, an eight-foot high concrete wall, on the outskirts of Jerusalem in the small Arab village of Abu Dis.
Abu Dis is seven miles from the centre of Jerusalem and straddles the 3000-year-old pilgrim road to Jericho. Jesus Christ himself probably walked along the same road on his way into Jerusalem.
But last summer Ariel Sharon decided Abu Dis was no longer part of East Jerusalem and erected an eight-foot high concrete barrier across the middle of the road, cutting the residents off from their homes, their jobs, and their city.
ON the roof of a local garage the Israeli army erected an observation post and threatened to shoot anyone who climbed the wall.
The Palestinians ignored the soldiers and round the corner climbed the wall anyway.
I was standing on the "Arab" side of the wall chatting to Ahmed Bahar, a street falafel seller, when without warning an Israeli soldier lobbied a tear-gas grenade.
There was no shouting. No mob screaming threats. Ahmed saw the hissing gas canister, which landed about 10 feet away, and took off in the opposite direction. I ran after him but not before getting a choking whiff of the stinging gas in my eyes and lungs.
After 10 minutes the wind blew the gas away and Ahmed went back to his falafel stall. The other Palestinians quietly got back in line to queue for a taxi. And life started up again.
Ahmed said he had been gassed hundreds of times. He was past being angry about it. The real thing that bothered him was the disruption to his trade. He wasn't making enough money to support his family.
Getting tear gassed in Abu Dis for no reason is just one of the new realities that George W Bush wants the Palestinians to live with, along with hundreds of other daily humiliations of Israeli occupation. But is not a sustainable reality. Sooner or later some Palestinian will angrily strike back. There will be more suicide bombings, more killings, more despair.
To save the world from terror you have to have vision, intelligence and the ability to unlock the complex political problems.
But the only ability George Bush has is an unerring capacity to make a grim situation worse.
George W Bush is a clear and present danger to the world.
And we are all under threat until this bumbling oaf is removed from office and confined to a remote Texas cow ranch where he truly belongs.
A warmonger. A crackpot fundamentalist. A fanatic and a fool who has only the barest grasp of the killing power of the forces under his command.
His name is George W Bush and his main battle plan is to set the world on fire.
September 11 was a crime against humanity but from Afghanistan to Iraq, and now in Israel, Bush has blazed a purposeless trail of destruction and multiplied the dangers of terrorism a thousand-fold.
The War Against Terror has turned into a war of terror in Iraq as American troops butcher their way through the civilian population in pursuit of an enemy that grows stronger daily with each dead Iraqi civilian.
And in Israel Bush has overnight primed the entire region for a new cycle of slaughter by backing Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's illegal land-grab of Palestinian territory and offering the Arabs nothing in return only despair.
Bush seems determined to unite the entire Arab world against the West. Already the mass murderer Osama bin Laden has gleefully vowed to avenge the Israeli assassination of Palestinian Hamas leader Sheikh Yassin.
After September 11 Bush promised to fight terror. But the only promise Bush has kept is the promise of more terror, more terrorist atrocities, like the Madrid bombings, to come.
As the American President Bush is supposed to protect democracy and make the world a safer place.
Bush is supposed to be the leader of the free world, a man who directly follows in the footsteps of such great statesmen as John F Kennedy, who saved the world from nuclear catastrophe during the Cuban missile crisis.
But airhead Bush is no Kennedy.
Watching Bush stumble through a live press conference, even when he knows the questions, is like watching a stranded goldfish gasping for air.
Bush is not just out of his depth, he is out of his element.
If it was not so truly frightening you could almost feel sorry for him.
If I was an American I would be ashamed. Ashamed that the greatest nation on earth is so badly led. Ashamed that their commander-in-chief is without purpose squandering the lives of his men, and Iraqi civilians.
And ashamed too of a President who sends men to their death but does not have the courage to attend one single funeral of the 700 US soldiers killed in Iraq.
Iraq and Israel might seem far away but every time you fill up your car you are taking part in the politics of the Middle East. The world economy still runs on petrol and that oil still largely comes from the Arab world.
If anything should ever happen to that flow of oil - civil war in Saudi Arabia or meltdown in Iraq - we would all know about it very quickly by the US$100 a barrel price tag and the three-hour queue down at your local petrol station.
The war against Islamic fundamentalism, the hunt for Osama bin Laden, is a battle for the future of the world. It is a war the West cannot afford to lose. And it is a war in which the clueless Bush is blindly leading us all towards disaster.
As if the quagmire in Iraq was not bad enough, Bush has turned his destructive attention to the other regional hot-spot, Israel.
At the White House Bush summarily dismissed 50 years of Palestinian claims for an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories. Israeli settlements in the West Bank, all illegal under international law, were the "new realities" that the Palestinians would just have to accept, he said.
A couple of months ago I was standing next to one of those realities, an eight-foot high concrete wall, on the outskirts of Jerusalem in the small Arab village of Abu Dis.
Abu Dis is seven miles from the centre of Jerusalem and straddles the 3000-year-old pilgrim road to Jericho. Jesus Christ himself probably walked along the same road on his way into Jerusalem.
