By this time, you are likely to think, Americans will be tired – of, exactly the same – old, same – old, not enough genuine, meaningful leadership, from those, they elect, supposedly, to provide, and represent, their utmost interests! Too often, politicians, avoid, doing precisely what is right, needed, and necessary, but, rather, make use of empty promises, rhetoric, blaming and complaining, and, even – worse, denying! If, hopefully, being better – prepared, and capable, of handling the appropriate, sustainable, challenges, in the future, we should, be responsible voters, and, fully – examine, candidates, according to concrete plans and solutions/ actions, as opposed to, populist politics! With, that in your mind, this information will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, 5 things/ areas, where, we require, well – considered, proactive ideas, etc, as an alternative to denials!

1. Dangers of Climate Change: We have a lot of, who, have a tendency to, have confidence in conspiracy theories, etc, especially, when considering, to Climate Change! They seem to get it, easier, and/ or, more convenient/ comforting, to deny, it exists, and is also a danger, inside a real, sustainable manner, than, to proactively, plan, to make changes, in how you live our way of life, etc! Nearly, every scientist and expert, states, not merely, is coffee, real, but, represents an obvious danger, to your future, and sustainability, for the following generation! We have already seen, some impacts, including the melting, for the planet’s poles, and, a tremendous increase, in primary, climatic conditions! However, when, a politician, denies the existence, and claims, taking suggested steps, can be too costly, etc, he or she is equating, not able to our planet, with immediate, economic ramifications, etc!
2. Need to protect environment: In the past Presidential administration, we witnessed, for that first – time, in numerous decades, hard work, to reverse previous gains, in protecting the environment. After – all, what could, possibly, be important/ urgent/ relevant, than prioritizing, environmental protections, especially, inside the areas of beautiful, and water?
3. Public health, and safety: The recent, horrific pandemic, should, clearly, demonstrate, how essential, paying keen focus to public health matters, should be! President Trump, seemed, to a lot of, for being, either, unprepared, ill – informed, in – denial, and/ or, believing, his approach, was better, for his personal/ political agenda, and/ or, self – interest! He minimized, denied, blamed and complained, but didn’t take, timely action, when indicated! Isn’t that similar, to how, this nation, has behaved, when it comes to gun safety, especially, once we consider, the volume of incidents, deaths, etc, inside past several years?
4. Need for sane gun safety/ controls: We license automobiles, and drivers, but, do little, if this applies, to gun owners! Many politicians, always, avoid, addressing this challenge, by stating, Guns don’t kill, people do. However, the truth is, is it not, people, with guns, who, actually, kill! While, responsible people, ought to be allowed to own a gun, nobody needs an assault weapon, nor should, certain individuals, be looked at, fit, for being gun owners!
5. Our elections/ political system: Either, the American political system, is broken, or, it deserves, thinking, regarding making people, feel, more confident, in their results, etc. In reality, we’ve got to rehaul, the machine, no individual, really should be able, to generate irresponsible accusations, without evidence, which we witnessed, in, and also since, a final election!

Wake up, America, and turn, proactive, addressing, genuine needs, and priorities, and avoiding those, who turn to, the politics of, blaming, complaining, denials, and lies! We must do, so, sooner, as an alternative to, later, or this nation, will probably be harmed, perhaps, forever!

I am not sure, which can be more concerning, that, a great number of politicians, manage to not care, don’t thoroughly think and analyze, placed their personal/ political agenda, and, self – interest, before the common good, or, if many of them, actually, believe, many of the apparent – nonsense, they articulate! Although, many have thought about, politicians, to get less – than, trustworthy, previously, the amount, and extent on this, recently, exceeds, anything, in recent memory! It, probably, came – to – a – head, over the administration of former – President Trump, when political fact – checkers, state, the telephone number, and rate (in addition to degree), of, lies, and misstatements, was alarming, and may have been concerning. Consistently, rather than reversing a situation, any time a lie, was exposed, Trump, often, double – downed on his version of reality! With, that under consideration, this document will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, 6 truly, concerning, areas, where such things happen.

