Wednesday, April 11, 2012

**Obama, Asking Rich to Pay Their Share, Closing Parks, Excessive Exec. Compensation, Making Things Fair

After 8 years of coddling the rich by George W. Bush, we need to end-Bush era tax breaks, codes, and loopholes for the uber-rich and mega-corporations. They are still getting fatter, gleaning ever more of the national annual wealth in the U.S., at the detriment of the 99%.
Not because the rich are just smart or entitled, but because they've been given an artificially stacked playing field by conservative legislators and they continue the stuffing of money in their pockets while the song remains the same. The closing of parks, libraries, making college kids pay more, cutting food stamps, and the delaying of critical road and infrastructure upkeep in America all result in large part to make up for the shortcoming. The rich and mega-corporations have to chip in their fair share. Bush-era favoritism rules and tax codes simply need to be undone now. Particularly now.
A millionaire like Warren Buffett MUST pay a higher tax rate than his secretary. From the youngest child to a senior on social security we as a nation intrinsically know this. How lobbyists and their legislators supporting the 1% manage shamefully to block reform is a glaring, heinous sign of weaknesses in our democracy, not only a sign of dark, fully-corrupted greed arising in some.
This NEEDS reform, or we have sold out the American ideals of equality and fair play.
Favoritism of a wealthy elite was not a part of the notions that made America, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights such timeless shining lights to guide modern nations.
We threw off - rightly - England's aristocratic system of taking advantage of the masses.
This situation is becoming similar.
Support Obama here, the rich HAVE TO pay their fair share.

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Sunset, Venice 12/20/2012

Sunset, Venice 12/20/2012
I've been thinking some about the Winter Solstice, the Mayan end of the 30,000-year-cycle on 12/21/12.

What if in fact the world did end? Even though this probably will not happen, to live consciously it is honest for us to take a bit of an inventory.

Am I happy with how I've lived my life? (Yesterday, I thought mostly yes, with some areas for improvement, as below.) Are there changes I would make?
Would I have tried to forgive those that were hostile or disappointing to me?
Would I spend more time with those I loved the most, telling them that, feeling that more?
Would I be happier, grateful for what I have, what I've experienced, the joy, the beauty in this world?

Maybe the answer is yes to all of the above.
So this time can serve as a point of rebirth for all of us. If we think about it.

Because somewhere along the line I realized I think maybe mankind deserves it. !
The way we are killing each other, killing the planet.
How selfish we are, and snotty to those around us. Petty, competitive. Why is this? Do we have to behave this way? (I say no, it greatly detracts and misdirects energy from the full-time celebration in which we could engage, the great multi-cultural, multi-rhythmic dance we can sustain here.)

Maybe God or the Great Universe is fed up, and will pull the rug out from under us.
Don't think I can say we could blame Him/Her/It.

But it probably won't happen. (Probably not! This time.)

Still we are finite on this ride.

It is a time to think, am I happy with how I've lived my life?
Hopefully most of us can say yes.

For the part of us that have a little worry, a little sadness....
This is the time to be present.
This is the time to be the person you want to be, that can die at peace, that can hope to every day be able to look yourself and the Universe in the eye and say, how beautiful, smiling, and thank you. Let's do that.

Antidotes to Violence, a.k.a., Take Charge of Where Your Head's At - here

Tell Congress to Strengthen Gun Control Laws NOW - here

Good News & Brain Food News -
Christians & Muslims Gather, for Peace here
Good News - Top RIO+20 Summit Posts here
The 'Busy' Trap - NYTimes.com
here