Robert Bramel

"The world, marm, is not exactly round, but resembles in shape a flattened orange; and it turns on its axis once in twenty-four hours."

"Well, I don't know anything about its axes," replied she, "but I know it don't turn round, for if it did we'd be all tumbled off; and as to its being round, any one can see it's a square piece of ground, standing on the backs of four elephants!!"

"Standing on four elephants? But upon what do they stand?"

"Why on the back of a turtle!"

"On what does the turtle stand upon?"

"Very clever, young man! Very clever, but it's turtles all the way down!"

Al Peffley

Gregg - in 2014 we looked at acreage property that was for sale around Enterprise, but at our age a small farm seemed way too maintenance intensive for two senior souls (with arthritis and old injury pains) to live and thrive (for maybe another decade?) This view lot came available for less than a reasonable price and I bought it. It has all utilities (water, electric power, sewer, and telephone/DSL) and is about 1/3 acre in size. The grass in the picture is gone. I rented a John Deere 50G excavator in May and started the site preparation for the house. Having never operated an excavator before, the time consumed in learning the basic functions and controls of the machine was long, but I mastered a VERY rudimentary operation skill in eight hours. I would make a poor helicopter pilot - LOL!. I hired a pro excavator operator with a much bigger excavator (see picture below) last month to finish the job that I started (the "little" machine I rented could not break up surface bedrock outcroppings at the rear of the lot.) We will have a primarily rock covered lot with a few landscaping plants and a 1,010 square foot home when the project is done.

Tom & Bob - You have started an interesting discussion about the origin of the universe. I enjoyed the dialogue. Here are the lyrics to a popular song written by three Hillsong United musicians that explain my relationship with the origin of the universe and the evolution process from a faith view (starting point "A") in Tom's very interesting hypothetical graphic about how the universe may have been formed as we humans now perceive it:

https://hillsong.com/lyrics/so-will-i-100-billion-x/

(Gary Lindberg liked the song's lyrics when I emailed them to him.)

Even though we can't completely grasp the magnitude of energy and forces in the universe's creation steps, scientists will continue to research and learn more about physics processes through disciplined study of the elements and element relationships in matter formation and decay cycles. These study results may be used (in human scale reality, as we perceive it to be) in applications to smaller scale matter processes we can control here on earth. Observation and experience indicates that all things at the universal scale and human scale have a lifetime of existence mostly beyond our physical control.

Peace of living a happy and productive life is having faith that someone or some power has an offering to us that exceeds the observed and well documented limited life span of all things. As a casual friend of mine once said about God's promise of unlimited spirtual support to His children of good will: "What's wrong with free?". If the faithful people are wrong, you lose nothing after life ends. As the song says, "So will I"...

Here is the So Will I song as sung by one of the Hillsong United (Australian church) lyrics composers that was posted on YouTube with Hillsong United's permission:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBExF3_n-3g

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Al

Gregg Wilson

Hi Al,

I see your property is in the Blue Mountains. Good! No polution there and not overcrowded. Don't try building the house; have it done. Live another 20 years!

We just got a bit of snow and below freezing at night. Not much global warming!

Tom Chavez

One problem with 'scientific' theories of cosmology is that they can't account for the beginning of the universe. Reverse time extrapolation of the 'Big Bang' theory leads back to a singularity. In mathematics a singularity is what you get when you divide by zero. It is mathematically undefined and indicative of a flawed theory.

Instead of beginning with a singularity and inflation—both highly doubtful—a cyclical time frame could produce an oscillating universe. Forces such as gravity could contract the universe to create higher energy density, which could in turn create expansive forces such as from increased radiation pressure.

Thus, the universe could go through repeated expansions and contractions.

This would be closer to Gregg’s concept of a steady state universe, and also closer to the Vedic model. But there is a problem. The second law of thermodynamics states that disorder always increases in a physical system (entropy increases). Eventually the steady state model would run down. 

Roger Penrose has remarked, regarding the universe beginning with minimal entropy (maximum order), “In order to produce a universe resembling the one in which we live, the Creator would have to aim for an absurdly tiny volume of the phase space of possible universes—about 1/10^10^123 of the entire volume….” Of course, Penrose accepts a beginning and an end for the universe, which is reasonable if thermodynamic principles are valid.

You can’t have an eternal steady state physical universe under currently understood laws of physics, any more than you can have a perpetual motion machine. Everything physical has a beginning and an end. Essentially, ‘physical’ means temporary.

To have a perpetual steady state universe, and still respect laws of physics, we need a source from outside the physical universe to replenish order or energy. This is no problem if we accept Allah, Jehovah or Krishna. 

The atheistic scientist has to imagine creating energy ‘ex nihilo’ from nothing, just as he imagines that the ‘Big Bang' comes from nothing or from an undefined singularity.

Atheists put their faith in the 'Big Bang' and other imperfect and incomplete theories and are satisfied to accumulate imperfect and incomplete knowledge. They rely on their own intelligence. Thus they can understand nothing beyond matter.

Theists ultimately focus on the eternal and spiritual and take shelter in a perfect and complete Supreme Being, considering their own intelligence quite inadequate. They may also advance and utliize material science, but they know its limitations.

As Einstein put it, "As a human being, one has been endowed with just enough intelligence to be able to see clearly how utterly inadequate that intelligence is when confronted with what exists."

Tom Chavez

Al, that is a beautiful spot for your new home! The poet William Cowper said, “The city is created by man; the countryside is created by God.”

In Vedic philosophy this world is considered to be influenced by three modes, somewhat analogous to the primary colors from which all colors are mixed. These three modes, or states of consciousness arising from contact with matter, are called goodness, passion and ignorance.

The place you have is very conducive to goodness. The results of goodness are happiness and knowledge.

Passion is characterized by strong desires and intense endeavor. The result of passion is disappointment and grief.

Ignorance is characterized by sloth, laziness, helplessness, and insanity. The result is pitiable foolishness.

According to this philosophy, everything material is some combination of these modes.

This analysis can be applied to food, religion, knowledge, charity, renunciation, etc., and is described in some detail in Bhagavad-gita.

"Those in goodness go up to higher planets; those in passion remain in earthly worlds, and those in ignorance go down to hellish realms."

The music you recommended is beautiful and inspired, including the lyrics. Thank you.

Here is a stanza from ‘The Song of Brahma’ otherwise known as Brahma-Samhita.

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord. He is an undifferentiated entity, as there is no difference between potency and the possessor thereof. In his work of creation of countless universes, His potency remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him, and He exists in His fullness in each and every atom scattered throughout those universes, at one and the same time.”

(The original is Sanskrit, this translation is by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati.)

