CIVILIZING THE WEALTHY

TWO PRINCIPLE PROBLEMS FACING THE WORLD TODAY AT THE FUNCTIONAL LEVEL ARE GLOBAL WARMING AND DISPARITY OF INCOME.  FOR BOTH THESE FEATURES OF PRESENT HUMAN ACTIVITY NATIONAL SOLUTIONS WILL NEVER REALLY PREVAIL.  BOTH PROBLEMS ARE LINKED AND INESCAPABLY GLOBAL IN NATURE AND LACKING A SOLUTION ANYWHERE WILL OBVIATE THE CHANCE FOR SUCCESS EVERYWHERE.  THE SOLUTIONS WILL ONLY COME FROM INCREASED POWERS OF THE UNITED NATIONS TO ENFORCE FINANCIAL AND ENERGY BEHAVIORS WORLDWIDE ALONG THE FOLLOWING LINES: A SINGLE RATE CARBON TAX ON USE OF ENERGY FROM CARBON SOURCES WORLDWIDE; A SINGLE RATE SALES TAX ON ALL FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS; ALL INCOME BEING CLASSED AS INCOME IN ALL COUNTRIES REGARDLESS OF ITS SOURCE, WHETHER FROM LABOR OR INVESTMENT, AND TAXED AT THE SAME RATE.  IN ADDITION, ALL PROPERTY INCLUDING FINANCIAL ASSETS HELD IN STOCKS, BONDS OR ANY OTHER FORM ANYWHERE ON EARTH, MUST BE TAXED AS PROPERTY AT THE SAME ANNUAL RATE AS REAL ESTATE OR OTHER PHYSICAL ASSETS; AND ANY TAX UNCOLLECTED BY NATIONS UNDER WHOSE JURISDICTION THE ACTIVITY IS CONDUCTED WILL BE FORFEITED TO THE UN AND COLLECTED BY IT.  THERE MUST BE NO ESCAPING TAX BY MOVING ASSETS OFFSHORE FROM ANY NATION TO ANY OTHER PLACE INCLUDING SO-CALLED INTERNATIONAL WATERS AND NATIONS SHALL NOT COMPETE FOR INVESTORS OR ENERGY-INTENSIVE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY WITH TAX RELIEF, INCLUDING CARBON TAX RELIEF, IN ANY FORM INCLUDING DEFERRAL.

FAILING THIS LEVEL OF COOPERATION, THE VERY REAL AND THREATENING PROBLEMS THAT PRESENTLY MAKE THE FUTURE OF THIS SPECIES AND THIS PLANET INSECURE WILL SOMEDAY SOON OVERWHELM ALL MORE LOCALIZED EFFORTS.  

THIS LEVEL OF GLOBAL COOPERATION IS COMING.  WE CAN EITHER HELP TO PEACEFULLY USHER IT IN, WELCOMING IT AS A NEEDED CURATIVE FOR A RAPIDLY OVERCROWDING PLANET, OR WE WILL ARRIVE AT THE IDENTICAL ARRANGEMENT AFTER A GLOBAL CONFLICT, FOMENTED BY THE PRIVILEGED WITHIN PRESENT SOVEREIGN NATIONS OF EARTH, THAT MAY LAY WASTE TO MUCH PRECIOUS ACCOMPLISHMENT AND LEAVE MUCH LESS OF VALUE TO BE SHARED.  WHAT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO ACCOMPLISH IS NO LESS AND NO MORE THAN TO CIVILIZE THE WEALTHY.

ONE STORY

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY CALLED LIFE BUT THERE ARE MANY ITERATIONS, FROM DROSOPHYLA TO HUMAN BEINGS — IN PART INCLUDING PLANTS.  AND WITH ANIMALS IT IS ALL THE IDENTICAL STORY.  WE ARE ALL JUST CHEMISTS AND WE ALL WORK WITH THE SAME EQUIPMENT, THOUGH OF COURSE REMAINING AS UNIQUE AS HUMAN FINGERPRINTS OR MOTH PATTERNING, NEVERTHELESS MINDFUL THAT WE HAVE NOT PICKED TO HAVE PRINTS OR PATTERNS OR EVEN FINGERS OR WINGS AT ALL.

LOST AMERICA

THERE IS MUCH MORE TO LIVING DECENTLY THAN THE ECONOMY OR ECONOMIC PROSPECTS.  THAT IS A PARTICULAR BLINDNESS OF ECONOMISTS.  JUSTICE FOR ALL IS AND WILL REMAIN MUCH MORE THREATENED BY REPUBLICAN OLIGARCHISTS THAN BY THE OBAMA WHITE HOUSE.  AND IN THE LONG RUN, REGARDLESS OF THE DECLINE OF PROSPERITY IN AMERICA (OR AMERICANS' ADAPTATION TO IT) IT IS ONLY A JUST ETHOS THAT CAN PREVENT SERIOUS DECLINE.

ONE OF THE SIGNIFICANT RESULTS OF THE RECENT ELECTION IS THE PROSPECT OF MR OBAMA BEING ABLE TO SELECT THE NEXT SUPREME COURT JUSTICE.  THAT AND THE FACT THAT THERE DID NOT SEEM TO BE A MAJOR FRAUD IN THIS LAST MOST MONEYED AND DESPERATE ELECTION WERE AT LEAST SLIGHTLY HOPEFUL SIGNS FROM A COUNTRY THAT HAS BASICALLY LOST ITS WAY ON ITS VOYAGE TO DEMOCRACY.

ROMNEY AND PENNSYLVANIA

IT'S VERY CURIOUS, THIS SUDDEN INTEREST IN THE LAST DAYS OF THE CAMPAIGN BY THE ROMNEY CAMP IN PENNSYLVANIA.  IT MAKES ME A LITTLE WARY OF WHAT THEY MIGHT BE UP TO.  PENNSYLVANIA HAS ONE OF THE LEAST SECURE VOTNG SYSTEMS, ONE OF THE SYSTEMS MOST ABLE TO BE HACKED AND WITH LITTLE OR NO ABILITY TO RECOUNT THE BALLOT IF A SURPRISING AND SUSPECTED FRAUDULENT OFFICIAL RESULT IS OBTAINED.  IF THIS SHOULD OCCUR IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO EITHER RERUN WITH PAPER BALLOTING THAT STATE'S ELECTION OR REMOVE ITS ELECTORAL VOTES FROM THE TOTAL NEEDED TO BE ELECTED AND CONSIDER THE RESULT IN PENNSYLVANIA SUSPECT AND VOID.