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Unity + Liberty = Prosperity. That is the formula.
Unity does not mean uniformity or conformity, but a people who are willing (voluntarily) and able to unite around an ideal such as the American ideal in the last century. When these people share common (universal) values – stand on common ground – they are able to be self-policing and free. Liberty is the key that allows people to pursue their dreams without interference. From this environment of unity and liberty comes innovation, invention, inpiration and ultimately prosperity.
But what can kill prosperity?
Diversity. It may encourage us to respect one another, but it deletes the unity.
Relativity. When even universal values come into question, the common ground soon becomes quicksand.
Oppression: When the solution to quicksand is seen as government rules, regulation and laws, liberty dies the death of a thousand cuts.
Offense. When it appears that the wicked are not punished, either by legal or social sanctions for fear of offending someone, and
Greed. When the engines of society become the worst and lowest of motivations instead of the highest expectations – the ideal, then the good who strive to live up to the ideal cease to be rewarded. No society can long stand when the wicked go unpunished and the good go unrewarded. Ask Pavlov.
Entitlements: Work (contributing, doing your part) is a good thing which must be included in the unity (shared values). When contributing is replaced by greed, prosperity will die. And it does not matter if the greed is pursued by some corporate CEO or some third generation welfare mom who never worked and never plans to. It is greed all the same.
Indeed, entitlements of any kind are society and cultural killers. Why should one do anything at all when everything has been promised for nothing (for free)? Food, shelter, clothing, health, retirement, etc.
To succeed and prosper, aspiration must become perspiration.
Taxes: While neither directly unity nor liberty killers, taxes (with entitlements) are incentive killers. The more of a person’s hard earned money is eaten up by government and pension obligations (for some and not others), the less that person has for their family obligations, much less to pursue their dreams.
To prosper, people must be united and free to live a life worth living. The above is a short list, but certainly something to think about.
-Michael The Fiction Side:
The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
Showing posts with label History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Fair: The One word that defines our generation, culture and world
Fairness. It drives the world (all but Islam) in this age. It is the reason why American politics is so rancorous – why some accuse others of being mean, heartless, cruel, evil. What is fair? There are three views (four with Islam) and they are as follows.
One side cares. The concern is for the poor, hungry, homeless, and in every way what history is calling the disadvantaged. To be sure, fairness is most often spoken of in the negative: that to apply ordinary justice to such people would not be fair. The disadvantaged need extra help, special breaks, a hand up. They need compassion, not punishment. They need access to education and real opportunities which have otherwise been denied them.
When those who think this way look at those who appear advantaged (successful), they feel it is only right (justice) that the advantaged people share. Share, like we are taught when we are infants. These caring believers see the sin inherent in the human species, but only one side.
It is greed and selfishness that oppresses others. Therefore, it is the right of the collective (government) to force the advantaged to share – to give up their advantages in order to create a more level playing field – in order to make things “equal.” And the focus is certainly on the results.
The other side… cares. But the concern here is for the people who struggle to make a good life, who try, who fight the good fight and seek to do what is right for themselves, their families and their neighbors (if not their nation). These good people make the effort in life and it is only fair that they should be rewarded and be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor. In recent years, this view of fairness is also beginning to be expressed in the negative. For the collective (government) to take that fruit and give it to others through excessive taxes and punitive rules and regulations is not fair.
When those who think this way look at those who appear disadvantaged, they point to people in similar circumstances who have become successful, or they point at themselves and say no one helped me. I worked hard and made something of myself. These people invest their lives in a job or a business and believe it is totally fair that they receive a fair return on their investment and the government should not “steal” it. These caring believers also see the sin inherent in the human species, but only one side.
It is well documented that these people are the first in line and give the most to those who are truly disabled, sick or in need; but when they look at the so-called disadvantaged, they also see the lazy people who have learned how to game the system and take advantage of the taxpayer. Helping an unwed mother is one thing, but by the third, fourth or fifth generation, it is no longer a mistake, it is a lifestyle with no end in sight.
For these hard working people, the government is not the answer, it is the problem – making a hard life all but impossible. In America (it is believed), regardless of race, creed, color, religion, gender, socio-economic level or any other qualifier, there is opportunity. One can still strive for the “American Dream.” The playing field here is essentially level at the start. It already is “equal,” but the focus here is on the starting gate, and what a person does with their life is left up to them.