1. The Big Lie: Never – before, in recent memory, includes a loser of any Presidential election, continued, lying, making excuses, and false accusations, declaring himself, since the real winner, and stating, his opponents committed, stealing the election, employing a slogan, Stop the Steal! His campaign, filed, more court suits, demands for recounts, etc, previously, before, and, all, confirmed, the legitimacy with the election. He continues this, even now, plus the Republican Party, is just about the Party of Trump, accepting the Big Lie! I am not sure, whether, when they, truly, believe this, it isn’t really, even, more concerning!
2. Trickle – down economics: No major country has ever benefited, from any version, of Trickle – down economics, which, basically, means, rewarding the wealthiest, believing, it’d encourage, more hiring, etc. Instead, we witness, today, perhaps, the greatest/ largest, wage/ income gaps, in recent memory! We, first, witnessed, this method, in the administration of President Ronald Reagan, and, while, the wealthiest, significantly, benefited, the remaining, failed to! The 2017 tax reform, largely, passed, along party lines, also, predominantly, benefited, the greatest corporations, and wealthiest individuals, despite claims, the guts – class, could be the major winners!
3. Does enhanced, unemployment insurance, discourage, seeking jobs?: Many Republicans claim, the other $300 for enhanced, unemployment insurance, is harming the economy’s recovery, because, it discourages people, from time for the workplace! However, if it amount discourages, exactly what does it, really, indicate, about worker’s wages? Since, unemployment insurance, pays, at most half (to a cap), only, those, earning under $600 every week (about $30, 000 each year), would consider this to be, and, for most parts on this nation, people can’t live, in almost any quality manner, on that little amount!
4. Excessive use of labels: Many politicians make use of, using, simplistic, labels, to spell it out their opponents! How often, do, so called, conservatives, call, those, they disagree, with, names, for example Socialist, Communist, etc?
5. Health care: Should, quality medical (and, affordable), certainly be a right, or, simply, available? We hear claims, by many Republicans, the Democrats are attempting to make heath care treatment, socialist!
6. Minimum wage: Claiming, businesses, do not want to pay a greater wage, ignores, the very fact, the Federal Minimum Wage, has always been, at $7.25 per hours, for approximately 13 years! There is no place, with this nation, it’s possible to afford to live, on that amount! Consider, what this amount, equates – to, when adjusted, for inflation? Wouldn’t an improved approach (fairer), be, to make a new minimum, in increments, over about several years, and, then, once set, automatically, adjusting it, in accordance with the cost – of – living)?

Declaring, many politicians lie, is just not, newsworthy, but, if, they, actually, believe many of, the things they articulate, it has to be concerning! Wake up, America, and grow better, and demand integrity, etc!

In the last post we considered a few of the major myths created to guide people toward living a purposeful life in Western Civilization. In this post we’re going to consider a volume of myths of what is now the United States. They took us in the darker direction and have an effect on our civilization through the earliest days to the current time.

Karen Armstrong in the book, A Brief History of Myth, stated that “we need myths that can help us perceive all our fellow beings, not alone with individuals who belong to our ethnic, national, or ideological tribe. We need myths that assist us to venerate the world as sacred yet again, as opposed to merely with it as a resource.” Such lofty ideals usually are not always appreciated, such as principles discussed by our Founding Fathers (no mothers included.) Instead the main objective was on wealthy male landowners.

One unfortunate myth inside North was the preoccupation with witches, paralleling hysteria about witchcraft in Europe. The Reverend Parris, a trader inside the Caribbean, brought home with him a slave couple. The wife finished up spending a great amount of time together with the Parris girls, often devoted to stories in the islands including those involving Voodoo lore and practices.

The remaining story is just not entirely clear. It appears that the women started telling fortunes inside them for hours “fits.” Suspected witches were brought before the women. If the presence in the suspects was followed be the women having fits, this became taken as being a sure sign that this suspects were witches. Although pretty much everything appeared to begin with child’s play, it took a deadly use the point that one hundred forty one “witches” were arrested and nineteen hanged.

