I would like to start by saying, on the topic of Ukraine and Russia that I can understand different viewpoints taken. Overall, I feel sorry for the whole situation but hoping it will produce more overall peace in the world and a more multipolar world going forward.
In these times of change with increasing knowledge and expertise around the world and with that, many threats in the form of biological or other types of potential weapons of mass destruction and threats to human life (and even forms of control), that I think it is important and understandable for every country to want to secure their rights of sovereignty and independence. I hope for peace and believe in sovereignty in choosing in the preservation of preserving (and freedom to choose) one's own cultural and national identities while at the same time, wanting goodness, peace, and unity to work together to solve humanity's biggest problems during this time (climate change). That's all. That is higher and what I believe in and am about or at least strive towards. Is about doing and leading not pushing or bullying others to conform. I believe people, including governments, need to work together and that we shouldn't allow a ruling class to "try to take over the world" and have economic dominance. Believe in fairness and settings things straight and right and in doing so, that this is what would truly help other countries, especially those in Africa to develop themselves.
To be more free and sovereign means non-reliance, which to me, can mean green energy and sustainability. Resiliency in nature is tied to biodiversity and can be applied in terms of development as well, as we don't live in a bubble and so, developing resilient economics that encourages entrepreneurship, sharing (knowledge and know-how especially), and fair distribution of wealth and taxation would be, you know, good for everyone and the future. Diversity and resiliency within people (of the world), I think is beautiful and great.
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Just look at The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) doesn't take too long to read some or all of the gist of it...is very similar to the Declaration of Independence.
Yes, I blame the U.S. and NATO a lot for this Ukraine War but I only know so much but from everything I know and have learned...I fear my own Gov. more than Russia, but I'm not Russian neither so...and I think the U.S. definitely does and has violated SO MANY U.N. treaties and laws and people should be held to account. I mean, as a former U.S. soldier, just a nobody really, the standards are pretty high, you obey the orders..."deal with it". I mean, Russia/Putin could've either dealt with it one way (letting it go, which I think they've let a lot go) or by aggression. There wasn't really any other options for Russia...but um, yeah, I see just a lot of disrespect and double standards and wanting to run everything and the world - to maintain control and dominance. That's what it's about really. We're rich as hell -> and I don't see why we need to push much of anything on anyone. We could be doing a lot more to help the world and should be, instead we/our country just pushes neoliberal capitalism on everyone and everything and values etc aren't really anything. Say this or that, make this excuse here (Afghanistan for instance) while being total buddies with the same type of country on another instance (Saudi Arabia - which has a "dictator" and a much different culture and views about women and crime and punishments as well, much life Afghanistan).
According to that, and I do believe it's pretty close at the least to being accurate and true, the U.S. alone has 33% of the world's wealth. We only have ~360 million people. And of that wealth, of course, it's super super top-heavy. We hardly have a "democracy" anymore really or any huge difference between political parties. It can be scary to even stand up for the truth and real like goodness...to incorporate like social science into politics instead of playing so many games and to focus on development of ourselves and learning etc. instead of headline (sick) news etc. all the time. It is sick and it is okay to not like everything as it is but to still like pretty much everybody and think well and good of people...Is complicated you know, just have to maintain yourself, keep your head up and keep going (be humble, do good). Is a beautiful world (every day), life is beautiful, love conquers all, truth prevails, goodness wins.
Could post a bunch of vids defending my position on Russia/Ukraine but...meh. I've posted enough (theres a few links below). Stuff goes deep; for the people without knowledge, I imagine it would be quite upsetting and potentially really depressing etc...what's bothering me today a lot is the censoring of information and videos...I made a post on Saturday but it wasn't saved (a technical problem).
News today:
Videos/News:
Great 2 Hour podcast on Ukraine/Russia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6HQeunm2f4&t=2285s
56 Minutes Long (I wouldn't be surprised if Youtube deletes a lot of these videos): Greenwald: The White House's game-playing denials of bio labs in Ukraine acTVism Munich • 36K views
Short 1 minute video:
Comments:
(Biden sent people trying to negogiate now with Maduro for the U.S. to be friendly with them, atleast for now, after just about a year prior, everyone was clapping at a Trump speech and tweeting support for what's-his-name and not recognizing Maduro for President and possibly looking to kill him - which is an international war crime under United Nation law of course).
Great Video and Speech (Love):
Nicer Vids!:
Interesting:
Some Islam/Life (knowledge) Videos I love:
Good vid:
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Our path to restoring our republic and representative democracy in America includes:
Identifying and advocating for legislative fixes to reform campaign finance laws, Wall Street regulations, and the tax code;
Promoting cultural changes to address political disengagement, polarization, and widespread misinformation.
We believe that signing our Civility Pledge is a critical step for engaging with others who agree we need to reclaim our government for the people, even if disagree on nearly everything else. We also believe we all deserve to be treated with respect and with empathy.
The Coffee Party USA Civility Pledge
"As a member or supporter of the Coffee Party, I pledge to conduct myself in a way that is civil, honest, and respectful toward people with whom I disagree. I value people from different cultures, I value people with different ideas, and I value and cherish the democratic process."
"
Nice, I agree /\. Is good to hear different sides of the story and the counter of the counter of the counter. Truth be told :)
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Highlighted in bold important parts (words and phrases) I think really are really important to think about today (these times) and added my own comments at times (italicalized and in different font and size)
Declaration of Independence: A Transcription
Note: The following text is a transcription of the Stone Engraving of the parchment Declaration of Independence (the document on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum.) The spelling and punctuation reflects the original.
