I am concerned about those who will never thrive in this system and not for their lack of dedication and trying. (Read my complete discussion with Unlending and westhea, on Chaos, Deadly Bush-Cheney Game, Pt1, on You Tube).
The Diaglogue:
Unlending, Many black people are as confused as members of the Ku Klux Klan are. Why? The schizophrenic klansmen invoke the Cross and a Jewish messiah, and then they turn around and tell you that they hate Jews. Many blacks have imbibed upon a white ideology as if it were the all in all, when it is not. You see the former in an ascendant state, I see it as regressing. Look not on the things of the other the Canon teaches for what is for you is for you, if you don't turn your back on it!
revcsolomon
I have been called Uncle Tom on several occasions by the American black Janjaweed for not supporting Senator Obama. My position is that we have enough whites who are willing to kill Palestinians, members of Hamas, Cubans and Fidel. Why would a Scotch-Irish African man want to preside over such a reckless policy? I asked those who accused me if they were half-a-Tom, given that Obama is half-white (and they are supporting him)? American foreign policy much like its domestic policy is duplicitous! Just people need their own!
revcsolomon
Unlending, Booker T and W.E.B, Dr. MLK and Malcolm, unlending and Solomon, each tandem, and others before have been working toward a common objective. If one can make it in an unjust system that leaves others out..., on the other hand I am concerned about those who will never thrive in this system. Many in the latter group have turned to social anomie! I asked a young man in counseling on one occasion why he stole? His answer was similar to Sutton's. He said, I want a wife, house, car..!
revcsolomon
Unlending, ff you study most religious texts, the liberty that was promised in most is not the same as the liberty that has been promised by the USA. There has been and is enough on earth to succor not only humans, but animals, insects and the rest of the flora and fauna. Because there are few controls within the American Capitalist Enterprise system, just as what is taking place now in the American Capitalist Church, many individuals have been left behind. Wrong plan!
revcsolomon
Unlending, Our discussions have been highly ethereal on one hand, and very practical on the other. I suspect that the answer is once again in the question. What, who, why is our purpose? Was earth made for man and man for planet Earth. If so, it is only logical that along with its design, there was a plan, and that plan must have been for each one us to have what was needed. Syllogism? Human governments often come up with plans that benefit an elite group. We must get back in synch!
revcsolomon
The rich young ruler who came to Jesus, and the man who built bigger barns for himself, what most Americans are doing today, missed the plan. If the young ruler had given away all that he had, keep in mind that with his steady bloated income, by week's end he would have taken in what the majority of individuals in the circum Mediterranean cultures would have needed years to acquire. Americans are endorsing the same stockpiling plan at the expense of others.
revcsolomon
Unlending, And where did this animosity suddenly derive from? I didn't realize that you were such a Condi sycophant. The fact is that most Republicans consider her to be nothing more than George Bush's secretary, not a qualified Secretary of State. Most of them believe that she was never qualified to be head of the NSA. Politics or facts? I am trying to help you to abandon a slave mentality and to allow for the richness and abundance that is inherent within black people. Deprogram!
unlending (
"you were such a Condi sycophant" im not, why cant you see the position that she holds as one that can open doors. I pray you are not prejudiced by envy or political ideology.
"George Bush's secretary, not a qualified Secretary of State" qualified or not she is still the Secretary of State. That is a fact, why invest in opinion?
revcsolomon
unlending, Open doors to do what, support a system that victimizes and has created a permanent social and economic underclass. What was Condi doing in the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe, buying shoes. When Condi and Obama wake up, they will not want to kill Arabs for Jesus, destroy Palestinians, continue to threaten and embargo Cuba...! Condi's choice to support evil suggests a much deeper pathology at work. Jesus set a different example for his followers called rejection!
revcsolomon. "Open doors to do what" whatever she chooses, she did the work she gets to choose.
"What was Condi doing in the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina" i was at the beach enjoying the sun and listening to the radio. she bought shoes. i did my job, she did hers.
"Jesus set a different example for his followers called rejection?" in my teachings Jesus taught love, care, kindness and forgiveness. more acceptance than rejections.
revcsolomon
unleading, I can see that you are a fan of Condi and that is okay, she is a remarkable person, even though we diverge politically. The fact of the matter is that the Bush Administration blew it with respect to Katrina, they will admit that. The official cabinet members, including Condi, proves that they were completely out of touch. With respect to Jesus, he rejected the status quo, why do you think they killed him? His objective was to bring about positive spiritual and social change!
unlending
"I can see that you are a fan of Condi" then sir you are blind, I say she has opportunity, more than 99.99% of the world population.
Katrina was not blown it was a learning experience of the state's sovereign rights and the irresponsibility of the governer and mayor.