Gregg Wilson

I am very tired and furious with these grand upermenschen who insist that we must have American troops in every nation in the world. And especially, they must engaged in war. It is the neo-cons on the right wing who push this.

The iconic example is Bill Crystal. He hasn't had any time to enter our military and go to war. He is MUCH TOO BUZY poking pins into maps of countries where we are engaged. A coward and a moral idiot.

Al Peffley

Gregg - Bon and I don't do final excavating prep, foundations, roof truss sets, initial plumbing, final hookup of the breaker box, windows, or roofs (it will be steel panels because we are just below 4,000 feet altitude). I like to frame walls, put up wall sheetrock (not ceilings), and do the electrical & data systems wiring. We both know how to install Hardie Plank siding and insulation. Bon does the taping & spackling and inside finish mouldings, and I shoot the texture on the walls. We both paint, but Bon is faster than me. We work at our own pace (which is quite a bit slower than 15 years ago - LOL!) Our travel trailer is there to live in during construction. We don't have a deep pocketbook for high-cost construction labor. So far we have no loans. We will subcontract construction phases and task out as we go.

The Wallowa Mountains are next to the Blue Mountains, but they are a totally separate range that parallels the south end of the "Blues". There is a large valley area of farmland and the Grande Ronde River gorge that separates the two ranges. This separation relationship isolated our county from the last big, northeastern Blue Mountains wilderness' wildfire that the US Forestry Department let run rampant (before state and local response agencies got it under control.) Needless to say, the modern day US Forestry Dept. is not revered or trusted by 90% of the residents in NE Orgeon.

The Blue Mountains'  pass crest and highest peak (Mt. Emily) are about 4,000 feet below five of the primary Wallowa mountain peaks. There is no public highway across the Wallowa Mountains, only two roads around them; one two-lane road going south to Baker City (through the town of Halfway) is closed during the winter snow weather months. One canyon road, Oregon Highway 82, is what we use to get in and out from LaGrande (US 84) in Union County. There is also one road to and from Lewiston, Idaho, from dowtown Enterprise running north and south along Hell's Canyon. Those are the only public highway routes for ingress & egress to Wallowa county. Enterprise is the County Seat. The entire county population is under 8,000 people - awesome isolation! Tourists come to Joseph and Wallowa Lake in the summer months, but otherwise it's small town living in a little piece of paradise. The climate is quite dry (high desert humidity); no mold, no mildew to deal with, and no poisonous snakes (or termites.) The area often has very cold, powder snow winters from November through February, and sometimes into March (like this year - it cycles.) Cattle ranching is the primary industry year 'round. Logging is minimal, but still alive. There are no commercial wood product mills left in Wallowa County. They no longer export grain except up towards the Washington/Idaho border there are some wheat farms.

Tom Nixon

Hi Al, really love the area you are building. Two trips on Harley’s this summer thru Enterprise and Blues. In May got caught in a rain storm crossing the summit (s) in the Blues and about froze to death, other trip down from Lewiston in August and loved the cool mountain temps before dropping into the frying pan of Pendleton. Favorite bar in Enterprise is the Range Rider Saloon. ....I think the new owner was a chef from Portland? Totally understand why you want to live there. Tom

Al Peffley

Hi Tom Nixon,

Maybe after my ACL tear heals up further I can ride my bike again next spring. If you are still riding next year, I would like to meet up with you for a ride in God's country. My three buddies that I use to ride with from Federal Way and Whidbey Island no longer ride motorcycles.

Our lot is five blocks away from the Range Rider. I have not patronized there since it changed ownership.

Our favorite brew pub is the Embers (see picture below from their Facebook page) in Joseph. Every year the businesses host awesome hot rods shows in Joseph and Enterprise. Our favorite breakfast cafe is the Cheyenne in Joseph next to the 1917 Lumber Yard (the only lumber yard left in the county.) Chief Joseph Days is a big annual rodeo event in the county that draws cowboy competitors from all over the western US states and midwest Canada provinces. The rodeo stadium is in Joseph near the Joseph Airport and the Cheyenne restaurant. We have two small airports. They are both quite active with small aircraft use.

The El Bajio Mexican Restaurant on the corner in the center of town serves the best Mexican food.

Yes, Pendleton gets extremely hot in the late summer months. We've been there on motorcycle trips when you could "fry an egg" on the cement sidewalks. The Saddle is our most frequented breakfast stop in east Pendleton out by the indian reservation road.

It's interesting the responses I have received from my posts here on the Message Forum.

It was good seeing you at the Reunion, Tom. It's great to be alive!

Cheers,

Al

Tom Chavez

Physical Science and Evidence for Paranormal Phenomena

Several hundred years ago human society was radically different. There were no electricity, electronics, automobiles, refrigeration, rockets or airplanes. Optimists hope that by the advancement of material science humans will colonize the planets, engineer our own DNA and become a race of interplanetary super humans. 

Many civilizations have risen and fallen over the course of history. Historians say that the oldest Egyptian Kingdom was the most advanced, and that subsequent kingdoms, including modern Egypt, were increasingly poor and disorganized. The Roman empire once had superhighways extending to the British Isles. The Roman days of glory and supremacy were followed by decline and fall.

Modern western civilization has developed largely on the basis of a physical science which aims to analyze matter and utilize material resources. But there is more to reality than matter and physical energy. In order to survive and flourish, our civilization should be based upon the broadest understanding of reality. We should scientifically study mind and consciousness as primary elements in their own right. 

Most scientists reject paranormal and psychic phenomena as superstition or illusion. But some pioneer researchers have focused upon subtle or non-physical factors such as mind and consciousness: 

• Charles Fort compiled 40,000 notes on unexplained paranormal experiences originally reported in magazines and scientific journals such as Scientific American, Nature and Science. He is considered to be the father of modern paranormalism, the study of the paranormal.

• Robert Jahn, head of the engineering department at Princeton University, found that subjects can mentally influence random number generators.

• Dr. Michael Sabom, American cardiologist, researched out of body experiences (OBEs). In Recollections of Death: A Medical Investigation (1982, p. 183), Sabom asked, “Could the mind which splits apart from the physical brain be, in essence, the ‘soul,’ which continues to exist after final bodily death, according to some religious doctrines?”

• Sabom’s results have been confirmed by other studies. In February 2001, a team from the University of Southampton, UK, published a study on OBEs in the journal Resuscitation (v. 48, pp. 149-156) which “suggests consciousness and the mind may continue to exist after the brain has ceased to function and the body is clinically dead.”