In the nineteenth century, President James Polk championed the speculation (myth) of Manifest Destiny. This belief or doctrine held “which the expansion with the United States through the American Continent was both justifiable and inevitable” based on the compendium, Oxford Languages.

Long prior to the term Manifest Destiny was invented, early northern European settlers viewed that which was to became America as ripe for the taking despite centuries of civilization on the part with the native peoples have been living here well before Europeans even knew this land existed. The history from the United States includes pushing the native people out from the way. Although there was some tries to negotiate using them, in most cases these people were described as obstacle plus an inconvenience. They first were pushed towards the western areas from the continent and in the end confined to reservations. Even then, reservations were consolidated and reservation land was minimized because the lands these folks were given came into existence seen as ripe for development or appropriating natural resources. Manifest destiny was thought to apply and then “white” citizens. Manifest destiny obviously was a myth to justify expansion during the entire land. There was no legal or moral justification for doing this but like a self serving “truth.”

Although the concept of white supremacy looks like it’s of our making, or imagining, it absolutely was alive and well in Europe prior to first Northern European settlers reached America. They viewed the American territories as intended for them as superior people for the exclusion of Irish, Italian, Asian or African people, unless we were holding brought in as servants and slaves. Slavery existed through the early days of America. It was considered in our Constitution to help make southern states feel relaxed being part from the American experiment.

Slavery inside of it was not a myth but instead a stark practice associated while using myth of white superiority. Struggles on the institution of slavery continued during the entire early days individuals nation, ending ultimately within the Civil War which banned slavery but wouldn’t end racism which is constantly on the divide us even now. Racism isn’t in itself a myth either nevertheless depends on racial superiority due to the justification. People kidnapped and taken to this country were considered as having forget about rights than livestock. The most equality Blacks from the South made it possible to manage up towards the Civil War ended up being have each counted as three fifths of an person which benefitted Southern White landowners into their representation in Congress but would not benefit Black people in any respect. There were free black people from the North. When I visited Charleston, I found there were some free Black slave owners.

Black people following the civil war started making some progress throughout the years of reconstruction which eventually came to a close, giving way to your Jim Crow era, the remnants which linger until today. Great strides are actually made toward racial equality on the years, but significant pockets of racism still pervade our society in accordance with all the myth of white superiority. Educational and occupations, housing opportunities and police protection for example are still additional readily available to whites instead of people of color including Native American people, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians and also anyone else not considered white enough thrown in the less desirable basket.

One final myth remains for being discussed which now threatens the actual existence of the democracy, that relating to Trumpism. We will address this inside next post.

This is the second in the series of posts checking out the classical purpose of myth throughout prehistoric and historic times as well as current perversion in America. This post considers a number of ways in which myth is expressed.

In the initial post with this series, I described myth to be a folklore genre composed of narratives that play an essential role in society. Myth is usually a way of expressing the biggest thing to individuals, groups, tribes and cultures throughout history. A whole book could possibly be written about these traditions. In this post, I will focus on a few Western traditions that you and I could possibly be more familiar.

Tradition within the Jewish belief is Midrash, writings relevant to the interpretation of biblical texts. This includes the purpose of the words, precisely what is behind the link and what’s beyond it. A body of Midrash is compiled by Jewish biblical scholars in the past, an essential part of which were compiled from the early centuries A.D.

Christianity possesses its own traditions and explanations on the Hebrew scripture, known as the Old Testament and also the more specifically Christian bible the New Testament. The Church Fathers was comprised of writers also residing in early centuries AD. Their work dedicated to explanation and interpretation of the purpose of the Christian bible still prominently revered and called in scholarly discussion on the bible by Christians. The main fathers were Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine and Gregory the Great.

