"Men since thebeginning of time have sought peace," but "military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn have failed, leaving the only path to be by the way of the crucible of war." Now "we have had our last chance. If we do not now devise some greater and more equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door. The problem basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character that will synchronize with our almost matchless advances in science, art, literature and all material and cultural developments of the past two thousand years. It must be for the spirit if we are to save the flesh."
(General Douglas MacArthur, September 2, 1945, on the deck of the USS Missouri)

A few weeks ago, my dear friend "Mystical Me" dated September 19, 2005, on this blog server posted the following link on her blog, titled "The Forgotten Victims" of Hurricane Katrina.

http://www.forpitssake.org/katrina.html

And while I have previously posted some comments pertaining to the awesome post and assoicated web page, something within me still seems to be clawing about the situation and the apparent lack of "moral fiber" of our nation. As the first paragraph text above, taken from General Douglas MacArthur's speech upon the surrender of Japan in World War II so poignantly states, "The problem basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character that will synchronize with our almost matchless advances in science, art, literature and all material and cultural developments of the past two thousand years. It must be for the spirit if we are to save the flesh."

The "cultured humanists" of our day who repudiate any form of a spiritual life undoubtedly may lead morally respectable lives; but not all. A good number of them dislike the spiritual or religious overtones of society, namely because they insist on purity and chastity instead of doing what feels good. In our "technilogically-advanced" times we have seemed to forgotten a simple basic tenet of "Do what you will, but harm no one."

We wonder why third-world countries have distaste for Americans, American foreign policy and American government in general. The human race has become the most vicious of the entire Animal Kingdom. Even the most savage "wild-animals" do not destroy his own species to appease their hunger, yet mankind destroys our fellow man, woman and child for much less.

Ironically, just recently I read an interview on the Internet of comedian George Carlin pertaining to the pursuit of capital punishment, i.e., death penalty, for drug dealers. In which, paraphrasing here, Carlin says the death penalty doesn't phase the drug dealers because they know already that if their drugs don't kill them, that someone trying to get their turf will. Carlin continued, the death penalty should be pursued for those billion-dollar members of corporate society who are "laundering" billions of dollars into illegal off-shore enterprises that are supporting the various drug cartels and terrorist groups around the globe.

Advances in technology to where we can place men and women in a habitable environment on an orbitting international space station at a cost of billions of dollars in development and operation are wonderful. But what is that doing for those in third world countries around the globe, where thousands if not millions die each day from starvation?

A little over two and one-half years ago, the present Bush Administration launched Operation Iraqi Freedom with it's "Shock and Awe" campaign. The Administration says this will not be another Vietnam, to which I say "Bullshit" it already is in more ways than one. Just ask any Veteran about it.

Corporate America has become so greedy and money hungry. In 1971 my father bought a Ford Grand Torino automobile for about $3,500.00 (brand new). In 1995 I bought my first new car, a Dodge Intrepid, about the same size vehicle and similarly equipped, the difference is that I paid about $19,500.00 for that car. We're talking about nearly a 550 percent increase! Yet in 1975 the minimum wage was $2.00 an hour and today it's only $6.15 per hour (or a 307 percent increase)?

Here I must digress a little bit and revert back to a little American History of about 230 years ago.

The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen ColoniesIn CONGRESS, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. —Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain [George III] is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

Something must change if we as not only an American People but a part of the entire human race are to survive. I'm sure "Corporate America" would defend the differences in the cost of an automobile, or building a new home, or that the "government" would defend is increase in taxes because of an increase in need for materials or provision of social services.

Again, "Bullshit!"

As a previous post of mine stated the present 2005 Federal poverty level is $17,028.00 per year or just over $8.18 per hour for 2080 hours worked. Presidential and Vice Presidential SalariesExclusive of Perquisites shows that the President in 2003 had an annual salary of $400,000.00. Now then explain to me why some corporate CEO's are making over a million dollars per year, or why some sports figures are also? According to the US Census the median income in the United States is $44,389.00. That figure if multiplied by 45 (from age 20 to age 65 is 45 years) is $1,997,505.00, or an approximated median income for a working lifetime.

In the case of a sports figure (athlete) their useful lifetime as an athlete is maybe let's say ten years. So for ten years of their life they are in the limelight, does that mean they are more productive to society than a doctor, police officer, grocery clerk? Should they make in one year what many will never make in a lifetime of working 45 years, five days a week, 52 weeks a year?

I could be wrong, I have been many times before, but if I recall correctly, in 1975 when the minimum wage was $2.00 per hour, the former Detroit Tiger Baseball great and player, Al Kaline was making $250,000.00 per year, or the annualized equivalent (2080 hours) of about $120.19 per hour, roughly 60 times the minimum wage. Today the minimum wage as I said is $6.15 per hour, and sixty time that is $369.00 per hour or annualized as $767,520.00. Which for a ten year career is still 3.8 times what the average/median worker will make in a lifetime.

Basically put ..... our priorities as a people, a nation are screwed up.

Silver Eagle