What Do The 2020 Democrats Want?

 If Joe Biden wins the election, this is probably what the Democratic Party will take action on:

1.  Increase taxes

2.  Increase Minimum Wage

3.  Defund Police Departments

4.  Return the regulations on businesses that Trump Removed

5.  Provide Medicare For All

6.  Open our borders to immigration

7.  Institute stricter gun laws

8.  Increase number of Supreme Court Justices

9.  Make DC and Puerto Rico States

10.  Provide Free College Tuition

11.  Provide Free Housing to the Poor

12.  Institute AOC's Green New Deal

HOWEVER,

This is the Democratic Party 2020 Platform

1. Protect Americans and Recovering from the Covid-19 Pandemic
2. Building a Stronger, Fairer Economy
3. Achieving Universal, Affordable, Quality Health Care
4. Protecting Communities and Building Trust by Reforming our Criminal Justice System
5. Healing the Soul of America
6. Combating the Climate Crisis and Pursuing Environmental Justice
7. Restoring and Strengthening our Democracy
8. Creating a 21st Century Immigration System
9. Providing a World Class Education in Every Zip Code
10. Renewing American Leadership

COMMENTS:

Point #1 --  Biden, like Trump, will follow the advice of the CDC and other medical professionals...  so, in essence he will do nothing different

Point #2 --  How will Biden build a fairer economy, when having an unfair economy is the foundation of Capitalism and our free market enterprise system?  

Limit the profits of companies?

• Limit the salaries of CEO's?
• Prevent companies from giving bonuses?
• Forcing companies to hire the unqualified?
• Limit dividends paid to shareholders?
• Force the wealthy to share their money?

Point #3 --  Medicare For All will cost more money than our country currently takes in and every time the government gets involved the quality of its employees decreases...  waiting lines for services will start to appear...  salaries for doctors will decrease...  quality of doctors will decrease...

Point #4 --  Defunding the police is not criminal justice reform...  instead it is encouraging criminal activity because there are not enough cops around to enforce the law.  You can see this with speeders on the interstate highways.

Point #5 --  Neither Biden nor Trump will be able to heal America's SOUL  There will always be RACISM and there will always be discrimination and there will always be preconceived ideas like Asians are just smarter in math and science than anyone else.  OR, black people make better basketball players.

Point #6 --  Moving on any Green New Deal is going to be costly and one that this country cannot afford unless it relies on the WEALTHY to bear most of the costs.  If industry is force to do this, then they will layoff people to offset the increased expenses so that they can continue to pay their shareholders a nice dividend.

Point #7 --  If Biden as a result of the influence of AOC and Bernie Sanders, moves towards SOCIALISM, that movement will DESTROY OUR DEMOCRACY and we will no longer be a Democratic Republic but a SOCIALISTIC COUNTRY that is tolerating capitalism.

Point #8 --  The Democrats have already stated that they want open borders so that legal as well as illegal immigration can take place...  this contradicts building a stronger Democracy and will increase crime and illegal drugs, even if we legalize marijuana.

Point #9 --  Providing free college means that we will be creating an over-educated society and will not have enough employment opportunities to provide to these college educated applicants, making their college education worthless in terms of garnering a financial reward for their efforts.

Point #10 --  Renew Leadership.  If Biden really wanted to be seen as a LEADER, he would stop the violence in some of our cities.  He would not support defunding the police departments or increasing taxes that could seriously hamper our economy and slow down the recovery.  If he really wanted to be a LEADER, he would congratulate Trump for his peace with Israel and a few Arab countries and acknowledge that Trump is doing the best that anyone can do regarding COVID-19.  LEADERS DON'T POINT FINGERS

Battle Lines Are Being Drawn

 

For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield -  1967

Here is what I find interesting...

Second Stanza Lyrics

There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong

Think about these lyrics from 1967 and see if they still apply...  The Democrats think that they are correct and everyone else is wrong and the Republicans think that they are correct and everyone else is wrong...

And, to be more precise: Battle Lines Are Being Drawn...

