A recent poll states that 60% of the population is fed up with congress. Most people I've talked to have complained about the current direction of government. What bothers me, and others like me, is that people are willing to complain and speak about what is wrong, but when asked what we can do to fix it, look like a deer in headlights.
The first thing we should do is vote for independent parties. Every time. In 2008 I pledged to never vote for a republican or democrat again. I have stuck with it. I voted yesterday in Minnesota's primary election, and voted a straight independent ticket. The first thing people say to me when I tell them this is, "But you're throwing your vote away and giving it to the democrats." I am not throwing my vote away. My vote is mine to give. No one party has a claim on it or a right to it. If republicans and democrats do not represent my views, I would be doing a huge dishonor to my morals and values by giving them my vote.
What a lot of people don't understand is that the republicans and democrats have had control over the US government for over 200 years. Sure, their names changed, but ultimately, these two parties have a monopoly on government. They play themselves to the public as opponents on opposite ends of the spectrum, but that is not their true ideology. Their one and only goal is to stay in power. To accomplish that, they will work together. In the 2008 election the republicans and democrats banded together to keep third parties out of the debates. Anyone running for president has the right to participate in the debates, but they didn't let Bob Barr participate.
A recent article states that the Tea Party is winning in elections, but that they are costing republicans Senate seats. This is the republican and democratic media teaming up against independent parties. Republicans have no right to Senate seats. Democrats have no right to Senate seats. The only people who have a right to Senate seats are those we elect.
As citizens, we should be able to vote for whomever we choose. Any candidate running for president should be on the ballot. In 2008, the republicans and democrats joined hands once more to keep Bob Barr off of the ballot in five states. Bob Barr was only on 45 state ballots. I'm not endorsing Bob Barr, or saying he is the answer to all of our problems, I am pointing out how destructive the republicans and democrats are to our voting process and our freedom.
The second thing people say to me when I tell them that I vote for independents is, "An independent will never win." That may or may not be true. With our electoral college it is completely possible that no matter who we vote for as citizens, somebody else will be elected by the electors. If everyone decided to vote independent, the electors may very well decided to put a democrat in office. We won't know until it happens. The primary reason for voting independent is to send a message to the republicans and democrats. That message is, "You no longer represent America."
Can you imagine the uproar America would be in if the popular vote elected an independent, but the electors put in a democrat or republican? Can you imagine the reaction of the republicans and democrats if they found out more and more votes were going to independents? Do you think they might change their game-plan? I am of the opinion that the republicans and democrats are too far gone to try and save. I want America to open up their political system and let the citizens have more than two choices each election.
Competition is good. Competition leads to progress, real, measurable progress. Progress that doesn't raise taxes, progress that doesn't give handouts to the undeserving. Politics is a none-competitive venture right now. The health care vote passed. I believe both parties wanted it passed, even though there was 'strong' republican opposition. The only reason the republicans opposed it is so that the average American says, "Wow, the republicans opposed the health care bill. I'll vote for them next election." In reality, the republicans wanted the health care bill passed as much as the democrats did. Why? Because they want more power. They don't have to worry about competitors, so they get bored and want more power. They see themselves as kinds, gods even.
I did not vote for Obama, but we all elected him. 60% of us are upset with him, and yet he was elected. I knew before the election that he was a socialist. None of my friends believed me. They do now. As Americans, we need to take responsibility for this mess. We elected him. We have allowed them to take our freedoms away, we have allowed them to tax us, we have allowed them to rule us. Our problem is not democrats. Our problem is not republicans. Our problem is democrats AND republicans.
Take responsibility. Learn about candidates before going to the polls. If you are tired of the direction our country has been going in since the Great Depression, vote independent, don't vote republican or democrat. Republicans and democrats have taken us to where we are today, they will not save us. Do you research, please be an informed voter. If you are not informed, you are part of the problem. Turn off CNN. Turn off FOX. They are both evil. Think for yourself. Vote independent. Take responsibility. Take control.
© 2010 Nate Phillipps
Showing posts with label Barack Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barack Obama. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The Selfishness of Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu
Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, better known as Mother Teresa, spent her life giving to the poor, which by most people's standards means that she is selfless. However, that is not the case. Mother Teresa was selfish and often put herself before others.
Mother Teresa got her selfish start when she left the Catholic convent to live on the streets and help the poor. How is that selfish? Nuns take three vows; poverty, chastity, and obedience. Nuns are to live in a convent. By leaving the convent to live on the streets, Mother Teresa was not being obedient to the Catholic Church, but was instead being obedient to her own free will. She went out, against the will of the church, to do what she wanted to do, not what the church wanted.
That one act cannot possibly prove that someone as giving as Mother Teresa was selfish her whole life, can it? Of course not. However, the whole of Mother Teresa's philosophy was selfish. She believed that poverty would bring people closer to Jesus, and she said, "Poverty is a wonderful gift because it gives us freedom." Therefore, since her life goal was to be closer to Jesus, and to be poor and destitute, she was being selfish in pursuing those desires. Remember, if she wants to be poor, then giving up her possessions is an act of selfishness. If she wants to give herself to the poor, then that is an act of selfishness. If she gives to the poor but doesn't want to, then that would be selfless.
