Quote of the month: “When you celebrate the human spirit, you heal and enrich your own spirit.” - Geela

The other day I purchased a reference book that lists hundreds of calendar of events and special dates such as holidays. To my surprise, I discovered that while there was a special day for practically everything under the sun, there was nothing about celebrating the human spirit, which is supposed to be so central to our existence. I wondered if that was due to a narrow focus on one sliver of our lives and therefore the inability to see the big picture of life itself, or was it symptomatic of something much deeper. For some people, it’s too overwhelming to think beyond the “one day at a time” mentality - which reminds me of a bumper sticker I once saw which read: “Did you know that one nuclear bomb could ruin your whole day?”

In a time where chaos is the order of the day and insanity is the rule rather than the exception, designating a special National Day of Appreciation For The Human Spirit can actually be highly beneficial and a welcome relief for everyone, and not so much out of a sense of sentimentality, but rather out of necessity. It’s a fact that a free and thriving society is dependent on co-existence, cooperation, acceptance of differences and a solid spiritual foundation. Therefore, promoting positive concepts such as social awareness, a culture of peace and harmony, honoring of all living things, integrity and a wholesome values system, should not be viewed as a luxury but rather as a necessity.

In a fast-paced society that’s driven by a mentality of “more is better,” extreme stress and lack of fulfillment are inevitable. It’s the effect caused by the pursuit of materialism, which is the by-product of the American Dream, which is perpetuated by the media and business advertisers that try to convince us that we must have a certain life style in order to be happy and fulfilled. In the process of pursuing more stuff, we knowingly, or unknowingly, lose that part of our being that is able to experience real joy and fulfillment. Sure, we have more “toys,” but they only produce artificial joy. We’ve all heard the expression “you can’t take it with you,” so what good does it do when there is less and less free time to do what’s really important in life, like connecting with family and friends and making a meaningful difference in people’s lives. Sooner or later it becomes evident that no amount of money or trophies can fill the void created by a malnourished spirit.

The real danger becomes even more obvious when extreme (and continual) stress collides with a lack of a solid spiritual foundation. We then experience a sense of loss in practically every facet of our lives; from loss of clarity and productivity to a lack of security and direction. But most importantly, we experience diminished joy of life, sense of fulfillment and family harmony.

There is another good reason for creating a National Day of Appreciation For The Human Spirit. It would help us gain perspective and reflect on what’s really important in life and on our true identity, which is beyond all artificial boundaries such as religion, race and color. These things function as divisive, rather then uniting forces that ultimately lead to hostility and wars both on the individual and global scale. Instead, on such a day the focus would become to celebrate the human spirit, and excellence in its truest form which is characterized by kindness, acceptance of differences (by recognizing that peace is not so much unity in similarity but rather unity in diversity), and the honoring of all living things.

On that particular day, everyone’s focus would be on accomplishing the most outstanding humanitarian work that could contribute to a positive future for all. Efforts of people with high vision and courage, who can offer innovative solutions to the growing problems of our society, would be supported by influential people and the media, who would be providing them with the proper platform to share their ideas in order to accelerate the process by which change can be affected. For one day even the media would exhibit altruistic actions by doing what’s best for the community and ignore their ratings, with TV shows and programming that celebrate human excellence while promoting positive concepts that contribute to a positive future. The result would be to restore balance, a sense of well-being, a sense of community and a real sense of security. Now that’s real “fair and balanced news.”

Imagine coming together just for one day to recognize and celebrate both the human spirit and human excellence, with a sense of genuine acceptance for our differences. Suddenly we would discover and appreciate the simple pleasures of life, such as making new friendships. But the benefits wouldn’t end there since it’s a fact that true prosperity (from health to wealth) is a by-product of living in harmony with universal laws. Perhaps then we could also see less senseless violence in our schools and on our streets. Perhaps then our kids would once again gain a sense of direction and hope in an increasingly violent and the competitive world. Perhaps then we’d see leaders in government and business who exhibit the power of love (rather than the love of power), doing what’s in the best interest of the community rather then what’s politically correct.

Celebrating a National Day of Appreciation For The Human Spirit would also help restore balance in our hectic lives by simplifying things and reexamining our obsession with “more is better.” It would also inspire us to reconnect with our spiritual roots and nurture our malnourished spirits by recognizing that as spiritual beings experiencing the human experience (and not the other way around), we can’t really experience a life of meaning with purpose and real joy and fulfillment without the element of giving (making a meaningful difference in people’s lives). Perhaps having such a day would stimulate a shift in the American culture from “He with the most toys lives” to “He with the most joy lives” making it possible for everyone to achieve the American Dream, in its truest form, which is based on perspiration, innovation, risk and reward - where the focus would be on a wholesome values system, strong work ethic, integrity and community.

