Tag: government

Political elections

Today’s question is do I vote in political elections?

For most of my life, I don’t think I could have told you the differences between the political parties. I also only had a vague idea of what a liberal, conservative, or libertarian actually were. Similarly, ideas like communism, socialism, and capitalism didn’t mean much to me. I was perhaps naïve, but also fairly happy.

Growing up, I lived in a farming community, so it had a lot of democrats. I’m not sure why, but maybe democrats helped farmers back in the day. I know one American president was known to be a peanut farmer. Or maybe, it was because small time farmers had trouble making ends meet and needed subsidizing, which the democrats supported more than republicans. I think the famous free government cheese distribution was actually a stockpile of cheese generated from subsidizing dairy farmers. They over produced as a result, so the government decided to give it away before it spoiled. Don’t quote me on any of this though. I’m definitely not a political expert.

A few years ago, I ended up being friends with a couple people who would be considered very political. One of them identified as a libertarian, and the other was probably somewhere between libertarian and conservative. They were both republicans. This was also about the time I was gaining my masters in business, so I studied quite a bit about capitalism and how it works. This period of time caused me to sort though a lot of ideas I had about politics. I even voted in a couple of election.

I don’t listen to the news. If the whole world is coming to an end, I’ll just be out there mowing my lawn like nothing is happening.

I eventually moved away from my libertarian friends and lost touch, and also finished all my grad studies. After that, I kind of reverted back to my non-political self. A friend of mine, which I’ve written about before, once described her view of politics. She said, I don’t listen to the news. If the whole world is coming to an end, I’ll just be out there mowing my lawn like nothing is happening. I remembered her telling me this because it reminded me of myself for most of my life. I simply didn’t know or care too much about politics or what was on the news, and now, I honestly regret that I ever discovered anything about it.

When I was taking my political science courses, they gave me a definition of politics. It was something like, politics decides who gets what, when, where, and how. This kind of always disturbed me. The problem is who controls politics? This statement is basically saying that someone sitting in an office somewhere is able to just up and say, hey you, from now on you are going to work without getting any pay, we’ll take all of that for us. My view is that politics shouldn’t be in the picture. You work, you get paid, and then you decide where you want to spend it. End of story. Putting anyone in the middle of all of that is the definition of corruption, at least in my opinion. I know that this view in itself is political, so I’m still trapped by politics.

Too many people have an opinion about what to do with other people’s money, but really, they should only be concerned about their own money.

If I try any other route, it seems like theft to me. For instance, suppose I say, all fast food restaurant workers have to dedicate 20% of their pay to health programs designed to undo the health issues they are causing with their fattening food. Would this be fair? I’m taking their small paycheck and slicing it up even more. Is their hard earned money actually mine to claim? Because I over eat, do I deserve to take some of their money to fix my health problems? I think it’s my problem that I overeat, not theirs. Unfortunately, through politics, anything is possible, simply because someone is in the middle of everyone’s business. Basically, too many people have an opinion about what to do with other people’s money, but really, they should only be concerned about their own money.

On one last note, many of the people who run for office are actually career politicians. Convincing people to vote for them is actually their job. A lot of people from different political parties actually went to school together. Sometimes they go to events together. What you are seeing in the media is likely orchestrated. Once they get into office, they may have more personal goals in mind. It may come as a surprise to you, but many of them just do it for the money. I don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble, but politicians are probably not hero material.

Anyway, I tend to not post anything political, and even this post is too political for me, simply because politics divides people. To answer the question, I generally avoid political news, and shutter a little when I know a big election is coming, and of course, that’s happening this year, at least in the country where I live.

Do you vote in political elections? Are you a highly political person? What’s your experience with politics? Have you ever run for office? Do you follow political news? What political party are you affiliate with? Do you think politics is divisive? Can political elections get out of hand? Do you dread election years? No judgements here! I would love to hear from you in the comments. Please remember to like, share, and subscribe!

A fascinating historical event.

One of the most fascinating historical events that I can think of happened in 1776 when British colonists living in America declared their independence from Great Britain and founded the United States of America. The United States evokes a wide variety of feelings among people, but I don’t think anyone can say that the founding of this nation was insignificant. It’s interesting to me that a few people who were not even sure their little experiment would survive, ended up having such a far-reaching effect on history. I know the world was moving toward democratic republics, but if this little group of colonists had failed, I fear everyone in the world would still be living under kings and queens. The concept of government by the people, for the people, and of the people, might have been suffocated for hundreds of years by royal families and other elitists. It really boggles the mind how we managed to find our way to self-government.