Hillary Hillary Clinton says Biden should not concede the election 'under any circumstances'
The former Democratic presidential nominee predicted Republicans could try to “mess up absentee balloting” for a narrow advantage in the Electoral College.  SOURCE:  NBC News, August 26, 2020 by Rebecca Shabad

Now, since Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died and a SUPREME COURT SEAT is up for grabs...  how will the opposing Democrats try to prevent TRUMP from pushing a conservative replacement through the Senate before election?

This will further divide the country.

This will further draw battle lines.

And,

Here's the real crux of the problem...

If Biden wins he cannot bridge the divide in this country

If Trump wins he cannot bridge the dived in this country

BOTH SIDE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT TOOTH AND NAIL AGAINST THE OTHER SIDE...  just as they have done for the last 4 years...

Since our country is divided, the least of the evils is making sure that we have a strong economy, that we keep taxes low, that we keeps regulations off industry, and that we maintain a strong presence overseas as we continue to fight terrorism and communism....

FORTUNATELY/UNFORTUNATELY,

President Trump is the only candidate who has proven that this can be done since he has already done it once before the PANDEMIC...

Deviate from this direction and AMERICA IS SCREWED both figuratively and literally.

Under 40

 

First Word

 

Mainstream Media

 

A Very Personal Opinion

I am 72, almost 73, and have lived through many Presidents and many Congresses where, regardless of control in the hands of the Democrats or in the hands of the Republicans, very little has ever been accomplished that benefitted the American citizens.  For instance, compare TODAY with the 1960's and we still have the same issues/problems:

1. racial issues
2. educational issues
3. healthcare issues
4. gender equality issues
5. wealth gap issue
6. income inequality issues
7. communism issues
8. military issues
9. fighting foreign wars issues
10. immigration issues

NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN ROUGHLY 55 YEARS...

Why has this happened?

POLITICIANS...

On the other side of the coin, President Donald Trump has accomplished more in 47 months that any other President has accomplished in either FOUR or EIGHT years.  For example and before the Corona Pandemic, our economy was the greatest in our history, unemployment was the lowest in our history, and employment was the highest in our history.

Critics can argue that President Trump's tax reductions and removing restrictions/regulations on business/industries will have intended and unintended consequences sometime in the near future.  Those experts may or may not be correct but the facts remain the same, Trump has accomplished more...

A Biden Presidency will destroy/ruin all of that...

WHY?

Because he plans to REVERSE all of Trump's accomplishments and that has NEGATIVE not POSITIVE implications.

At my age, whatever happens will have very little impact on me and my wife... we will continue to receive Social Security so we don't have to worry about jobs/employment, and we have enough saved where we can pay our expenses until both of us are 95 years old.

SO...  why am I concerned?

Because...

• the wealthy will not stand for increased taxes as a whole...  some will be willing
• businesses will not stand for increased taxes/returned regulations...
• the global community will take advantage of our weakness or lack of action...
• increasing the National Debt will eventually bite us in the ASS...
• CHINA owns 1/3 of our National Debt...
• China's mililtary/Navy is greater than our military/Navy...
• the global economy is shifting towards the Far East...
• students in college memorize for the test then forget...  they retain little knowledge...

If you don't believe me, then do your own damn RESEARCH...  in a few years, I'll be dead and all of this will be on your shoulders...  

Will the US be willing to go to war with CHINA if it refuses to pay back the debt?

What happens when the wealthy refuse to give up their money and shelter it from taxes overseas?

Who pays the bills then?

Funny Stuff

 

At His Best...

 

Protecting Consumers

 

Schumer... STOP LYING...

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was briefly interrupted by a heckler Tuesday while doing a live news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on the partisan fight over the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s vacant Supreme Court seat.

“You ain’t doing s--t!” a man shouted, prompting the New York Democrat to stop talking and look up from his notes.

“Stop lying to the people!" the heckler continued. "Stop lying to the people!”

2020 POLITICAL BATTLE GROUND

ALL THE SAME

• Democrats
• Liberal Democrats
• Progressive Democrats
• Socialist Democrats

REPUBLICANS ⇒  are all the same...

So...   what are we left with?

One group wants to make everyone the same and take away wealth...

One group wants to maintain individuality and allow individual growth of wealth.