"he rejected the status quo, why do you think they killed him" the quo was not ready to live with love & compassion.
"objective was to bring about positive spiritual and social change" disagree, objective was relationship
unlending
"help you to abandon a slave mentality" me? I take advantage my position that I have invested my time and resources to achieve. i will never called myself a victim, even of circumstances, nor do I allow my children to be accept anything less than a winning attitude but to understand that ignorance exists and it is the ignorant that we make our living from.
revcsolomon
unlending, You cannot help me to abandon something that I don't have. I am pleased to hear that you are not a victim, however, do you support bolster a system that victimizes, exploits and incarcerates other people? Or let me put it another way, are you a part of the problem or its solution? A Senegalese native told American blacks that he could wish that he and his relatives had been enslaved. To many blacks do not understand yet that they help to perpetuate a system that exploits others!
unlending
revcsolomon "support bolster a system that victimizes, exploits and incarcerates other people" i no more support the system than i do for a world with hurricanes earthquakes, floods, fire, famine, drought. i am a practical person and must provide for my family and the perpetuation of our ideals.
saying the system exploits is like saying freeways kill. the freeway system is there to be used, abused or ignored. i care to use it to get to my destination within my lifetime.
revcsolomon
The problem with the Obama candidacy is this, it hurts black Americans who believe that the solution to their problems lies with the government, more dependency. Black Americans have been waiting for the government to act for 232 years now. Now blacks believe that if a half-black man can take over the reigns that their circumstances will change. That kind of thinking got Abraham Lincoln killed. Some believe Obama's presidency is according to divine manifest destiny! What about Colin?
revcsolomon
Unlending, with respect to your Salmon analogy, you are speaking like a true America. In other words you don't care how you are getting the Salmon, and whether or not you may be helping to delete the supply, consider the Dams that have been built, that are eliminating Salmon...! I want what is just and what the Sovereign intended for me to have. Just as in Genesis, perhaps it was intended for us to still be consuming herbs, fruits and nuts. Help solve the problem, don't participate in it!
revcsolomon
unlending, I was not aware thou you and westhea had tangled before. His heart is in the right place, however, he has placed his hopes upon 'the manifest destiny all praises be to Obama campaign'. Like too many black people whose hopes have been deferred for so long it would seem that they are too willing to place their hopes in any savior. I reminded him that neither Mandela nor Mbeiki, 2 presidents in a black majority nation, have been able to overcome the in place structural barriers!
westthea
Rev, the success we speak of is not tied up in one person or a few persons. It is as I have articulated, the many with a strategic agenda and actions. Obama is only one part of the equation.
revcsolomon
westhea, You have been quiet lately. I thought you were still on your post-Democratic Convention trip to Africa or working hard on the campaign. Whatever happens in November, I only hope that the coalition that you have spoken about will continue to push forward and join forces with the other coalition that is out there. I believe that more can be accomplished when an over realiance on a political emphasis will be put to bed. A lot can be accomplished (50M strong) minus waiting 4 more years.
westthea
Rev, we are working on the nuts and bolts. Just returned from trip to Ohio and off to Africa next month. More information about this after the trip.
revcsolomon
westhea, You have to give McCain credit for knowing how to wage war, even if like George Bush it meant using other men, women and children (the Palin family) to do so. With one strategic/tactical move, he has narrowed the gap. Just as black Americans grew up with biblical-black-church preached values, whites were raised with a combination of the bible and 'white speak'. The latter is what the other side is using to rally Dems, Pubs and independents! Sooner or later it had to happen-it works!
revcsolomon
unlending, Talk to the hundreds of thousands of individuals who have been displaced and are still grieving the losses of their love ones. Katrina represents another astronomical blunder by the Bushtanista government! Just as on 9/11, so was the case of Katrina, his administration didn't have a clue of or the concern to do what needed to be done. Rumsfeld couldn't even defend his own headquarters. Is the quo ready today for love & compassion today, if you could ask Dr. MLK?
revcsolomon
All praises be to Obama, however, even his own cabinet is conceding to compromise in order to avoid defeat. Most of them have said that with regard to all of the Obama recapitulations, a dozen I have counted, he is doing so in order to get elected. The problem with that then is he is not a change agent just as the Wright Reverend indicated - he is simply doing and saying what he has to, in order to get elected. Some believe that once he is elected, suddenly Superman will emerge? Kryptonite?
revcsolomon
Each ONE of us needs to conduct a self-inventory and determine whether we possess more than what the Sovereign intended for us to have individuaLLY. For some, all they need to do is to mount a scale, and they will recognize immediately that they have not been temperate. For others just look at the domicile, closets, storage spaces, clothing, bling-bling, bank accounts, vehicles...! When there is greed, someone else is not getting their share. Don't argue with me, argue with the Sovereign!