However, for a goal to be achieved it has to be tangible and real enough, otherwise it functions like a picture on the wall (it’s nice but not attainable). Car dealers, for instance, encourage potential customers to take a test drive for that very reason, because it works. Likewise, for positive concepts to stimulate transformation, it must first feel “real” and be experienced at least on some level, particularly for many who have never experienced those concepts and falsely believe that they are unattainable. That’s why celebrating a National Day of Appreciation For Human Spirit can provide a golden opportunity for the mind to be stretched to a new dimension, and as such the mind can never go back to its original state.

But why wait for some artificial date to motivate you to do the right thing anyway? As long as you let your conscious guide you, you know you can never go wrong. So go ahead and be the change you wish to see in the world today and, who knows, perhaps through inner change we can finally experience an outer change as well. Now that’s good news for the heart too.

About the author:

Copyright © 2004-2005, Geela
Author of “The American Dream”
http://www.Geela.com

Geela is an award winning singer/songwriter/composer, columnist, and author of the best-selling book “THE AMERICAN DREAM,” her true- life story of how she came to America as a young immigrant with nothing and overcame incredible obstacles to achieve mega-success. She founded ONE SPIRIT, ONE WORLD to help children and promote a culture of peace and harmony. Get a free sample of her music and her book at http://www.Geela.com

In intermediate and transitional phases in history the main task for major political groups is concentration and consolidation of power in order to create conditions for further assault on the society. Meanwhile the economic situation is being artificially aggravated and ideological basis for the major shift prepared. This period of preparations necessitates, among other things, the unsettlement of old beliefs and giving the public an outlet for their discontent - so appropriate leaders are specifically found, like M.Gorbachev, skilled in ‘oral politics’. Objectively, their task for the politicians standing behind them is to camouflage group interests as ostensibly public interests and distract attention from the process of power and property redistribution - by unrealistic projects, slogans and appeals, by erratic zigzagging in public policy. Having eventually compromized these ideas and steps, the new authority would receive ideological confusion and mass apathy, and gain power more easily.
Through all Gorbachev’s inadequacies and follies it is possible to discern the logic of newly-forming social predators: public functionaries, criminal structures, western big capital and morally flexible intelligentsia aspiring to become bourgeoisie.

Gorbachev’s Perestroika fulfilled the task of representing the interests of future bourgeoisie as public interests: following that tune, socialist ’subjectness’ (meaning mutual responsibility, trust and interdependence of subjects) was eradicated, sacrificed to individualism, making profit mindless of others. (Post factum we have realized that ’subjective’ approach was the guarantee of the Soviet people against pauperism, depopulation, predation - it guaranteed sheltered life. Now for 60-70 per cent life is close to survival, while a small percent has an opportunity to get easy profits, live abroad, ape it on TV.)

The pro-capitalist orientation of perestroika rhetoric in 1987-1988 blocked the truly democratic transformation of the Soviet society, in the interests of the community at large, turning critique current into the bed advantageous for the nascent criminal-bureaucratic paracapitalism (later oligarchic capitalism). It was important to begin to undermine the order, so that later the consequences of Perestroika could become irreversible.

The burgeoning capitalism wanted to make profit to its fullest potential, which demanded integration into the world capitalist system. That could be achieved by turning the country into capitalist states’ raw materials satellite. There were two tasks to perform on that way: 1) destruction of the USSR and the socialist system as the world capitalism geopolitical, ideological and economic competitor (space, defense, heavy industry) and divesting the world policy of the principle of balance, giving the illusion that only capitalist philosophy is truly progressive; 2) alienation of the major part of the population from the ‘public pie’ (including the benefits which were guaranteed and provided by the Soviet civilization in the 1950s-1980s). The latter part also suggested the destruction of the social strata of workers, peasants and intelligentsia (the ‘Soviet middle class’) and pushing them into poverty.

This double stroke was much facilitated by the ‘democratic’ irresponsible babble of Perestroika times, it popped to the surface the social scum and transformed it into the ruling class. Perestroika forged its executives - young wolves and jackals of privatization, managerial ‘geniuses’ and social engineers - whose real faculty was, and remains to be, not to create anything new (they are too selfish and mercenary), but grab, divide and obtusely guzzle away the heritage of the USSR - the country so much defiled by them.

