Birddroppings December 30, 2020

Venting a bit on a Wednesday morning

I wrote yesterday and was going to be lazy today to get ready for holiday. I have not been feeling well and spending a lot of time resting. I did test negative for COVID-19 again so that was a relieve. Last night and this morning I read several alarming posts on various friend’s pages. I followed links and they led to para military groups discussing declaring a civil war. Another older link was supposedly about former President Obama forcing Trump into declaring Marshall Law in December with no information just a title and graphic. This same link led to another about how the white race would be gone in twenty five years. I read all the comments about our former President being a communist and socialist and my response is, neither socio-economic system is even closely being approached in this country. 

We are in super over drive capitalism here in the US, greed rules above all else. We have highest stock market and biggest difference between wealthy and the rest of us ever in the history of our country.  Granted the great income difference is what Marx saw and wrote about as he pondered communism. However our government and that is both parties continues the process that maintains that the elite few tend to govern. Oil companies, defense contractors, pharmaceuticals, insurance and banking are booming in profits. That’s not communism and or socialism. The recent election is a good example. Now with the balance of power changing much of the budget being suggested by the current ruling party impacts the very people who voted them in cutting social security, tax credits, child care deductions etc. are all in suggested budget of various members of congress and senate.

Better yet a desire to privatize Social Security and let an insurance company run it. Kind of like health insurance where top five health insurance carrier’s CEO’s are all paid in excess of 15 million a year each plus bonuses.  Taking away from any group of people is not socialism and or communism. I was told recently we are losing our freedoms and I asked which ones. Our freedom to not buy health insurance for an example was the reply. I offered than when you are sick cure yourself or pay your own bills. They asked you mean you would let me die and I said no you let yourself die. The worst post of the day was our highest turn out in years almost 160 million people voted and on black Friday almost that many went shopping that speaks to me more than then the idiotic posts and blogs about communism and socialism and civil war. As long as we get what we want we don’t care about anybody else. So I will borrow from Christian scripture.

Matthew 19:16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” 19:17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” 19:18 “Which ones?” he inquired. Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19:19 honor your father and mother,’c and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” 19:20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” 19:21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 19:22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. 19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 19:24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” NIV

I am not one to use scripture often but so often those spouting all the innuendoes mentioned in various blogs above are using scripture. We could debate what is meant by this passage since it is framed by an ancient Hebrew commonly used expression for something difficult a camel through the eye of a needle, but I look more at the excess in our world and specifically in our country. No one cares about the environment, starving children, or few other things other than making a buck. The XL pipeline is a great example. There was a few years back a huge group of Koch industries employees 35,000 promoting it through phone calls and conversation. Koch Industries owns 1.5 million acres of tar sands in Alberta. The pipeline is not carrying oil to benefit us here in US it is already in plans to go to Asia predominantly China.

The tar sands have been out of the news due to cost of production and cheap world oil. Gas prices in US will not be impacted and why should they in a world of supply and demand price is based on who will pay the most we are bidding when we have paid over 4.00 a gallon with Chinese willing to pay more. Granted currently our gasoline is cheap and the US is exporting more oil and refined oil products than any time in the history of our oil industry. The revolution that needs to occur is not one of military/militia/vigilante/gangs but one of people who care about others. Interesting note tar sands oil is losing money if oil is under 80.00 a barrel as it is now and pipeline is literally not even needed.

“Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.” Mahatma Gandhi

Please keep all in harm’s way on your mind and in your hearts and always give thanks namaste.

My friends I do not say this lightly,

Mitakuye Oyasin 

(We are all related)

bird