But last summer Ariel Sharon decided Abu Dis was no longer part of East Jerusalem and erected an eight-foot high concrete barrier across the middle of the road, cutting the residents off from their homes, their jobs, and their city.
ON the roof of a local garage the Israeli army erected an observation post and threatened to shoot anyone who climbed the wall.
The Palestinians ignored the soldiers and round the corner climbed the wall anyway.
I was standing on the "Arab" side of the wall chatting to Ahmed Bahar, a street falafel seller, when without warning an Israeli soldier lobbied a tear-gas grenade.
There was no shouting. No mob screaming threats. Ahmed saw the hissing gas canister, which landed about 10 feet away, and took off in the opposite direction. I ran after him but not before getting a choking whiff of the stinging gas in my eyes and lungs.
After 10 minutes the wind blew the gas away and Ahmed went back to his falafel stall. The other Palestinians quietly got back in line to queue for a taxi. And life started up again.
Ahmed said he had been gassed hundreds of times. He was past being angry about it. The real thing that bothered him was the disruption to his trade. He wasn't making enough money to support his family.
Getting tear gassed in Abu Dis for no reason is just one of the new realities that George W Bush wants the Palestinians to live with, along with hundreds of other daily humiliations of Israeli occupation. But is not a sustainable reality. Sooner or later some Palestinian will angrily strike back. There will be more suicide bombings, more killings, more despair.
To save the world from terror you have to have vision, intelligence and the ability to unlock the complex political problems.
But the only ability George Bush has is an unerring capacity to make a grim situation worse.
George W Bush is a clear and present danger to the world.
And we are all under threat until this bumbling oaf is removed from office and confined to a remote Texas cow ranch where he truly belongs.
You be the Judge
Judge me all you want, but keep the verdict to yourself. Happiness is felt by making other people happy. You have ONE advantage over me.....you can kiss my ass and I can't!!
Thursday, June 01, 2006
2 Faced people
Have you ever had the experience of having something you have said to turn around and bite you in the ass???
Have you ever worked with people that loved DRAMA?
I work with people like that. I am so sick of telling someone something and they in turn say something totally different. The story they tell starts a great big shit storm that rumbles on and on for months. Well I have had enough. I gave a two weeks notice. I know I can find another job. The whole thing burns my ass so bad because I really thought at least one of these persons were my friend and I thought the other was old enough to know better.
I also recently found out that one of person that is employed with us has been visiting my blog, or at least saw my picture of LINDA CARTER on my page. This person made a direct comment to me that I am not Linda Carter and should not think I am. I wont go in to details as to why they said that but it is all lame. I can admit that I am not perfect nor do I claim to be. It just burns my ASS that it has been going on for so long and that they expects me to take all the blame for stupid shit that has gone on at our lovely little work place. Oh and in case they are reading this now, its called freedom of speech and since I have not mentioned any name at all I see no know harm in VENTING!!! I have made a mistake at work but nothing that would be considered outrages. The were just things that I should have just stepped up, like I usually do, and said,” YES, I DID MAKE A FRICKEN MISTAKE!!" a couple of times I didn’t. I think I didn’t out of some strange fear. I still don’t know what I FEARED? Maybe it was a manic moment or a depressed 0ne...Shit I don’t know. Any hoot, I will be so glad to be away from them and start a new someplace else. I felt such a huge relief when I was typing to my boss; I need to put in my 2 weeks notice.
I save emails that I got from my boss saying that things that were going on at work were no big deal but it seemed like every time I turned around my co worker was calling my boss or emailing my boss and making a big deal out of everything. I even have some of the emails (they thought I would never see) they sent to each other. You see my boss recently made me and my co worker switch positions and my coworker not being as bright as they thought they were left the email replies from our boss in THE Inbox..LOL.. Oh this is great, They have no clue that I know what they thought I would not know..LOL some slapstick humor there, LOL. But after what I read they both are pretty guilty of gossip and two face bullshit. If you all would like I could post it here, I would love to get you opinion on how THE EMAILS READ, MY BOSS SAYS IN HER EMAILS (sorry about the caps) that she is not trying or meaning to hurt my feeling but then she writes my co working and says a bunch of shit about me not being sincere and that I was the one doing finger pointing! I simply wrote what I felt was the truth, but they saw things totally different, Hell who knows maybe I am wrong.? Nah, I think they still just don’t get it... ... Oh well its late and I am so tired, I hope some of this makes sense to you.
You all know HOW I LOVE TO VENT!!!!
PEOPLE ARE TWO FACED BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANYONE TO CALL A REAL FREIND.IT IS ESSENTIALLY JUST THINKING SOMEONE IS GOING TO LIKE THEM BETTER IF THEY LET OUT WORDS OR ACTIONS TO OTHER PEOPLE ABOUT SOMEONE WHO THOUGHT THEY COULD BE TRUSTED. THEY EVENTUALLY END UP VERY LONELY AND DISTRUSTING OF ANYONE THAT COMES INTO THEIR LIVES ALL CAUSED BY THEIR OWN STUPIDITY.
Because they don't know how to deal when something bad strikes them, that is taking away their most valuable possessions, may it be their lives, their pride or long-hard achievements.
