Category: Thought’s on World Issues

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The Voice that calls out


009I hear a voice, a voice calling out from the concrete wilderness. A voice warning us of our possible demise, warning that if we don’t wake up we may not have a chance to do so later.  A solitary voice trying to get the message through that we are heading down the wrong path. That the path we follow will most certainly lead us to a very hostile future. A future in which our home mother earth will not be able to support life or the needs of the human race.

I hear the voice calling out to us as I watch us all sleep through the beginning of a future nightmare. It cries out about how the few are leading the many into a dark and dismal future. How greed and lust for power has corrupted the ideals of the people of earth, So few people seem to have so much control over what is and will be. We seem to let those few choose the destiny for all of us without any care or protest. The few that rule and run this world rape the land for wealth and allow children to starve as well as the old to live in poverty. They worry over their own positions and their own agendas but not about the welfare of those they rule over. The very few among them that do care either are ignored or eventually give in to the corruption.

The Voice that calls out from the concrete wilderness call to all of us, those few that rule to change their ways and to the rest of us that seem to be sleeping while our world becomes more violent and unbalanced before us. Hopefully the few will find wisdom and we all wake up to see the truth that is before us. Human beings as a species can achieve some amazing things when we join together as a whole. And I believe it will take a world-wide effort to make the changes needed to save our wonderful blue planet called earth.

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Just a Monday night Political Rant


Paul Jacob, during oral arguments of U.S. Term...

We allow greed, fear and the lust for power to be more important than community, family and common sense. We seem content in leaving the great decisions such as which freedoms are to be had as well as which freedoms are withheld from us. We complain endlessly about how ineffective our governments are yet we continue to vote for the same candidates over and over again.

We seem to have become apathetic and we seem unwilling to be a part of change. We all seem more into letting things stay the same or get worse than to stand up and get our voices heard in Washington. We allow news agencies to shape our opinions instead of seeking out the facts and making our own. We are like a nation of sleeping people who needs to wake up before it is too late. Many nations have walked this path and many of them are waking up to reality and are in turmoil due to the fact they slept too long.

Wake up America and seek out the truth about our congress and the capital hill gang. They are out of touch with what is really important. I don’t know if they are ignoring the people the represent or if the people are just not expressing their selves enough to get them to listen. But if enough people shout they will have to listen or they will be voted out next term. That’s the reality of politics and one of the good parts of our nations political system.

I believe that both the house representatives and senators have been in office too long. There should be term limits on congressional seats so there can be fresh blood and ideas flowing through each term. I also believe that their pay should be based on performance so they will work harder for the people who elected them as well as pay their paychecks. I also thing that there should be more regulations on the lobbyist. Laws that are brought up  should be simplified and have no ear marks or hidden clauses. We don’t need a 3000 page law. If the congress does not read the full thing then it should not be allowed to be voted on or passed.

 

Okay enough ranting for now
Raymond Barbier

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Just a Saturday Morning Political Rant


The western front of the United States Capitol...
Image via Wikipedia

  Corrupt politicians and big businesses that care more about a profit than the people who work for them rule the modern world we live in. So many voices crying out for change and freedom and very few ears in places of power willing to listen or even care. Revolution and civil wars across the globe with little change or evolution. Greed and the lust for power overrule the needs of the people as well as the needs of the planet. Storms raging across the face of  both land and sea devastate populations and yet they play politics in the houses of government.

Forcing people to work longer and to an older age before they can retire while trying to keep them from a good healthcare system while taxing the poor to death. It definitely time to put term limits on congress as well as time to make them work for minimum wage with the same low end benefits if any at all. If those in power had to live in the conditions of the common working man they might be able to do more on capital hill. But with 6 figure salaries and their grand benefits they can not see the wrong in dismissing or the dismantling of social security, welfare, Medicaid or Medicare. They are rich enough and have government subsidized insurance along with a federal government retirement to live off of.

