Political news, conflicts and tragedies break out like a rash day after day, to be quickly replaced by another plague of problems tomorrow.

Perhaps this is part of the "plot" to keep the majority of people docile, confused and disconnected from the issues of the world that whirls around us all. Trying to jump into this maelstrom would make angels tremble. Plus, once anyone jumps into the cauldron of "free speech" and/or public discussions it will be quickly discovered there are many with other views and a deep sentiment by those in authority that free speech is okay as long as people learn to shut up.

Authority tends to cover up its sins, overprice its virtues, land ask for more money to solve any internal or external ruffled feathers; whether it's government, schools, legal systems, church or cruise ships and Disneyland.

This is a point most profound and always good to keep in the back of our minds: Propaganda, money and the status-quo rules. All those opposed will be eliminated, one way or the other, from simple slander to murder, whatever it takes.

To be fair about this it's probably true that we are all like that. We all take our own side. We all try to protect ourself. We all see the world from our own perspective. We have all mocked or attempted to humiliate abuse or shut up somebody here or there.

I should make it clear, from the start of these blogs, that my political position at the moment is that I'm a: "Lower-price at the pumps, gasoline price reduction advocate."

I'm not liberal. I'm not conservative. I'm not left wing or right wing or chicken breast. In truth I've discovered I'm a bit of all these ID". And I'm strongly against the idea of being put into easy little media-bite boxes. All of us have beliefs and ideologies and they really can't be summed up in ten-second sound bites, neither by ourselves or by those who disagree with any individual's point of view.

One thing for sure, though: I'm a lower-price at the pumps, gasoline price reduction advocate."

Since there is such a tendency to define people and put them in little boxes of pseudo-identities I thought it best to make my own self-identity clear: I'm against higher gasoline prices. That is the political primary viewpoint of this journal, at this time. I have to go fill my tank. I feel the pain.




At the start of this week's blog, though, it was indicated that there are many other issues on the media's mind, on the government's agenda and in our own lives. It would be valuable if we could draw out the more important threads from this ball of yarn. Attempts will be made to do this throughout the years.

Today, some people think history is made because Israel is starting the official withdrawal from the Gaza strip. Others think history is being made because it's the US-imposed deadline for Iraq to come up with a fast-food Constitution. Others are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the surrender of Japan in World War II. Others are celebrating the feast day to commemorate the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven.

These topics just scratch the surface and certainly indicate there's a lot to mull over in our minds.

Therefore, rather than trying to rip apart all these ideas at once I thought it would be useful start with a broader view.

]Therefore, as background, the following summary of the: "Forms of Government," is recommended reading, notions and trends that have been noted throughout all of human history and in all of human nations and institutions.

Feel free to copy and distribute.


FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

Note: To some extent all these forms of government are mixed together

FEUDALISM: You have two cows. Your lord takes most of the milk and also your wife and daughters. You sons are drafted into the army. . Taxes and rents keep increasing until you lose your home. Your are forbidden to hunt in the forest The Lord says he needs the money to defend against enemies. You are either tortured or starved to death and then the lord takes the cows and keeps them or gives them to friends.

PURE SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. You have to take care of all the cows. The government gives you as much milk they think you need. Most of the milk is siphoned off to Swiss banks by corrupt officials. Taxes and Inflation wipe you out. Milk is rationed to one quart a month. You go on welfare. and your family is forced into menial labor.

BUREAUCRATIC SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. Chicken farmers are put in charge of the cows. Cowboys are put in charge of the chickens. The government gives you as much milk and eggs the regulations say you should need. Corrupt officials steal most of the profits. Eggs and milk go missing. You suffer a heart attack and are put on a waiting list for medical care. The Mayor marries your daughter. Your sons can't get a job. Your wife works as a maid for party bosses.

FASCISM: The government has two cows and forces you to take care of them, than sells you the milk. All profits go to the President's family. You are imprisoned, your sons are drafted, and one daughter has to sell herself for food and the other daughter joins a convent. Your wife divorces you and marries one of the party bosses who has cows.