What’s the most fascinating historical event to you? Have you ever read an alternate history novel? What do you think the world would be like if certain historical events didn’t happen? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!

What I would change about modern society.

First, I think we would have to define what modern society is. There are actually a wide variety of societies all over this world, all of them existing in modern times, but would we classify all of them as modern? Also, are all societies imbibed with the same modern ideas?

I believe many societies today actually lack the necessary infrastructure to be classified as modern. Some of them barely have access to clean water and good roads. If we assume modern society has advanced technology, we are leaving out a few of these societies. They are still on the sidelines observing, and slowly working to catch up. I do think strides are being made every day, but there is still work to be done.

I also believe that when we talk about changing society, we are talking about changing how people think and function. Many societies, even in modern times, differ greatly in their beliefs, goals, perspectives, and practices. Certain attributes or practices of a particular society might be considered very primitive by another society for instance, yet we are all living in the modern era.

For these reasons, modern society can only be understood in a relatively localized fashion, as in your particular society, or in a very broad way that not all modern societies fall under. That being said, I feel like what we are really talking about is the generalized philosophy and practices of highly developed nations.

What I wouldn’t change

I would like to start with the things I would not change, because I believe these to be the foundation of not only modern society, but also necessary to live a good life as a human.

Individual Freedom

I believe modern society has greatly improved our individual freedom. I think every person should have the right to carry out their lives however they see fit. Many people want to be in other people’s business. They are annoyed by everything their neighbor does. If you aren’t careful, these people will pass ridiculous rules and laws to get rid of all their pet peeves and annoyances. This should not be allowed. Society should mainly focus on preventing violent criminal behavior. Basically, the perfect society is one where everyone has the freedom to be themselves and pursue happiness in their own way.

High Inclusivity

I believe modern society strives to be highly inclusive. Everyone is different. We have different appearances, backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, religions, histories, habits, ideas, etc. If we guarantee individual freedom, we will have to have some way of dealing with all our differences. This means society needs to continually focus on tolerance and acceptance.

I think this is an attribute of modern society, because if you look back at history, we didn’t do this very well. We held onto our differences and made war with everyone who wasn’t like us. Unfortunately, I believe that even in modern times, acceptance is still in a relatively primitive state, and needs to improve dramatically. It also seems fragile, like it could fracture at any time and cause us to revert back to our primitive ways.

Business Ownership

I believe modern society is dependent on its members being able to buy and sell in a relatively unrestricted manner, with minimal taxation. The ability to conduct business is also a part of someone’s individual freedom. If you place extreme regulations on this, you will decrease the ability of a person to profit from his labor and efforts. This will dramatically increase poverty and lead to an oppressive society. Modern society is dependent on businesses, especially small businesses and entrepreneurship, and this should not be changed. If I changed anything, I would reduce current regulations and taxation, because I see it as a violation of a person’s individual freedom.

What I would change

I wasn’t always like this, but I have actually come to appreciate modern society in a lot of ways. I wouldn’t say I love it, but I think it has been heading in roughly the right direction and made remarkable progress. It is my hope that modern society will remain stable and individual rights and freedom will continue to improve across the globe. That being said, I might change a few things.

Violent Crime

There is a lot more violent crime than I care to see. I don’t have an answer for this at the human nature level. Many people just have violent tendencies and anger issues, but often it’s a one-off based on difficult circumstances. The trick is to head them off at the pass before they do something everyone regrets. Perhaps modern society will use AI to create predictive models for preventive purposes.

I hate to say this, but it is looking like increased surveillance is a part of modern society. It feels really creepy, but one thing it has going for it is it should decrease crime. Literally, all crime will be observed as it happens, and law enforcement and emergency services can be routed immediately. Video evidence will also be available to ensure proper prosecution of the criminal. Hacking and deep fakes could interfere with the effectiveness of surveillance though.

Social Manipulation

There is a huge amount of social manipulation going on though the news and social media outlets. Organizations and governments are trying to prevent this, but unfortunately, they often combat it by inserting their own agenda and propaganda. I believe this is really one of the biggest concerns for modern society, because it has the ability to escalate people to the boiling point and create violence, rioting, and civil war. Some people have a tendency to believe the sky is falling already, and they don’t need any help.

I wish the negativity and manipulation would go away, but I’m not really sure how to fix it at this point. Perhaps AI could stop corrupting stories from emerging, but that could lead to extreme censorship. Who gets to decide what you receive as news? Whatever you come up with could potentially be used by bad actors to create an even worse condition. I shudder to think of what harm it is going to do to modern society.