Thus they feel pressured and the automatic instinct to protect what’s theirs arises. They are willing to back-stab, lie, snitch and all sorts to get out of trouble or defend themselves.
Once their problems are solved, they found that they are sly, slick and cunning, and no one will know. So, they keep on doing it, for their own advantage.
Selfish or just ignorant about other people, they strive on that and live till now. Problem is, it's hard to know which is which.
Ok I really am done venting now...NITE.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
What comes around goes around!
His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.
There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.
The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.
"I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life."
"No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel.
"Is that your son?" the nobleman asked.
"Yes," the farmer replied proudly.
"I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of."
And that he did.
Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.
Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.
What saved his life this time? Penicillin.
The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son's name?
Sir Winston Churchill.
There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.
The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.
"I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life."
"No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel.
"Is that your son?" the nobleman asked.
"Yes," the farmer replied proudly.
"I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of."
And that he did.
Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.
Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.
What saved his life this time? Penicillin.
The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son's name?
Sir Winston Churchill.
COPY AND DISTRIBUTE WIDELY
I agree with ALL OF THIS EXCEPT # 4 . I heard the saying that Not all Muslims are terrorist but all terrorist are Muslims . What about Tim Mcvay...He was not Muslim but he was a terrorist . Should we deport his family over to some terrorist country because he was such a bad person? I know the answer is NO. So lets not say all muslims should be excluded from our country.
ACTION PLAN: Border Violators
1) Close all US borders to illegal entry forthwith by any and all means possible, including military presence.
2) Maintain legitimate immigration levels at modest annual level with requirements that immigrants be employable or sufficiently wealthy for self-support if they do not intend to work, proficient in basic English and willing to be assimilated into American culture and language. All applicants shall provide prints, photos and DNA samples.
3) Legal immigration shall be awarded to individuals on a lottery basis, wherein all countries are given equal status in the immigration lottery, without regards to color or economic plight of originating nation.
4) Those from Muslim countries, or individuals of Islamic faith from any country, shall be denied immigration privileges to the US.
5) Detain all border violators, taking photos, prints and DNA samples of said violator while at the same time, checking for out standing warrants. If no warrants are outstanding, return border violators to home country within 20 days via commercial airline and submit cost of such action, including processing and housing costs for said violator, to country of origin. If costs are not paid within 30 days, reduce any and all aid to said country by a like amount.
6) Should any country from which a border violator originates not currently receive any aid from the US, the Justice Department shall be authorized to seize or secure liens on assets owned, managed or registered to that country to the full extent of the obligation.
7) Establish new Guest Worker Visa (GWV) category, renewable every 6 months, for unskilled labor positions wherein all applicants shall provide prints, photos and DNA samples. Work permitted of such applicants shall be limited to one of several categories, including childcare, lawn/gardening, restaurant staff, cleaning and the like. Families of GWV workers are not permitted to enter US, nor will the birth of a child to one of GWV status confer citizenship to either parent or child.
8) Any violation of civil or criminal laws shall result in the forfeiture of the GWV and immediate return to originating country.
9) GWV holders shall be prohibited from claiming unemployment benefits, welfare support or free medical service.
10) The originating country of all GWV holders shall be responsible for any uninsured loss caused by the GWV, including emergency medical claims and/or claims resulting from illegal actions committed while in the US.
11) Companies who hire GWV holders shall submit to the Immigration Dept the name and GWV number of that individual, along with a description of employment tasks. Companies who fail to report employment of GWV workers, or hire illegal workers, shall be subject to penalty. GWV workers shall be paid with check, having income tax withheld. GWV workers shall not be subject to unemployment tax because they are not eligible for unemployment claims.
12) Border violators, or any non-citizen not possessing a valid visa, detained by local police for any reason shall be turned over to border control officials for immediate deportation action, except if they face criminal charges in other jurisdictions.
13) GWV workers shall be prohibited for voting in local, state and federal elections.
14) Border Violators shall NOT be afforded the rights enjoyed by American citizens, as guaranteed under the constitution.
15) Public education (at institutions supported by taxpayer dollars) at any level (pre-school, kindergarten through the university level,) shall NOT be available to Border Violators (or children of Border Violators) and schools that enroll such individuals shall be subject to penalties.
16) Foreign Students (individuals admitted to the U.S. for the purpose of attending any educational facility,) private institution or public (i.e. supported by taxpayer dollars,) must have valid student visas, such visas being in force only if the FS attends school full-time. Foreign students shall be required to pay tuition, housing and related costs such that all their educational costs are fully reimbursed to the institution attended and the originating country shall indemnify said students for any and all loss caused by them while they are on U.S. Soil.
17) Border Violators seeking emergency medical treatment shall provide pictures, fingerprints and DNA samples along with country of origin, and shall be incarcerated until information provided can be verified. Originating country shall bear the costs of medical treatment.
ACTION PLAN: Border Violators
1) Close all US borders to illegal entry forthwith by any and all means possible, including military presence.
2) Maintain legitimate immigration levels at modest annual level with requirements that immigrants be employable or sufficiently wealthy for self-support if they do not intend to work, proficient in basic English and willing to be assimilated into American culture and language. All applicants shall provide prints, photos and DNA samples.
