The Brothers Karamazov

"Actually, people sometimes talk about man's 'bestial' cruelty, but that is being terribly unjust and offensive to the beasts..."
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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Monday, February 27, 2012

Tithe the Future/ Go the Mormons One Better

One of the basic tenets of Mormonism and one worth emulating by others, especially in today's uncertain world, is regularly putting aside enough comestibles to last one year.
“We encourage members worldwide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings." ...LDS
This closely echoes Joseph's reading of Pharaoh's dream as related in Genesis about seven lean years close upon seven fat ones.

With this sort of practical theology one might expect a different conservation aspect among Mormons than is generally found in other populations. Alas, that is not the case. Church members appear no more concerned with the dwindling of Earth's store of resources than are other groups. This seems to be anachronistic at best. If a believer cares enough to plan for self and family and sacrifice now for next year; would that not be motivation to plan a bit further ahead for loved ones?

“Our major source of revenue is the ancient law of the tithe. Our people are expected to pay 10 percent of their income to move forward the work of the Church. The remarkable and wonderful thing is that they do it. Tithing is not so much a matter of dollars as it is a matter of faith. It becomes a privilege and an opportunity, not a burden."Gordon B. Hinckley, prior President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

This would seem to indicate that the future of the Church is important to members and thusly is provided for by the Tithe. Now if individuals and families prepare for the future through storing food, water and savings and for their Church through tithing, should it not follow they would be in the vanguard of concern for possible lean years awaiting the rest of the Planet?

This, by no means, criticizes Mormonism, which already has more future vision than many similar organizations, but rather is a call for all of us to consider, 'Tithing the Future'. To voluntarily pledge, and encourage others and governments especially, to do something positive for future generations. 'Tithe the Future' means a firm pledge that, come what may, we will leave at least 10 percent of everything that exists now for the use of future descendents!

This means ten percent of all the coal, iron ore, bauxite,etc. etc. remains un-mined. Petroleum and natural gas, un- pumped and un- fracked. Aquifers, not drained dry; fisheries, un-caught and forests, un-axed. That's not so much, is it? To leave 10 percent for all the kid's, kid's, kids down through the ages. Be a sport! What will they have if we don't?

OPEC tells us that, on average, the reserves of oil will be beyond recovery in 64 years. 'AND THEN WHAT', cry the grand kid's, kids?

OPEC says that reserves of coal, averaged, will last 118 years. 'And then WHAT?', they shriek!

Worldwatch Institute predicts iron ore to be gone in 64 years. 'and then what?', they sob.

Many among us will be alive 64 years from now; including perhaps, some of our own direct descendents. People we know and love. Offspring. Our beloved legatees. The ones we care deeply for and wish success and long life but, sadly...they will inherit nothing, nada, zip. We need it now, by God! How can we spare anything for the future since, well you know... ( fill in your absolutely valid reasons why it can't be done: ——— ).

We've all been exposed to acres of newsprint, hours of TV and billions of bytes on line vis a vis what's happening. Global Warming; True or False. Peak Oil, gas: when, what, how come, why not. China this; Iran that, who's in who's not. On and on & on. Have you seen one word that wasn't about ME? My future, my job, house, car, country...NOW! The argument is endless but very narrow and temporal and selfish. What about THEM? The future.

We need a champion. A powerful individual, corporation, township government...maybe a entire county, to come forward and pledge, irrevocably, to:

TITHE the FUTURE! Just one courageous entity can start it off. Any takers?

Thursday, February 16, 2012

What Happens After America?

Strange things are happening abroad. The Asiatics are in the process of conquering the entire world without firing a shot. What they save on gunpowder and jackboots alone could balance the budget of one of the struggling economies of the Eurozone. They've the gall to have pals in our sacred hemisphere too, including one pesky island whose chief export is doctors of medicine and organic farming experts. Another strong partner is a massive, sprawling, continental size country, which is a treasure trove of earthly resources.

It's looking more and more as if the countries that came late to the game: Degenerate Crony Capitalism that is; may be the smartest, and/or the luckiest. Perhaps the rites of passage endured during those bleak years of collectivism; i.e, Communism and the dull leveling of Socialism, has provided them a powerful incubator to hatch a new social model. How this will play out in twenty years remains unknown but the old, singularly fierce competitors they have been facing went broke, and are fading fast.

Revolution preceded the collectivist experiment in Russia, China and Cuba. In Viet Nam it was revolution and later a violent civil war; while India emerged from decades of Colonialism to follow a Socialist path initially. In the US, however, Benjamin Franklin’s "Necessary Hints to Those That would Be Rich" preceded our noble Revolution. Of the new bunch, only Brazil has emerged from the old paradigm; appears to have a strong twenty-first century potential, but may fall back into the same rut as the US and Europe considering its lineage. Have the former collectivists learned from the past and are therefore determined not to repeat the errors of the late, great economic hegemon and its several clones?

So are we talking about the failure of a once proud financial system doomed from the start because of faulty genealogy? That rather than having had a normal gestation and birth what issued forth was rather a 'sport', a Minotaur like creature that could sustain itself but had no future aspect. A creature of bizarre appetite but narrow focus; i.e. individual success, which was clearly favored at the cost of another of equal worth, social success. Thus a flawed equation lead to inevitable societal decline. Obvious symptoms of this paraphilia are evidenced in the littering of the countryside with phallic oases, commonly known as centers of commerce, each more splendid and higher rising than the other guys'. The bull part of the Minotaur, of course, is the preferred totem thereabouts.

So will this new breed issuing from collectivist mamas and straight-up capitalist papas be long lived and prosperous or is some flawed gene lurking about ready to cripple the lusty bairn?

Quoth the Raving

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Veni,Vedi,Vici

Julius Caesar



Veni,Vedi,Vici...Sidi ( I stuck around )

Uncle Sam


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....Zero Gravitas


Quoth the Raving


All I know, all any of us know, is what we're told.

...Zero Gravitas

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Quoth the Raving

If it walks like a depression, talks like a depression, and looks like a depression; it's a recovery.

...Zero Gravitas

Nice paint job

Nice paint job
Watch your step!

Quoth the Raving


WHY IS THAT?
Full scale War in Korea; we called it a Police Action
Police Action in Iraq; we call it a War.

...Zero Gravitas

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Gene Pool?

Gene Pool?
by failblog.org

Quoth the Raving


Ecology is an impending Black Swan quagmire therefore incorporation is anathema to Economists.

...Zero Gravitas

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Quoth the Raving


An incoming US President who does not immediately resign his office after having received eyes-only briefings of what's really going on is hopelessly co-opted or delusional.
....Zero Gravitas

Quoth the Raving

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We are now a nation of middlemen. What becomes of us if the center cannot hold?

....Zero Gravitas
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Quoth the Raving

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Why not use some of the red ink to make things Green?

....Zero Gravitas
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"Ashes to Ashes"

"Ashes to Ashes"
Whoa!