PURE COMMUNISM: You have two cows. Your neighbors help you take care of them, and initially you all share the milk until everyone starts hoarding milk for themselves. Due to the eventual shortages all the cows are eaten and the only milk available is on the black market.
You and your family are forced to work in factories and have to carry around little books about the Great Leaders wise sayings. "Milk," the leader says, "it a sign of decadent capitalism."

RUSSIAN COMMUNISM: You have two cows. You take care of them, but the government takes all the milk and puts you in jail for protesting. Most of your family dies in the ensuing Revolution. All the profits go the the ruling Politburo. All evils are blamed on your enemies. Anyone who has cows is also arrested and all cows are shot. All talk of milk is forbidden in the press or by anyone. Your name is wiped off the face of the earth and the history books revised. Ownership of cows is outlawed.

CAMBODIAN COMMUNISM: You have two cows. The government takes both, shoots you and forces your family into slave labor where they have to work all day and attend re-education classes all night. The leader says enemies are everywhere and this is for everyone's welfare.

DICTATORSHIP: The government claims ownership of all cows and other resources. They build palaces and statues in their honor. War is declared against all bordering countries and your sons die in battle. All milk is exported, schools are closed and hospitals underfunded. All problems are blamed on Jews and other scapegoats who are rounded up and imprisoned. An international conspiracy is discovered.

PURE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. Your neighbors decide who gets the milk. Lawyers are hired to settle the dispute. You lose the case and the lawyers take half the cows. You file an appeal and go bankrupt. When you complain everybody ignores you. The price of milk goes up.

REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. Your Congressman takes half the milk for himself and his friends. At the next election you vote for someone else. He also takes half the milk. The dairy farms are taken over by large corporations who than buy votes and control all future elections. Corporate taxes are reduced. The value of stocks and the price of milk goes up. Victory is declared.

BUREAUCRACY: You have two cows. The government regulates what you can feed them, when you can milk them and requires you to fill out forms documenting every detail. Due to excess milk production it pays you not to milk one, and pours half the milk from the other down the drain. You phone to complain but get an automated answering service. Your wife goes to visit her sister and your children move out of town. You wonder where all the milk went, but you can never find out.

PURE ANARCHY: You have two cows. Your neighbors steal the cows and kill you. Your family flees to the mountains and become cattle rustlers themselves. Songs are written about their bravery and daring. Then they are killed by another gang (see Dictatorship).

ANARCHO-CAPITALISM: Thugs steal a herd of cows and a bull, then claim all the land for themselves. They charge excess rents, disposes the tenants and build a big wall to keep hungry, homeless people away. The thugs drink lots of milk and send their children to foreign schools.

USA NEO-COLONIAL CAPITALISTIC IMPERIALISM: The bank has ten cows. You rent them, milk them, and pay taxes. Due to tax shelters the bank pays no taxes but spends a little money on gifts to politicians. On false pretenses your army invades another country, steals their cows, and raises the price of beef, milk, and cow byproducts.
The President's chief funds-raiser is put in charge of the stolen cows which he sells back to the government at twice the price. The draft is reintroduced so we can allegedly spread Freedom and Democracy with the barrel of a gun. Bankers sell CowShares, put the money in offshore accounts than the market crashes. The leaders wave the flag and praise God, while social services and social security are cut. Deficits reach unheard of levels. Taxes on millionaires are reduced. The price of milk rises again. Problems are blamed on external enemies or internal dissidents. Illegal aliens take all the jobs and half the food stamps.
You can't afford health insurance or tuition payments. Your wife gets a job with the Chamber of Commerce and starts calling you a "loser." You complain and your phone calls are forwarded to a call-answering center in India. A younger generation forces you out of work by the time you're 50, while the retirement age is raised to 67. Everybody you know has moved away to someplace else and the banks start charging you money to cash checks. A New World Order is declared and a Federal Sales Tax announced. You don't know what's going on and start to watch more TV. All future milk is imported from China.

SELF-GOVERNMENT-- You have money and do whatever you like.

Next week's coming attractions: The Sacred Text of Rock 'n' Roll and Popular Movies