Here's one reason Trump plainly is ignorant of crucial matters, and why HISTORY is important

NOTE:  I'm not in favor of Biden for President, either.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvJ4XS9_h_0&list=WL&index=69

Showing his lack of wisdom and ignorance of economic history, Trump has floated a Trial Balloon proposal regarding the economy.  To be fair, I suspect not many people on Main Street are aware of this particular bit of history; but someone running for President should be aware of it.

A number of people have referred to DJT's proposal as:

the "worst economic proposal in U.S. history".

The clip is only twelve minutes in length, and I think quite interesting.  Everyone should try to catch it, and especially those who (for some baffling reason) continue to believe the almost constant stream of Trump's blatant lies.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Humans, all other life on Earth, technology, and the future

 As we begin a new year, consider a physicist's view of what our economic superorganism is doing to our quality of life.  The ecologist, Nate Hagens, interviews Thomas Murphy.  I especially enjoyed his unique method of putting human history into perspective, which is covered in the first 6 minutes.  Don't miss it; at least watch that.  [You can spare 6 minutes:]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6yFrh1X6DI

You may have to adjust it back to the beginning. 

In terms of the geological time frame on Earth, we "modern" humans (Homo sapiens) haven't been in existence for very long - about 200,000 years or so.  Our ancestors started about 2.5 million years ago.  In a recent essay - The Simple Story of Civilization - Prof. Murphy compressed our full time (ancestors + "modern") on this planet into a 75-year span.  Using that time frame for our total existence,  he calculated the following:

a)  a mere five years ago, Homo sapiens appeared;

b)  only fifteen weeks ago, agriculture (and "civilization") began - that's about 10,000+/- years ago in the geologic time frame;

c)  barely four days ago, the Age of Science began - about 400 years ago in geologic time;

d)  only a day and a half ago, the Age of Fossil Energy started - around 150 years ago in normal geologic time;

e)  finally, just twelve hours ago, global and rapid eco-devastation began - that's about 50 years ago in normal time. 

The petrochemical industry is largely responsible for e) above.

According to Dr. Murphy, several important points arise from the scenario just described.

1)  Prior to the advent of agriculture and settlements/towns/cities (civilization), we lived more or less in harmony with Nature.

2) For thousands of years after the emergence of civilization, we still had some degree of harmony with our habitat.

3)  Nevertheless, the arrival of civilization started a path of accumulation of possessions, development of hierarchies in the extreme, and efforts to control Nature.

4)  Then, only 150 years ago, we harnessed a Master resource - relatively cheap, abundant, and easily transportable fossil energy -and we basically went berserk on overconsumption and increased attempts to control Nature.

5)  Little thought was given to unintended consequences.

6)  Our current civilization was not designed to be sustainable.  For one thing, the economic system the Powers-That-Be worship is constantly and infinitely craving more energy, and more production, and more consumption.  More, more, and more into infinity.  It's not sustainable ecologically, thermodynamically, financially, or socially.

7)  Plus, we've "doubled-down" on efforts to control Nature, something which never will be fully attained.  Meanwhile, we're damaging/destroying the basis of our biophysical existence.  Such a system is destined to fail, and we're getting close to that point.

8)  Because the system (a Superorganism) is so large, and essentially uncontrolled, the failure will be monumental.

Prof. Murphy's BOTTOM LINE is this:

Our current path clearly is not sustainable.  The spurt of growth and expansion we've seen in the last 150 years is not the norm in human history, is temporary, and is unsustainable to the max.  Future choices must ALL be predicated on (paraphrased) sustainability principles which conserve and protect the ecosphere.  In short, he's saying something I've echoed a number of times:  everything must change if we are to survive and thrive.  Only then will we be able to bequeath a healthy habitat and society to our descendants.  

How to bring about necessary changes is an open question.  A good start would be to ignore Corporatocracy propaganda, shun dogma, open our minds, be more cooperative with others, live with intention, and increase our thinking out-of-the-box.  Many people and nonprofit groups are doing such, and even a few parts of some governments are doing so.  Best choices for moving forward are emerging, and should be supported.  Make time for that.

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Not only my opinion.  Take Care, Be Aware, and Find Peace of Mind

This is the one...THIS IS IT: The Great Simplification!