Although Muslim belief and tradition is really a recent newcomer in Western society, additionally, it plays a tremendous role inside thinking and belief of some Americans. According to Muslim belief, the goal of life is to reside in complete submission to Allah whom Muslims believe to get the same God as those of Jewish and Christian traditions. People are liberated to follow or otherwise not to follow Allah’s will for the kids but there eternal consequences to make the wrong choice. They believe that Allah’s will is revealed inside Koran provided by Allah to Muhammad, the Torah presented to Moses, The Gospel of Jesus, the psalms to David, and scrolls to Abraham.

That leaves atheists. They do not have any belief in divinely revealed truth. Perhaps the best characterization with the atheistic approach is incorporated into an incident involving George Bernard Shaw. Someone once asked him what could happen if when he dies he discover there is often a God. His reply was “If there is really a God we’ll sit down and discuss it man to man.”

Among the psychological thinkers with the last two centuries, Alfred Adler wrote around the concept of “guiding fiction.” He saw this to be a personal principle which people depend upon to guide their comprehension of life and rehearse to form the foundation of how they act. It does not appear a large number of people are necessarily aware with the principles they live by. Yet most of them act consistently as though in line with a collection of beliefs. This group of beliefs can often be more evident to others rather than the individual. Ideally the guiding fiction is realistic and adaptive based on Adler. In other words these are in tune together with the true nature of these culture and necessary to them in living a meaningful life.

Nicholas Shumway has extended the concept of guiding fictions to nations where their peoples look to understand what they’re about and what their dreams are as nations. The United States has among its guiding fictions “the American dream, the melting pot, and government in the people, with the people, for that people.”

These fictions represent the perfect but we don’t always meet it. Yet we still see these fictions as our goals therefore we would like to think we are now living in accordance with these. We have often failed over the history of our nation. At the time our nation was founded, “We the People” in reality meant white men in most cases to the exclusion on the native people living during the entire continent, people of several color and traditions and marginalization of ladies. More recently we have now marginalized those with other than traditional sexual orientation and identity although we now have made progress with this area. We have also marginalized the indegent to some extent, sometimes blaming them with regards to predicament and leaving these to their own devices.

Despite this we’ve a new method of looking at 1 another on the horizon as well as the prospect of utilizing the needs with the earth into mind as we proceed. We may also move closer to your original guiding fiction or myth for that country and maybe for the world. In the next post, we’ll look some historical distortions of myth along with the harm they’ve got done.

This is the first in a very series of posts checking distortion in the classical concise explaination myth throughout prehistoric and historic times. We will commence with the original purpose of myth.

Wikipedia defines myth as “a folklore genre made up of narratives that play an essential role in society, including foundational tales as origin myths.” Examples of such myths include bible stories in the Jewish and Christian faith and also stories from various religious and cultural traditions all over the world. People over the millennia have clung about bat roosting stories to clarify where we originated in, why we’re also here and where we’re also headed.

Although we were looking at meant as teaching stories with lessons in case you listened to them and browse them, many adherents have got these stories literally and so are offended by efforts to portray them as only stories.

In my reading about myth, I have found Joseph Campbell one of the most articulate writer within this topic. His thinking is the most suitable revealed in a very book, The Power of Myth, composed of a combination of interviews with Campbell by Bill Moyers. It almost reads such as a meditation on being human.

Myths for example we have considered until now are meant to offer a framework for considering humanity, our relationship using the universe, the divine and what human our life is about. They were intended to serve as a guide for human living. The original myths were invented and produced by small bands of wandering people and differed widely from a single group to an alternative although they often had similar themes. As civilization developed myths became more widely shared by larger groups of people.

All of such myths try to create a larger framework for the specification of being human at night basics to be born, living and dying. As Campbell puts it, myths exist “to harmonize our way of life with reality in the search for truth, meaning and significance.” At times during human history, competing myths took over as the source of conflict between peoples clinging to their own personal myths which triggered persecution, crusades and also wars inside the name on the myths people followed. These are deviations from the initial purpose of myth. We will consider some of the deviations inside next post.

The next posts would include discussion of myths that contain guided people in understanding from the world, myths which may have been destructive, The myth of Trumpism, and also the future when controling Trumpism.