DOING JUSTICE TO FALLEN CIVILIZATION
For most part the logic of critique of socialism is simple: those who support it are Stalinist, those who reject it are democratic. This dilemma is false: it is wrong to identify historical communism (socialism) entirely with Stalinism, i.e. its earlier stage. There were also historically higher stages of communism - transitional and mature phases, represented, respectively, by Khrushchov’s and Brezhnev’s periods.

As to the genetic and early stages of social orders, it should be remembered that all early societies are characterized by extremely cruel and bloody regimes - all of them were based on organized violence. The orders of slavery, feudalism, capitalism all began violently. Stalinism is in the line with them, corrected to the mass society epoch, when all processes take a mass character.

One of specific methods of menticide used in Perestroika and liberal mass media was that the mature Soviet society was permanently accused of the extremities of early communism. It is similar to the situation when the present Great Britain would be forever stigmatized as the ‘empire of evil’ for the blood and tears of Indians, Africans, or Tasmanian aborigines. Nobody thinks of doing it, yet. But the USSR was subjected to such defamation as a part of the psychohistoric war, which is continued up to date, with the accent shifted to Russia and the Russian nation.

It would be wrong to call for a choice within the primitive opposition ‘progressive capitalism - Stalinist communism’. The principle of systematic and historic analysis should be applied to social phenomena, when social systems are judged by the same criteria and compared by the same stages.

Socialism is estimated by many people as the heyday of Russian history. Historian, sociologist and philosopher Alexander Zinovyev maintains, that the economy of the USSR exceeded modern western economies in its organization and efficiency. Socialist economy based itself on centralized scientific planning and propagated this approach. More than 80 percent of the population were efficient (i.e. productive, useful for the society), less than 20 percent were not. (Now these figures are reversed: less than 20 percent are socially efficient, the rest are parasitic - for example, the number of young men working as security guards for private companies nearly exceeds the number of Russian army servicemen).

Though himself a victim of Stalin’s reprisals, Zinovyev says that he would never renounce his life in the Soviet Union as accursed past. ‘People felt really free and liberated, under socialism they became conscious of themselves as citizens, real Men - public boon was proclaimed the main criterion of progress’. The levels of education, culture and science were raised to their greatest heights. Russia displayed wonders of human mind and spiritual power. (Spirit is used here not in the religious sense, but in the sense of titanism, akin to the epoch of the Renaissance, and also in the sense of conscience and the capacity to feel the inner, sacred meaning of events, actions, relations). It was, perhaps, a single time in the Russian history when the powers of personality, collective and the state resonated and multiplied each other.

Scores of research institutions fruitfully worked for the good of the people; in 1954 the world’s first atomic power station was put into operation, followed by the first jetliner, the first nuclear ice-breaker; in 1957 the first artificial satellite was launched into space, in 1961 Yury Gagarin became the first man to fly into space. Russia was ahead of the world in putting into practice great discoveries of humanity - all those were the workings of that spirit.

Generation after generation grew proud of their country, enthusiastically studied and worked for it, making the most of their talents. The mature and technologically developed socialism was the present of the 1980s. It could have lived to these days…

Today’s reality is the order, where luxury and prosperity themselves seem inhumane - they are built on human degradation. Seeing the scenes of scavenging or begging pensioners, social orphans gradually becoming drug addicts and other ‘human scum’ of capitalist competition, most people slink into apathy, or adapt to ignoring them.

Revival of Russia has turned out to be problem of ‘higher sociology’. One important task to solve on this way is to develop new unifying ideology, overcome frustration and inspire confidence in one’s powers and the future. It is much more difficult than preparation of space flights. But there is a hope - space exploration was also once just a dream.

http://www.translatus.ru
http://www.shelestiuk.narod.ru
e-mail:info@translatus.ru

Recently I published an article on GoArticles.com titled CA
Proposition 75 Paycheck Protection Act, An Analysis. I
posted the same article on my blog
http://www.AsphaltAdventist.Blogspot.com.

I got comments in response to this article on my blog and I
thought it important to post those comments, and my rejoinders
here in GoArticles.com.

Here we go:

1. Anonymous said… There’s a big difference between
“opt out” and “opt in” - and you know that. Also, the cases you
cite affect only non-public unions, therefore not
applicable. 11:52 AM

2. Jarrod J. Williamson, Ph.D. said… Both U.S. Supreme
Court cases Abood v. Detroit Board of Education and
Chicago Teachers Union v. Hudson are public
employee unions.