 Without question, this is the best, most informative description of the ecology of the human species I've seen in the last fifty years.  It clearly & concisely lays out our relationships to Earth, Energy, Economics, Life in general, and all life forms.  Topics include:  the carbon pulse, energy blind, the temporary energy surplus, the human superorganism, money v. wealth, our ecological overshoot, the great simplification, and more.

https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/animations

At the link above, you can watch the full piece (32 minutes), or scroll down a bit for the individual parts/episodes (four of them).  At the very least, watch Part 4 (only 9 minutes).  Below is a link to the full clip on YouTube---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xr9rIQxwj4

What was, what IS, and what's coming (there are many choices regarding what's coming) in the human story.  If you want valuable insights to the predicament in which we find ourselves, don't miss it. 

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Zero Aggression

The inspiration for this brief essay is Lao Tsu (or Tzu), generally accepted as the author of the classic, Tao te Ching, sixth century B.C. (or B.C.E.).  I first read it in 1974.  I believe it's one of the most important books ever written.

Should you become bored with this post, please at least read the last full paragraph.

The concept of Zero Aggression has been around for a very long time.  Very simply, it puts forth the idea that violence should always be avoided...except in self defense.  In other words, violence should never be initiated.  I suspect that most sane people accept that concept...even embrace it whole-heartedly.  The more I look at human history, however, the more it is apparent that we have a growing number of seemingly insane people on Earth...of course, not us, though.  We only engage in self defense, or so we've been told.

History always has fascinated me; it still does.  I remember being taught in elementary school that Jamestown (in New England) was the first permanent, European settlement in North America.  Our history book made a big deal of that "fact".  As I learned much later, that was totally false.  In 1598, Spain established the first permanent, European settlement in what is now the State of New Mexico...several years prior to Jamestown.  The Spanish had even earlier settlements in Florida, but they turned out not to be permanent.  The point is, one must be careful when reading History written from only one point of view.

We've always had aggressors in our species, and it's looking as though we always will have them.  Not always, but very often the aggressors win the day...and then write the history.  Case in point:  the invasion of the Americas by the Spanish, Portuguese, French, and English (and a few others from Europe).  After the history was written by them, one would have thought that the indigenous peoples of the Americas had been "saved", rescued from poverty, paganism, savagery, ignorance, and the like.  Too bad there's almost no truth to that.

As far as I can see, every developed country has an Oligarchy, the elite, relatively few who "run" things...some of them in government, some not.  They appear to be overwhelmingly aggressive...in the worst sense.  If you disagree with that, objectively examine human history.  I think you'll change your mind.  Most of the time, the Oligarchs utilize propaganda to convince their People that the actions (involving violence or the threat of violence) undertaken are not aggressive, but rather are in self defense.  Even Hitler used that very ploy.  I never thought I'd see the day in the USA when pre-emptive war would be sold as "self defense".  That now has become standard thinking at the highest levels of our Fed Gov't.  Incredible.  That concept is an abomination...and is based on the premise that somehow the Future reliably can be predicted.  It can't be done with any consistent accuracy; there are too many variables.  The point is, Oligarchs use Edward Bernays-style propaganda to mold public thinking and lead people to the use of naked aggression.

In my relatively long life, over and over it has been my observation that Aggression primarily is due to one or more of the following:  propagandized "true believers"; history (whether accurate or inaccurate); and the insanity of some of the Powers-That-Be.  These are the formidable enemies of a sane world and Zero Aggression.  Throughout most of our history, we humans have relied almost exclusively on a top-down form of governance...at least, in the developed world.  That has brought us untold riches, but unfortunately, aggression, wars, inequality, and a sort of suffocation of the spirit as well.  Some probably feel that our system in the USA is bottom-up governance...representative government...but surely a truly objective examination of our situation will reveal that's simply not so.  As Alexis de Tocqueville stated, we're subject to "mild despotism".  More and more, it becomes less mild and more harsh.

There is an imperfect, but better way.  First, though, we must stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid.  Examples---  Despite what we've been told---  Much of the History we've been taught is wrong.  CIA "Blowback" is a fact.  Our Gov't really does lie to us...and not just for our own good.  War IS Big Business.  Mega banks often have funded both sides of a conflict.  The U.S. Fed Gov't really is bent on Empire.  We really are inundated with Propaganda.  Mega corporations really are setting up a world economic structure with unelected people as the Heads of it.  The Constitution really is being violated almost every day by the Fed Gov't.  Our Gov't (not We the People) really is an Aggressor.  The NSA really is out of control.  And on & on.  Most importantly--- none of this is a "conspiracy".  It's mostly right out in the open for all to see.  Some secrets exist, but their existence does not prove a conspiracy.  The words "conspiracy theory" are used by Oligarchs in order to cut off discussion of controversial subjects.

Just my opinion.  Be Well