I wrote last time about those responsible for the moral decay in America.
The fundamental reason for that decay, I believe, is the popular erroneous view of what morality is. It is commonly thought that morality relates to how you deal with others, how you behave toward others. That the reason to be honest, for example, is that others are entitled to the truth. Out of this mistaken perspective, understandable that many will choose to be immoral (dishonest, for example) if they think they can "get away with it". "If nobody knows," this mindset claims, "what's so wrong with being immoral and reaping some benefits from it?"
But, in fact, a moral life is not lived for the benefit of others, but for the benefit of YOU. Morality is a code of pro-life conduct...not pro-the other guy's life, not pro-society's life, but pro-YOUR life. Others may benefit from your morality, but they are not the reason you are moral.
And maybe the best way to see that is to imagine being the only one on a desert island. Choose to sit on your butt and not make the effort to go out and find food, and you are doomed. (Which is why Productivity is a moral virtue.) Lie to yourself that the wild beast snarling in front of you is nothing but a chicken, and you are doomed. (Which is why Honesty is a moral virtue.) Make your actions for survival based on the toss of a coin rather than by thinking, and you are doomed. (Which is why Reason is a moral virtue.) Etc.
Can you get "get away with it" if nobody is around, if nobody knows? Of course not. YOU are around, YOU know...and YOU will pay the price...from a loss of confidence and self-esteem, to anxiety and depression, to a thousand other prices, including the loss of your life.
If you think "everybody else is doing it, why shouldn't I?" is a good rationale for immorality, think again...it does not for a moment postpone payment by you of all the prices mentioned above. (Which is why Independent Thinking is a moral virtue.)
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
THE GUILTY MANY
There is no sense trying to pinpoint who is responsible for the moral decay that is America...we pretty much all are, including:
* those who would have difficulty stating with certitude why integrity, pride, honesty and independence are, among others, critical virtues
*those who believe morality is subjective: meaning, you pick the code of morality, if any, that you think is good for you, and I pick mine...and one is no better than the other
*those who base their morality on the Bible of their choice...which is just the way some of those in the previous group do their picking
* those who see that in America's public school system, morality is not taught, but do not complain out loud about that and do nothing to see that it is taught
* those who worship the Golden Calf and will do pretty much anything to gain its favor
* those who value the concrete prizes of life above the serenity, the beauty, of their soul
* those who treasure moral normality...do unto others and unto yourself what others do
* those who keep silent when they witness immorality
* those who stopped reading this post because they feared recognizing themselves.
We have seen in the past that it may take an apocalypse for a people, a nation, to change course. Has the birth of one already occurred?
* those who would have difficulty stating with certitude why integrity, pride, honesty and independence are, among others, critical virtues
*those who believe morality is subjective: meaning, you pick the code of morality, if any, that you think is good for you, and I pick mine...and one is no better than the other
*those who base their morality on the Bible of their choice...which is just the way some of those in the previous group do their picking
* those who see that in America's public school system, morality is not taught, but do not complain out loud about that and do nothing to see that it is taught
* those who worship the Golden Calf and will do pretty much anything to gain its favor
* those who value the concrete prizes of life above the serenity, the beauty, of their soul
* those who treasure moral normality...do unto others and unto yourself what others do
* those who keep silent when they witness immorality
* those who stopped reading this post because they feared recognizing themselves.
We have seen in the past that it may take an apocalypse for a people, a nation, to change course. Has the birth of one already occurred?
Sunday, October 16, 2011
TOO MUCH
I am on a campaign...to ban the word "too" from the English language.
It's almost always used in a negative sense: He works too hard, she wears too much makeup, they are too focused on winning, we spend too much of our money on foolish things, etc. Its as if there is a standard out there for everything in life...go above it and you are in the too zone. Live below it and you're in the not enough zone (that's for another post).
But there is no standard, no set amount of anything, except for the very very basics of life: food, air. Otherwise, you choose the course, the quantity, of your life. That may be the most glorious thing of human life: We choose. Which explains in a nutshell why America is the grandest of countries. It was founded on the guarantee to each of us that we will be forever free to choose the scope, the quantity, of our life.
Fight to the end those who would shackle your life with artificial limits and restraints, who seek to keep you in the middle of life's road, who deplore living life to the fullest (and beyond)..for if you let them do their bidding, if you succumb to their mediocrity, it is the end.
And wouldn't that would be too bad?
It's almost always used in a negative sense: He works too hard, she wears too much makeup, they are too focused on winning, we spend too much of our money on foolish things, etc. Its as if there is a standard out there for everything in life...go above it and you are in the too zone. Live below it and you're in the not enough zone (that's for another post).