• Dr. Ian Stevenson, a psychiatrist at the University of Virginia medical school, has conducted extensive research into past life memories. Stevenson and his associates have focused on past life memories spontaneously reported by very young children. Stevenson prefers working with children because older persons might have the motives and means to construct elaborate past life accounts. His technique is to thoroughly interview the child subjects and thus obtain as many details as possible about the reported past life. Using this information, Stevenson and his associates then attempt to identify the person the child claims to have been in the past life. In hundreds of cases, they have been successful in making such identifications.

• Jessica Utts, the former President of the American Statistical Association, in her presidential address to the American Statistical Society (Utts, 2016, p. 1378 f.): “Parapsychology is concerned with the scientific investigation of potential skills that are commonly known as psychic abilities, such as precognition, telepathy, and so on. For many years I have worked with researchers doing very careful work in this area, including a year I spent working on a classified project for the United States government, to see if we could use these abilities for intelligence gathering during the Cold War. This 20-year project is described in the recent book ESP Wars East and West by physicist Edwin May, the lead scientist on the project, with input from his Soviet counterparts. At the end of that project I wrote a report for Congress, stating what I still think is true. The data in support of precognition and possibly other related phenomena are quite strong statistically, and would be widely accepted if they pertained to something more mundane. Yet, most scientists reject the possible reality of these abilities without ever looking at data!”

• Pierre and Marie Curie, won the Nobel prize for discovering radium. They were part of a large group of European scientists, including other Nobel Prize winners, who jointly conducted research into the paranormal.

• Sir Alfred Wallace, cofounder with Darwin of the theory of evolution by natural selection, wrote in his autobiography: “The majority of people today have been brought up in the belief that miracles, ghosts, and the whole series of strange phenomena here described cannot exist; that they are contrary to the laws of nature; that they are superstitions of a bygone age; that therefore they are necessarily either impostures or delusions. Every other possible solution was tried and rejected…. We ask our readers not for belief, but for doubt in their own infallibility on this question; we ask for inquiry and patient experiment before hastily concluding that we are, all of us, mere dupes and idiots as regards a subject to which we have devoted our best mental faculties and powers of observation for many years.” 

…………

The Society for Psychical Research has included the following famous scientists:

• Alfred Russel Wallace, cofounder with Darwin of the theory of evolution by natural selection.

• Sir William Crookes, pioneer in vacuum tubes, spectroscopy, and lenses that block ultraviolet. 

• John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh: 1904 Nobel Prize in Physics for discovery of argon, President of the Royal Society (Academy of Sciences), Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. 

• Sir Oliver Joseph Lodge, held key patents for radio; Principal, University of Birmingham.

• William Gladstone, Prime Minister of the UK for 12 years, four term Chancellor of the Exchequer. 

• Arthur Balfour, statesman and Prime Minister in England.

• John Couch Adams, predicted existence and position of Neptune, Cambridge Professor of astronomy.

• John Venn, mathematician, inventor of Venn diagrams, expert in symbolic logic, probability, etc. 

• Sir Joseph John Thompson, Nobel prize for discovery and identification of the electron. 

• Samuel Pierpoint Langley, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution (NASA’s Langley Research Center is named after him). 

• Simon Newcomb, US Navy admiral and professor of mathematics at the Naval Observatory.

• Percival Lowell, Harvard astronomy professor and founder of the Lowell Observatory in Arizona, 

• Edward C. Pickering, MIT physics professor, director of Harvard College Observatory, discovered spectroscopic binary stars.

Tom Chavez

One of our classmates messaged me privately to bring up an interesting subject which reminded me of another case.

A young mother took rest one night and dreamed that the chandelier over her baby’s crib had fallen on the baby. She awoke, told her husband that she had had a silly dream, but went to move the baby into their bedroom anyway. Later that night the chandelier actually dropped with a loud crash, right where the baby had been.

There are many such ‘anecdotal’ stories. Now, how do you test such things scientifically? “Anecdotal’ evidence isn’t testable scientific data. Even a mountain of anecdotal evidence is discounted in the eyes of empiric science.

Does reality 1) consist only of matter or equivalent material energy (E=mc^2) or

2) does it also include subtle non-physical energies like mind or consciousness?

Princeton physicist and Nobel Prize winner Eugene Wigner raised a fundamental question: Why does the natural world follow mathematical laws?

Mathematical laws are developed independently of worldly considerations. Einstein’s 1915 theory of relativity is based upon theoretical math developed by Bernhard Riemann 50 years earlier.

Isaac Newton discovered a mathematical law of gravity based upon observations. Newton tried to find a rational explanation for gravity, but finally could only say that “it is the will of God.”

In 2004 the British physicist Roger Penrose suggested that the universe is composed of three independently existing realms: mathematics, the material world, and human consciousness. Penrose said that it was a complete puzzle to him how these three worlds could interact.

Plato believed in a Platonic world of abstract ideas (mathematical), an ideal divine realm of God, of which this world is an imperfect reflection.

Like the laws of mathematics, consciousness has no physical presence in this world. Thoughts, dreams, numbers and equations have no measurable dimensions. They are not physical objects.

Recognizing that he could not reconcile scientific materialism with nonphysical consciousness, a leading atheist, Daniel Dennett, took the radical step of denying that consciousness even exists.

Finding this denial altogether implausible, as most conscious humans do, Thomas Nagel wrote in 2012 that we have to leave scientific materialism behind. 

As Eugene Wigner put it: “It will remain remarkable that the very study of the external world led to the conclusion that the content of consciousness is an ultimate reality.”—“Remarks on the Mind-Body Problem,” Quantum Theory and Measurement, edited by J. Wheeler and W. Zurek. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1983)

Conclusion: scientific materialism is incomplete. We need a science which includes consciousness. I suggest that we can learn much from Vedic knowledge, in which consciousness is a primary object of study by reproducible empiric methods.

This is a challenge to you scientific materialists out there! (The ball’s in your court, B.)

Al Peffley

Gregg, I tend to agree with you about our policies of spredding our military out all over the world too thin and in harm's way too often. And I am concerned about Turkey establishing a new Ottoman Empire at the expense of the displaced Kurds and non-combatants caught between Sirian, ISIS, Iranian-sponsored rebels, and Turkish special forces. I feel sorry for the Kurds and Christians who are being persecuted by Islam war lords and dictators of the New World Order. The British never gave the Kurds a place to live when they created new nations where none existed (before they royally screwed up the Middle East.) The Roman Empire failed when they over-extended their army beyond its limits and resources into hostile lands where they were cut off from their homeland. The Roman leadership were a cruel and vengeful lot of old-world totalitarians.

Tom C., you've written enough to draft a book. I am an intuitive thinker with a technical background. I have a passion for serving and helping people of good will (especially our volunteer warriors and law enforcement personnel who defend our people and our God-given indivdual rights against evil.)