revcsolomon
War Taxes: If you consider history, even American history, taxes were always raised to pay for the cost of war; in fact war bonds were sold...! Something very sinister is going on with respect to the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even McCain was concerned that the wealthy won't pay their tax costs to pay for the wars that they are responsible for by voting for Bush. The question is how come 'pubs accuse Democrats of always raising taxes, but when it comes to wars they raise taxes?
revcsolomon
cont: Even though the Republicans start the wars that are to be paid for by taxes, they ignore the costs and leave them for someone else to pay for the costs of war! When Reagan left office, the Democrats had to come in and pay for his indiscretions, i.e., covert operations, refusal to raise taxes to pay for expenditures, green mail, leveraged corporate buyouts...! The same thing is happening with Reagan's protégé. The 'pubs have raised tax costs, someone else has to address them, Democrats!
revcsolomon
Finally, then who truly raises the tax burden in this nation, it is Republicans, they simply will not pay the bills. Not only has Bush's expenditures gone through the roof, and he will walk away from the debt - when he came into office, Clinton left him with a surplus. If and when taxes have to be raised, just as it happened with Reagan left office blame it on the Republicans for they are the ones who keep driving up the tax burden on Americans in a real sense.
revcsolomon
And with respect to working now to provide for the next generation, remember the Bucket List movie? In the end what the family wanted more than anything was their family-member, and time with their family-member. The Sovereign keepeth watch above its own and will provide for the next generation. Help to eliminate the greed principle instead, and they will get their share!
revcsolomon
Unlending, The poor are not excused, many of them, greedy too. I was in the waiting room at the hospital the other day. A staff member walks in with a basket of fruit to pass out and to appease the patients. Several individuals who took a piece of fruit requested another piece. And when the staff member sat the basket down to attend to some business, several rushed the fruit basket in deference to the fact that not everyone had been served. And to boot, they left the banana peels behind!
revcsolomon
unlending, It is a war for the soul of individual men and women. The Apostle James wrote that war, the word has been modified in most modern versions, comes as a result of lusts. Most humans desire to have things that are above and beyond what they need, then the sense of entitlement takes over.
revcsolomon
The way John McCain has run his political campaign of late, tells a lot about the kind of President he would be. He is lying, manipulating, slandering..., and he is already doing the same with Prime Minister Putin of Russia. Clearly he plans to continue Bush's meddlesome foreign policy. He believes in the Monroe Doctrine for the USA, but not for any other nation. The USA has been working to isolate Russia around the Black sea and the Caspian for years; Georgia jumped the gun. No to McCain!
westthea
Right on, Rev.
revcsolomon
Unlending, you had better wake up and smell the roses. Many years ago Americans outsourced their responsibility for providing an equitable living for their families to corporations. Today, the same corporations are wealth, and the corporate barons are wealthy, and what are they doing? They are abandoning Americans and seeking to procure wealth elsewhere. You may continue to support what is going on, but someday you will be abandoned to. Hewlett-Packard is laying off 24,000 employees!
revcsolomon
Unlending, In the American system, much like a typical family household, some of its occupants are being abused and denied access to the opportunity structures and its largesse. The kids who are being abused complain. The kids who benefit from a flawed system that is bent only upon creating wealth defend it. They attack the kids who haven't made it. The fact is that a system and parents can be abusive. To fix a Representative Democracy flawed system begins with converting the represented!
revcsolomon
unlending, If you are keeping up with what is going on in the world, anti-American sentiment, the rise of global economies, the global economy itself, America's ignoring of its fiduciary responsibilities, class stratification in America, clearly we are heading back to the future. America is in trouble, no not the corporate barons or carpetbaggers, but the majority of its citizens! The people have been accomplices to the madness. How will the two front runners help to resolve the problems?
revcsolomon
And what happened to many of those blacks who migrated north? After migrating north where they found work (they wanted to work), they enjoyed prosperity for approximately half-a- century. Many of them have since been, summarily, dumped into the streets. Many are on welfare, living in cars, disillusioned...! Why? They outsourced their responsibility for the care of themselves that they learned in the agrarian south to corporations, and followed the path that you referred to, a dead end!
revcsolomon
Which one of the two front-running candidates will help America to be what it could be, is still to be determined? My problem with both candidates is that they are too seeped in American ideology. There is something higher there is also something better. Leaders ought to be teachers, however, leaders must understand themselves, before they can teach! Who will stare America in the face and say that we have lost our soul, or that too much emphasis has been placed on the acquisition of wealth?
revcsolomon
The world's great civilizations have progressed through this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependence back again into bondage.