  Too much political banter and saber rattling and not enough intellectual discussions on the true problems at hand. Yes we need to balance the budget, the fat needs to be trimmed and the dead weight dumped. But to once again put all of the burden on the backs of the working man and elderly is not acceptable. We need a fair tax system that eliminates  all the loopholes and tax shelters for the rich and forces a more level playing field in the taxation of the citizens. The notion that because they make so much money they shouldn’t pay no more in dollars than a working man is just hogwash. It should be based on an a percentage of the total income. If a man that makes 25,000 would have to pay a certain percentage of his income for taxes why shouldn’t the man who makes 2,000,000 do the same?

Putting the fact the income tax system is not fair or balanced, the fact we need to cut spending is a fact we can not ignore. We need to study each and every program, agency and political office to see where the fat is and cut it out if not at least trim it off a bit. There are so many government projects/programs that are not financially efficient or are no longer effective. Revamp or eliminate such projects/programs and fine tune the rest of them. We also need to stop borrowing money to only give it away as foreign aid, there is plenty of nations and political organizations we could work with to direct foreign aid to the countries in need. This world is not just the responsibility of the United states it is the responsibility of  the whole world. We are all civilized and intelligent beings and we should be able to work together as a world community to address the issues at hand.

  There is also the fact that we are in a trade deficit, most of what we import is not taxed. More and more of our businesses are manufacturing offshore to escape paying taxes and to have a cheaper workforce. This takes away jobs from Americans as well as tax revenue for the government to balance the budget. Just way too much to get into on the problems we face when it comes to trade. Being I am no economist nor am I any kind of expert concerning the tax code I do not know all the answers. I do know that the congress is looking in the wrong direction for solutions when dealing with our national financial problems. And it does not take a rocket scientist to see that they are more concerned with their own political agendas than they are with actually coming up with actual working solutions to the problems.

“We the People of The United States” Means all of us not just the Elite.

Raymond Barbier

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Just an opinion of a common man


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As usual the Congress has half way done their job and gave themselves more time to act like children fighting in a school yard. They keep trying to cut entitlements and yet they are not putting their own wages and benefits on the line to save our national budget. The poor and lower middle class always seem to either pay the bills for the government or loose entitlements to help the government to spend money on earmarks and pork. I think they really need to take a look at all the projects they are funding that doesn’t help the citizens nor the nation and cut them off from funding. Leave Social Security and Medicaid/Medicare alone. Far as welfare it should remain but should be structured to be an assistance program not a life long support system. Unfortunately there is a lot of entitlement abuse and fraud going on in our great country, many people who are capable and unwilling to work use the entitlement system in our country. But there are many who need the assistance and either are denied or are too proud to accept the help. Should we get rid of entitlements? No, To become caulis and uncompassionate is not the answer. More regulation and a better system on confirming the need of assistance is a must. Follow up inspections of the recipients and their residences to confirm that they are indeed in need and not just abusing the help is what must be done.

There are many ways to reduce the national debt, one is to reduce our foreign aid, Borrowing money to give it away to another country is just plain stupidity. Instead we could help the developing countries and countries in need by getting them loans from those countries able to lend. The tax code also needs to be revamped, The rich have too many loopholes and tax breaks while the middle class and poor have very few tax breaks at all. Both rich and poor should have to pay the same percentage of taxes per dollar earned. Why should someone who makes millions pay less per dollar in taxes than some one who makes thousands? Another big strain on our budget is all the military actions (wars) we are involved in, The world seems to want the U.S. to play the role off planetary policeman but yet none of the countries seem to want to help pay the bill for our involvement. This is a world of many countries and or nationalities and therefore it should be a global effort to enact change and also to police the rouge nations. The U.N., N.A.T.O and the rest of the global organizations should work together to improve the quality of life for all of mankind and be a part of the global solution.

Not one man nor one nation should shoulder the responsibility for our world alone, it should be a totally global responsibility and universal effort to fix the problems our world faces today. Regardless of ones religion, race or creed we are all part of the great human race. Not one life is greater or lesser than another and all life is sacred.

I think all the governments of this world need to either grow up and face reality or they need to wake up from their dream state.