Her selfishness does not stop there. You know who Mother Teresa is. I know who Mother Teresa is. Most people have at least heard of her. For someone portrayed as selfless, she sure is famous. Only somebody who feels proud of themself would accept any fame, notoriety, or gratitude. In 1979, Mother Teresa accepted the Nobel Peace Prize. She donated the money to the poor, but she accepted the award. I'm not saying she didn't earn it; she certainly worked harder to earn it than Al Gore or Barack Obama. If she were truly working for God and others, she would not have accepted any award, but her life is full of awards. Obviously she was proud of the work she was doing, she was proud of herself. Being proud is one of the most selfish feelings a person can experience.
Mother Teresa's religious experience also proves how selfish she was. Throughout her life she struggled with her faith. Of her faith she said, "Where is my faith? Even deep down ... there is nothing but emptiness and darkness ... If there be God—please forgive me. When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven, there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives and hurt my very soul ... How painful is this unknown pain—I have no Faith." She has always claimed to be doing God's work, but if she doubted God so much, what possessed her to follow through with her work? Her desire to help the poor did not come from God, it came from her. She wanted to help the poor, so she did.
People who embrace religion often embrace death without knowing it. Most religions teach that all your rewards will be given to you in the afterlife, after you die. By looking forward to heaven, you are looking forward to death. If you are selfless, the greatest expression of having no self, is to be dead. To be alive is selfish. In the late years of her life, Mother Teresa was sickly. During this time she chose to be treated in a state-of-the-art hospital in California, rather than one of her own clinics. If she did not care about herself at all, she would not demand the best care possible. However, she is selfish and did demand the best care possible, because she loved life. Were she truly religious, she would look forward to death, especially after such a long life in the service of God. Instead, we can see that her faith did not guide her, instead, her own will guided her through life.
Being selfish is a good thing. I am not trying to degrade somebody who spent their life on their own terms, I am merely trying to make the distinction: Mother Teresa was not an altruist helping the poor, Mother Teresa was a selfish person who made it her life goal to bring care to the poor.
© 2010 Nate Phillipps
Mother Teresa got her selfish start when she left the Catholic convent to live on the streets and help the poor. How is that selfish? Nuns take three vows; poverty, chastity, and obedience. Nuns are to live in a convent. By leaving the convent to live on the streets, Mother Teresa was not being obedient to the Catholic Church, but was instead being obedient to her own free will. She went out, against the will of the church, to do what she wanted to do, not what the church wanted.
That one act cannot possibly prove that someone as giving as Mother Teresa was selfish her whole life, can it? Of course not. However, the whole of Mother Teresa's philosophy was selfish. She believed that poverty would bring people closer to Jesus, and she said, "Poverty is a wonderful gift because it gives us freedom." Therefore, since her life goal was to be closer to Jesus, and to be poor and destitute, she was being selfish in pursuing those desires. Remember, if she wants to be poor, then giving up her possessions is an act of selfishness. If she wants to give herself to the poor, then that is an act of selfishness. If she gives to the poor but doesn't want to, then that would be selfless.
Her selfishness does not stop there. You know who Mother Teresa is. I know who Mother Teresa is. Most people have at least heard of her. For someone portrayed as selfless, she sure is famous. Only somebody who feels proud of themself would accept any fame, notoriety, or gratitude. In 1979, Mother Teresa accepted the Nobel Peace Prize. She donated the money to the poor, but she accepted the award. I'm not saying she didn't earn it; she certainly worked harder to earn it than Al Gore or Barack Obama. If she were truly working for God and others, she would not have accepted any award, but her life is full of awards. Obviously she was proud of the work she was doing, she was proud of herself. Being proud is one of the most selfish feelings a person can experience.
Mother Teresa's religious experience also proves how selfish she was. Throughout her life she struggled with her faith. Of her faith she said, "Where is my faith? Even deep down ... there is nothing but emptiness and darkness ... If there be God—please forgive me. When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven, there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives and hurt my very soul ... How painful is this unknown pain—I have no Faith." She has always claimed to be doing God's work, but if she doubted God so much, what possessed her to follow through with her work? Her desire to help the poor did not come from God, it came from her. She wanted to help the poor, so she did.
People who embrace religion often embrace death without knowing it. Most religions teach that all your rewards will be given to you in the afterlife, after you die. By looking forward to heaven, you are looking forward to death. If you are selfless, the greatest expression of having no self, is to be dead. To be alive is selfish. In the late years of her life, Mother Teresa was sickly. During this time she chose to be treated in a state-of-the-art hospital in California, rather than one of her own clinics. If she did not care about herself at all, she would not demand the best care possible. However, she is selfish and did demand the best care possible, because she loved life. Were she truly religious, she would look forward to death, especially after such a long life in the service of God. Instead, we can see that her faith did not guide her, instead, her own will guided her through life.
Being selfish is a good thing. I am not trying to degrade somebody who spent their life on their own terms, I am merely trying to make the distinction: Mother Teresa was not an altruist helping the poor, Mother Teresa was a selfish person who made it her life goal to bring care to the poor.
© 2010 Nate Phillipps
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