On the third hand… I won’t comment significantly on Islam. That is a world unto itself. Let me just say it has historically been the case where a few clerics, scholars and strongmen (never strongwomen) have had the advantages of this world and most of the people have not. As such, caring or fairness has not much entered into the equation. It is “The Will of Allah,” and any social, political or economic discourse is subservient to the religion.
Finally, there is the older Judeo-Christian view of fairness, and while it will have to wait until the next post, let me just say it recognizes the sin inherent in the human species, both sides.
-Michael
The Fiction Side: The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
One side cares. The concern is for the poor, hungry, homeless, and in every way what history is calling the disadvantaged. To be sure, fairness is most often spoken of in the negative: that to apply ordinary justice to such people would not be fair. The disadvantaged need extra help, special breaks, a hand up. They need compassion, not punishment. They need access to education and real opportunities which have otherwise been denied them.
When those who think this way look at those who appear advantaged (successful), they feel it is only right (justice) that the advantaged people share. Share, like we are taught when we are infants. These caring believers see the sin inherent in the human species, but only one side.
It is greed and selfishness that oppresses others. Therefore, it is the right of the collective (government) to force the advantaged to share – to give up their advantages in order to create a more level playing field – in order to make things “equal.” And the focus is certainly on the results.
The other side… cares. But the concern here is for the people who struggle to make a good life, who try, who fight the good fight and seek to do what is right for themselves, their families and their neighbors (if not their nation). These good people make the effort in life and it is only fair that they should be rewarded and be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor. In recent years, this view of fairness is also beginning to be expressed in the negative. For the collective (government) to take that fruit and give it to others through excessive taxes and punitive rules and regulations is not fair.
When those who think this way look at those who appear disadvantaged, they point to people in similar circumstances who have become successful, or they point at themselves and say no one helped me. I worked hard and made something of myself. These people invest their lives in a job or a business and believe it is totally fair that they receive a fair return on their investment and the government should not “steal” it. These caring believers also see the sin inherent in the human species, but only one side.
It is well documented that these people are the first in line and give the most to those who are truly disabled, sick or in need; but when they look at the so-called disadvantaged, they also see the lazy people who have learned how to game the system and take advantage of the taxpayer. Helping an unwed mother is one thing, but by the third, fourth or fifth generation, it is no longer a mistake, it is a lifestyle with no end in sight.
For these hard working people, the government is not the answer, it is the problem – making a hard life all but impossible. In America (it is believed), regardless of race, creed, color, religion, gender, socio-economic level or any other qualifier, there is opportunity. One can still strive for the “American Dream.” The playing field here is essentially level at the start. It already is “equal,” but the focus here is on the starting gate, and what a person does with their life is left up to them.
On the third hand… I won’t comment significantly on Islam. That is a world unto itself. Let me just say it has historically been the case where a few clerics, scholars and strongmen (never strongwomen) have had the advantages of this world and most of the people have not. As such, caring or fairness has not much entered into the equation. It is “The Will of Allah,” and any social, political or economic discourse is subservient to the religion.
Finally, there is the older Judeo-Christian view of fairness, and while it will have to wait until the next post, let me just say it recognizes the sin inherent in the human species, both sides.
-Michael
The Fiction Side: The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The New Dark Ages: The Beggars; the Permanent Underclass
These days we consider ourselves more civilized than the middle ages.
Hark! Hark! The dogs do bark,
The beggars are coming to town.
Some in rags,
And some in tags,
And one in a velvet gown!
Then again there’s Monty Python
“How can you tell he’s the King?”
“He doesn’t have any shit on his shoes…”
###
Welcome to the New Dark Ages
And you thought homelessness was a recent phenomenon…
In the first dark ages there were refugees – whole migrations of refugees, and disabled from one war or another. There were criminals, and people thrown from their land because the church wanted it or some noble lord wanted a new hunting preserve. There were people in debt who could not pay who ended up in debtor’s prisons, as indentured servants (virtual slaves) or in the poor house. People were regularly reduced to begging as well as the normal lazy vagabonds who for whatever reason were content to beg for their bread and depend on the poor box in the local parish. What do you think made up Robin Hood’s band of merry men? It was not the rich and famous.