3) Legal immigration shall be awarded to individuals on a lottery basis, wherein all countries are given equal status in the immigration lottery, without regards to color or economic plight of originating nation.
4) Those from Muslim countries, or individuals of Islamic faith from any country, shall be denied immigration privileges to the US.
5) Detain all border violators, taking photos, prints and DNA samples of said violator while at the same time, checking for out standing warrants. If no warrants are outstanding, return border violators to home country within 20 days via commercial airline and submit cost of such action, including processing and housing costs for said violator, to country of origin. If costs are not paid within 30 days, reduce any and all aid to said country by a like amount.
6) Should any country from which a border violator originates not currently receive any aid from the US, the Justice Department shall be authorized to seize or secure liens on assets owned, managed or registered to that country to the full extent of the obligation.
7) Establish new Guest Worker Visa (GWV) category, renewable every 6 months, for unskilled labor positions wherein all applicants shall provide prints, photos and DNA samples. Work permitted of such applicants shall be limited to one of several categories, including childcare, lawn/gardening, restaurant staff, cleaning and the like. Families of GWV workers are not permitted to enter US, nor will the birth of a child to one of GWV status confer citizenship to either parent or child.
8) Any violation of civil or criminal laws shall result in the forfeiture of the GWV and immediate return to originating country.
9) GWV holders shall be prohibited from claiming unemployment benefits, welfare support or free medical service.
10) The originating country of all GWV holders shall be responsible for any uninsured loss caused by the GWV, including emergency medical claims and/or claims resulting from illegal actions committed while in the US.
11) Companies who hire GWV holders shall submit to the Immigration Dept the name and GWV number of that individual, along with a description of employment tasks. Companies who fail to report employment of GWV workers, or hire illegal workers, shall be subject to penalty. GWV workers shall be paid with check, having income tax withheld. GWV workers shall not be subject to unemployment tax because they are not eligible for unemployment claims.
12) Border violators, or any non-citizen not possessing a valid visa, detained by local police for any reason shall be turned over to border control officials for immediate deportation action, except if they face criminal charges in other jurisdictions.
13) GWV workers shall be prohibited for voting in local, state and federal elections.
14) Border Violators shall NOT be afforded the rights enjoyed by American citizens, as guaranteed under the constitution.
15) Public education (at institutions supported by taxpayer dollars) at any level (pre-school, kindergarten through the university level,) shall NOT be available to Border Violators (or children of Border Violators) and schools that enroll such individuals shall be subject to penalties.
16) Foreign Students (individuals admitted to the U.S. for the purpose of attending any educational facility,) private institution or public (i.e. supported by taxpayer dollars,) must have valid student visas, such visas being in force only if the FS attends school full-time. Foreign students shall be required to pay tuition, housing and related costs such that all their educational costs are fully reimbursed to the institution attended and the originating country shall indemnify said students for any and all loss caused by them while they are on U.S. Soil.
17) Border Violators seeking emergency medical treatment shall provide pictures, fingerprints and DNA samples along with country of origin, and shall be incarcerated until information provided can be verified. Originating country shall bear the costs of medical treatment.
BORDERLINE BIGOTRY: DEFENDING OUR LAND (defying the rules of our nation means nothing to illegals)
href="http://www.freerepublic.com/^http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/letters/63818.htm" target="_blank">
THE ISSUE: Mexican-border politics and recent immigration-reform legislation.
**** Michelle Malkin makes it clear that immigrants from Mexico wish to get their foot in the door through politics ("Reconquista," PostOpinion, March 29). Defying the rules of our nation means nothing to them as long as political correctness is their trump card. What Gen. Santa Ana failed to do in 1836 at the Alamo, which cost many American lives, this horde wishes to do without firing a shot. Bloomfield
**** Americans have no objection to helping those in need. But millions of illegals are making demands, and many Americans can't even support their own families. Yet we are called bigots if we don't continue to provide free medical care, housing, food and education to noncitizens. This amnesty proposal will create a huge crisis in the future and put this country and our children and grandchildren at further risk. How would Mexico like it if millions of Americans marched across the border and made demands? Greeley, Pa.
**** It is the Aztlan-spouting extremists who need to read history. For most of history, there were hardly any Mexicans living in what is today the American Southwest. After the Mexicans won their independence from Spain, the area was so devoid of Mexicans that the newly-minted Mexican government felt forced to offer financial incentives to goad its citizens to move there. So few Mexicans answered the call for colonization that the government felt forced to offer the same deal to Americans, who answered the call in droves. The Mexicans had their chance, and they turned it down. And now they want the land back after we have settled and developed it. Give me a break - or, at least, a strict immigration bill. Brooklyn
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Michelle Malkin makes it clear that immigrants from Mexico wish to get their foot in the door through politics ("Reconquista," PostOpinion, March 29). Defying the rules of our nation means nothing to them as long as political correctness is their trump card. What Gen. Santa Ana failed to do in 1836 at the Alamo, which cost many American lives, this horde wishes to do without firing a shot
THE ISSUE: Mexican-border politics and recent immigration-reform legislation.
