Can We Weather a Depression?

We see demonstrations and riots in various European countries because their leaders have determined that they are so far in debt they MUST implement austerity measures.  Friends of mine were recently in one country where the ordinaary shop keeper, worker, or young adult, were angry and pretty much without hope.  Our world has grasped the idea that "we can better our lives" and when that is taken away from us, we choose between "fight, flight or despair".

What about the USA?  Millions of people have been unemployed, and millions more are underemployed, or over-exploited on the job.  Not long ago a team of Federal investigators looked into the problems with the State of Colorado because so many people were being required to work overtime, sometimes as much as 80 hours per week, without any compensation.  They were told that if they didn't, they would get a bad review, and lose their job.

Of course, that's been commonplace in the private sector for more than a decade.  A friend of mine watched the company he worked for downsize, downsize, downsize until he was the one person doing nine people's work.  Your are right!  He was not getting any extra pay, and his job was in jeopardy.

What can we do if we hit a depression?  or our own "depression"?

It's not just, "What can we give up?"  That's a bassackward way of approaching the issue, although that may be the common way.

It's not just, "Who can I blame?" ala' the Romney/Ryan campaign.

It's, "What can we do?"  What positive, life-enhancing moves can we make before it happens and when it happens?  Can we provide details?  Who do we have to get 'permission' from?  Will what we do help us and a segment of our society, or will what we do damage others?

The next article will focus on some ideas, but we'd like to hear from you.  What can you do?  Leave a comment and let us know. 

"We're Losing Our Country -- Does Anyone Care?"

I saw that in the back window of an SUV this morning, and I began wondering.  Think with me, please.

I.  Why would someone think we are losing our country?

• It's not like when I was a boy.
• It's not like when I was a girl.
• It's not what I planned it to be when I grew up and "made it".
• It's not what it was in my parent's or grandparent's day.

Or,

• there are too many whites
• there are too many non-whites
• there are too many gays/lesbians/transsexuals
• there are too many rich people
• there are too many poor people
• there are too many computers
• there are too many. . . [you fill in your blank here]

or,

•  too many people don't work very hard
•  too many people live only for entertainment
•  too many people lie, cheat, steal (any one or all three)
•  too many people are not Christian enough
•  too many people don't respect Allah
•  too many people are trying to get rich, usually quickly

II.  Why think that no one cares?

• Not enough people turn out to vote
• Not enough people gripe about it
• Not enough people are ready to "throw the bums out"
• Not enough people take drugs 
• Too many people take drugs

or,

• only the very rich can run for office successfully
• only the very polarized and polarizing run for office successfully
• only the people I despise run for office successfully
• only the people you like run for office successfully.

What do you think it means, that bumper sticker that says, "We're login our country -- does anyone care?"

Leave a comment and let is know. 

More on Respect

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What do you think about censorship?

Let me put it this way:  do you enjoy being censored?  When you are about to read what you want, watch what you want, believe what you believe -- do you enjoy someone (perhaps someone who doesn't even know you) forbid you?  Do you, or would you, enjoy having a government official or a religious official have you arrested if you don't submit to censorship?

I know I would hate that, and despise the toadies who tried to stop me. 

Most of us would rather be censors than censored, I think.  We believe our beliefs so strongly we want to keep others from reading, watching, thinking or hearing stuff that would be "bad for them".  But we don't usually want others to decide for us what we can read, watch, think or hear. 

Leaving another free to decide for herself or himself what will be read, listened to, watched, thought or believed is another sign of respect.  Along with that kind of respect is the mutual obligation, I understand, to communicate even when we agree.  In the words of a man who was my pastor in San Francisco many years, ago, we "agree to disagree without being disagreeable about it". 

I have shifted from despising pornography because it might promote immoral thoughts or behavior to a greater despising of pornography because of the dehumanizing it does.  First, it dehumanizes the people posing, acting, or speaking.  When these are children manipulated into these roles, or forced into these roles, I more than despise the topic.  I get downright angry.  When people are hooked on drugs, and required to take part in porn parts to get their next fix, I get incensed.  It's not about censorship, per se.  It's about the way people are treated as porn is produced. 

I believe you have the right to read or watch or listen to -- porn.  I do not believe anyone has the right to abuse others in order to supply you (or me) with porn.  It's a matter of respect for people I will never meet. 

What do you think?  Leave a comment and let us know. 

Thinking About Resepct

 Remember -- your comment is valued.  Leave a comment, and sign up for an email notification when a new entry is posted.

What if taking from the rich who have disrespected employees, their government, the law, even their families is wrong?  What if it is blatant disrespect?

I asked the opposite question at the end of my last post.  In order to be clear thinkers, even if we come to wrong conclusions, I want us to think about both sides of this question.

Side 1:  Maybe . . . wonder with me here a moment . . . maybe seeking a just outcome from the rich and powerful who abuse their wealth and power by abusing other (failing to respect others) is a way of showing respect for them?

Side 2:   What if taking from the rich who have disrespected employees, their government, the law, even their families is wrong?  What if it is blatant disrespect?

Most revolutions fail because when the revolutionaries come to power, they treat the "others" with contemptuous greed, willingly grinding them into the dust even as they protested they had been ground into the dust.  The kinds of people that rise into positions of authority and power usually are the kinds of people who show little or no respect for others.  That is as true in a democracy, in a business, in an autocracy, or in a government office as it is in a dictatorship. 

Oh, the old powers may be overthrown, but when the new authorities are cruel, unjust, etc., the revolution has failed.  Only the names have been changed. 

What do you think?  Leave a comment and let us know.