Today, we are a much more compassionate society, or so we think. We have public housing, welfare, food stamps. No one needs to beg, though some still do. And this is compassionate, but is it wise? You see, back then there was a real incentive (granted a negative incentive) to work hard, stay in good graces with the church and the lord of the manor, deal honestly (against criminality) with your neighbors, live frugally, save what you could against the rainy day, and be charitable with the understanding that you might end up there, but for the grace of God,
Today, the incentive is turning on its head. We are already seeing some results (and riots) in certain parts of the globe, like Europe where this “entitlement” thinking has taken a firm hold. Yes, I know it is very politically incorrect to think this through, but here is the truth of it: entitlement = government promises = taxpayer money = STEALING from your neighbor…
I am not saying we were better off in the first dark ages when people got thrown out into the street. I am saying we have to find a different way of being compassionate to the poor and needy because the way we are doing it is not working.
The bureaucratic class needs a permanent underclass to be their power base, but that class cannot be allowed to get too big. Someone has to pay for it and to be blunt, there just are not that many rich people.
Our current system kills the incentive to work hard. Young people are asking why they should work their butts off when they can do almost as well not working at all. It kills the incentive to stay in good graces with the owners and bureaucrats. Cheating on taxes, for example, is becoming a way of life to where you are considered a fool if you don’t cheat. And the same goes for neighbors. Thought for neighbors and charity in general are entirely out the window. Our current system of entitlement thinking inspires us to ask, “What’s in it for me?” There is no incentive at all to live frugally or save. Even massive debt is no sweat given the big bailouts we have all seen.
We have to find a better way, because otherwise that word “unsustainable” will rear its ugly head and then the bureaucratic class will have to impose a litmus test for “help.” When that happens, the millions who don’t pass that test better find work mighty quick. If they don’t, we will soon enough be right back in nursery rhyme land: Hark, hark! The dogs do bark. The beggars are coming to town…
-Michael The Fiction Side:
The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
Hark! Hark! The dogs do bark,
The beggars are coming to town.
Some in rags,
And some in tags,
And one in a velvet gown!
Then again there’s Monty Python
“How can you tell he’s the King?”
“He doesn’t have any shit on his shoes…”
###
Welcome to the New Dark Ages
And you thought homelessness was a recent phenomenon…
In the first dark ages there were refugees – whole migrations of refugees, and disabled from one war or another. There were criminals, and people thrown from their land because the church wanted it or some noble lord wanted a new hunting preserve. There were people in debt who could not pay who ended up in debtor’s prisons, as indentured servants (virtual slaves) or in the poor house. People were regularly reduced to begging as well as the normal lazy vagabonds who for whatever reason were content to beg for their bread and depend on the poor box in the local parish. What do you think made up Robin Hood’s band of merry men? It was not the rich and famous.
Today, we are a much more compassionate society, or so we think. We have public housing, welfare, food stamps. No one needs to beg, though some still do. And this is compassionate, but is it wise? You see, back then there was a real incentive (granted a negative incentive) to work hard, stay in good graces with the church and the lord of the manor, deal honestly (against criminality) with your neighbors, live frugally, save what you could against the rainy day, and be charitable with the understanding that you might end up there, but for the grace of God,
Today, the incentive is turning on its head. We are already seeing some results (and riots) in certain parts of the globe, like Europe where this “entitlement” thinking has taken a firm hold. Yes, I know it is very politically incorrect to think this through, but here is the truth of it: entitlement = government promises = taxpayer money = STEALING from your neighbor…
I am not saying we were better off in the first dark ages when people got thrown out into the street. I am saying we have to find a different way of being compassionate to the poor and needy because the way we are doing it is not working.
The bureaucratic class needs a permanent underclass to be their power base, but that class cannot be allowed to get too big. Someone has to pay for it and to be blunt, there just are not that many rich people.
Our current system kills the incentive to work hard. Young people are asking why they should work their butts off when they can do almost as well not working at all. It kills the incentive to stay in good graces with the owners and bureaucrats. Cheating on taxes, for example, is becoming a way of life to where you are considered a fool if you don’t cheat. And the same goes for neighbors. Thought for neighbors and charity in general are entirely out the window. Our current system of entitlement thinking inspires us to ask, “What’s in it for me?” There is no incentive at all to live frugally or save. Even massive debt is no sweat given the big bailouts we have all seen.
We have to find a better way, because otherwise that word “unsustainable” will rear its ugly head and then the bureaucratic class will have to impose a litmus test for “help.” When that happens, the millions who don’t pass that test better find work mighty quick. If they don’t, we will soon enough be right back in nursery rhyme land: Hark, hark! The dogs do bark. The beggars are coming to town…
-Michael The Fiction Side:
The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The New Dark Ages: The Employment (Peasant) Class
Sir Brian, a small land owner stepped out of his house to check on the work. “Giles,” he shouted. “Get that wagon packed. Success in the market depends on timely arrival.” Giles nodded.