**** Michelle Malkin makes it clear that immigrants from Mexico wish to get their foot in the door through politics ("Reconquista," PostOpinion, March 29). Defying the rules of our nation means nothing to them as long as political correctness is their trump card. What Gen. Santa Ana failed to do in 1836 at the Alamo, which cost many American lives, this horde wishes to do without firing a shot. Bloomfield
**** Americans have no objection to helping those in need. But millions of illegals are making demands, and many Americans can't even support their own families. Yet we are called bigots if we don't continue to provide free medical care, housing, food and education to noncitizens. This amnesty proposal will create a huge crisis in the future and put this country and our children and grandchildren at further risk. How would Mexico like it if millions of Americans marched across the border and made demands? Greeley, Pa.
**** It is the Aztlan-spouting extremists who need to read history. For most of history, there were hardly any Mexicans living in what is today the American Southwest. After the Mexicans won their independence from Spain, the area was so devoid of Mexicans that the newly-minted Mexican government felt forced to offer financial incentives to goad its citizens to move there. So few Mexicans answered the call for colonization that the government felt forced to offer the same deal to Americans, who answered the call in droves. The Mexicans had their chance, and they turned it down. And now they want the land back after we have settled and developed it. Give me a break - or, at least, a strict immigration bill. Brooklyn
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Michelle Malkin makes it clear that immigrants from Mexico wish to get their foot in the door through politics ("Reconquista," PostOpinion, March 29). Defying the rules of our nation means nothing to them as long as political correctness is their trump card. What Gen. Santa Ana failed to do in 1836 at the Alamo, which cost many American lives, this horde wishes to do without firing a shot
Blocking illegal migrants - and rhetoric
Coded language pervades this week's Senate debate about illegal migrants. It's designed to cover up the fact that self-interested groups prefer half-a-million people entering the US unlawfully each year while keeping the 11-plus million illegals already here.
The House has passed a bill that deals with curbing such massive lawbreaking. The bill has flaws, but its focus on better enforcement of immigration laws is needed to show foremost that the US can control its borders, especially in a post-9/11 world.
On Monday, however, the Senate Judiciary Committee responded by approving a bill that would only help increase this flow by creating a path to citizenship for illegal migrants. It would reward those who break the very laws written to welcome legal immigrants.
As the full Senate takes up this debate, supporters of that bill are using loaded words and phrases that are worth parsing:
Legalization: This is meant to describe giving someone legal status in the US after they enter it illegally. Often this is done under law by courts for refugees fleeing persecution. But to legalize illegal migrants because they are already here is to simply make the unlawful lawful. Better to call this bill what it is: amnesty (even if it does put up tough requirements to achieving citizenship).
Undocumented immigrants: This phrase is designed to avoid implying guilt for those who enter the US illegally but haven't been convicted of the crime. It's similar to describing speeding drivers as "undocumented speeders" or taxpayers who cheat the government as "undocumented tax cheats." Yes, in a courtroom, there should be a presumption of innocence. But in writing laws and setting policy, let's characterize this group for who they are: illegal immigrants.
Anti-immigrant: Even smart journalists fall for this phrase when describing those who want to end illegal immigration. Of course, the US is a nation of immigrants, and needs a steady flow. But a nation without borders is not a nation, and its immigration quotas are meaningless. An anti-illegal-immigrant stance is not an anti-immigrant one.
Jobs that Americans won't take: American workers or legal immigrants do work in industries that now mostly attract illegal migrants - they even dominate in most cases. A general rise in immigration quotas and enforcing minimum-wage laws would help curb a desire to hire illegal workers.
Guest workers: The committee bill would set up a program to allow immigrants to work for up to six years, and either apply for citizenship or return home. One intent is to stem the illegal flow, with the number of "guests" set at 400,000 a year. Last year, more than 400,000 illegals made it to the US. Assuming illegals will continue to enter, plus guest workers on top of that, why not call this the "higher immigration" bill?
Comprehensive bill: Those pushing amnesty claim any bill must deal with both enforcement and illegals already here. But both amnesty and a promise of enforcement were offered in 1986. The amnesty attracted even more illegals while enforcement has faltered badly. A comprehensive law would first deal with enforcement, both at the border and against employers who hire illegals.
Accurate terms, not bogus rhetoric, should impel this debate.
The House has passed a bill that deals with curbing such massive lawbreaking. The bill has flaws, but its focus on better enforcement of immigration laws is needed to show foremost that the US can control its borders, especially in a post-9/11 world.
On Monday, however, the Senate Judiciary Committee responded by approving a bill that would only help increase this flow by creating a path to citizenship for illegal migrants. It would reward those who break the very laws written to welcome legal immigrants.
As the full Senate takes up this debate, supporters of that bill are using loaded words and phrases that are worth parsing:
Legalization: This is meant to describe giving someone legal status in the US after they enter it illegally. Often this is done under law by courts for refugees fleeing persecution. But to legalize illegal migrants because they are already here is to simply make the unlawful lawful. Better to call this bill what it is: amnesty (even if it does put up tough requirements to achieving citizenship).
Undocumented immigrants: This phrase is designed to avoid implying guilt for those who enter the US illegally but haven't been convicted of the crime. It's similar to describing speeding drivers as "undocumented speeders" or taxpayers who cheat the government as "undocumented tax cheats." Yes, in a courtroom, there should be a presumption of innocence. But in writing laws and setting policy, let's characterize this group for who they are: illegal immigrants.