I am not popular with most engineering and right-brained technolgy application specialists who think my ways of looking at systems of material and intellectual matter are too non-conventional and mathematically simple-minded. So be it. I have dreams that go beyond the physical boundries of my perceived physical existence and immediate societal relationships. I believe in the visible and the invisible, or I would not be a Christian believer of my chosen faith. I do not believe in "luck" or undefined "chance". I do believe all things change, whether we like it or not. I do study probability outcomes. I take responsability for my decisions and actions.

I sometimes don't like to be clairvoyant, but it has been my lot in life since childhood. So far, God has been very patient with my faults and bad decisions in life. He has showed me grace and loving support when I really believe I did not deserve it (I've had my "Dark Night of the Soul" moments, and even years, to "hone" my faith.) I believe my clairvoyance is my mind and soul's link to the Holy Spirit of God at times. Other times it is not Him but Satan, who tempts me with ego trips and dillusions of worldly accomplishments. The good spiritual relationship through Jesus has blessed me immeasurably, and opened and shut doors of opportunity that have given my life richness and riches that are not materialistic. Love does not need materialism. The opposite of love is not hate, it's fear to address the good in life and the bad in evil. I shall fear no evil. It is very difficult to not get caught up in the world's events and troubles. How I live and love "today" is all that matters in my world of social and physical reality. I need to remind my soul of that "today is what matters" objective almost daily.

Gregg Wilson

Hi Al,

I love your place for vacation and the fact you and Bonnie are doing some of the construction. Takes me back to the 1950s where I worked with my grandfather and uncles to make progress on their farms. No national or international crap. My grand parents thought everything was wonderful until they were dragged into the Great War. My parents were fine until they were dragged into the Second World War. I, and perhaps you , were okay until we were dragged into the Viet Nam War.

If Trump has done anything right, it is removing our troops from the hell hole Middle East. Everyone, across the political spectrum, is yelling and screaming at him about his removing troops. There are now at lest six military forces fighting in Syria. Well, we would not to miss out on that! Especially if we ( the politicians) are not going there.

Absolutely nothing has been learned from these idiot wars. A couple of hints:

1) Alexandra The Great was invited to invade Afghanistan. He said no.

2) The British invaded Afghanistan twice. They were horribly defeated.

3) The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. They gave up after about 10 years.

4)  The USA invaded Afghanistan. After 19 years what do we have? Nothing.

You cannot change or "correct" the Middle East, no matter how many troops we pour in.

Get a clue!

Al Peffley

If Canada was hosting ISIS on its border with us what would we do?  My simple solution would be to displace our illegal southern border crossers with asylum grants for vetted Kurds & Christians from Syria, and then demand that the UN find a place for the Kurds in the Middle East again or we will withhold UN support funds and expel the UN from US soil! But then, I am not a nice guy when it comes to illegal invasions across our southern border.

Why is Russia so interested in taking our place as policeman? We need to pull the nukes out of our air base in Turkey. 

Tom Chavez

Al, politics ain't my cup of tea, but for the sake of discussion:

Regarding ISIS on the Canadian border I am reminded of your previous comments, some time ago, about Canadians who have 'one world' designs aimed at taking away national autonomy and individual freedoms (I forget the details, but it sounded pretty bad.) I'm under-informed about such matters, but I half-seriously mused at the time about building a wall between Canada and America. Now that you mention ISIS in Canada (hypothetically, I hope!), what do you think? Totally impractical or an urgent necessity?

As for the Kurds and Christians from the mid-east, I personally don't mind sharing the opportunities in this country with those who are well-vetted. I may be naive, but trying to create a country for them over there, as you suggest, sounds like a fool's errand and impossible hassle.

As for Russia's interest in moving into the vacuum left by our retreat in Syria, there is constant competition between nations as well as between individuals to control and exploit resources. Russia is no doubt interested in Syrian oil as well as military and political leverage in the middle east. History repeats itself with variations.

"There is enough for everyone's need, but not for everyone's greed." I have no interest there other than to hope they don't make things worse for the folks who are trying to live there. It's hard to see how they could do worse than the US has done but they may find a way!

For myself, I try to minimize my material needs and to utilize my time on more uplifting endeavors along the lines of 'simple living and high thinking'. That's easier said than done but, in any case, it's better for me than getting entangled in the actions and reactions of competition and exploitation.

Tom Chavez

Anyone can perceive the paranormal with a little intelligence and practice. 

It might help first to hear a true story of how not to do it. 

David Hume, the famous British philosopher, decided to ‘look within’ to see if there were any such thing as a ‘self’. After meditating for some time, with eyes closed and attention focused inward, he described what he had observed. 

‘When I looked within.’ he said, ‘I found thoughts, feelings, and ideas which came and went, but I did not see any so-called ‘self.’’ Therefore, he concluded, the ‘self’ is just a bundle of ever changing thoughts, feelings and ideas, like a whirlpool in a stream.

Hume’s idea is called the ‘bundle theory’ of the self.

We should not make the same mistake that David Hume made. He never thought to ask, ‘Who or what is perceiving these thoughts, feelings and ideas?”

The way to perceive paranormal energy, or consciousness, is by understanding that I am the seer or the perceiver of the mind and body. I am not the body or the mind. This is the conclusion of the great sages of Vedic civilization.

Various traditions, like Christian mysticism, Sufism and Buddhism have methods of discipline and meditation to help us realize this. Personally, I practice bhakti yoga as recommended in Bhagavad-gita. Different strokes for different folks.

Modern society, especially consumer society, is geared toward enjoying the senses and the mind. So much so that we become conditioned to thinking that we are the body and mind. We take our consciousness so much for granted, that we don’t realize that I am the conscious perceiver, separate from what I perceive. 

The self is the seer, the content of mind and material world is seen. That conscious self, called ‘atma’ in Sanskrit, is unchanging. Most religions call the self the ‘eternal soul.’

Materialists deny the existence of the soul or conscious self, but those who practice elevating consciousness by a bona fide method can directly realize themselves as conscious souls, apart from the physical body. This is self-realization.

We remember being in a child’s body and a youth’s body. We were there, but those bodies are gone. Now we have an elderly body. We remain the same unchanging conscious self, while the material body and mind continually change.

Sages say that, according to our thoughts and actions in this lifetime (our karma), we obtain some kind of new body after death. We can ascend to a demigod’s body on a heavenly planet, or descend to a lower planet or even into the animal kingdom. 

Or, one who is perfect in love of God can completely transcend all material planets and return back home, to spiritual planets in the spiritual sky, where life is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. That is the goal of human life.