In Congress, July 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
- The fabric and the powers that be are shaking, the system is going to collapse! The people are getting mad and awoken to many things - Divide and conquer, disparage all dissidence, it needn't be from the State but by powerful people with big voices combined with censorship, etc., and the pushing of values of decadence.
He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
- Is it domestic terrorism militarily to censor all opposing views? Well, it's definitely something and a form of psychological operations/conditioning.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
- How much military spending are we doing recently? Even in times of relative global peace (historically). Also the militarization of the police force in some parts...which says a lot about peace and happiness here at home. - The degradation of our humanity - "we have to unlearn what we have learned" (recent Facebook quote I saw).
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
- State power is being lost, much less local democratic power and people power - things are being censored - Youtube might as well, if it continues on this course, be Government-owned and controlled - (they've been exposed and we know they already work with the Government and the Pentagon and FBI) - a thought today that maybe the Government should just buy it out and declare it as American property and be deemed as a State asset and publically owned - now that would be a real money maker for the United States of course, butethically, that would be uncomfortable - since it's global, why not make it a global platform owned by all and none - and people paid at times to watch and learn potentially, but definitely have profits be more to the content creators).
-He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
- The media. The duopoly, the system...is not totally broke but is pretty corrupt.
-He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people
- Our country is in bad shape in many parts..for the richest country in the world, it's in disrepair, etc. while multi-billionaires tweet and don't get taxed and Corporations such as Amazon suppress worker unions. And also lest we should ACT on climate! is only getting worse, we WILL (is baked in) get ravaged by our coasts and towns will be lost and all this military infrastructure, at home, abroad, around the seas of the world, will be lost as well - rebuild? Let's just wait to see how much supplies will cost then.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
- We're arming potentially dangerous people (yet again) and have caused disarray and disorder around the world since 9/11/2001 and other things...
- America Elite Oligarchs - These politicians now-days - totally unworthy of the Head of State's of a civilized nation in my opinion. - The most powerful country in the history of the world (I don't know if I am that great or whatever but...hey, we could use someone who will listen to people, but not everyone and other qualities of discernment, and learning, etc. - I think I will run for House and if I win, that would give me valuable experience and could do some good).
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
- Russians being friendly with Ukrainians from what I've heard, they're neighbors you know - I'm sure it's hard, and quite a sad thing and occurrence...*sad*.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions, We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We should be ashamed.
Gov. Notes:
"Not one" innocent civilian killed under me militarily if I were President. That should be the precedent.
- All incidents would be reported to me and perputuators tried in court (this is the way it's suppose to be and soldiers are held to account).
- All information coming especially from the Pentagon etc. would have to be verified and true - if proven as knowingly false or anything close to that, the responsible party and person would be tried in the court of law and the truth revealed as much as possible to find the true source of information and who decided or was responsible for passing it up the chain of command.
- Reduce military spending as much as possible - moving to a defensive stance - ideally, would be under 300 billion or less per year (under a 150, would be even better) - prioritize efficiency and cost savings, troop effectiveness, intel, minimal contracts and hard bargaining (maybe expanding civilian type roles, so as not to go through contractors, be more direct and closer to the troops and officers for training and sharing of knowledge)...- some rule changes within as well that make things better and more upright, more protections for truth and freedom and more penalties for corrupt behaviour within the ranks - especially within leadership - giving the lower enlisted (including NCO's and officers, everyone) more freedom and grading of peers in reviewing who gets promoted etc. - to do away with selfish behaviours and acts to gain rank - but within that, have to give more leeway to the leadership to be able to maintain and act out discipline etc.).
- End Guantanamo Bay and practices of torture (can employ smarter ways - 21st C. lie detection)
- End for-profit prisons
- End all military interventions especially that the people are unaware of or that it hasn't gone through Congress
- Transparency (not much should be classified as TS (top-secret) except to protect persons lives and information (etc.).
- Hold the U.S. government account to International laws - including biological weapons and development - don't even get close to crossing the line and ending all drone strikes
Audit the Fed.
Audit the Pentagon.
Repeal the Patriot Act.
The judicial, legislative & executive branches presently no longer police each other, so independent bodies will convene on a rotating basis to ensure no special interests or personal corruption occurs.
Councils will be made up of investigators, legal scholars, auditors, individual citizens selected similar to jury members, activists in the field that the abuse pertains to (although not personally connected to anyone involved in the case in any form) and former elected officials not found to be in any violation in the past. Independent prosecutors will try the case, a council will act as tribunal & jurors from the state in which the charges are brought, will be selected.
End the Espionage Act.
Halt all prosecution of whistleblowers.
Pardon every whistleblower who exposed US war crimes, corruption or treason by military/elected office holders.
Release the complete and un-redacted 9/11 report, unseal all files on JFK assassination, MLK, and every civil rights leader & activist killed.
Release all of Congress’ past & present emails. Since they are public servants, it will all be disclosed (not personal emails).
All future elected officials will have all of their communications monitored by a rotating independent citizens council to go through them as well as financial records to ensure no corruption.
On their section on prisons I really like:
End cash bail.
End all prison slave labor (unmoral for profit systems - I believe prisoners should be able to go out and do work and things if they agree to - could pick up trash for example and be paid for it and pay depending on the job and the task - (common sense principles))
End all private prisons.
End all prisoner abuse.
End sweatshop labor.
End prison phone call cost.
End solitary confinement. - Implement programs for rehabilitation and training.
I'll continue on about what I like and agree with in their "Manifesto".
And as I wrote in the blog post I didn't publish - - to try to set straight the international banking system so that it's fair for all countries of the world (easy, common sense, is good...).