In the next decade the emerging powers that will power another industrial revolution will transform the international economy. In doing so they’re going to greatly reduce the carbon emissions that happen to be having disastrous consequences to each economy around the globe. The transformation from diesel and gas to all or any electric automobiles has now taken a huge step toward revolutionizing transportation around the world.

With the emerging technologies now take over the impact of decreasing the carbon emissions that happen to be currently the major reasons of the devastating link between Global Warming. What has been developed are batteries that happen to be so small, how big is a micro-chip, which have the ability to power automobiles for 1000 miles without getting recharged. And, the plus side is the fact these batteries may be recharged almost indefinitely.

When we believe a decade ago when electric cars were being introduced the vehicle batteries were so large, costly together with to be recharged far too often just made them very cost prohibitive to actually make a direct impact on reducing carbon emissions. And, another fact to think about the live length of those batteries made replacement costs very costly.

Today, you will find billions of dollars being invested in order that the public could have the availability to comprehend that there is economical reliable transportation. It is these batteries that enable electric autos to own capability of not simply helping reduce carbon emissions however are efficient modes of private transportation.

What will probably happen yearly decade will not merely transform the motor car industry and often will lessen our need the fossil fuel industry to the issue that many manufacturers like Exxon Mobile, Chevron yet others will either be forced belly up or get used to the newer green powers that are now easily accessible. Just think if these big oil conglomerates began to aline themselves with green energy in 1974 the globe would be a little more satisfied than we’re also today with regards to Global Warming.

The big real question is will the transformation from the auto industry as well as the fossil fuel industry sufficient to turn back devastating consequences of our own reluctance and inaction in combating Global Warming? The answer is no. We have to do more to secure the longer term for humanity.

To turnaround for the damage which reaches just escalating the longer we hesitate on infusing all of the necessary technologies that combat and eliminate carbon emissions there’s one way to make sure that the future is going to be available for all life on this planet. We have to make a viable strategy to once and for all secure the ozone in order for the planet will stabilize and forestall what surely will probably be a global catastrophe of biblical proportions when we fail to deliver a chemical compound that could close the gapping holes within our atmosphere attributable to our current addiction to fossil fuels.

We have the provision to develop a chemical compound that after released inside the Stratosphere will seal the ozone and inside process will stabilize the planets climate. This is not science fiction but sometimes be the scientific breakthrough mankind must finally secure the ozone and also the reversal on the most destructive environmental crisis of the times..

The Roaring Twenties, generally known as the Jazz Age, is the decade from the 1920s in Western society that featured economic prosperity and social change inside the United States and Europe.

As the economies on the western world prospered, wages rose and prices fell, creating a higher lifestyle which saw a dramatic boost in consumer consumption and new trends in lifestyle and culture.

With the invention on the radio, movies and mass-produced consumer goods, mass-market advertising influenced consumer demand, jazz blossomed and flappers redefined today’s look for Western women.

1920s United States

America gained dominance from the financial world and hang up it with respect to becoming a superpower.

As America’s 30th President (1923-1929), Calvin Coolidge restrained government spending to provide consistent government surpluses amid the content prosperity which many Americans were enjoying in the 1920s era.

The negative influences with the 1920s inside United States witnessed declining moral standards as much people defied Prohibition and organized crime and murder rose.

Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947), American industrialist and founder with the Ford Motor Company was the principle developer in the assembly line manner of mass production.

The First World War (1914-18) hastened enhancing airplanes making sure that by the early 1920’s these folks were capable of flying longer distances and carrying heavier loads.

As Air-Mail became popular, other industries began looking at the airplane for freighting that has been much faster than land-based transport.

Rudolph Valentino (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926)

Rudolph Valentino, was an Italian actor based inside United States who became a a cultural film icon.

His early death with the age of 31 caused mass hysteria among his fans.

Charlie Chaplin (16 April 1889 – 25 December 1977)

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin KBE, was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame inside era of silent film.

He became a worldwide icon as “The Tramp”, and it is considered one in the most important figures inside the history on the film industry.