But there is no standard, no set amount of anything, except for the very very basics of life: food, air. Otherwise, you choose the course, the quantity, of your life. That may be the most glorious thing of human life: We choose. Which explains in a nutshell why America is the grandest of countries. It was founded on the guarantee to each of us that we will be forever free to choose the scope, the quantity, of our life.
Fight to the end those who would shackle your life with artificial limits and restraints, who seek to keep you in the middle of life's road, who deplore living life to the fullest (and beyond)..for if you let them do their bidding, if you succumb to their mediocrity, it is the end.
And wouldn't that would be too bad?
Saturday, October 15, 2011
HERE WE GO AGAIN, IT'S LIKE AN OLD FAMILIAR SONG AGAIN
The President has decided to send 100 troops to Uganda to help fight the alleged atrocities being committed there by what is called the Lord's Resistance Army. Soon to be followed by "a second combat-equipped team and associated headquarters, communications and logistics personnel." He "validates" this move by claiming it is in "our security interests" to do so.
Hogwash! The LRA does not pose a threat to America. All of Uganda does not pose a threat to America. All of Africa does not pose a threat to America. It is Barack Obama that is a threat to America.
More young men and women are to be put in harm's way, more to be maimed and killed, more to be engaged in yet another undeclared war. If reports are true, the LRA is committing obscene atrocities on the Ugandan people. There is reason to feel compassion, there is reason to want to do something. And in America we have a policy to do just that.
It is called VOLUNTARY. You want to go over there and fight? Go. You want to send money to the Ugandan Army to buy military supplies? Send.
But no one...not one enlisted soldier...can be forced to go without violating the constitution and the principles of our great country.
(How come I don't see the President offering to go fight in Uganda? How come I hear none of our brilliant, freedom-loving politicians saying one word complaining about what the President is doing? None moving to impeach him? It is that void, not the LRA, that threatens America.)
Hogwash! The LRA does not pose a threat to America. All of Uganda does not pose a threat to America. All of Africa does not pose a threat to America. It is Barack Obama that is a threat to America.
More young men and women are to be put in harm's way, more to be maimed and killed, more to be engaged in yet another undeclared war. If reports are true, the LRA is committing obscene atrocities on the Ugandan people. There is reason to feel compassion, there is reason to want to do something. And in America we have a policy to do just that.
It is called VOLUNTARY. You want to go over there and fight? Go. You want to send money to the Ugandan Army to buy military supplies? Send.
But no one...not one enlisted soldier...can be forced to go without violating the constitution and the principles of our great country.
(How come I don't see the President offering to go fight in Uganda? How come I hear none of our brilliant, freedom-loving politicians saying one word complaining about what the President is doing? None moving to impeach him? It is that void, not the LRA, that threatens America.)
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
CLEAR AS CRYSTAL
One sentence by Obama reveals completely his anti-American philosophy. Speaking about Bank of America's policy of charging a $5 monthly to those who make debit card purchases,he said this:
"You know, you can't do whatever you want to do to make a profit if your customers are being mistreated."
Wrong, wrong, wrong, Obama...in this country:
* you can charge what you want to charge for your product or service
* you run your business and not the government
* each debit card holder decides for him/herself whether to pay the fee (or not use the card for purchases)
* the government does not stand in loco parentis.
We call it liberty, Obama. We the people will decide our fate, we are not infants needing or wanting parental control by the government. We live by our standards, not yours. That the $5 fee comes after another anti-American government interference in the free enterprise system when it cut in half the fee the bank can charge vendors for purchases, is also revealing.
To those of you who voted for Obama and plan to vote for him again: Are you happy? You are not complaining are you? You got what you asked for. That liberty thing that hundreds of thousands of our soldiers have died for around the globe, goes too far you think, eh?
"You know, you can't do whatever you want to do to make a profit if your customers are being mistreated."
Wrong, wrong, wrong, Obama...in this country:
* you can charge what you want to charge for your product or service
* you run your business and not the government
* each debit card holder decides for him/herself whether to pay the fee (or not use the card for purchases)
* the government does not stand in loco parentis.
We call it liberty, Obama. We the people will decide our fate, we are not infants needing or wanting parental control by the government. We live by our standards, not yours. That the $5 fee comes after another anti-American government interference in the free enterprise system when it cut in half the fee the bank can charge vendors for purchases, is also revealing.
To those of you who voted for Obama and plan to vote for him again: Are you happy? You are not complaining are you? You got what you asked for. That liberty thing that hundreds of thousands of our soldiers have died for around the globe, goes too far you think, eh?
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