Alexander Tyler 1770
revcsolomon
unlending, And this is where the American promise comes into conflict with the Canon. According to the Canon, man was never intended to have the amount of freedoms that have been promised in America. In fact many writers in the Canon warn and explain to those who would partake of too much freedom to beware of that liberty of 'yours'. The whole idea behind American freedom is that one can do whatever he or she chooses, and that is what appeals to America and leads to licentiousness!
revcsolomon
America needs a new pedagogy and an updated social philosophy. I don't believe that the love of money is the root of all evil, for evil was apparently here before money was invented. However, America's value system, if it has one is tied primarily to the acquisition of wealth. There is something better than that. America has over 300,000 registered lobbyists, many of them have offices around DC, especially on K Street. If the federal government is the head of the body, America is sick!
revcsolomon
westhea, In a strange kind of way, the current economic crisis in America has helped Senator Obama's campaign. Among other things, it has knocked Sarah Palin off of the front pages, and factually since the end of the Republican Convention, Senator Obama had been running against her celebrity. And to boot, John McCain's explanations and accusations have been all over the place.
revcsolomon
Unlending, Quotation of the week by Evan on Inside Washington. "Americans have been behaving as if the laws of God and nature had been suspended".
This is what I have been teaching for years. Frankly, it is time for Americans to get in the real world! Before the stock market crash of 1929, most Americans believed that America was both impregnable and invincible. In an hour, Americans realized that was not the case, just as the ancient Romans, descendants of the Etruscans also learned!
revcsolomon
As I once predicted that if Senator Obama were to prevail and defeat Hillary Clinton in the Primaries that he would have to turn to the Clintons given his lack of knowledge and experience to seek help. And he has had to turn to the Clinton machine in order to help save his fledgling candidacy and to advise him on things that he knows nothing about. Now perhaps he will give Senator Clinton a high-profile position in his administration if he were to become president of the United States.
westthea
Rev, it is a natural thing to turn to a former president when running for president. Don't be surprised if Hillary doesn't have a high profile position in the administration. Not because Obama don't want this but perhaps because Hillary may not want it. However, Bill Clinton's organization will benefit immensely from the Obama Administration. As I have said all along, Obama is going to defeat John McCain big.
revcsolomon
Do you mean in the manner that Senator McCain is turning to George Bush? I suspect that you had better rethink your position? And it sounds to me as if someone still does not have anything kind to say about the Clintons, even if they are going to bat for Obama. Would the same have occurred if the shoe were on the other foot? Fortunately Obama is wiser than his support team. The Clintons are doing the right then to support a principle. Which do you care more about, the country or being right?
revcsolomon
You may be right, but my gut tells me that Senator Clinton is a bit more self-deprecating than you give her credit, she cares about the American people as well as the people of the world. In the end, she will do what is best for everyone including her party, just as she doing for Senator Obama!
westthea "Don't be surprised if Hillary doesn't have a high profile position in the administration" she will have no position, she is not welcomed.
"Obama is going to defeat John McCain big" big, really?? how big, maybe a wager?
revcsolomon
Clearly the Clintons are not welcome by the youthful democons who are dependent upon Clinton supporters. I wonder how would the youthful democons in an Obama administration build consensus with those on the right, when they won't even do that with those in their own party. I suspect that we are headed back to the past, if the insouciant democons were to prevail. The democons will behave as demagogues I believe, as the neocons did during the first four years of the failed Bush Administration!
revcsolomon "I suspect that we are headed back to the past" as i have been stating, the cyclical nature of mankind.
it has not changed throughout history.
revsolomonc
So why are you advocating for the perpetuation of the cycle, by suggesting that life's primary motivation is the acquisition of wealth? The majority of the people of the world are poor.
unlending
revsolomonc "So why are you advocating for the perpetuation of the cycle" abundance creates wealth. wealth creates a better life. surely you cannot be promoting poverty or coveting of the labor of others. Are you?
"by suggesting that life's primary motivation is the acquisition of wealth?" no, you and others get to choose the path of their lives. i am saying it works for me & those in my neighborhood.
unlending
revsolomonc "The majority of the people of the world are poor" according to whose standards?
i gre up with dirt floors, outhouse, no electricity & not a single day in my life did i feel poor. tell me are you poor?
revsolomonc
I prefer headed back to the future. I am not convinced that we ever left the past, therefore the past may turn out to be the future, to include greed, lust for power, pride, and selfishness and I am not my brother's keeper. What changed? Instead of rocks and the primitive stone instruments found at Olduvai, man is simply using more sophisticated weapons and tools. He still has not, in some instances, learned to tame his baser nature. The American system caters to elevating the lower self.
unlending
"I prefer headed back to the future. I am not convinced that we ever left the past" man is doomed to repeat his mistakes until he gets it right. then, and only then, will there be progress.
