Each year we are either treated or are horrified by what we call the State of the Union address. The state of it, however, is never something we can quantify in an impassioned speech. For the many that watched their eyes told them a much more convincing narrative of the status of our nation than any mere statement could have done. Every presidency has its detractors and supporters, but in this increasingly polarized environment, the battle lines are drawn. Continue reading “The SOTU Address: My Reaction”
Month: January 2018
The Felonious Nature of Choice
We are told life is about choice and to some degree that is true. It’s when you drill down into the minutiae of life that you begin to see how few options we as individuals have. Through advertising, we are told what is acceptable and on what we should spend our money. The government tells us how we must conduct our lives, where we can live, and what we can do on property that is supposed to be ours. I speak of property not just concerning assets but as each person owning one’s self. We are taxed for every moment we exist. This seems to be the antithesis of self-determination and forging one’s path. Continue reading “The Felonious Nature of Choice”
Living or Imitating?
Sensory overload is a problem in modern times. Often, you will see groups of friends sitting together all staring at their phones in silence. We make little time for social interactions. We prefer talking through messaging and find it difficult to connect with new people in any meaningful way. A significant portion of us fawn over celebrities and hang on their every word as if they are more informed than us ordinary folk. We often live our lives waiting for the next movie or the next professional sports game to take place. We call it entertainment, but for many, it appears to have the detrimental effect of producing a sedentary lifestyle. A lot of people seem to live vicariously through these public figures while forgetting to stand up and write their own story of life. Continue reading “Living or Imitating?”
Neglection of Fidelity in Modern Society
Life can be tricky. We do not choose our families, but through life, if we are fortunate we get to select a few close friends with which to face the struggle. If our luck is even better, we find someone with whom we can share our dreams and desires for the future. We’ve all heard the stories of couples that have been together for up to sixty years. I can’t help but marvel at the beauty of such a journey with a partner as loyal as one that would remain for such a time. Stories such as this have been decreasing in number though, as my age increases exponentially. Continue reading “Neglection of Fidelity in Modern Society”
The Confidence Man
An illusion is a key to escaping the harsh realities one faces each day. We dive into television programming or video games knowing that we are willfully participating in deception designed to entertain and distract us from life. This is debatably mostly harmless behavior as if serves as a form of stress relief. It stands to reason that with a vast customer base seeking to be deceived, that many would spring forth willing to oblige. This has given rise to a seedy underbelly of both men and women that wish to use our predilection for buying into falsehoods to prey on the downtrodden and elderly citizenry. This is primarily relegated to late night television but has also expanded in the form of electronic communication over the internet. Continue reading “The Confidence Man”
A Case for the Sovereign State
History is filled with empires that have risen and then fallen, usually through a gradual decline. These entities grew larger until governing them became a perilous endeavor. There are countless theories as to why such empires collapsed, but I believe it is due to a culture clash among the radically different populations intermingling and attempting to find common ground on which to agree. Some cultures are capable of assimilating rather well, but some are so wholly different from one another that it makes assimilation near impossible. Today, the clarion call of pop culture seems to be diversity. I submit this diversity is a term of little meaning. Diversity is great as long as everyone thinks similarly to those extolling its virtues from the hilltops. In fact, this term is merely masking the autocrats among us that wish to instill one government among all nations, abolish religion, and to instruct the people’s of this earth on what to believe. Real diversity is in keeping our unique cultures and control over the destiny of our countries. Continue reading “A Case for the Sovereign State”
Spiritu in Desertum
Many of us at one time or another feel as if we lack something essential in our lives. Sadly, many spend their entire lives looking to fill a void that they perceive exists within themselves. They do this in a variety of ways, some seeking solace in illicit substances and others looking for someone to rescue them from themselves. We have the solution to this desolation within ourselves, but it often seems more comfortable to go looking outside ourselves. Continue reading “Spiritu in Desertum”
The Virtue of Self-determination
Life is like a labyrinthine tunnel with twists and turns that seemingly have no end. One makes the best choices with the information available to navigate the elaborate intricacies of existence. Making sense of it is a constant struggle for us all. It becomes more complicated when others seek to exert their will upon our decisions. It would appear that there are those that aren’t happy with their own lives, so they wish to spread misery to their fellow man. Do unto others should be a motto by which we all live. I want to see a world where we live and let live, for suffering shall find us all, and we should always avoid visiting it upon our brethren. Continue reading “The Virtue of Self-determination”
Sentence Suspended
I’m sure everyone that has surveyed their local paper has come across the court sentencing section if that is published in your area. What you see there might shock you. One will likely see people sentenced with mostly drug offenses and notice that the entire term is suspended. The police have nothing to do with choosing these punishments, but they are enablers just as a person that watches someone they know consumed by their demons. It is much more lucrative for our “justice” system to put offenders such as these back out on the street. They know they will create more addicts, and add more money to their country club fund. Continue reading “Sentence Suspended”
The Vacillating Multitude
The past can seem like a fable. Many of us grow up hearing tales of honor and virtue. We understand early on the concepts of loyalty, friendship, and virtuous behavior. It appears that somewhere along the way many of us take a wrong turn and head into a form of existence antithetical to those concepts. The majority now either are too timid to embrace those virtues, or they have discarded them altogether. Continue reading “The Vacillating Multitude”
