Free Gaza!

(Image Source)

All Philadelphia, pray for the liberation of Gaza!

I get the impression that Israel wants to wipe out Gaza.  Seeing Israel's reckless bombing of shelters, hospitals, schools, and mosques in Gaza, I get the impression that -- if the world stands by silently -- Israel will commit genocide, will commit holocaust!, in Gaza.

All Two-Fifteeners, pray for the liberation of Gaza!

I get the feeling that Israel wants to completely control everything within Gaza, the opposite of political freedom!  I get the feeling that Israel wants to step on Gaza's head, to forcefully keep Gaza at a subsistence standard of living, the opposite of economic freedom!  I thought that the United States was in favor of a world system of free market capitalism, right?  The United States has gone to war over such ideals.  Yet the United States sits by idly as Israel commits economic strangulation on the people of Gaza.

All Americans, pray for the liberation of Gaza!

Competition

I just finished playing a few games of Uno with Jeannie.  She got on a pretty good run and won a few games in a row.  I realized that she was playing very aggressive in her tactics and so I had to adjust.  I hate losing, at anything really.  I'm very competitive and I've probably always been this way.  Whenever I set out to do anything, especially after my consciousness and sense of identity began to develop into adult form, probably when I was at Shawnee High School, I set out to be the best, at least the best that I could be, but hopefully the best compared to all others.

As I've gotten older, I realize that an overly developed sense of competition is not healthy.  And so I've tried to be aware of this, and toned down my sense of competition when I can.  In my job, I do so by isolating myself from others to a great degree, so I'm not even tempted to be in a position where I will compare myself to others.

I feel like being a lawyer, then, was very likely in the cards for me from the beginning.  There's a side of me that wants to help others.  And I've always sided with the underdog, the underprivileged, the downtrodden, the needy.  And I'm quite empathetic.  That's why I often cry when I watch a touching movie.  But that side (or those sides) need to be reconciled with the side (or sides) of me that intend to be the best at everything I set my mind to do, the part of me that wants to win.  When I look at these major aspects of what I want to do and what makes me happy, I see that being a lawyer seems to be a fitting field for me.

On the topic of competition, my economic philosophy is that the core of a society's economy should certainly be based on the premise that competition is good, in that it brings the best of productivity and ideas out of people and increases the pace of gains in efficiency and development.  I strongly believe, then, that the core of our economy should be capitalist.  And that core should comprise most of the people in society.  Surrounding that large inner circle of competitive capitalism should be a socialist band, which provides for the needs of those who are in need -- the elderly, children, the physically disabled but unproductive, the mentally ill or disabled but unproductive, and those who are temporarily unemployed due to injury or pregnancy or downturns in economic cycles. But allow me to return to the point that I believe that competition, within the context of that framework, is good for society.

So, bringing it back to the personal level, feeling that I am, have been, and will hopefully continue to be in the productive phase of my life, I intend to compete.  And I think this aching to stretch and test my skills in the larger economic field is what is pulling me and calling me away from my current employment.  I'm ready to compete.  I'm ready to see what I'm worth.  I'm ready to help others, and win.

Several reflections on society

I think all the media and events sympathetic to Trayvon Martin are ridiculous.  Trayvon Martin was bashing George Zimmerman's head into a sidewalk.  George Zimmerman was justified in defending his life.  There was likely poor decision-making on the part of both men, but George Zimmerman did nothing unlawful at any point, either before, during, or after.  And if poor decision-making is a punishable crime, then we're all guilty.

I think it's terrible that the United States has militarized the border with Mexico.  Open the border.  The whole point of the NAFTA was free trade (obviously, since that's part of the acronym).  If the U.S. is in favor of free trade and commerce, then it should be in favor of the free movement of labor.  Labor and capital are two sides of the same coin.  Policies must be consistent, or else they are simply hypocrisy.

I think it's a real shame that so many people of wealth and means are not religious.  Everything you are, everything you have is due to the grace of God.  To be ignorant of that is sinful pride and arrogance.  Failure to give thanks for the people and things in your life, and for life itself, is a sin.  I have little respect for people who think they are "the shit."  God shall humble you when the time is right, and your wealth will be exposed for its worthlessness.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper has been getting lots of publicity, largely negative, for getting caught on camera using the "n-----" word.  I condemned my friend Paul for using the word several years ago.  And I stand in my position that the word should never be used.  But returning to the theme of hypocrisy from above, I disrespect any person that uses the "n-----" word, including persons of African descent and/or dark skin color.  Quit using the word; depending on your appearance you either sound like a racist or an ignorant, uneducated fool.  If the United States is going to be the greatest country in the world, it must act like it; being or looking like a racist or ignorant, uneducated fool demonstrates the opposite of being great.

And speaking of judging others, up until I created a big hullabaloo a few months ago by speaking truth at a weekly unit meeting, my supervisor would frequently use the word "asshole" to describe men, and only men, opposing parties in cases where we considered whether to provide attorney representation to our clients (who, in these particular cases, were women).  I have no tolerance for any kind of racism, sexism, or bias rooted in immutable characteristics.  Quit name-calling others, you sound like an insolent adolescent.  Again, if we're going to be a great nation, each and every one of us must hold ourselves to high standards of conduct, not just for ourselves as individuals, but also as mindful of the example we set for others, especially the young.  Regularly calling any class or category of people an "asshole" or some other offensive word is the opposite of great; it's a base reflection of the reality television culture we live in, where people are implicitly encouraged to speak and act impulsively, often at the expense of other people's dignity.

Facebook status update

Today is Cesar Chavez Day: "All my life, I have been driven by one dream, one goal, one vision: to overthrow a farm labor system in this nation that treats farm workers as if they were not important human beings. Farm workers are not agricultural implements; they are not beasts of burden to be used and discarded."

capitalism/socialism

Capitalism is good when it promotes competition -- which creates better products, more efficiency, and generally pushes everyone -- as individuals and corporations -- to work better.

Socialism is good when it provides essential services to individuals and families who are adversely effected by economic forces beyond their control.

A healthy economy is the positive, mutually beneficial intersection of these two basic goals.

The part of Dr. King's quote that is critical is its reference to those living "in abject, deadening poverty." That's because the existence of those with "superfluous, inordinate wealth" is only really a problem when there exist those who continue to live "in abject, deadening poverty."

Facebook status update

"If our economic system is to survive, there has to be a better distribution of wealth . . . we can't have a system where some people live in superfluous, inordinate wealth, while others live in abject, deadening poverty." -- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Managua, Nicaragua

It has been a long day: been awake since 4:50 am after having slept only one hour last night (I had a guest sleep over). I am definitely feeling the shock of being in a foreign country without any loved ones.

I am also shocked by the conditions of this developing nation; I can only imagine what the shock is for a poor, rural peasant to visit the glamour and glitz of a wealthy, suburban/urban region of a country like the United States.

On one hand, it is sickening that the group has been brought to an obviously wealthy sector of Managua. We are staying at La Casa Fiedler in el barrio El Carmen. However, on the other hand, I can understand that our hosts are trying to cushion the culture shock. The fact that I am grateful for that sickens me. At this point, I wish I was either on my own (apart from the gringos) or back in the States with my girlfriend.

A note on Nicaragua: it is very similar to its southern neighbor Costa Rica, but C.R. is slightly more modern, westernized, and developed. Here, as in C.R., there is a large informal sector of the economy. For example, today driving from the airport to La Casa Fiedler, two young boys jumped on our van to wash the front window. Afterwards, they asked: Un peso, por favor?