Also, Arnold’s website, JoinArnold.com, claims:

Proposition 75, also known as “Paycheck Protection,” gives
workers the right to choose whether or not union dues money from
their paychecks should be used for political purposes.

However, the U.S. Supreme Court has already repeatedly decided
this. Both public and private union members and agency fee
payers can opt out anytime they wish. 12:12 PM

3. Anonymous said… They could, but the unions just
lie about their spending, claiming that allowing full time staff
members to work on campaigns on work time is union business, not
campaigning. In most cases anyone who files to opt out will find
themselves intimidated by thugs and only relieved of $2 to 3 a
month in payments. The fraud by the unions in this area is
widespread. The Dems in congress blcoked a plan to allow the DOL
to investigate. 5:24 PM

4. Jarrod J. Williamson, Ph.D. said… First, thank you
for admitting you were wrong about the Supreme Court decisions
only affecting private employee unions. The Court clearly
covered both private and public employee unions.

Second, the Court clearly stipulated that the unions must
account for and prove they did not use union dues for political
purposes against the dissenter’s wishes. If someone, anyone,
violates a Supreme Court decision (e.g., “they just lie about
their spending”), it is cause for legal action in the courts.

It is not cause for a lie of a proposition, i.e., Proposition
75.

The Governor’s website, JoinArnold.com claims, Proposition
75, also known as “Paycheck Protection,” gives workers the
right to choose whether or not union dues money from their
paychecks should be used for political purposes. (Bold
emphasis added.)

This of course is a bald-faced lie, as clearly demonstrated by
the Court decisions.

If the unions allegedly “just lie about their spending” under a
series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions, Proposition 75 won’t
change it.

I say this not to give creedence to your claim, but to
demonstrate the facetious nature of you claim.

In addition, you said “in most cases anyone who files to opt out
will find themselves intimdated by thugs and only relieved of $2
to 3 a month in payments.”

Because I am a sincere Seventh-Day Adventist, I
completely opted out of the union and was not an agency
fee payer for four years. My “dues” never went to the union, but
went to the American Cancer Society. I never had a “thug” bother
me once.

In addition, your statement above is an admission that we can
already opt out. So why the lie of Prop. 75?

I find it fascinating that the Prop. 75 proponents initially say
Prop. 75 gives workers the right to choose whether or not
union dues money from their paychecks should be used for
political purposes, yet when confronted with the facts, they
change their story completely and their response (like
yours) is invariably an admission that Prop. 75 is a
fraud.

Why don’t you just be honest about it and say something like the
following, “We think the unions are really bad things for the
following reaons (reasons listed here) and we want to cripple
the unions. Hence, please vote for the following bill.”

Don’t you find it a little bit disturbing that you have to lie
and deceive to get your proposition?

It is one thing to believe a lie, it is a whole other thing to
know it’s a lie and still try to believe it.

The Apostle Paul commented on this basic idea when he said,

Rom 1:18-23 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder
the truth in unrighteousness; because that which is known of God
is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them. For the
invisible things of him since the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made,
even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be
without excuse: because that, knowing God, they glorified
him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their
reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing
themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the
glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of
corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and
creeping things.

In other words, they knew exactly who God is, and still choose
to worship what they knew to be a lie anyway.

It’s one thing to be wrong, it is a whole other thing to be
wrong on purpose! 9:57 PM

As someone who once received the highest Civics exam score in the State of Florida, it’s always fun to watch a mainline political party set itself up for a devastating political defeat. The Democrats seem to be living in some sort of weird Jimmy Carterland bubble that exists only in the context of a 1970’s alternative reality. In that reality, Carter has saved the world by joining it. It was Jimmy who managed to defeat the Soviets by building more habitat for humanity homes and making sure that we didn’t insult or antagonize the Communists by building a bigger, better and stronger military. In Carterland, Democrats lose elections because of personal issues blown way out of proportion by Conservatives and polling places designed to accommodate rich white people.

Up to now, the Democratic alternative reality bubble has been well maintained by wealthy contributors who subscribe to the same philosophy. However, the bubble is not as strong as it once was. No matter how much money they manage to raise, any political party that wants to survive in a meaningful way has to come up with the goods. After losing election after election, that doesn’t seem to be happening for the Democrats. The recent failure of Air America to attract a significant listener following for their left view of America and the folding of the George Soros funded project, America Coming Together, should send a strong message that Carterland is a philosophical kingdom not long for this world.