What are your thoughts on my list? What would you change? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share! Oh, and if you made it this far, thanks for reading!

What I’m passionate about.

I used to be passionate about a lot of things, then a few years ago, I went though a very difficult period of my life that started with my dad being diagnosed with brain cancer. After that, a series of difficult decisions presented themselves that I was not in the proper place or state of mind to handle.

Ultimately, I got through it, but I never returned to being the person I was before this catastrophe. I have been piecing myself back together slowly with the help of some very special people I met along the way. So, the answer is really, I don’t know! I am having to reacquaint myself with some of my old passions, while being introduced to new passions. I will just have to see what this new person I am forming inside ends up being like.

There is one thing that I am still very passionate about. It’s freedom. Not freedom like you would normally think if the word. Often I hear it related to things like patriotism and war and that sort of thing. The thing I’m talking about is the freedom to truly do what you want with the short time you have left in your life. It’s slipping away, and I feel like I have spent all my time catering to the needs and wants of other people.

The problem with a job is it gets in the way of living.

I’ve been in the workforce my whole life. It’s paid the bills, though some years have been pretty slim. I don’t want to sound lazy, but I really wish I didn’t have to do this. I know it helps the world to keep running, and all the infrastructure we have built up to keep our society functioning has to be maintained by someone, but it is a really heavy burden on some people. The problem with a job is it gets in the way of living.

Sometimes I ask myself, what would I do even, if I didn’t have to work? It is usually something like, I would make art, or write books, or write computer software, or make games, or construct websites, or read and study things, and yes, I would also still blog.

The odd thing is, those things sound a lot like work, just a different kind of work, a kind of work that I want to do, a kind of work that I am passionate about. Unfortunately, I have never had the freedom to do those things for long, because I have always had to spend my time at pursuits that help other people to make more money or serve the state in some way.

The problem is, I don’t think these things really add as much value to society as we would think. They really aren’t that creative. They really aren’t progressive. Every renaissance was triggered when people were freed up enough to explore their own creativity. That is the direction we should be going.

We were made to pursue our passions.

If everyone were truly able to pursue their passions, there is no telling how far we could go. We would be in a state of life maximization. That is the kind of world I would like to live in. That was what we were truly made to do. We were made to pursue our passions.

Does this scenario sound familiar to you? What would you do with your time if it all belonged to you and you were not enslaved by the rat race? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like and subscribe!

It wasn’t for me.

I remember there used to be a time when there wasn’t an internet, but I honestly don’t like to think about it. It was a time when everyone was expected to do everything in person or through paper. It was a time when people couldn’t work from home very easily. It was an era that predates blogging and many forms of self-publication. It was really not for me. I was born for the internet, and I spend a ridiculous amount of time there.

Some people like to blame the internet for everything, and there are some negative aspects, but if you really think about it, it has made the world a better place. Here are some things it has added.

  • Better connection to other people. Before the internet, it really wasn’t that easy to keep up with people you went to school with, or family that moved out of state. I remember my grandmother actually had to write to her cousins on paper and use snail mail. That definitely wasn’t optimal, though it did build anticipation and teach patience.
  • The internet allows for anonymity. Some people see this as an evil aspect of the internet, but I think it is absolutely critical. Societies and governments tend to silence and chastise people who criticize them out of fear that if enough people gather together, they will overthrow them. Without anonymity, those people would not be able to state the truth about their society or government.
  • It is more inclusive. The internet is pretty much everywhere now. Before it, you had to really work hard to connect with people outside your local community or state. The world has become much smaller and striking up a conversation with someone across the globe is trivial now.
  • The information age opened up tons of jobs that allow you to work from home, or anywhere there is an internet connection. You can literally work from the beach if you like. You can travel the world if you like, taking your work with you. You also don’t have to worry about that dreaded commute anymore. The only highway you have to be on is the information superhighway.
  • It provided an outlet for tons of creative minds. There are so many creators out there now. It’s almost becoming an expectation in our society. Without the ability to self-publish, you would have to get everything approved by a bureaucratic publishing system and advertising was pretty slow and expensive. Now, you just create an account on social media and start sharing.
  • Of course, the best part of having the internet is that you get to read this amazing blog. 🙂

So, what’s your favorite thing about the internet? Could you live without it? Tell me about it in the comments, and don’t forget to like and subscribe.