FROM A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE:  I would do much better financially under the Democrats because my Medicare would increase and my Social Security would increase as well, but from a business point-of-view, I think that would be financial irresponsibility.

I am also opposed to changing the US CONTSITUTION just because our BLACK MINORITY still perceives that they are being treated like slaves...  the wealthy black minority does not see it that way BUT they are quiet...

A WOMAN HAS A RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHAT TO DO WITH HER BODY BUT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT PAY FOR THAT DECISION...

OUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS ALLOWS US TO BEAR ARMS AND WHETHER THAT WAS TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE...

THERE ARE 9 JUSTICES ON THE SUPREME COURT AND THERE IS NO NEED TO HAVE ANYMORE JUST TO GIVE ONE PARTY THE ADVANTAGE...

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SHOULD NEVER BECOME A STATE BUT PUERTO RICO, LIKE HAWAII AND ALASKA SHOULD BE CONSIDERED...

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PROVIDE AS MANY SERVICES TO THEIR CITIZENS AS IS FINANCIALLY POSSIBLE WITHOUT UNDULY TAXING OTHERS TO PAY FOR THOSE EXCESSES... (THIS INCLUDES HEALTHCARE)

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD MAINTAIN A POWERFUL MILITARY TO PREVENT COMMUNISM AND TERRORISM FROM SPREADING ACROSS THE GLOBE...

FREE EDUCATION, FREE INCOME, AND FREE HOUSING PREVENT CITIZENS FROM TAKING RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE THEY EARNED IT THROUGH HARD WORK...

CAPITALISM AND OUR FREE MARKET ENTERPRISE SYSTEM SHOULD BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS...

ALL CITIZENS SHOULD BE GIVEN AN EQUAL CHANCE AT BECOMING WEALTHY WITHOUT THE GRANTING OF SPECIAL FAVORS, EITHER IT IS PART OF THEIR PERSONALITY OR IT IS NOT...

A Divided America

As of July 2016, White Americans are the racial majority. Hispanic and Latino Americans are the largest ethnic minority, comprising an estimated 18% of the population. African Americans are the second largest racial minority, comprising an estimated 13.4% of the population.

Self-identified race: Percent of population

Hispanic and Latino (of any race): 15.3%

Non-Hispanic white: 63.4%

Black or African American: 13.4%

* * * * * *

How much has changed in 4 years???

I would venture to say, NOT MUCH...  so, Black Americans are the lowest minority in America with Hispanic/Latino ahead of them by 2 percentage points which is several million people...  (6,000,000 people)

But Hispanic/Latino DON'T BITCH like Blacks do...  however, Hispanic/Latino groups were not used as slaves for hundreds of years...

Why are BLACKS according to population numbers on the LOW END OF THE TOTEM POLE in America?

• Birthrates?
• Crime and Violence?
• Both?

What if we look at Household Income by Ethnic Group?

Here are the results:

Asian Americans                $85,897

White Americans               $65,777

Hawaiian Americans      $64,865

Not Hispanic/Latino       $64,025

Hispanic/Latino                  $51,404

Other Race                               $49,805

American Indian                 $48,370

Alaskan Native

Black American                   $41, 911

******SOURCE:  United States Census 2018

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  Here is what I find interesting...  Black Americans are BITCHING the most because they are the lowest minority group in America and because they earn the least amount of money among Americans...  so, why is that?

Is it because of RACIAL SUPPRESSION by WHITE?

If that is the case, then why are all these other ethnic groups in America making more money each year?

Are the Asians racially suppressing the Blacks?

Are the Hawaiian/Alaskans racially suppressing the Blacks?

Are the Native Americans racially suppressing the Blacks?

Are the Hispanic/Latinos racially suppressing the Blacks?

OR,

is it just the WHITE AMERICANS who are racially suppressing the BLACKS?

Sounds About Right...

 

Really???

 

Interesting...

 

We Had Forgotten

 

Who Are You First?

 Are you an American first or a Black?

Are you an American first or a Hispanic/Latino?

Are you an American first or an Asian?

Are you an American first or a Caucasian?

Are you an American first or a Christian?

Are you an American first or a Muslim?

Are you an American first or an Atheist? 