Let’s take a brief vacation from Carterland to look at another equally unrealistic and sadly out of touch place called WashingtonDCville. If Carterland is a rapidly disintegrating hideout for anyone who still wants to burn their draft card or fight the vast Right Wing Conspiracy, then WashingtonDCville is a place where citizens take the most generally unacceptable politicians they can find and run them for President. Unlike Carterland, WashingtonDCville is not driven by any particular political philosophy. Instead, it’s a place based on hype, stupidity and naiveté.

Leaders come and go in Carterland based on who threw the most eggs at American Troops returning from Vietnam or, for the younger set, how many ways you can find to call President Bush a moron without actually being Paul Begala. In WashingtonDCville, popularity is all about buzz, political tenure or misreading the polls. That kind of thinking has produced a distinguished list of past Presidential wannabes including Bob Dole, Ralph Nader, H. Ross Perot, Jesse Jackson and John Kerry. Without skipping a beat, WashingtonDCville is quickly positioning a new and equally hopeless candidate to take on the challenge of the 2008 Presidential Election.

Hillary Clinton has managed to get the wide and wacky world of WashingtonDCville all excited about her obvious ability to win the next Presidential Election. To Hillary supporters, it’s a given! Why? Just surviving a marriage to the most philandering President since JFK should get you some positive political payback. I think that ending up as a New York State Senator covers that debt. However, it’s the survivor theme that has propelled Senator Clinton to where she is in WashingtonDCville.

Beyond staying married to a womanizing political hack, Hillary is portrayed as a strong woman because she feels confident enough to speak her mind on issues she cares about. The problem with that is the problem with most Democrats. Her views seem to change to fit the occasion. She managed to embrace woman’s rights without any concern for the rights of the women that Billy Boy is accused of fondling or worse. Despite verbalizing some of the farthest of left wing positions over the past ten years, Hillary wants us to believe she is a born-again moderate in the alleged mold of her husband. What happens when the campaigning starts and the gloves are taken off?

I have no doubt that the mainstream media believes that they can propel Hillary to the White House. They had the same belief about John Kerry. That’s because they are all Charter Members of Carterland. Well, it should be a wake up call to the Democrats that people who philosophically live in Carterland are as useless to them as a Presidential Candidate who comes from WashingtonDCville. Americans are not liberal New Yorkers. They will not be willing to turn back the political clock, gamble possible Supreme Court Judge Nominees and place their personal safety in the hands of a Presidential Candidate whose buzz is limited to speaking her mind and surviving a cheating hubby. If that kind of buzz could get you elected President, then half of the women in America should run.

The Winner of the next Presidential Election is not going to come from WashingtonDCville or be chosen and supported by citizens from Carterland. Those are facts that all political parties should immediately take note of. If they want to choose a Winner, then he or she has to be someone that is not going to talk about what a terrific job they’ll do. It’s going to have to be a person with a proven record of political and economic success. It is also going to be have to be a person who will not necessary find favor in the eyes and mouths of the current crop of political pundits.

For the Democrats, the biggest strike they will have against them in the next national election will be the same people who hurt them the last time around. If any person or group of people helped lose the White House for the Democrats in 2004, it was John Kerry, John Edwards and all the liberal strategists, politicians and commentators. People like Ted Kennedy, Paul Begala and James Carville are publicity poison for the party of the common people. That’s because the common people, apparently, did not and do not like or believe what they have to say.

People are starting to think for themselves. Voters are out there in big numbers when they perceive a threat to their own philosophical destiny. Any Political Party that is trying to shove a platform full of unpopular planks down their throats will find themselves relegated to dust of history. A few crusty college professors and far out of sync liberal politicians are not going to save the Democratic Party. Hillary Clinton is not a political horse I would bet on if I were desperate to win a race.

In reality, I cannot imagine that Hillary would run for President until she finally establishes a political identity that would stand up to the scrutiny of a National Election. If that happens, her best hope for winning the election is that people will turn against the Republicans in record numbers and accept her as a new kind of Democrat. However unlikely those things are to occur, one more thing would still have to happen for her to win as a Democrat. She would have to place tape over the mouths of the usual suspects in the extreme liberal wing of her Party before they lose whatever slight chance she might have to win.

About the Author

Title: Hillary Clinton: Democrats Are Betting On the Wrong Horse
Topic: News/Politics
Author: Bill Knell
Author’s Email: billknell@cox.net
Author’s Website: http://www.dumpthedoubters.com
Word count : 1186
Terms To Use Article: Permission is granted to use this article for free online or in print. Please add a link to or print my website address of http://www.billknell.com