FEATURE ARTICLES. RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE; HERE WE GO AGAIN. PT 3.

Instead of reciting the minimum wage rates of the 50 States in the U.S. as compared to the Federal Minimum, l would like to address a different issue.  Is the decision to raise, maintain or lower the minimum wage an issue of morality for which Government must become involved, and if so, to what degree?

Before we go on, it should be acknowledged that both sides have proponents that push extreme views, apart from mainstream supporters of compromise.

Group #1-  Pay in the private sector should be left entirely to the business owner or operator.  Government has no right or obligation to intervene, that is the free-market system, the foundation of Capitalism.  The Free Market regulates itself.

Group #2-  The Free Market system can only work if there are consumers who are financially capable of purchasing goods and/or services.  By deliberately keeping wages low, the private sector limits the purchasing power of a large part of the population.  This results in less taxes paid, and more reliance on social services to meet basic needs.  Intervention is necessary to prevent the private sector from sabotaging governments ability to provide essential services to both the public and private sectors. 

The heart of the matter is this;  what responsibility does government have, at any level, to those groups or individuals who come under its power to regulate any decisions or policies that may be employed in the market place.  Further, how is that responsibility to be extended to those who are affected by the actions of said groups or individuals.

Basically, it comes down to two competing economic theories, which in the end, are just polar opposites of each other.  All other theories can be found somewhere in the middle, and a solution may be found in adopting the positive aspects of each, and accepting that each has negative qualities to be avoided.

IT IS THE COMPETING CONCEPTS OF A HANDS-ON VS HANDS-OFF ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN REGULATING BUSINESS PRACTICES.

Look for PT 4.

Date-  8/17/2014.

FEATURE ARTICLES. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION- IS IT THE RALLYING CRY OF THE CLOSET BIGOT? PT 2.

As time goes on, I wonder more frequently if people actually take the time to think about certain topics critically, before offering an opinion.

 Naturally, I am not referring to who is going to win the Super Bowl, or which movie should win the Oscar for Best Picture.  I am referencing the current venom being spouted out publicly about immigration into the United States.  So, for once, let us sit back and consider the issue calmly and thoughtfully.

Let us first look at a few myths, currently being spread by rabble rousing hate mongers.

1)  The U.S. Government wants to let everyone in, no questions asked.

      - If you can quote any Politician who has said anything like this, by all means 

        send me an e-mail with proper citations.  To my knowledge,  no such sentiment has 

        ever been expressed, at least by an identifiable and credible public figure.

2)  Closing the Borders is the only solution to safe guard the Territory of the U.S. 

-  This such a silly statement, it defies reason.  The United States has legal points of entry, just like every other country.  Commerce, Tourism and other Visitors have perfectly legitimate and legal reasons to enter the U.S. every day.

For Terrorists to try to enter at these points would be foolish, THEY ARE STAFFED BY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE THERE SPECIFICALLY TO BE WARY OF FOREIGN NATIONALS.  People who have Valid/Legal documentation to be allowed entry should not be penalized by the paranoid.                                           

When most Americans argue about the need to close the borders, what they are probably referring to is strengthening or building up areas that are hot spots for illicit or clandestine entry into the U.S.  We'll get into this issue more in a future post.

END OF PART 2.

FEATURE ARTICLES. THE DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS- WHAT THE FRAMERS OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION UNDERSTOOD, AND WHAT MANY AMERICANS FORGET.

 

We have a great division in the U.S., and it is a tragedy of certain groups using religion as a tool to bend every American to their restrictive code of morality.  To often, they listen to populist media outlets and self-serving political pundits, and suspend their ability to think critically.  

In past articles I have reviewed the text of the U.S. Constitution, and analyzed any sections that were related to religion.  As we have seen, this can be found in only two places; Article Six and the First Amendment.

From these passages we can understand the place religious faith was meant to occupy in terms of public policy making and the creation of new laws.  Since that topic has already been covered, I will not repeat it here.  However, I would like to address a subject that is seldom discussed among students of American History: The role European History had in shaping the opinions of those drafting and creating the Constitution, in terms of what role religion would play in forming the new government.

The Framers of the Constitution were a product of the "ENLIGHTENMENT", a philosophical movement that emphasized the use of reason and intellectual reflection in solving social and political conflicts, with less emphasis on faith and traditional church doctrine. 

Too often, European Monarchs used the idea of the "Divine Right of Kings" as a justification for their throne. Throughout the middle ages, the average "Citizen or Subject", lived a life filled with disease, hunger and physical hardship. Religion and the concept of "A Heavenly reward for the righteous" offered a promise that Death would bring what life couldn't:  Eternal Happiness.

It was under these conditions that European Royalty realized an important truth; To secure the Throne, and guarantee succession of their Bloodline, endorsement by a Religious Hierarchy would naturally lead to obedience from the faithful.  After all, who was going to tell GOD that the wrong person was on the throne.

Organized Religion also benefited, for while they claimed to have GOD on their side, there was no Martial Force to protect them from rival faiths who wished to compete for the souls of the citizenry.  However, put the right person on the Throne, and your opponents may suddenly become very quiet.  Cold Steel can be a powerful persuader, if it is pressed to your neck.

The Framers of the Constitution realized the inherent hypocrisy of this "European Tradition", and did not want it transposed to the new Constitutional Republic.  That is why the following words mean so much:  "WE THE PEOPLE...", no reference to a Deity or a Sovereign.  Perhaps, for the first time in history, intellect alone was the foundation for forming a Government.

Religious Faith can be a great source of comfort and relief to the faithful.  However, spiritually, it must come from within.  If it comes from a ruling class, and their ecclesiastical allies, then it is a case of might makes right.  

FEATURE ARTICLES. THE SOCIOPATH- A DANGER ALL AROUND US. PT 8.

While many children at an early age lack boundaries, and seem to enjoy the suffering being caused to other living things, adult guidance from the nuclear family or other positive sources are usually sufficient to overcome the emotional immaturity present in the developing mind. 

However, the potential Sociopath does not or cannot understand the concept of "Empathy", and identifying this becomes very important so that professional intervention can begin at an early age.

Controlling Inappropriate Behavior-  This is a manifestation of the inability and/or desire to conform to expected types of behavior in both public and private social situations.  Again, as with a lack of empathy, the potential Sociopath does not understand why they should control their actions because others tell them that it is wrong or inappropriate. Simply put, they feel they are doing nothing wrong and see no reason to alter their behavior.

Inappropriate Behaviors may include;

• Unwanted and Unsolicited physical contact with others.
• Mannerisms that are not age appropriate.
• Demanding special treatment that no one else can receive.
• Making and losing friendships frequently, without any sense of loss or achievement.
• The desire to punish others they perceive to be a threat, even though this perception is a consequence of their own behavior.
• Treating family activities with contempt, as a complete waste of time.

Remember, it is important that these Behaviors be identified early in life.

If not addressed at a young age, the Sociopath can learn to adapt their behavior 

to what is expected and use it to deceive and exploit others.

( See PT.9 in a future posting.)