Al Peffley

My intent with the Canadian border parable was to point out that: if Canada were to become a battle ground for a multiple-source, military forces conflict, then eventually we would react like Turkey is in trying to supress war conflict chaos around our common border. The Turks and the Kurds are enemies because Turkey drove the Kurds out of their territory of origin (eastern Turkey) into Iraq and Syria. So far we have been allies with Canada, but if the fringe communists from British Columbia keep pushing UN Agenda 21, Cascadia, and the North American Union programs down our throats through the UN and the Vatican then that allied relationship may become terribly strained and diminished. Think of the British Columbia Agenda 21 zealots as secular, new world order communists, not just socialists. Religion has nothing to do with their totalitarian lust for power and world population reduction initiatives. They believe in world dictatorship power by elite committees who will control all energy sources, water resources, food, healthcare, and real property -- absolute, unadulterated elite materialist control of the human race. America is helping fund people in the UN who want to dissolve our Republic!

I think Russia sees Syria as a secular "buffer zone" between them and agressive Islamists who want to form a world-wide caliphate dominated by Muslim mullahs (or "mawlas" in the Qur'an). ISIS wants to conquer Mother Russia as well as the western world nations. ISIS Muslims are making progress in infiltrating and influencing Sharia Law changes in the EU and UK at the community, grass roots government level. The Russians still remember the unfavorable results of their Bosnian and Afghanistan campaigns that did not work out well for them (or the innocent inhabitants of those regions that were caught in the middle of those communist/Islamist population control conflicts.)

I think the Russians realize (like our military conflict strategists have in the past) that The Balkins are a hotbed of violence and dissent over overlapping oil field resources and conflicting land ownership/border disputes. The region has been identified as a probable WWIII initiation source of the future. The hotbed is right there in Russia's southern "back yard". Let them deal with their own back yard conflict issues.

We cannot afford to lose our most valuable Ranger, Green Beret, and other Joint Special Forces assets in a cultural civil war conflict, a civl war that has been going on for centuries between the Turks and the Kurds (now with Iranian and ISIS combatant forces intervention.) No more fake "Red Line" political threats from a POTUS; no more McCain funding support of ISIS sympathizers, please! I want Trump to cut the funding "purse strings" to Turkey without military intervention and pull ALL of our Incirlik Air Base assets out of Turkey ASAP if Turkey does not honor the new cease fire agreement (this sentence updated 10/17/19, at 11:30 P.M.)

Gregg Wilson

TULSI GABBARD - the first very intelligent political woman in a long, long, long time.

She served two tours in the Middle East as an Army officer. Excellent learning curve. She is opposed to the endless, unwinable wars that the USA cannot win.

Hillary hates her and is attacking her. I give her a sapphire encased in gold. I might vote for her, no matter what.

Tom Chavez

Dis-United Nations

Al, I travel a lot and I find that people everywhere value freedom and peace. Now that I think about it, we are blessed with a truly amazing freedom to travel all over the world. I greatly appreciate it.

The Chinese have a saying, “Don’t listen to what people say, go see for yourself.” Mark Twain said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness; and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.” 

President Truman said, “It is understanding that gives us an ability to have peace. When we understand the other fellow’s viewpoint, and he understands ours, then we can sit down and work out our differences.” He also said, “The United Nations is designed to make possible lasting freedom and independence for all its members.”

There are no doubt bad actors on the world stage. Japan attacked us and we taught them a good lesson. Al Qaeda likewise. 

But our country has also been a bad actor as in the slave trade, the destruction of indigenous peoples of America, and in Viet Nam. We interfered in Iran and now they are an enemy. When the US selfishly and unjustly interferes in other countries, we are justly viewed as a bully.

Perhaps that is why so many Americans are paranoid. What goes around comes around. If we disrespect and cause suffering to others, the reaction will inevitably come. Furthermore, if we misuse our might and power we will lose it, just as Great Britain lost their United Kingdom.

The British stole the “British crown jewels” from temples in India and cut off Indian weavers’ thumbs so that there would be no alternative to the British textile monopoly. They sent British military to China to enforce “free trade” so that they could profit from addicting Chinese with opium. 

Politicians are expert in distorting truth to cover up greedy and selfish interests. If they are not honest and respectful with others, they can never realize the ideal of a United Nations. The world will only become increasingly dis-united. 

Mother Nature, under God’s control, provides enough for everyone’s needs, but not for everyone’s greed. People may blame God, but it is our own foolishness, selfishness and greed which turns a beautiful planet into hell on earth.

That reminds me of a humorous poem:

God heard the warring nations shout

God damn England! and God save the queen!

God this, God that, and God the other thing.

“Good God!” said God,

“I’ve got my work cut out."

Al Peffley

Harry Truman inherited a terrible situation at the end of WWII. Harry and his wife had an average looking house in the Midwest. His car is still parked in the garage there. The house has been turned into a museum. Nothing fancy, just heartland living at its best. It is worth the time to visit their home if you are on a road trip passing through that part of the country. My folks (both Democrats) admired Harry for his service to his country and concern for the average family in blue collar America. I think they would be saddened at what a divided country we have today.

I totally agree with you, Tom, that traveling the world gives a person a much more realistic view of life in various cultures, geographic locations, moral standards, and climates. What the mass media often dramatizes and spins stories about cultures and events, and what is [in reality] why and how people live in different parts of our world, can be very different from the experiences of people who take the time to visit foreign cultures in person. Understanding differnt cultures requires acute awareness of surroundings, patience, respect, and good listening skills.

People take their cultural ways of personal relationships, values, and preferential biases with them when they enter foreign lands. Many world cultures still use some version of the feudalism pyramid system of social hierarchy and rule. This human control system of peasants in servitude to multiple levels of elite rulers shows up eventually in every governing system devised by man. History repeats itself. You are right, greedy and evil people always find a way to assume power over the brainwashed and unattentive masses. The tyrants never see themselves as potential victims and casualties of their own corrupt and deceitful ways. There will always be a new bully or coalition of tyrants to overthrow the old bully. We are truly blessed to have survived all of that so far -- some of our classmates, family, and friends have not.

The reason you have the freedom to earn a satisfactory living condition, reasonable access to financial resources, travel, and enjoy the diversity of world cultures is because a very brave and intelligent group of colonists decided that the tyranny and criminal acts of the British Crown and its deployed military forces in the Colonies would no longer be tolerated or supported by freemen. The Bill of Rights was created to protect us from totalitarian government systems. We are not a democracy, we are a Republic of United States [not "State"] of America, where individual freedom and liberty are of the highest value to freemen (of both natural human genders.) The Second Amendment was created because the British tried to confiscate all guns, persecuted and brutilized/hung colonists, raped their daughters, and took their property at their will and convenience when they so desired. They tried to force colonists to only recognize the Church of England as the national religion by King of England fiat. Our Constitution is timeless, if moral people so choose to make it and the Ten Commandments be the highest laws of the land. Law and order with respect for each other are requirements for a loving and freedom-nourishing environment. God bless America!