Well once again I rambled on long enough.
Peace and Truth Be your Guiding Light
Raymond Barbier

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Ramblings of a Middle Aged Average Joe


007-2 Social Unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, Earthquakes, Tsunamis and threat of an nuclear meltdown in Japan. Anchovies and sardines dying is the millions in a San Francisco harbor. The honey bee population dwindling and still no explanation as of why they are dying off. Something seems out of balance, change is coming to our world and it isn’t looking too good to me. Change is unavoidable and paying for our neglect / disrespect towards our home plant earth. Greed and lust for power outweighs the welfare of mother earth and those who live on it. The Select or Elite rule our world and care little about anything but their own gain while the masses stand by watching it all fall to pieces before them.

Violence is not the way for change though it is an unfortunate reality in our world. War and violence is a necessary evil at times to keep the balance in our world. Peace, love, understanding and cooperation are the best ways to enact change. Also Truth is a great igniter of change, for knowledge and truth are the building stones for a better world. The fact we all are responsible for this world we live in and we must find better ways to do so. Better ways to generate electricity and an alternative to Oil.

Oil, coal and natural gas will eventually become depleted and the pollution from their use will further damage our environment and also our economy. The world needs to wake up and see the wisdom in both renewable fuel sources and power sources like solar wind and hydro. Our children and grandchildren have to live in this world we leave them, so we should try to leave them with a Ecofriendly and wiser world. The fact that eventually oil sources will become scarce and depleted brings to light we need to have an alternative fuel source to avoid possible wars over the dwindling supply.

There is so much we need to change in the world and in the way we both view and live in it. It is going to take the effort of governments, businesses and the civilian  population to make the changes needed to get our world on the right track. There will have to be some sacrifices in the process but so many benefits will be found along the way. Nothing of great value is ever gained without hard work and sacrifice, Neither does any good deed done go without an award in the end. Even if our labor and sacrifices don’t bring forth fruit until several generations it will still be worth the effort.

The good thing about truth, love, peace, understanding and change is that they all can start in one person.  Just like one seed can grow a orchard if not a forest  , one persons voice can become a nations or even the worlds in time.

Well enough of my tree hugging ramblings for now.
Peace to all

Raymond Barbier

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Heart full of Sadness, Mind full of Awe –Thoughts of an Old Man


Japanese People
Image by aelena via Flickr

  My heart is full of sadness from the current death and suffering across the globe. Between the problems in the Middle East and North Africa to the ruins left in the wake of an earthquake and tsunami in Japan there is a lot of work to be done by the international community. The tasks at hand are not easy ones due to the fact too many governments playing politics while so many suffer and are dying each day. While N.A.T.O. and the U.N. debate over possible solutions the crisis is becoming more and more critical with each day that passes. We should come together as a world to help Japan avoid the Nuclear disaster that is looming on the horizon. We should do something to keep Libya from becoming a nation soaked in the blood of civilians and revolutionaries.

  My mind is full of awe from the discipline and courage of the Japanese people in the face of such great danger and devastation. Workers and military personnel willing to get so close to the reactors as they are going critical and doing so knowing there will be great health risks involved if not death. People such as those are what we call heroes and great humanitarians. They put their own life on the line for the good of all of mankind. I pray their heroic efforts succeed in stopping the looming nuclear disaster and that we can learn from this serious situation. Nuclear power may be a financially ideal source of energy but the possible costs involved such as nuclear waste and the chance of nuclear meltdowns. Maybe the situation in Japan will open the eyes of the world to the dangers in playing with nuclear power and that we should be investing in alternative power sources such as solar , hydro and wind power technologies.

  The Libya problem is one that effects not only North Africa and the Middle East but the whole world. The United Stated should be leading the way in finding a solution to this problem and should do so soon. Each day America wastes playing political games the more people are slaughtered by the Kaddafi Regime. Strong words and sanctions are not going to stop the slaughter of thousands of civilians and rebels. The situation in Libya went from a political struggle to a humanitarian crises and something needs to be done soon.

  Just the thoughts of some old man, May God watch over those in Libya and Japan.

Peace
Raymond Barbier

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The Voices of the Many and the Few


The Earth flag is not an official flag, since ...
Image via Wikipedia

  As we sit in our houses and buildings made of stone,brick,wood and steel looking out the windows seeing a concrete jungle surrounding us we miss out on all the wonders of nature and the beauty of this world we live in. Species after species of animal fade into extinction along with their habitats as mankind builds more and more cities. Progress and industry overrides the survival of both man and animal in this modern world we live in. So much we have lost on our journey through civilization and towards modernization. So much is missed and so little saved in the name of progress and conquest.