Anti-immigrant: Even smart journalists fall for this phrase when describing those who want to end illegal immigration. Of course, the US is a nation of immigrants, and needs a steady flow. But a nation without borders is not a nation, and its immigration quotas are meaningless. An anti-illegal-immigrant stance is not an anti-immigrant one.
Jobs that Americans won't take: American workers or legal immigrants do work in industries that now mostly attract illegal migrants - they even dominate in most cases. A general rise in immigration quotas and enforcing minimum-wage laws would help curb a desire to hire illegal workers.
Guest workers: The committee bill would set up a program to allow immigrants to work for up to six years, and either apply for citizenship or return home. One intent is to stem the illegal flow, with the number of "guests" set at 400,000 a year. Last year, more than 400,000 illegals made it to the US. Assuming illegals will continue to enter, plus guest workers on top of that, why not call this the "higher immigration" bill?
Comprehensive bill: Those pushing amnesty claim any bill must deal with both enforcement and illegals already here. But both amnesty and a promise of enforcement were offered in 1986. The amnesty attracted even more illegals while enforcement has faltered badly. A comprehensive law would first deal with enforcement, both at the border and against employers who hire illegals.
Accurate terms, not bogus rhetoric, should impel this debate.
Racial Profiling...What do you think?
It is amazing how things can change in a day. Before September 11, 2001, everybody saw “racial profiling” as being synonymous with “racism”. It was a hot topic and everyone pronounced it as being evil. According to the ACLU, “Tens of thousands of innocent motorists on highways across the country are victims of racial profiling.” This quote was taken from the ACLU website where they have many articles and information dedicated to racial profiling. However, since September 11th, it seems that most of the country is in favor of racial profiling! At least when it comes to Arabs on airplanes they are in favor of it.
What is racial profiling? The ACLU defines it as, “…when the police target someone for investigation on the basis of that person's race, national origin, or ethnicity.” Much of the controversy over racial profiling came to light when it was discovered that the New Jersey State Police was using racial profiling to stop male, black motorists on the New Jersey Turnpike.
The theory for utilizing racial profiling as a crime prevention tool is that statistics show that people of certain ethnicities commit certain crimes more frequently than people of other ethnicities. Therefore, it would stand to reason that if you have areas where you know that certain crimes are committed, it would make sense to stop the people that fit the profile of the people committing that crime. The knowledge of this type of preventative action should help to deter the criminal element.
The furor over racial profiling was started with police agencies, but in the wake of this outrage, several retail establishments have been accused of using racial profiling to apprehend shoplifters. Several retailers, such as Dillards and Rite Aid, have been accused of harassing customers for “shopping while black”. These retailers are accused of focusing on black and Hispanic customers as being more likely to steal. The case against these retailers is that every person, regardless of race, should be free to shop in a retail establishment without fear of being harassed or stopped and falsely accused of shoplifting.
Since September 11th, many people, including members of minority groups, have changed their tune on racial profiling. Everyone still condemns the “Driving While Black” syndrome, but most Americans believe that Arabs should be targeted for more intensive searches at airports. According to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, nearly 6 in 10 Americans believed people of Arab descent should undergo more intensive security checks when flying on U.S. airplanes.
So is racial profiling a good thing or a bad thing? Does it help prevent crimes or does it rob people of their civil liberties? The correct answer is probably “all of the above”.
Profiling is a good thing. It is extremely valuable to put together a clear profile of the most likely suspects to commit crimes. However, profiling strictly by racial or ethnic backgrounds is a bad thing. This type of profile is not complete enough to narrow down a potential suspect. Profiling by race is no more helpful than profiling by someone’s shirt color. You may catch quite a few people wearing red shirts, but that does not mean that everyone who wears a red shirt is a thief.
Human nature is to profile people based upon race. It is a natural tendency that we all have based upon our own upbringing, experiences and perceptions. Racial profiling in itself is not evil. It is only when we take action based upon these profiles that it can become evil. As a Loss Prevention agent, if you observe someone who is black because you think that all blacks steal, that is wrong. If you observe someone white because you think that whites are more likely to steal, that is wrong. If there is a black, male, age 18-21 years, in a certain area of the store that it has been statistically determined that people of that profile are more likely to steal that item, then this is utilizing a solid profile that can benefit you in your performance. Now if this same person moves to the cosmetics area and is standing near a 15 year old, white, female, and you continue watching the black male, you are no longer using a good profile. You are more than likely just using race as the determining factor, because a good profile will show you that the 15 year old, white female is far more likely to steal cosmetics than an 18 year old, black male.
The tricky part of profiling is that the profiles do not become so embedded in our brains as being fact that we start to ignore people who don’t fit the profile. It is at this point that the profile will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Meaning that if you only watch the people wearing the red shirts, you will only catch people wearing red shirts. As a result, your statistics will show that the only people who steal in your store are people wearing red shirts. This would be inaccurate data that would only reinforce your narrow and inaccurate profile even more. It can become a vicious cycle.