____________________________________________

The only group of which I would not ask this question would be Native Americans...  as the answer would be obvious, even to those born in the USA after 1776.  But, the rest of us are undoubtedly sons and daughters of immigrants who came to this country for a new life.

.

As a Vietnam Veteran, I have a certain amount of loyalty to my country and I suppose to the government that governs my country, but I wonder if that loyalty would ever be put into a position to be viewed as subordinate to my faith.  And, I understand the phrase, "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and render unto God that which is God's."

But, what if I had to choose between my faith and my country?

For instance...  instead of enlisting in the Navy during the Vietnam War, I challenged the draft and/or the enlistment based upon my faith and my religious conviction against killing...  who would have won?

Suppose you are a black person and you have a choice to burn, riot, and loot cities on behalf of Black Lives Matter in the hopes that Americans will end the racial prejudice with which they have to contend on a regular basis OR, you can decided not to participate, support the country and its law enforcement efforts and change the country legally through the CONGRESS...

I hope that for whatever reason that you are never put into a position where you have to CHOOSE...

Global Poverty and Hunger

Around the world, more than 780 million people live in extreme poverty on less than $1.90 per person per day, an amount which is impossible to support a healthy livelihood in any part of the world.

POVERTY LEADS TO HUNGER
One in three children in low- and middle-income countries suffers from chronic undernutrition. Without a sustainable source of income at a sufficient level, young children and their families do not have access to nutritious food, clean water or health care. And the deadly effects of undernutrition cannot be underestimated:

45% of all child deaths worldwide are from causes related to undernutrition (World Health Organization, 2018).

At Action Against Hunger, we believe that no child should die from hunger. We help over 21 million people every year gain access to sustainable sources of income, clean water, nutritious food, and health care, but there is still so much to be done.

GLOBAL POVERTY FACTS
Here are some statistics that show the scale of global poverty and its devastating effects.
780 million people, 11 percent of the world's population, live in extreme poverty on less than $1.90 per day.

At least 17 million children suffer from severe acute malnutrition around the world. Severe acute malnutrition is the direct cause of death for 2 million children every year.

Every day, 1,000 children under 5 die from illnesses like diarrhea, dysentery, and cholera caused by contaminated water and inadequate sanitation.

Source: United Nations, UNICEF

QUESTION:  

WHY DON'T AMERICANS CARE ABOUT THE REST OF THE WORLD?

The Easy Part is Over

 

What Have You Got To Lose?

 Here's my thought...

If you have killed someone, not in self defense, then what have you got to lose by killing more people?  Killing more people might get you the death penalty in a court trial but again, THE HANGMAN can only kill you ONCE...

• One life for one life
• One life for 5 lives
• One life for 10 lives

With this type of mentality, politicians can explore all kinds of things to do to their opponents but if caught then they can only be punished ONCE.

DOES THE ENDS JUSTIFY THE MEANS?

Perhaps it does, but what does that do for the country in the process?

What have you got to lose if Biden wins the election in November?

1. You will get higher taxes
2. Business will get the restrictions that Trump took off
3. Democrats will want to limit the second amendment
4. Democrats will want to censor conservative viewpoints
5. The stock market will decline
6. Democrats will try to increase the number on the Supreme Court
7. Democrats want to make DC and Puerto Rico States increasing seats in House/Senate
8. Democrats will create open borders
9. Democrats will lose respect of global countries like Russia, China, North Korea
10. Democrats will allow Iran to become a nuclear power

Are you like the killer of one person who has NOTHING TO LOSE by killing more people or are you like the conservatives who want our country to grow economically and be the global deterrent of communism???

Did Mueller Lie???

 

What About Me...

 

NO DOUBTS AT ALL

Coronavirus pandemic likely 'could have been prevented' if China, WHO acted differently, report says

Republican lawmakers calling on WHO's leader to resign

as written By Greg Norman | Fox News

To read entire article, click here...

The GOP members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee released a 96 page document indicating that China and the WHO could have prevented the Global Pandemic if they had acted with transparency from the beginning...

ODD that this report was released by the GOP members of this House Committee when the House and this Committee are controlled by the Democrats...