  The once plentiful forests and bountiful oceans our grandparents enjoyed are slowly becoming diminished and are heading to the point of no recovery. No recovery in mankind’s timeline that is, once our natural resources are gone man will either become extinct by his own hand or will have to venture out into the cold of space in search of a new home. We can however save and or slow the devastation of our home called planet earth. This will of course not be an easy task and many decisions will have to made that may not be the most economical or popular. In the long run the choices will become an economical boom and benefit all that live here on this planet.

  As a precaution maybe mankind should gear up our space exploration and concentrate on finding another inhabitable planet or invest in the technologies that would make it possible to implement terraforming. Space stations are fine for a starting point but to be able to sustain life for any length of time in such an environment would be a hard task due to limited resources available in the emptiness of space. Mankind’s number one priority should be the survival of his race and then the preservation of his home. Though the likeliness of another inhabitable planet in the universe is highly probable, with the lack of technologies to reach such a planet in a human lifespan makes it an unlikely option for the time being.

  The human race is a very inventive and adaptable species so we have a good chance of escaping total extinction if we are wise enough to be aware of such a danger. The biggest obstacle in the way of true human progress is our inability to cooperate with each other for any given length of time. Our difference of beliefs and opinions stands in our way for the most part, The differences we have also make us a very unique and gave us our ability to thrive. So that which makes us strong also can be our worst enemy if we do not learn to cooperate for the common good of our species.

  So the natural world of earth slowly changes and dies as we adapt our environment to suit our liking. We ignore the facts and take no responsibility for the damage we have done nor the consequences that we will have to face. It is this ignorance and arrogance of mankind that may be our undoing. Luckily not all of mankind is blinded by ignorance and arrogance, but unfortunately the ones that are usually are the ones in power. The destination of mankind is in the hands of the people not the few in power. The voices of many will eventually overpower the voices of the few.

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Environment or Independence?


Icon of Wind Turbines
Image via Wikipedia

Today I am going to talk about Green and Renewable Sources of energy and how it is not only about the environment as much it is about fuel and energy independence for the United States. The fact is a major part of our income is spent fueling our cars, trucks, SUVs and other motorized vehicles both commercial and recreational. The fuel is derived from crude oil that we buy mostly from foreign sources and a small percentage is from our own oil reserves along with bio-fuels and or ethanol. Our energy such as electricity is mainly fueled by local sources of fuels but they are both bad for the environment and non renewable. Eventually we will run out of coal, crude oil and even the large deposits of natural gas to fuel our transportation and our power plants. Of course there is Nuclear power but then you have the radioactive waste to consider along with the slight chance of a incident similar to Chernobyl or three mile island etc.

Many avenues are being researched such as bio-fuels derived from algae and the more common corn alcohol ethanol as viable supplements or replacements. Some have ventured into Hydrogen Fuel Cells as a possibility for transportation yet it still is not financially nor environmentally feasible at the current level of technology. Wind and Solar are nice supplemental sources for electricity if there is enough solar exposure and wind speed to generate the power needed. Both those technologies are still quite expensive at this time but are becoming less expensive as the technologies are refined and used. Hydro Power  is one of the more cost effective ideals in generating energy but it does cause some problems for the wildlife that inhabit the rivers and also can increase erosion along with changes the ecology of the surrounding area of the river.

Recently it was brought to my attention that at the University of St. Louis they have created a Fuel Cell that utilizes Sugar to create energy. The main Byproduct is water yet they are still refining the process and at this time they have proven it can recharge maybe a laptop or cell phone using this Bio Fuel Cell. There always seems to be some sort of cost to the creation and utilization of fuels and electricity. We just have to figure out the most efficient and less costly way to both keep the lights on and get us where we need to go. One thing myself would love to see is the glass bottle coming back as the container of choice for water and beverages. Glass is a very recyclable container and we sure don’t have a shortage on sand. Plus to me glass seemed to have no effect on the taste of a beverage when I still can taste the plastic when drinking beverages.