In Loss Prevention, profiling is a valuable tool. The more detailed the profile, the more accurate the data and the less likely you are to base an opinion of a potential shoplifter strictly on race. It does not make sense to follow shoppers just because they are black. It does not make sense to search airline passengers just because they are of Arab descent. Racial profiling is narrow-minded and any good LP professional will avoid it. Don’t limit your profiles to race and you will find them to point you in the right direction every time. As long as you limit your profiles to race, you will also be limiting your opportunities to be a highly productive LP professional.
What is racial profiling? The ACLU defines it as, “…when the police target someone for investigation on the basis of that person's race, national origin, or ethnicity.” Much of the controversy over racial profiling came to light when it was discovered that the New Jersey State Police was using racial profiling to stop male, black motorists on the New Jersey Turnpike.
The theory for utilizing racial profiling as a crime prevention tool is that statistics show that people of certain ethnicities commit certain crimes more frequently than people of other ethnicities. Therefore, it would stand to reason that if you have areas where you know that certain crimes are committed, it would make sense to stop the people that fit the profile of the people committing that crime. The knowledge of this type of preventative action should help to deter the criminal element.
The furor over racial profiling was started with police agencies, but in the wake of this outrage, several retail establishments have been accused of using racial profiling to apprehend shoplifters. Several retailers, such as Dillards and Rite Aid, have been accused of harassing customers for “shopping while black”. These retailers are accused of focusing on black and Hispanic customers as being more likely to steal. The case against these retailers is that every person, regardless of race, should be free to shop in a retail establishment without fear of being harassed or stopped and falsely accused of shoplifting.
Since September 11th, many people, including members of minority groups, have changed their tune on racial profiling. Everyone still condemns the “Driving While Black” syndrome, but most Americans believe that Arabs should be targeted for more intensive searches at airports. According to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, nearly 6 in 10 Americans believed people of Arab descent should undergo more intensive security checks when flying on U.S. airplanes.
So is racial profiling a good thing or a bad thing? Does it help prevent crimes or does it rob people of their civil liberties? The correct answer is probably “all of the above”.
Profiling is a good thing. It is extremely valuable to put together a clear profile of the most likely suspects to commit crimes. However, profiling strictly by racial or ethnic backgrounds is a bad thing. This type of profile is not complete enough to narrow down a potential suspect. Profiling by race is no more helpful than profiling by someone’s shirt color. You may catch quite a few people wearing red shirts, but that does not mean that everyone who wears a red shirt is a thief.
Human nature is to profile people based upon race. It is a natural tendency that we all have based upon our own upbringing, experiences and perceptions. Racial profiling in itself is not evil. It is only when we take action based upon these profiles that it can become evil. As a Loss Prevention agent, if you observe someone who is black because you think that all blacks steal, that is wrong. If you observe someone white because you think that whites are more likely to steal, that is wrong. If there is a black, male, age 18-21 years, in a certain area of the store that it has been statistically determined that people of that profile are more likely to steal that item, then this is utilizing a solid profile that can benefit you in your performance. Now if this same person moves to the cosmetics area and is standing near a 15 year old, white, female, and you continue watching the black male, you are no longer using a good profile. You are more than likely just using race as the determining factor, because a good profile will show you that the 15 year old, white female is far more likely to steal cosmetics than an 18 year old, black male.
The tricky part of profiling is that the profiles do not become so embedded in our brains as being fact that we start to ignore people who don’t fit the profile. It is at this point that the profile will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Meaning that if you only watch the people wearing the red shirts, you will only catch people wearing red shirts. As a result, your statistics will show that the only people who steal in your store are people wearing red shirts. This would be inaccurate data that would only reinforce your narrow and inaccurate profile even more. It can become a vicious cycle.
In Loss Prevention, profiling is a valuable tool. The more detailed the profile, the more accurate the data and the less likely you are to base an opinion of a potential shoplifter strictly on race. It does not make sense to follow shoppers just because they are black. It does not make sense to search airline passengers just because they are of Arab descent. Racial profiling is narrow-minded and any good LP professional will avoid it. Don’t limit your profiles to race and you will find them to point you in the right direction every time. As long as you limit your profiles to race, you will also be limiting your opportunities to be a highly productive LP professional.
Selfishness Within
We are born to be selfish. We learn self-gratification from the moment we are born and we never change in our desire to please ourselves at the expense of others. A baby is born and the first thing the baby does is cry because he is now uncomfortable. As soon as he gets what he wants, which is to be wrapped up and kept warm, he stops crying. The moment he becomes uncomfortable the crying starts again.
Self-preservation is among our most basic instincts. A baby does not care about anyone else. The baby simply wants his needs addressed. Nothing else matters. I am hungry. I need to be changed. I am tired. The baby is not concerned about the needs of the mother, father, or any other bystander. From the moment we are born, we know that all that matters is “me”.
As we get older, this does not change. We may learn to be more socially acceptable in our desire to fulfill our personal desires, but everything we ever do is about fulfilling our personal desires.
A toddler has a friend take a toy from him. Does he feel good for the friend for now having a very nice toy to play with? No. He will either start crying to express his displeasure, or he will lash out physically against his friend to get what he wants.
