After reading some very interesting articles today, I began asking my self "What are your beliefs". And then more importantly "Why do you believe these thing". I, like a lot of other people, walk around with beliefs with no real awareness as to why. I pondered for many hours these very questions, and it was quite interesting and enlightening. My wondering mind inevitably went to my children, and the thought of Santa Clause came to the front.
My youngest daughter came to me, not more than a month ago, and asked me "Is Santa Clause real?" I should of been prepared for such a question, since she is in 3rd grade, but of course I was caught off guard. So i had to buy some time and I asked her "Why? Don't you believe in Santa Clause?" As she rattled off her reasons for believing, and why she was beginning to question it, it was clear to me that the magic of Christmas was still with her. She still wanted to believe. The doubt was coming from fellow classmates who had already found out "The Truth" of Christmas.
I'm happy to know she still believes in Christmas. She and my youngest son, are the only two who enjoy the magic. I enjoy it, not for myself, but because of the complete joy they receive when Christmas morning comes. My distant memory of Christmas is still clear in my mind. The joy, the excitement, it was a truly wondrous time for me. And I hope that they can continue the magic with their children, and the cycle continues. But this a leads to a question:
Why does she believe? We'll to start off, its because I told her so. We've read her stories, sang songs, and ultimately, there are presents under a Christmas tree and in her stockings every Christmas morning. What more does a kid need than that. Well it appears, some reassurance every now and again from her father, since some of her peers already know the dirty little secrete.
Our entire existence is just like that story. There are very few things that we know. Most of what we think we know, we learned from someone else. There are very few "Truths". Math is a universal truth, and then you have stuff like Grammar, which is a man made accepted truth. Even definitions of words are sometimes questionable. Sometimes we are to gullible, and other times we are too lazy to seek out the truth. But the truth is something we must all seek.
I "believe" there are other truths, that are sometimes taken for granted. "Would I want someone to come over and steal the money out of my wallet. Or how about put a bullet in my brain? Burn my house down?, hurt one of my children or my wife? Tell a lie and get me fired from my job? I don't think I would be to far off calling those universal human truths. But what about these. Would you give to someone in need if you knew they wouldn't waste it, and would appreciate it. Give a ride to a complete stranger if you "KNEW" it was safe. Giving monies to charities in which "ALL" of the proceeds go directly to the needy, and there are "NO" administrative fees.
I find myself wanting to trust people, but most of the time it seems someone is trying to put one over on me. Or at the very least, try to get more out of me because they know somewhere down the line, someone is going to squeeze more out of them. What if the world could trust. What if we knew there would always be more, and so at present, we only take what we need?
Before I stray much more from my original topic, I would like to try and wrap up this blog up for today. What are your beliefs, and why do you believe them. Although hope and magic are things that can make life worth while, does it set us up to be ultimately let down. As long as Santa brings joy to my little ones, I don't rightly care.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Fox News tries to Mislead
I came across this article while researching the Cost of invading Iraq. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/30/cbo-years-iraq-war-cost-stimulus-act/ As I read this article I wondered what the purpose of this piece of misinformation is for? First, if your going to compare two totally different subjects how about at least looking at the them in the same light. The cost of the Iraq war should be also looked at as a "Projection". In which case the projected cost of the Iraq war is 3 TRILLION dollars over a total of 12 years. This 3 trillion dollars is money that will never be recovered, unless we steal about 30 billion barrels from Iraq.
There are those that don't believe the government should be stimulating the economy. For those people I say go do some research on the great depression(google it lots of info on it). Some historians believe the Great Depression could of been avoided and only would of been a bad recession had the government stepped in to assist. The government failed to do anything then, and by the time FDR got into office there was no amount of stimulus that would jump start the economy. It took an Ally Victory in WWII to pull us out.
The article continues to talk about deficit and lists 2007, 2008 skips 09 and then projects 2010, I guess the point is to try and prove Bush wasn't that bad, and Obama is on a spending spree. Bush inherited a budget surplus of 281 billion with a projected surplus of 5.6 billion dollars over 10 years. http://www.ustreas.gov/education/fact-sheets/taxes/ustax.shtml. After his tax cuts, the Iraq war and a crash in the economy, in 2009 Bush handed Obama 1 trillion dollar deficit and an extra 5 trillion dollars worth of debt. Take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_public_debt if you get a chance, look at our debt, and our deficit over the years and look at the trend.
Obama has a steep hill to climb. He needs to wrap up the war in Afghanistan, get out of the Middle East, stimulate our economy and reduce our deficit and overall debt before we go bankrupt. Its going to be a hard thing to do with the politics as volatile as it is. If we can't get members of congress in office that will work with the President there is no chance of a recovery anytime soon. I say give the President what he says he needs to fix our country, and If he can't do it, then vote him out next election. Help our President and our nation, be cautious about voting for some of these radicals that are running for office. They will not help the American cause.
Check out this last web site about income tax rates. Compare it with our debts, deficits and the events at the time in America, what do you think? http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151.html. Social security, Medicaid, Public Schools, Interstate and Highway projects weren't just invented as part as a conspiracy to steal money. These programs evolved over time to fill a need.
There are those that don't believe the government should be stimulating the economy. For those people I say go do some research on the great depression(google it lots of info on it). Some historians believe the Great Depression could of been avoided and only would of been a bad recession had the government stepped in to assist. The government failed to do anything then, and by the time FDR got into office there was no amount of stimulus that would jump start the economy. It took an Ally Victory in WWII to pull us out.
The article continues to talk about deficit and lists 2007, 2008 skips 09 and then projects 2010, I guess the point is to try and prove Bush wasn't that bad, and Obama is on a spending spree. Bush inherited a budget surplus of 281 billion with a projected surplus of 5.6 billion dollars over 10 years. http://www.ustreas.gov/education/fact-sheets/taxes/ustax.shtml. After his tax cuts, the Iraq war and a crash in the economy, in 2009 Bush handed Obama 1 trillion dollar deficit and an extra 5 trillion dollars worth of debt. Take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_public_debt if you get a chance, look at our debt, and our deficit over the years and look at the trend.
Obama has a steep hill to climb. He needs to wrap up the war in Afghanistan, get out of the Middle East, stimulate our economy and reduce our deficit and overall debt before we go bankrupt. Its going to be a hard thing to do with the politics as volatile as it is. If we can't get members of congress in office that will work with the President there is no chance of a recovery anytime soon. I say give the President what he says he needs to fix our country, and If he can't do it, then vote him out next election. Help our President and our nation, be cautious about voting for some of these radicals that are running for office. They will not help the American cause.
Check out this last web site about income tax rates. Compare it with our debts, deficits and the events at the time in America, what do you think? http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151.html. Social security, Medicaid, Public Schools, Interstate and Highway projects weren't just invented as part as a conspiracy to steal money. These programs evolved over time to fill a need.
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