Well enough of my Tree Hugging and American Independence Babbling for Now.
Peace to All  R. Barbier

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Global Warming And The Responsible Approach We Should Choose.


p10156  Global warming seems to be a very complicated issue now days, One scientists will say that man is to blame, one will say that its caused by external forces and the natural warming trend while one scientist will say its all hogwash. I think the scientists think the average Joe is not smart enough to figure it all out on his own. Any person can figure out if you keep pumping smoke and toxic chemicals into the atmosphere and pollute the water sources that eventually there will be some hell to pay. Deforestation and greenhouse gases are changing the ecosphere and there is no way any scientist can deny that. Of course they can spit out different percentiles of mankind’s contribution to this problem from one extreme to the other. The scientists arguments I hear now days on the news and on other programs about global warming kind of reminds me of the scientists that once said tobacco products were not addictive or harmful. Of course these were cigarette company paid scientists and that may have influenced those scientists findings.

  Global warming is a fact and that mankind is playing a role in it is also a fact. The percentage we contribute both directly and indirectly really doesn’t matter. What matters is the fact we are influencing our environment in a defiantly negative way. We need to make changes to how we do things and how we see our home planet earth. The changes will have to be both sustainable and reasonably executed. To stop using coal as a source of energy may have to become a reality just not overnight. We need to phase out the environmentally damaging  industries and make sure we build more eco-friendly alternatives at the same time to keep people in work and the lights on per se.

   Sometimes people do not see the economical damage that a swift shutdown of all environmentally harmful industries could be. We need to be responsible in the change over as much as we need to be in finding feasible solutions to the current problems at hand. To replace the coal power plants with wind, hydro and solar power plants before shutting them down and make sure the green jobs get placed in the coal mining areas to give coal miners jobs as the mines close down is the responsible approach we should choose.

  Coal is not the only fuel source we need to eventually leave behind us, the oil based fossil fuels are also on the list to be dumped eventually as technology allows. Some alternatives such as bio diesel , hydrogen, propane and electric powered vehicles are yet to be perfected but are getting closer each year. Once again this will bring some economical heart ships if we do not do the switch over responsibly. There is always the working man to think about when we make drastic changes in industry and energy. Oil will not be a easy change over since allot of oils byproducts are a part of almost every industry due to plastics, chemicals and even aspirin.

Plastics can be made from plants but far as how versatile the plant based plastics are I myself am not sure as of this post. I do know sun chips is using plant based plastics in their chip bags and besides the noise factor they seem to be just as good as regular plastic based bags. All I know is there should be allot of thought put into the subject of global warming and green technologies.

Well That’s my 2 cents worth anyway.

Peace

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Though it’s Late in The Game We Can Make Choices and Changes


flwrsml  Common Sense tells us our garbage and the burning of any fossil fuel creates a toxic environment for both mankind and our fellow inhabitants of earth. Our wasteful and somewhat lazy lifestyle is effecting not only our environment but also our lifespan. Pharmacology can only slow the decline of our health and the mortality rate. The morbid truth is Mankind’s choices and actions is leading to the extinction of both himself and his fellow creatures. The good news is that though it’s late in the game we can make choices and changes that could slow down if not reverse the damage we cause. Simple things like using a water filter versus buying water in plastic bottles or use plant based plastics like the popular snack Sun Chips has done.

  Even something as easy as changing your old standard light bulbs for the newer florescent type can save enough energy to reduce some of the carbon footprint made by power plants. Every single one of us are responsible for the upkeep and wellbeing of this planet we live on. Though a little more expensive glass is a far better container for soft drinks and other beverages, also glass is quite recyclable and isn’t as bad for the environment. Though Styrofoam is far better in its thermal properties versus paper, but Styrofoam  is far worse for the environment. Even though paper plates and cups do impact trees if we replant what we cut down and recycle what we use it would have a smaller impact on the environment. Using real dishes is the ideal solution but then who wants to take real dishes to a picnic?

There is so many ways to make changes in our lifestyles to help preserve and repair our home called earth. So I leave it up to you to find the better ways and get the news out there. If you know of any ideas to help others make a positive impact on the environment feel free to leave a comment.

Peace

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