"to include greed, lust for power, pride, selfishness and I am not my brother's keeper. What changed?" correct, nothing has changed.
unlending
revsolomonc "The American system caters to elevating the lower self" WRONG!!, the American system allows those that want to remain on the bottom rung to exist there. if you or anyone else wants to climb that ladder that is available too. choice is yours.
revcsolomon
Well show me where in the land of the free and the home of the slave, that reaching for a higher level of conscieness has been emphasized. Even given what has been going on in America over the past 2 weeks, all of the emphasis has been placed on saving the market. Factually, Americans are seen by some as one big market. Many an America is depressed and feels that he has failed, because he failed to get rich. The objective of others, even those who attend college is often to make money.
unlending
"Well show me where in the land of the free and the home of the slave, that reaching for a higher level of conscieness has been emphasized." Booker T Washington, George Washington Carver.
"all of the emphasis has been placed on saving the market." kept trying to tell you that. despite anyone good intentions prosperity is good for all.
"even those who attend college is often to make money" which is good, responsibility comes next, wisdom comes much later, if at all.
revcsolomon
And what was that level of higher conscienceness that these icons were reaching for, it certainly was not wealth. And that is the point that I am making. W.E.B.Budbois died penniless, GWC communed each day, in the wee hours of the morning with God, and mastered his domain. When offered extravagant sums of money to exploit the soybean plant, he declined. Adam was instructed to have dominion, not to get rich or to die trying. Don't feel bad, most Christians don't understand prosperity!
unlending
revcsolomon "Don't feel bad, most Christians don't understand prosperity" or the responsibility of it.
what is your plan?
revcsolomon
It is the one that was provided to us by a much higher source. It is not based upon lust, greed, conspicuous consumption.
revcsolomon
The anticlimactic ponzi scheme (the American capitalist economic plan) that you and too many Americans subscribe to, was created in order to help a ruling elite composed exclusively of white males voters who didn't want to pay taxes to the crown, to enrich themselves. Why are you a proponent of such a plan? Answer: Because it has permitted you to pursue your wanderlusts and prevarications, and it provided you with an illusory sense of security! Some realize of late how fleeting it really is!
unlending
revcsolomon "the first four years of the failed Bush Administration!"
failed? in what way? US is not a Islamic state & I am still free to enjoy my acquired wealth. it has worked for me.
where has it failed you?
revsolomonc
For you then 'wealth or the acquisition thereof answers all things'. The nation is regressing, Bush is dishonest, we are embroiled in an unjust war and occupation of another nation, the country is petering towards an economic collapse, we have a staggering deficit which is about to expand, the nation is divided (red vs white_, the gap between the rich and the poor as well as between executives and non-executives has increased exponentially, the cost of living is out of sight, unemployment ...
unlending
revsolomonc, "For you then 'wealth or the acquisition thereof answers all things'" for me, correct. I know how to use wealth to benefit others, create charities, feed the indigent, educate the uneducated. What is your plan?
"The nation is regressing, Bush is dishonest, we are embroiled in an unjust war ..., the cost of living is out of sight, unemployment" can you name any other country not accused of the same?
revsolomonc
Isn't it interesting that during Desert Shield, that the Islamic nation of Saudi Arabia asked that the Americans leave their alcohol and other contraband behind, given that they were on holy ground. If money is the measure of all things, then America is all that. However, if there is a higher standard, and there is, American decadence tells you a lot about where America measures up on the grand scale. Imagine those sand Arabs telling the mighty Americans to leave their vices in America!
unlending
revsolomonc "that the Islamic nation of Saudi Arabia asked that the Americans leave their alcohol and other contraband behind" did the US comply?
"If money is the measure of all things, then America is all that." what a sad state of mind you must be in. money is one measure, friends is another measure, family yet another. why is your scope so limited?
revcsolomon
But they had to be asked to do so is the point. Americans tend to judge all other nations by an American standard. Ironically, I just left an African-Caribbean conference at the U of Berkeley, where the same point of contention entered into the discussion. Americans judge all other nations and people by a westernized American standard. Other nations judge the USA as well as being decadent, immoral, spoiled, duplicitic, hegemonic...!
unlending
"But they had to be asked to do so is the point." is that a bad thing or a good thing, after all it is not American holy ground nor American custom. i miss the point, of course Americans do that, the French do it too, so do the Chinese. judgment is always based on your frame of reference.
revcsolomon
Obviously you missed the point again, for I have been saying all along that money is not the measure of all things. And sadly, that appears to be at the top of the agenda as far as our political aspirants are concerned. America needs remolding and reshaping, Americans need remodeling and reshaping, particularly in terms of developing a realistic and a moral world view. Ahmadinajab of Iran was correct when he raised the issue of the decline of the American empire! Other nations will remember!
unlending
revcsolomon "Obviously you missed the point again" please enlighten me. what is your point in a sentence or 2.