Why are the DEMOCRATS not wanting to blame CHINA and the WHO (World Health Organization) for covering up the release of the Corona Virus Pandemic.

Seems irresponsible to me...

The Passing of Time

We all basically have the same amount of time each day...  24 hours, 7 days each week, 30/31 days each month, 12 months/52 weeks each year, and if we are lucky (and/or blessed depending upon one's beliefs) have an opportunity to live to 80/90+ years of age.  Our lives, does not really begin until we graduate from high school at 17/18 years of age and once that happens, we (as individuals) can build whatever life it is that we want to build with notable exceptions:  

• handicaps, 
• heredity,
• birth location, 
• birth parents, 
• birth wealth, 
• birth diseases,
• family influence, 
• community influence, 
• and our own individual personalities

Other milestones in our life in addition to graduation from high school, might include:

1. turning 21 years of age
2. entering/graduating college
3. entering/discharge from the military
4. getting married
5. having children
6. awards and recognitions
7. realizing our faith
8. having to wear eye glasses
9. major operations
10. turning 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, 100
11. having grandchildren
12. retiring from our careers

One issue that we never expected to have happen is the realization that time passes by all of us equally and once we realize that we are closer to our death than we are to our birth, we all unmistakably and painfully realize how fast time has passed.  And, the older we become the faster time seems to pass by.  It is not that we fear death as much as it is that we fear the end of life as we know it.  It is this end of life that terrifies us the most because we don't know what to expect...  it is from that uncertainty that we grasp out to our faith as some sort of justification for having the opportunity to live such a brief life...

SOCIAL SECURITY: Cost of Living Adjustments

Social Security is a hot topic heading into the November election – and the Social Security Administration is likely to announce a slight increase in monthly checks for beneficiaries next year shortly beforehand.

According to estimates put forth by The Senior Citizens League, the cost of living adjustment for next year is likely to be 1.3 %, which the group characterized as “extremely low.”

Benefits increased by 1.6 % in 2020, 2.8% in 2019, 2% in 2018, 0.3 percent in 2017 and 0% in 2016.

According to The Senior Citizens League, benefits have lost 30% of their purchasing power since the year 2000.

Quantum Physics Full Course | Quantum Mechanics Course

Words Spoken

 Sometimes I wonder why people say what they do and before I get too deep into that thought, I remind myself of all the shitty things that I have said to people over the years and realize that the words people say are typically not thought about first...  they just flow out of their mouths from anger, resentment, excitement, passion...  and, if they had of thought about the words they were going to use that they would have chosen different words to express themselves...

HOWEVER...  this is not the case with Politicians...  each of their words has been carefully selected to get across the meaning that they have intended from the getgo...

Politicians seldom tell the TRUTH...  they hint around at the truth...  or slide underneath the truth...  or withhold facts from the truth that would cause the understanding of their truths to change slightly or quite a bit depending upon the circumstances...

Politicians remind me of USED CAR SALESMEN who are trying to sell a LEMON to an unsuspecting buyer...  or, the Time Share Salesman who is hiding all the critical truths about buying a time share so that they can receive their commission...  the buyer is considered to be stupid and therefore should be taken advantaged of...

These following people share lies with people intentionally:

• Politicians
• Journalists/Reporters
• Military Generals 
• Religious Leaders
• Captains of Ships
• Sales People
• Presidents of Corporations
• Plant Managers
• Heads of Departments
• Deans of Colleges and Universities
• Parents

Major Global Religions

Photo Above:  Jerusalem is a holy city for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, whose adherents comprise >50% of the world's population.

The world's faithful account for 83% of the global population; the great majority of these fall under twelve classical religions—Baha'i, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Shinto, Sikhism, Taoism, and Zoroastrianism. These twelve religions are the most prominent spiritual traditions that still exist. 