Greedy and morally-corrupt politicians and influential people come and go, but God is eternal to all believers. Our U.S. Constitution is unique in this world. I pray that we don't make the same mistake the Persians made in allowing an invading alien culture to avoid assimilation and overthrow our Republic. I was working at Boeing on an airborne command post program with the Persians when their government was overthrown by radical, totalitarian ShIItes that they hosted and enabled to infiltrate their government for decades. Iran is still a nation of split religious cultures and unstable social/economic factions. Our nation's crime was that we supported the crumbling Persian Empire. The Shiite Muslims will never forget our friendly political and military relationships with the last Shaw of Iran, whom they despise. Persian food is my favorite Middle Eastern cuisine.

Tom Chavez

Gregg, aloha!

David Duke has promoted Tulsi Gabbard for several years. 

She has responded: “I have strongly denounced David Duke’s hateful views and his so-called ‘support’ multiple times in the past, and reject his support.” “Our movement is one of love/aloha, inclusivity. Duke represents hatred, racism, anti-Semitism, fear. We don’t want his ‘support.’ Period.”

After seeing your endorsement of her, I went to her personal website (the first time I’ve looked at any of the candidates’ sites). Here are some statements, taken directly from her site. I’m curious to know what you think of her specific ideas. 

“We need to invest in 100% renewable and safe energy sources like wind, solar, and geothermal. I also support a ban on fracking, ending the $26 billion/year in fossil fuel subsidies, as well as all subsidies or waivers to the nuclear power industry….”

“As president, I’ll tackle climate change by ending subsidies to big fossil fuel and agribusiness corporations, ban offshore drilling, harness innovation to create jobs in renewable energy….”

“Whether we like it or not, our fates as human beings in this world are tied together. And the issues that we face - pollution of our air, our waters, oceans, the climate crisis that's before us - these are all issues that require us to sit down, to talk, and to work together. Whether it be with friends or with people who are adversaries or potential adversaries. If we in the United States do all that we can right now to address climate change, it will still not be enough. We cannot solve these problems alone. We have to work together….”

“If you look at other countries in the world who have universal health care, every one of them has some form of a role for private insurance.”

“I support Medicare for All…”

“No one should be forced to choose between putting food on the table and paying for life-saving medication. But that’s exactly what’s happening to millions of Americans as a result of Big Pharma’s chokehold on Medicare.…”

“The presence of PAC money in our political system has put corporations and special interests ahead of the people who elect us to serve.”

“Trump is not a patriot. As president, I will bring this spirit of real patriotism to the White House, serving the interests of all Americans, not just the rich and powerful.”

“For a nation forged by immigrants, wrestling with the legacy of slavery and racial injustice, we continue to aspire to live up to the founding ideals of America — of freedom, equality, and justice for all.”

“We must stand up against for-profit, private prisons and a criminal justice system that favors the rich and powerful and punishes the poor, locking up people who smoke marijuana and ignoring corps like Purdue Pharma responsible for thousands of opioid-related deaths.”

“As president I’ll end the failed war on drugs, legalize marijuana, end cash bail, and ban private prisons and bring about real criminal justice reform.”

“It’s long overdue that we extend civil rights protections to the LGBTQ community and ensure equal treatment for all Americans under the law—regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability, or national origin.”

“When we deny LGBTQ+ people the basic rights that exist for every American, we are denying their humanity - denying that they are equal. We are also creating a dangerous environment that breeds discrimination and violence.”

“Millions of Americans have struggled since the 2008 Recession, but Wall Street hasn’t. The banks that were too big to fail then are even bigger today. The people who lost their homes, jobs and life savings were not bailed out like the banks were.”

“We must break up the big banks, reinstate Glass-Steagall, and get our economy back to working for the benefit of all Americans.”

“From Trump University to Betsy DeVos, members of this administration have put a higher premium on personal enrichment than they have on improving our education.”

“The cost of tuition keeps too many people from pursuing a college education. We need to resolve student debt and guarantee college for all.”

“We must stand up against the big Wall Street banks who gamble with our money and our future. Stand up against overreaching intelligence agencies and big tech companies who take away our civil liberties, privacy, and freedoms in the name of national security and corporate greed.”

“A strong national defense and the protection of our civil liberties are equally important and compatible.”

“I’ve introduced legislation in Congress called The Securing America’s Elections Act. Very simply put, it solves this problem by making sure that every single state either uses paper ballots, or has a voter-verified paper backup so that we in this country have an auditable paper trail to protect our democracy.”

“We need to ensure we have a clear, enforceable, accessible, and humane pathway to citizenship. Most urgently, we must pass DACA to ensure children who know no other home are allowed to remain in the US and take steps to ensure children are not separated from their parents.”

“Both Democrats and Republicans support legislation I have co-sponsored to ban bump stocks. Both Democrats and Republicans support legislation to uphold Second Amendment rights and strengthen the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.”

“We don’t have to wait for answers to these questions for Congress to pass legislation already supported by a majority of Americans, like universal background checks, closing the gun show loophole and reinstating a federal ban on military-style assault weapons.”

“We need to reinvest in and expand our two major Social Security programs, Old-Age, Survivors, Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI). Primarily, my administration will ensure Social Security's solvency by taking the trillions of tax dollars now spent on military spending and tax giveaways to the wealthiest American families and corporations and reinvesting them in these two Social Security programs.”

“As president, I will lead this country to bring about a bold change in our foreign policy that bends the arc of history away from war and towards peace. That stops wasting our resources, and our lives on regime change wars, and redirects our focus and energy towards peace and prosperity for all people. The time is now to give up the gunboat diplomacy of the past, and instead, work out our differences with communication, negotiations, and goodwill.”  

This has been an unpaid political    

Ted Comstock (Briggs-Comstock)

All sounds pretty good to me. I wonder about the Duke connection, but this all sounds pretty progressive. I like Ocasio-Cortez too. She makes some mistakes of youth, but she's quite intelligent, articulate and has a low tolerance for bullshit. 

Al Peffley

AOC is a Communist and also a political puppet for the "Young Turks" who recruited her a few years ago.

All it takes is our money (wealth redistribution from people who actually work for a living) to accomplish all of the ambitious programs of the far left "Progressives". Medicare (a Canadian term) for all has not been a success for Canadians according to the Canadians I have interviewed and my wife's family members who live in Canada. A free market healthcare system produces better healthcare, or we would not be living longer.