"Other nations will remember!" of course, the fall of Rome, China, Mesopotamia, Turks etc.
please your point in a sentence or 2
revcsolomon
Let me answer you with the title of my book that is in incubation, regarding the United States and the American People: WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE A NATION OF RECENT HISTORY!
unlending
"American decadence tells you a lot about where America measures up on the grand scale." you apparently have not seen the Saudi palaces or the palaces of sadam. don’t go there, your argument fails miserably cuz American values life. Saudis would just as well decapitate you or feed a dog. both provides some form of entertainment.
your bashing is not refreshing nor uplifting. if i was to hear a speech by you i would feel depressed cheated and scorned. all very lovely traits to some.
revcsolomon
I wasn't referring to an earthy grand scale. When weighed in the balances, America has been found wanting, and that has been the subject of our discussion. Certainly America is not alone in that regard. However, comparing American with other nations does not let America off the hook! Why do you continue to make the effort to defend greed, are you afraid that by my doing so somehow speaks to an overemphasis that you have placed on wealth yourself! One nation, 45% of the world's goods?
unlending
revcsolomon "Why do you continue to make the effort to defend greed" careful cuz that borders a lie. I have never defended greed. I defend wealth, its accumulation, abundance and the benefits that abundance can provide.
if you practiced acquiring wealth, its accumulating an abundance then you would be able to provide benefits beyond your immediate reach.
sorry but America still provides the greatest opportunities for those that want to pick its fruits.
unlending
revcsolomon, "afraid that by my doing so somehow speaks to an overemphasis that you have placed on wealth yourself!"
not at all, in fact i practice what i preach and not just on wealth but the accumulating an abundance of wealth.
"One nation, 45% of the world's goods?"
correct, and i live in the realm of that nation not the other 55%.
like i say, wealth is not for all, there are enormous responsibilities attached. certainly not for the foolhardy.
revcsolomon
However, at some point a compassionate person wonders about his brothers and sisters in the world, and considers, why do have so much when they have so little. With the expansion of the global economy, although politicians aren't saying it, conditions are going to change as more demands will be placed on scarce resources. The sense of entitlement that we have experienced and passed on to our children is going to have a devastating effect. Charlie Rangel said it best at one of our CBC meetings..
unlending (1 day ago) Show Hide
"at some point a compassionate person wonders about his brothers and sisters in the world, and considers, why do have so much when they have so little." only after wisdom has set in.
"The sense of entitlement that we have experienced and passed on to our children is going to have a devastating effect" that is the effect of a slave mentality
revcsolomon
At an international conference this weekend, I reminded all who listened that America is 'the land of the free and the home of the slave'. Most Americans are only too pleased/greedy to participate in a system that was built on the back of slavery. Wachovia Bank, one of the original slave banks just went under. Americans need to be reminded that America's 232 years of existence, by comparison with other millennial nations, a flash in the pan experiment, appears to be headed in the wrong direction.
revcsolomon
And who took up residence in those palaces that you mentioned. And, how do those palaces compare with the massive Embassy that the United States has constructed in Baghdad. We spared no expense!
unlending
revcsolomon "And who took up residence in those palaces that you mentioned. And, how do those palaces compare with the massive Embassy that the United States has constructed in Baghdad. We spared no expense!" precisely man being man being man.
what is your plan?
revcsolomon
My plan is to do what I was called to do, to attempt to reeducate those that I can, many of whom have been misinformed. They are the individuals who reify a flawed system that is badly in need of an adjustment. If that were to happen it could be a system, one that truly trusts in God, and that is structured upon godly principles. God's plan encompassed providing for an caring for all of his own!
revcsolomon
unlending, You never heard of 'steady state'. Meaningful progress takes time. Solomon write that purpose, and the judgment of all things are critical. A lack of contentment causes one to surge ahead without measuring the consequences, America is good at that. And as a result we have an up and down economy, during one period it is surging, and during the next there is a severe economic downturn. The sense of immediate gratification has hurt this nation as much as it has helps. Spoiled kids!
revcsolomon
From an elitist American point of view, its constitution and economic system offers man the best opportunities in the world. I suspect that minorities, including the native Americans might bet to differ with you. There are many other systems in the world that work better, some that Americans would continue totalitarian. And how does an American define a totalitarian system? It is any system that in any way would prevent an American from greed, free-willing and licentiousness.