Judaism
Judaism is a strictly monotheistic religion practiced by the Jewish people, an ethnic and religious nation descended from the historic peoples of Israel and Judah. Judaism as it would be recognized today originated in the Middle East in at least the 500s BCE, although certain religious traditions or beliefs can be traced back much further. Its adherents have long faced persecution from dominant religious groups around them. The Roman Empire destroyed the Second Temple, the center of Judaism, and the nation was scattered. Through to the modern day, Jews have been the victims of intense violence and discrimination. All the same, Judaism has persisted and remains one of the most visible and widely practiced religions in the world. Learn more»

Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered around the personage of Jesus of Nazareth, or Jesus Christ. Christianity arose in the 30s–50s CE as a religious offshoot of Judaism based on the teachings of Jesus, who was himself Jewish. Early Christianity rejected many of the social, cultural, and religious institutions of Judaism and pursued radically different strains of spiritual thought. Within a century a recognizable Church was founded. The texts of the faith and its most important creeds were codified in the 300s CE. Despite persecution, Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire and all of its inheritors, and in the time since the different Christian denominations have collectively become the largest faith in the world by a wide margin. Learn more»

Islam
Islam is a strictly monotheistic faith founded by the prophet Muhammad in the year 607 in present-day Saudi Arabia. His teachings, collected in the Quran, claim common descent with many Jewish and Christian beliefs. Muhammad preached his faith in the city of Mecca despite opposition from local polytheists, and quickly built a religious community of early Muslims. The community was forced to relocate to Medina in 622, after which the group codified and began their expansion across the Arabian peninsula. Nearly all of Arabia converted to Islam by 632, the year of Muhammad's death, and in the years since it has grown to become the world's second largest religion, mostly concentrated in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Learn more»

Baha'i
Baha'i is the youngest major world religion, founded in 1863 by the prophet Bahá'u'lláh. Baha'i grew out of the earlier religion of Babism, whose founder the Bab presaged the coming of another great prophet like the coming of Muhammad. Baha'i originated in Iran, although its current center is in Haifa, Israel. Baha'i is a monotheistic religion, but it teaches that religious truth is manifested and revealed by the founders of all the major world religions, including Jesus Christ and the Buddha. Baha'is believe that the different cultural interpretations of religion all have the same goal, and they strive for prosperity across faiths. There are around eight million Baha'is today, who indirectly vote for the leaders of their religion every few years. 

Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is perhaps the world's oldest monotheistic religion, founded by the Persian prophet Zoroaster. It is first recorded in the 500s BCE, but many historians believe it was founded as early as the 900s BCE. Zoroastrianism became the dominant religion of the vast Achaemenid Empire of Persia, and it continued to play an important part in the region until the ascent of Islam in the 700s CE. Many credit Zoroastrianism with affecting the development of other major religions. Zoroastrianism declined through the medieval era, and today there are fewer than 200,000 Zoroastrians as of the last reputable survey. However, there are some indications that many Kurds are converting to Zoroastrianism, which they see as an ancestral religion, which may reverse the long declining population. 

Shinto
Shinto is the traditional religion of Japan, which incorporates a vast array of local beliefs and customs across the nation. These traditions were collected and described as something like Shinto in the 800s CE, although the different beliefs predate this. Shinto is, for the most part, not an organized religion, and is instead the foundation of many cultural practices in Japan. Likewise, it's difficult to produce a number of people who follow Shinto; based off of membership in Shinto organizations, only 4% of Japan follows the religion. However, up to 80% of Japanese people (even ones who proclaim no religious belief) still keep shrines and make Shinto prayers. The intimately cultural quality of Shinto means that it is limited almost entirely to Japan. Learn more»

Hinduism
Hinduism is by many accounts the oldest religion in the world, due to its origins in Vedic beliefs dating as far back as the 1500s BCE. The religion has no founder, and is a synthesis of many different Indian religious traditions. The religion waxed and waned in competition with Jainism and Buddhism throughout Indian history, before seeing a huge resurgence after the medieval period. Thereafter it became the dominant religion on the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is one of the most geographically concentrated of the major world religions—of the world's 1.12 billion Hindus, 1.07 billion live in India and Nepal. The sheer number of practitioners, however, makes Hinduism the world's third largest religion. Learn more»

