Freethinker's corner

http://secularseasons.org/december/winter_solstice.html

Why is the fiscal year of business timed so that if economic forecasts are dismal, layoffs or closings must occur during the time of the year which is reserved for happiness and celebration? It happens every year. You hear each year about this or that plant closing or laying off multitudes of employees.

Perhaps because of some twisted and evil reason they believe the season will make it easier on these unfortunates to accept the destruction of their lives. Or perhaps it is as I believe, that business owners are calloused and uncaring individuals to whom only their financial success matters.

The present economic calamity was generated by stupidity. Everyone is afraid to spend, because everyone is afraid to spend.

People are so neurotic that they are the cause of this recession. They believe they are protecting themselves, when all they are doing is creating the crisis they are afraid of.

al·tru·ism [áltroo ìzzəm]

n

1.
selflessness: an attitude or way of behaving marked by unselfish concern for the welfare of others

2.
belief in acting for others’ good: the belief that acting for the benefit of others is right and good

Extrapolating from the first definition, altruism is being a benefactor to others without the expectation of reward of any kind.

Assertion: There is no altruism in human society.

Human generosity exists because people believe they will be rewarded in some imagined life after death, or because of the good feeling of helping others. There are no exceptions unless you consider the atheist who throws himself in front of a bullet meant for someone else.

Conclusion: There is no altruism in human society.

(Human behavior observation 081111)

Animal Farm was written originally to  decry the elements of a socialist dictatorship where different classes of individuals existed. Whereas, socialism was supposed to be the people in essence ruling themselves, instead an upper crust of individuals who thought themselves better ruled those below. The upper crust, depicted by pigs, worked the lower class to death, the horses, to meet their idealistic goals.

Capitalism was supposed to be different. Alas, instead of the bourgeois in power of the people, we have business replacing the role of pigs, and the workers, the employees being the horses, who, having been worked to death, blood spurting from their sweat glands, then are cast aside.

In essence, the systems, though different in structure, compare similar in the ends. Those who consider themselves better using those who are in retrospect, their slaves.

There will never be a perfect system, as a perfect system would require perfect people of perfect morality and purpose. People are of such a flawed nature, full of avarice, that such a system will only exist in the minds of those who are presently oppressed.

(human behavior observation: 081110)

Ultimately the failure of Capitalism is starkly depicted by one thing. If one person, yes, only one, who wants a job but is denied one or there is none, then Capitalism has failed.

The moment one person, yes, singular, is laid off, then capitalism has failed.

This aside, Capitalism is the best system devised so far by humans. It feeds the inherent greed of human kind and so is perpetuated by human kind. Socialism does not, or is not supposed to, feed the greed. Where ever Socialism is instituted it is fought. Socialism can only exist where there is a dictatorship, or, if you imagine an unreal scenario, where there are perfect people.

Obama is a scary entity. If you were to believe the grapevine if Obama were to win we would be headed down the road to socialism. His spread the wealth comment is straight out of the Marxist handbook. Perhaps, as in many statements he has made, the spread the wealth comment was made out of inexperience, or ignorance.

If Obama wins there will be change. Will it be good or bad? Time will tell. I certainly do not see anything good in what he says.

Prediction: Based on and dependent on the propaganda surrounding this man;  If Obama wins there will be an economic calamity rivaling the Depression. Business will plummet, jobs will vanish, soup lines will form. Those left that can pay taxes will find their net income will dwindle to a non-living wage level. Misery will spread to a degree not seen in decades. If you can believe the rumors, socialism will be the state of the American economy. All that we have known will be left in ruins.

Or will it?

In our modern age we see robots emerging in their infancy. These robots are primitive compared to those imagined by the great science fiction writers. Whereas they might incorporate a heuristic learning program, for the most part they can only do those things for which they have been programmed in advance. Even when more sophisticated learning programs are fabricated, actions taken will no doubt continue to rely on base programming.

Humans are taught (programmed) from an early age how to react in specific incidences. As they progress the programming becomes more complex. Depending on the base instruction an individual reacts to situations in specific ways. Even if the information they have been given is inaccurate or completely false, humans must act according to that which they have been taught at an early age.

Religion is perpetuated in this way.