revcsolomon
Northing but whine..., have you and Phil Gramm been engaging in his jaundiced political discourse of late. We live in a Representative Democracy, the people are the nation, in theory. When they demand changes they are not whining, they are simply saying to their employee Representatives that they want change. I have never heard anyone refer to any of the 300,000 registered lobbyists in this nation, with offices mostly on 'K' Street, refer to their incessant demands as whining!
revcsolomon
Our highly esoteric and ethereal discoursing is a reflection of what is true about America, that east is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet! Having said that I always like to hear the other side. I am not comparing you to him, however, I listened to R. Limbaugh on a daily basis for 4years before concluding what I already knew beforehand, the man is a dangerous fool! Too many Americans have learned to manipulate a malleable system in order to get what they want.
revcsolomon
Unlending, the Fed has taken a page out of George Bushes book. It is the same book that he read from when he rushed America into war. What they are saying now is tantamount to what Bush, Powell, Condi and others reported in 2002 and 2003, that the mushroom cloud is 'a coming'. What we need to do in America is to take a deep breath, given vent to some critical thinking and prayer - and come with a manageable solution and a fix. We must ensure that our former ways not be repeated! Causation!
revcsolomon
Unlending, To the misguided person who covets wealth or what someone else has, educate him in the manner that Jesus did in the 12th chapter of Luke. Factually, both individuals need to be educated because they are guilty of doing the same thing, coveting instead of being satisfied with their portion! Yesterday a man asked me for money when I was about to enter the drugstore, instead I walked into Popeye’s and purchased him a chicken meal. One thing I do know is that he ate one meal yesterday!
revcsolomon
unlending, Consider the Bush-Cheney attitude towards much of the rest of the world. He has said over and over that they are simply jealous of what we have, a sentiment that is echoed among many Americans. Among many points that could be made, the fact is that he certain amount of arrogance and the feeling of the self-made man, when a human being acquires possessions, and that is all that they are - even wealth. You can't take it with you! Bush has tasked himself to protect American wealth!
revcsolomon
Westhea, has one objective in mind and that is to win. All of his predicting aside, no one knows who will win. What really matters is what the individual will do that wins. George Bush was elected and then re-elected, and look where that got us. Solomon wrote, better is the end of the thing than the beginning, look where Bush is today. I simply hope that whoever wins that the spirit of the Sovereign will take control. Because what happens in the US doesn't stay in the US it impacts all!
revcsolomon
unlending, What is wrong with America is that along with its political philosophy, most of its greedy citizens view their country in the manner that they do their homes. Most Americans believe that their nation and their homes are their personal and collective ATM machines. Life has no intrinsic meaning for Americans without wealth. Most Americans are pursuing wealth and any minor influence that can impact their wealth pursuing ambitions will throw an American into a funk in an American minute!
revcsolomon
Unlending, If God judged man according to human ideas, neither Moses, King David or Saul would have been called upon. Each one of them was either a murderer, or an accessory to murder. In America, the wealthy are judged by many as being good, and the poor are judged as being detestable, lazy and good for nothings. Like Hitler, many Americans would euthanize the weak, and create a perfect race of wealthy white and wanna be white individuals! I know, that was mean, but true!
revcsolomon
The American philosophy has holes. Its promise, some would say is opportunity. Its concurrent philosophy is however, if you can't make it in the American Darwinian economic scheme, then that is your problem. Will Americans help you if you can't keep up? Some will and some won't, and for many their attitude is, I AM NOT MY BROTHER's KEEPER. Someone once said that when the majority suffers, a minority is in trouble. It is the wealthy minority class that is in trouble as we speak! Robespierre
revsolomonc
Regarding man as judge, Paul wrote that man would judge the world. He was wrong about other things, so I suspect that he wrong about that. Just consider judicial systems in many of the nations around the world. Did OJ do it? Do the wealthy actually have a financial advantage and the ability to have better advocates to represent them? I am still wrestling with your question about man judging. I suspect that we can judge minor things, but on the other hand the S. Court made George Bush prez!
revcsolomon
Representative Rangel quipped that Americans, believed at the time, that the Iraqis had 'our oil' under their sand. Two kids live in the same house where one is being abused, while the other is the benefactor of his parents largesse. Oftentimes the child who has benefited lives in a state of denial, because for him things couldn't be better. In our pre-planned world, enough was put here and the means were put here, if compassion prevailed, to feed and care for humans, flora and the fauna!
revcsolomon
Who will teach Americans, clearly it won't be The American Capitalist Church, and it certainly won't be America's robber barons. I still recall when Bush 41 took Lee Iacocca and went to Japan to beg for concessions. Upon leaving Japan, the Japanese executives said that American executives were 'gangsters'. That gangster mindset is pervasive in American society. The average American will earn 2.5M in a lifetime. Some earn that amount daily and some weekly, and still they are not satisfied!