Buddhism
Buddhism is a religious tradition founded by Gautama Buddha in the early 400s BCE, drawing from (or opposing) many of the same Vedic traditions that inform Hinduism. Buddhists engaged Hindus and Jains in religious dialogues for centuries, developing mutual competing traditions and beliefs. Buddhism flourished in India, receiving support from several powerful leaders, before declining during the medieval period. Buddhism continued to grow and develop in East Asia, having a profound impact on the cultural landscape of the entire region. Buddhism is today the fourth largest religion in the world, being the majority religion of many countries in Southeast Asia, and with nearly 200 million practitioners in China.  Learn more»

Jainism
Jainism is an ancient religious tradition from India; per its practitioners Jainism is eternal, or at least older than Hinduism, but many historical estimates will place it contemporary with Buddhism as a Classical offshoot of old Vedic tradition. Like Buddhism, Jainism received varying degrees of support or opposition from powerful sponsors, and was in constant dialogue with India's other religious traditions. Unlike Buddhism, Jainism didn't spread far outside of its home in India, and today the vast majority of the world's 4-5 million Jains live in India. The Jain community enjoys a large profile, however, due to their high literacy rates and the esteem Mohandas Gandhi professed for Jain teachings and beliefs. 

Sikhism
Sikhism is a young religion founded in the early 1500s CE in Punjab (Northern India) by the Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak was raised as a Hindu in the Muslim-ruled Mughal Empire, but he rejected both dominant faiths and began preaching his own religion. A community formed around him. Over the next two centuries, the Sikhs would be led by nine more gurus. The last living guru named the Sikh holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, as his successor, and there has since been no single leader of the Sikh community. Despite being a religious minority, the Sikhs overthrew the Mughals and founded a major empire in Northern India in the 1800s. By different definitions Sikhism is either the fifth or eighth largest religion in the world, mostly concentrated in their home region of Punjab. Learn more»

Confucianism
Confucianism, it must be said, is not a religion in a strict sense. It is a philosophy that draws on the folk religion of China. Confucianism as a school of thought was founded by the Chinese philosopher Kǒng Qiū (孔丘), better known as Master Kǒng or Kǒngzǐ (孔子), during China's Spring and Autumn period in the 500s BCE. It quickly became the preeminent of the "Hundred Schools of Thought" and became the foundation of the later imperial government of China. The Chinese folk religion that Confucianism draws on is still concentrated in China, but its teachings are widespread throughout East Asia. Note: Kǒngzǐ, or the more honorific Kǒng Fūzǐ (孔夫子) was latinized as Confucius by Jesuit missionaries in the 1600s. Learn more»

Taoism
Taoism is a philosophy and religion originating in China around the same time as Confucianism, and was the primary rival to Confucian thought out of the Hundred Schools. Taoism claims descent from the (perhaps mythical) figure Lǎozǐ (老子), which literally means "Old Master." Taoism shares some common elements with Chinese folk religion, but the core teachings differ (unlike Confucianism). Taoism has been immensely influential on Chinese and East Asian cultures, with Taoist thought influencing everything from literature to medicine to martial arts. Due to the syncretic interactions of Taoism with Chan Buddhism and Confucianism, it is hard to find a hard number of Taoists, but Chinese religions collectively are the fifth largest religion in the world. Learn more»

Komic Korner Kartoons

 

Filling the Vacancy on Our Supreme Court

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg DEAD at 87 from Pancreatic Cancer...

What now?

More than likely, the Republicans will attempt and quite possibly succeed in appointing a conservative justice to the Supreme Court before the November 3, 2020 Presidential Election.

If that happens, the Supreme Court will be out-of-balance between conservatives and liberals with a 5 to 3 conservative majority plus the Chief Justice who is conservative as well.

Is this imbalance appropriate for our country?

While I am no longer a full-fledged liberal, I think that our Founding Fathers always envisioned FAIRNESS in how they set up our Democratic Republic form of government and that FAIRNESS commands a balance-of-power platform.

And, while I am not supportive of Pelosi, Schiff, and Nadler in the House, I think that our country deserves this Democratic Party control there especially since the Senate is controlled by the Republicans.

Most every time that we have had a situation where one party controls both houses of Congress plus the Presidency, we have had movements in ONE DIRECTION that did not necessarily favor our country as a whole but favored the platforms of that POLITICAL PARTY whether it be liberal or conservative.

WE MUST MAINTAIN BALANCE...  whether we like it or not.