The Italian Mafia

In the 1920s, Italian Mafia families began waging wars for absolute treatments for lucrative bootlegging rackets with Irish and Jewish ethnic gangs.

Bank robberies, kidnapping, auto theft, gambling, and drug trafficking become increasingly common crimes stemming from national Prohibition.

The Volstead Act of 1920, also called the 18th Amendment was passed into law prohibiting the manufacture, sale and transportation of booze.

Eliot Ness (April 19, 1903 – May 16, 1957), was obviously a famous American Prohibition crime fighter who led a nine-man team of law officers nicknamed the “Untouchables,” to combat Al Capone’s underworld network in Chicago.

1920s Europe

Great Britain

George V (3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King in the United Kingdom as well as the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.

George V’s reign saw an upswing of socialism, communism, fascism, Irish republicanism plus the Indian independence movement which impacted the British Empire.

Germany

The 1920s were an unsound time for Germany after Kaiser Wilhelm II was made to abdicate and flee to Holland for the end of World War I.

The Weimar Republic was Germany’s government from 1919 to 1933, until the growth of Adolph Hitler and Nazi Germany.

Faced with reparation payments they can not afford, Germany began printing huge amounts of money which squeeze country right into a state of super inflation and reached the stage where millions of marks became worthless.

The Jazz Age

The Jazz Age was obviously a cultural ‘golden age’ where new varieties of music and dance emerged.

Largely credited to African-Americans, Jazz music, soon expanded to America’s white middle class.

Buddy Bolden, an African-American bandleader (“the initial man of jazz”) was with the forefront with the jazz movement.

Jazz musicians caused it to be a major global phenomenon like Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton for the big-band sounds of Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington to vocalists like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone.

Louis Armstrong, a trendy African-American jazz musician who literally trumpet and cornet and was renowned for his distinct, gravelly singing voice was the most well-known jazz musician from the decade and maybe of all time.

Charleston

The Charleston is one with the most iconic from the Roaring Twenties dance styles.

Named following your harbor area of Charleston, South Carolina, it gained popularity inside the U.S. because of a 1923 song on the Broadway show Runnin’ Wild, composed by James P. Johnson who was raised listening to Scott Joplin, the “King of Ragtime” (musical style that enjoyed its peak popularity between 1895 and 1919).

Fox Trot.

Named due to the creator, vaudeville entertainer Harry Fox, the fox trot made its debut in 1914.

The smooth and stylish Ballroom dance with the Fox Trot would be a favorite of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Al Jolson

Al Jolson (1885 – October 23, 1950), was America’s most popular and highest-paid entertainer which is remembered today since the star in the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer (1927).

“Swanee” is undoubtedly an American popular song coded in 1919 by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Irving Caesar.

The song charted for 18 weeks in 1920 selling one million sheet music copies plus an estimated two million records.

Flappers

Flappers from the 1920s were considered the 1st generation of young, independent Western girls that rejected the concept they should uphold society’s morals through temperance and chastity.

They wore short-skirts (knee height), short (bobbed), hairstyles, been smokers, wore bolder makeup and hang rouge on the knees to develop a “look at me” effect below the waistline.

Colleen Moore, Clara Bow and Louise Brooks were the three most popular flappers in Hollywood inside the 1920s.

The flapper became a quite popular character in films of ‘the Roaring Twenties’.

The Great Depression (October 29, 1929)

The 1920s decade began that has a roar even so the era ended together with the Wall Street Crash of 1929 that brought the United States plus the western world to its knees.

The Great Depression was obviously a severe economic depression which brought numerous years of hardship from 1929 to 1939.

It began following your stock market crash which sent Wall Street to a panic and wiped out countless investors.

Ultimately, it caused drastic declines in output, severe unemployment, and acute deflation in virtually every country on the world.

The average American family lived because of the Depression-era motto: “Use this, use it out, put up or do without.”

Economic mobilization for World War II finally cured the depression as a lot of men and women joined the military or began in defense jobs.