revcsolomon
The absence of wealth, and poverty are not one and the same. It is too bad that you and many individuals have been inveigled into believing that they only system that can survive or satisfy is one that is based on money or wealth. Our objectives ought to be contentment, and there are many individuals, even as you stated, who lack financial resources that have learned to be content. The latter live very satisfying lives. It is the ones who respond to anxiety influenced performance that do not!
revcsolomon
The Czars, the feudal Lords, American carpet-baggers..., were all very satisfied with the status quo, given their positions at the top of the food chain. The fact that your system works for you does not mean that it a system in keeping with divine practice. You and others are financially addicted. You must have a daily fix. When anything threatens or impairs your ability, by your own admission, to garner wealth, you experience panic attacks. Jesus had no money, bed, CDs, mutual funds...!
revcsolomon
Westhea, Mbeki had enough. Remember what I said before about South Africa, a 95% majority black nation? One person cannot change a nation where their are structural barriers in place that are resistant to change. America isn't any different. Mandela, with his celebrity status was also unable to bring real change to the African majority. When the Obama experiment concludes, I trust that you will join some of us who are pursuing a real solution. Being prez of the US is not it!
revcsolomon
Westhea, I am in the midst of a conference being held at UC Berkeley. The topic is Africa and Caribbean Performance. I have been engaging in, along with the other conferees professors from several nations in the motherland. I will share more when the conference is over. The rest of the Diaspora is hungry and looking for leadership. Can we provide it for them! I raised the issue of Black Dependency and the Historical Successes & Failures of Black Male Leadership to a mixed response. Obama?
revcsolomon
Through 43 iterations now, America has had individuals to take hold at the helm, claiming that they had the elixir that when applied would make America a better place. Arguably, the more things have changed, the more they have remained the same. The philosophy is flawed, and the economic system is vulnerable. Certain factions manipulate both simply to accomplish their puerile puerile and atavistic objectives. The Obama and Democrats have the same aim in mind in that regard!
unlending
revcsolomon "Don't feel bad, most Christians don't understand prosperity" or the responsibility of it.
what is your plan?
revcsolomon
As Jesus once said, have I been so long with you and yet you do not know me. Answer: The divine plan.
revcsolomon
Let me answer you with the title of my book that is in incubation, regarding the United States and the American People: WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE A NATION OF RECENT HISTORY!
revcsolomon
The anticlimactic ponzi scheme (the American capitalist economic plan) that you and too many Americans subscribe to was created in order to help a ruling elite composed exclusively of white males voters who didn't want to pay taxes to the crown, to enrich themselves. Why are you a proponent of such a plan? Answer: Because it has permitted you to pursue your wanderlusts and prevarications, and it provided you with an illusory sense of security! Some realize of late how fleeting it really is!
revcsolomon
It is the one that was provided to us by a much higher source. It is not based upon lust, greed, conspicuous consumption.
revcsolomon
My plan is to do what I was called to do, to attempt to reeducate those that I can, many of whom have been misinformed. They are the individuals who reify a flawed system that is badly in need of an adjustment. If that were to happen it could be a system, one that truly trusts in God and that is structured upon godly principles. God's plan encompassed providing for a caring for all of his own!
revcsolomon
Sometimes..., and other times they simply resist because they are too much in love with their own minds/intellect! Americans tergiversators won't be ready to learn until the stock market crashes. It is the illusion of wealth and economic security that keeps them believing and hoping in a system that was never designed for all Americans in the first place. Many come to America in order to next in the economic tree of promise, and to ride the money train. For many, it's about the Benjamins!
revcsolomon
At an international conference this weekend, I reminded all who listened that America is 'the land of the free and the home of the slave'. Most Americans are only too pleased/greedy to predicate in a system that was built on the back of slavery. Wachovia Bank, one of the original slave banks just went under. Americans need to be reminded that America's 232 years of existence, by comparison with other millennial nations, a flash in the pan experiment, appears to be headed in the wrong direction.
revcsolomon
"I am convinced that the incoming administration will better the work done during the past 14-and-half years so that poverty, underdevelopment, unemployment, illiteracy, challenges of health, crime and corruption will cease to define the lives of many of our people," Mbeki said. What are the chances that this could happen in America? Americans won't change until the money stream stops flowing, and the majority of Americans are awakened from sleep. Mbeki couldn't do it alone, Obama can't either!
My feelings about our dialogue is simply this, we both share a difference of opinion. I believe that that the Sovereign intended something else us for the people!
Love, peace & grace
Rev. C. Solomon
Final thought? Rather than compare what one jiman or nation does in comparison to another human or nation, my position is that man's plans ought to be predicated upon and compared with the intentional plan of the Sovereign!
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