A teenager tries out for the cheerleading squad. She finds out that she makes the team. Her friend, who was cut from the team, is heartbroken and cries over the defeat. Does the teenager who made the team step down from her spot so her friend can experience the joy of making the team? Of course not. She is not going to sacrifice her personal happiness just to make her friend happy.
An adult sees on TV that there are starving children in Ethiopia. He decides that he wants to do his part to help out, so he whips out his checkbook and writes a $20 check to the charity trying to help. He gets a sense of warmth and good feeling for donating money. Does he feel so good about helping that he is willing to write a $1000 check instead? No, he is saving up for that big screen TV and if he gave that much he could never afford the TV.
People will do for others as long as it makes them feel good themselves. Everything we do in life is for personal satisfaction. Even in times where we may momentarily inconvenience ourselves, it is still for the greater personal satisfaction. Childbirth and caring for children is a great example of this. People have children because they want children. People are not having children for the benefit of anyone beside themselves. It fulfills them personally. Childbirth is an extremely painful experience that women go through, but they choose to do it because of the joy they think their children will bring to them. It is not for the child. It is not for society. It is for them. As the child grows, the parent will make personal sacrifices for the child, but this is to make the parent feel good. It is not for the benefit of the child. How many parents will take the nice TV in the family room and send the children to the small TV in the bedroom? Are the parents willing to sacrifice their own personal comfort of the recliner and big TV for their children? No. There would be no personal joy in giving the kids the good TV and taking the small one, but it would provide more joy for the children.
If selfishness were not a basic instinct the world would be completely different. There would be no crime. There would be no war. There would be no famine. There would be no competition of any kind.
To put a spin on Gordon Gecko from the movie Wall Street, “selfishness is good”. If people were not innately selfish and actually wanted to always do for the greater good of society, we would not have a society. Society would crumble. All businesses would fail because they would never make profits and would never grow. There would be no competition to help society advance. There would be no leadership because people would not want to make decisions that might hurt other people’s feelings. Things get done because people are looking out for their own personal interests. Maybe their interest is financial advancement. Maybe their interest is acclaim. Maybe their interest is personal satisfaction. It doesn’t matter the reason why people are doing things for themselves. The end result is that society is actually much better off by people being selfish. Other people want what we want. As long as they keep trying to get what we have, they will be motivated to advance.
Self-preservation is among our most basic instincts. A baby does not care about anyone else. The baby simply wants his needs addressed. Nothing else matters. I am hungry. I need to be changed. I am tired. The baby is not concerned about the needs of the mother, father, or any other bystander. From the moment we are born, we know that all that matters is “me”.
As we get older, this does not change. We may learn to be more socially acceptable in our desire to fulfill our personal desires, but everything we ever do is about fulfilling our personal desires.
A toddler has a friend take a toy from him. Does he feel good for the friend for now having a very nice toy to play with? No. He will either start crying to express his displeasure, or he will lash out physically against his friend to get what he wants.
A teenager tries out for the cheerleading squad. She finds out that she makes the team. Her friend, who was cut from the team, is heartbroken and cries over the defeat. Does the teenager who made the team step down from her spot so her friend can experience the joy of making the team? Of course not. She is not going to sacrifice her personal happiness just to make her friend happy.
An adult sees on TV that there are starving children in Ethiopia. He decides that he wants to do his part to help out, so he whips out his checkbook and writes a $20 check to the charity trying to help. He gets a sense of warmth and good feeling for donating money. Does he feel so good about helping that he is willing to write a $1000 check instead? No, he is saving up for that big screen TV and if he gave that much he could never afford the TV.
People will do for others as long as it makes them feel good themselves. Everything we do in life is for personal satisfaction. Even in times where we may momentarily inconvenience ourselves, it is still for the greater personal satisfaction. Childbirth and caring for children is a great example of this. People have children because they want children. People are not having children for the benefit of anyone beside themselves. It fulfills them personally. Childbirth is an extremely painful experience that women go through, but they choose to do it because of the joy they think their children will bring to them. It is not for the child. It is not for society. It is for them. As the child grows, the parent will make personal sacrifices for the child, but this is to make the parent feel good. It is not for the benefit of the child. How many parents will take the nice TV in the family room and send the children to the small TV in the bedroom? Are the parents willing to sacrifice their own personal comfort of the recliner and big TV for their children? No. There would be no personal joy in giving the kids the good TV and taking the small one, but it would provide more joy for the children.
If selfishness were not a basic instinct the world would be completely different. There would be no crime. There would be no war. There would be no famine. There would be no competition of any kind.
To put a spin on Gordon Gecko from the movie Wall Street, “selfishness is good”. If people were not innately selfish and actually wanted to always do for the greater good of society, we would not have a society. Society would crumble. All businesses would fail because they would never make profits and would never grow. There would be no competition to help society advance. There would be no leadership because people would not want to make decisions that might hurt other people’s feelings. Things get done because people are looking out for their own personal interests. Maybe their interest is financial advancement. Maybe their interest is acclaim. Maybe their interest is personal satisfaction. It doesn’t matter the reason why people are doing things for themselves. The end result is that society is actually much better off by people being selfish. Other people want what we want. As long as they keep trying to get what we have, they will be motivated to advance.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)