I read someplace the terms "progressive" and "forward" were first used to create the former USSR by Stalin Marxists. Individual liberty and justice is not compatible with a subjugated, collective populace ruling systems.

We can all sit at our computers with a cup of tea or other beverage of choice and freely share thoughts together because we have all benefited from a constitutional/capitalist socio-economic system in a free Republic governance environment. Only the rich and powerful people have that freedom in many other world cultures and nations. Travel more and find out for yourself how blessed you are compared to other nationalities and cultures.

Many of our brothers and sisters in arms have sacrificed a major part of their life and died defending our current freedoms and worldly economic status privilages. We are about to lose many of those freedoms and privilages. Our current U.S. Attorney General (Barr) gave a very thoughtful and educational speech at Notre Dame University last week. He revealed our legal and social stability problems with Progressive extremism, social and mass media bullying, and uncooperative militant [Alinsky-inspired] political actions. "Utopia" is a derived, impractical social system. Many in our society seem to link the failed concept with more government control by elite ruling committees (that eventually fail because of moral corruption and leaders' insatiable lust for power.) Intolerant secular governing systems have a documented track record in human history for failure.

Revolutions seldom achieve the goals that they espouse as proposed easy solutions to complex social issues. You can transition to "clean energy" options as the technology matures, but it won't create more "jobs" (except for emerging robotic machine systems.) The energy transition means, objectives, and goals for energy independence do not match the capabilites we have at our disposal. I have found most people don't understand how inefficient solar energy can be in an earth operating environment.

The use of money is meaningless if the majority of society refuses to practice a good work ethic and make a meaningful physical contribution (other than just social communication Internet services) to provide a better life to all. Government can't solve the problems with more of your money. Money can't buy love, happiness, respect, individual safety from evil preditors, or health. Accumulating money and power usually only benefits rich and powerful people in the short run, until a person with greater greed conquers leaders of worldly secular rule policies -- subjugation policies of needlessly restrictive laws and totally non-productive regulation that only benefits special interest groups and individuals (follow the money.)

Tom Chavez

Ted, not everything about Tulsi is on the website. Whatever attracted David Duke is apparently absent. I wonder if Gregg knew she was so progressive when he endorsed. I’m hoping to hear from him, it should be interesting. As you can see, Al treats AOC as the personification of evil. He has some points, but don’t let the rhetoric faze you.

Al, you served up some interesting commentary. I’d like to quote you, and give a response.

A: Many world cultures still use some version of the feudalism pyramid system of social hierarchy and rule. This human control system of peasants in servitude to multiple levels of elite rulers shows up eventually in every governing system devised by man. 

T: Every social system (or any organization) requires different levels of leadership, authority and subordination. The Vedic system, which is the oldest continual system of governance in human history, likens the social body at large to a human body with four parts. The head gives direction to the body, the arms protect the body, the belly provides nourishment to the body and the legs support the body.

People’s natural inclinations roughly fall into four groups which should cooperate for the advancement of society as a whole. Each group serves society, just as the different parts of the body serve the whole body. Society as a whole is ideally supposed to serve God.

Brāhmanas are those who understand Brahman, or Absolute Truth, and are the head of the social body. “Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness – these are the natural qualities by which the brāhmaṇas work.” Teachers, judges, ministers, sages, priests and intellectuals are supposed to use their intelligence to educate, enlighten and guide society.

Kṣatriyas are supposed to “protect from injury” and are like the arms of the social body. They are administrators, warriors, police, and managers who organize and maintain social order. “Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity and leadership are the natural qualities of work for the kṣatriyas.”

Vaiśyas are merchants, farmers, bankers, etc. “Farming, cow protection and business are the natural work for the vaiśyas.” They are like the belly of the social body. Sudras are like the legs of the body. Their natural work is labor and service to others. In every society we find that people generally fall into these four categories.

The brāhmanas are not supposed to take remuneration, but to live off charity. Thus they remain independent and beholden to no one but God. Kṣatriyas protect society and levy taxes on the Vaiśyas who produce wealth. The Sudras are remunerated for their services. If people are free to follow their natures, and everyone cooperates to build a God conscious society, it will be heaven on earth.

Regarding “cow protection,” Vedic society for thousands of years valued the bull for producing crops and the cow for producing milk. Anyone can live off the grid self-sustainably with an acre or two of land and a cow and a bull. The cow and bull need protection from predators. Human and bovine are the acme of natural symbiosis. Which reminds me of a poem:

The cow is of the bovine ilk

one end is moo, and the other milk.—Ogden Nash

A: We are not a democracy, we are a Republic of United States [not "State"] of America, where individual freedom and liberty are of the highest value to freemen (of both natural human genders.) 

T: Definition of De•moc•ra•cy: “a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.” This seems to be a question of labels. There are a few People’s Democratic Republics around the globe. Are we a “democratic Republic”, a “republican Republic”, or a confused and divided Republic? 

I suggest that a democracy is only as good as the quality of the people voting. Churchill: “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for every other kind that has been tried.” “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”

A: Our Constitution is timeless, if moral people so choose to make it and the Ten Commandments be the highest laws of the land. Law and order with respect for each other are requirements for a loving and freedom-nourishing environment. Our U.S. Constitution is unique in this world.

T: The US Constitution was ratified in 1787, and amended 26 times between 1791 and 1971. How is that timeless? What makes the US Constitution unique compared to the Netherlands, Canada, India, Italy, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Belgium, Australia, Switzerland, etc., etc.? They are all unique, in the literal sense. It almost sounds like you want to make a religion out of the US constitution.

As for the ten commandments I’m fine with them, with two caveats.

1) I looked up Ten Commandments under Wikipedia, Vatican and Jewish Learning. They all slightly differ. Some state that “no likenesses or images” allowed. I disagree. Allow me to exercise my free speech with an image of Krishna below.

2) “Thou shalt not kill.” I object that many Christians interpret this to mean “Thou shalt not murder,” and slaughter cows and other animals. Kill means kill, murder refers to humans. If you want to eat meat, please be patient and wait for the animals to die naturally. They are also creatures of God and have as much right to be here as we do. “Whatever you do to the least of these creatures you do also to me.”—Jesus

Krishna used to send messages back and forth to his friends via parrots. 

Gregg Wilson

Tom,

I will have to downgrade Tulsi Gabbard from very intelligent to not so intelligent.

“We need to invest in 100% renewable and safe energy sources like wind, solar, and geothermal. I also support a ban on fracking, ending the $26 billion/year in fossil fuel subsidies, as well as all subsidies or waivers to the nuclear power industry….”

No. Not a ban on fracking. Wind and solar energy are not free and they are not reliable. I am not aware of a cash subsidy to fossil fuels. They are not fossil fuels anyway but are a direct result of breakdown on the nuclear core surface. Nuclear energy is fine, if they do it correctly.

“As president, I’ll tackle climate change by ending subsidies to big fossil fuel and agribusiness corporations, ban offshore drilling, harness innovation to create jobs in renewable energy….”

You know my stand on global warming. You would have massive employment just to fix these renewable things.

“Whether we like it or not, our fates as human beings in this world are tied together. And the issues that we face - pollution of our air, our waters, oceans, the climate crisis that's before us - these are all issues that require us to sit down, to talk, and to work together. Whether it be with friends or with people who are adversaries or potential adversaries. If we in the United States do all that we can right now to address climate change, it will still not be enough. We cannot solve these problems alone. We have to work together….”

Is she going to convince China and India? China has no technical elimination of exhaust gases from coal fired power plants. We do, completely. I have worked on these many years. I have been to China; they do not treat exhaust gases.

“If you look at other countries in the world who have universal health care, every one of them has some form of a role for private insurance.”

“I support Medicare for All…”

This is nationalization of health care. It hasn't worked and will not work.

“No one should be forced to choose between putting food on the table and paying for life-saving medication. But that’s exactly what’s happening to millions of Americans as a result of Big Pharma’s chokehold on Medicare.…”

But you are always forced to make purchase choices. And her "choice" is not true. And nothing is free.

“The presence of PAC money in our political system has put corporations and special interests ahead of the people who elect us to serve.”

Which every Democrat and Republican avidly welcomes.

“Trump is not a patriot. As president, I will bring this spirit of real patriotism to the White House, serving the interests of all Americans, not just the rich and powerful.”

This is false.

“For a nation forged by immigrants, wrestling with the legacy of slavery and racial injustice, we continue to aspire to live up to the founding ideals of America — of freedom, equality, and justice for all.”

In truth, these issues are long gone.

“We must stand up against for-profit, private prisons and a criminal justice system that favors the rich and powerful and punishes the poor, locking up people who smoke marijuana and ignoring corps like Purdue Pharma responsible for thousands of opioid-related deaths.”

I have no particular argument with this.

“As president I’ll end the failed war on drugs, legalize marijuana, end cash bail, and ban private prisons and bring about real criminal justice reform.”

I am in general agreement with this. But smoking marijuana does make you stupid. And it is biologically harmful. I have watched persons die of lung cancer from smoking marijuana.

In my business, we had this insane proposal to build and operate a compressor driven evaporator being supplied with electrical power from solar cells in the Arabian Desert. A compressor of 5,000 horsepower??? One can capture usable sunlight about 8 hours a day. And sandstorms? One cannot store up enough energy to run a compressor driven evaporator 16 hours a day with solar cells. And a compressor driven evaporator is equal, energy wise, to 8 evaporators in a row, passing steam from one to the next evaporator. And that is very expensive.

Nothing is free.

“It’s long overdue that we extend civil rights protections to the LGBTQ community and ensure equal treatment for all Americans under the law—regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability, or national origin.”

We all have these civil rights by law. Do these LGBTQ people want special rights just for them? I will add "S" for straight people.

“When we deny LGBTQ+ people the basic rights that exist for every American, we are denying their humanity - denying that they are equal. We are also creating a dangerous environment that breeds discrimination and violence.”

What?????????????????

“Millions of Americans have struggled since the 2008 Recession, but Wall Street hasn’t. The banks that were too big to fail then are even bigger today. The people who lost their homes, jobs and life savings were not bailed out like the banks were.”

Yes. We all had losses. I am in agreement that banks should not be bailed out with our tax money. Somehow, we have survived.

“We must break up the big banks, reinstate Glass-Steagall, and get our economy back to working for the benefit of all Americans.”

Trump has been bringing a better economy and benefits for all working Americans. Her statement is hysterical politics.

“From Trump University to Betsy DeVos, members of this administration have put a higher premium on personal enrichment than they have on improving our education.”

Baloney.

“The cost of tuition keeps too many people from pursuing a college education. We need to resolve student debt and guarantee college for all.”

Who's fault is that? This is insane. Student debt is voluntary. College for all, so everyone can have a useless degree that is of no value in the open market? These kids can't do anything - except scream and shout. Those who don't go to college have successful careers.

“We must stand up against the big Wall Street banks who gamble with our money and our future. Stand up against overreaching intelligence agencies and big tech companies who take away our civil liberties, privacy, and freedoms in the name of national security and corporate greed.”

You invest in Wall Street voluntarily. Government intelligence agencies do violate our rights in the name of national security. Don't get me started on this subject. Every business has to make a profit or they die. This is corporate greed?

“A strong national defense and the protection of our civil liberties are equally important and compatible.”

I agree.

“I’ve introduced legislation in Congress called The Securing America’s Elections Act. Very simply put, it solves this problem by making sure that every single state either uses paper ballots, or has a voter-verified paper backup so that we in this country have an auditable paper trail to protect our democracy.”

I agree.

“We need to ensure we have a clear, enforceable, accessible, and humane pathway to citizenship. Most urgently, we must pass DACA to ensure children who know no other home are allowed to remain in the US and take steps to ensure children are not separated from their parents.”

This is is full of mistakes. Legal immigrants have a path to citizenship.

“Both Democrats and Republicans support legislation I have co-sponsored to ban bump stocks. Both Democrats and Republicans support legislation to uphold Second Amendment rights and strengthen the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.”

No argument. But I am very suspicious of politicans who claim to support the Second Amendment.

“We don’t have to wait for answers to these questions for Congress to pass legislation already supported by a majority of Americans, like universal background checks, closing the gun show loophole and reinstating a federal ban on military-style assault weapons.”

No federal ban on non-automatic weapons.

“We need to reinvest in and expand our two major Social Security programs, Old-Age, Survivors, Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI). Primarily, my administration will ensure Social Security's solvency by taking the trillions of tax dollars now spent on military spending and tax giveaways to the wealthiest American families and corporations and reinvesting them in these two Social Security programs.”

Huh? Is she even slightly aware that congress stole money from social security? Spending on military is okay as long as it is not used to promote foreign, idiotic wars that are not in the national interest.

“As president, I will lead this country to bring about a bold change in our foreign policy that bends the arc of history away from war and towards peace. That stops wasting our resources, and our lives on regime change wars, and redirects our focus and energy towards peace and prosperity for all people. The time is now to give up the gunboat diplomacy of the past, and instead, work out our differences with communication, negotiations, and goodwill.”  

All well, but how do you negotiate with a tiger? You agree it can have only one of your legs? She needs to read history.