He stepped over to Mary’s table where she was looking over the crop situation. She had to figure out what went to various overlords in taxes and tithe, what went to the owner, what got divided between the workers and what, if any, might be left over to save for the proverbial rainy day.
“It is barely enough to make ends meet,’ she said. Sir Brian smiled to encourage her. He knew it was barely enough.
He stepped to the field where the workers, tools in hand were hard at it. They looked up at him when he spoke. “Do a good job, people. We will need the winter harvest to make it to the other side of spring.
###
Brian, a small business owner stepped out of his office to check on the work. “Giles,” he shouted. “Get that box packed. Success in the market depends on timely arrival.” Giles nodded.
He stepped over to Mary’s desk where she was looking over the financial situation. She had to figure out what went to various governments in taxes and regulatory fees, what went to the owner, what got divided between the workers, and what, if any, might be left over to save for the proverbial rainy day.
“It is barely enough to make ends meet,” she said. Brian smiled to encourage her. He knew it was barely enough.
He stepped to the room where the workers, tools in hand were hard at it. They looked up at him when he spoke. “Do a good job, people. We will need the Christmas sales to make it to the other side of spring.
###
Welcome to the New Dark Ages.
The employee (peasant) class comes in many forms: middle and lower management, small business owners, merchants, accountants and bookkeepers and workers (not far from serfs). People need to work, and to be sure, some do well enough and perhaps very well. Most, though, just make a living, and many of them only if both spouses are working. Children are more on their own these days than ever – apart from the middle ages.
Some workers have to belong to unions – not unlike the guilds in the first dark ages. If you were not a member of the local but did that work, your property would be vandalized and threats would be made against your person and maybe even your family back then, too.
True, there is theoretically more movement these days. People are not tied to their companies the way they were tied to the land, but the truth is many feel they are tied, especially in poor economic times when they feel lucky to have a job. For those who do make a move, it is generally lateral movement and only some rare upward mobility. Auto mechanics, burger flipping, used car selling, assembly line work are all valid skills, but where can you really go with them?
These days, the better paying jobs require education, certification, even licensing that puts them out of reach of most people. While licenses and certifications might help protect the public from average cranks, it makes it hard to become a doctor, lawyer, teacher, or any profession. The cost of the education alone is prohibitive for most, so the numbers have not increased significantly for the population and it will not be long before certain professions will be lean or wanting in a variety of times and places, just like the first time the dark ages came around.
Yes, promotions still happen up to a point, but even in the first dark ages if a serf showed the right skills and some leadership qualities, they could get promoted out of the fields as well.
For our Dark Ages there are two things to consider which in some ways will make our Dark Ages worse that the first time around. They will have to wait until the next post, however, when we talk about the Beggars: the Permanent Underclass.
-Michael The Fiction Side:
The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
He stepped over to Mary’s table where she was looking over the crop situation. She had to figure out what went to various overlords in taxes and tithe, what went to the owner, what got divided between the workers and what, if any, might be left over to save for the proverbial rainy day.
“It is barely enough to make ends meet,’ she said. Sir Brian smiled to encourage her. He knew it was barely enough.
He stepped to the field where the workers, tools in hand were hard at it. They looked up at him when he spoke. “Do a good job, people. We will need the winter harvest to make it to the other side of spring.
###
Brian, a small business owner stepped out of his office to check on the work. “Giles,” he shouted. “Get that box packed. Success in the market depends on timely arrival.” Giles nodded.
He stepped over to Mary’s desk where she was looking over the financial situation. She had to figure out what went to various governments in taxes and regulatory fees, what went to the owner, what got divided between the workers, and what, if any, might be left over to save for the proverbial rainy day.
“It is barely enough to make ends meet,” she said. Brian smiled to encourage her. He knew it was barely enough.
He stepped to the room where the workers, tools in hand were hard at it. They looked up at him when he spoke. “Do a good job, people. We will need the Christmas sales to make it to the other side of spring.
###
Welcome to the New Dark Ages.
The employee (peasant) class comes in many forms: middle and lower management, small business owners, merchants, accountants and bookkeepers and workers (not far from serfs). People need to work, and to be sure, some do well enough and perhaps very well. Most, though, just make a living, and many of them only if both spouses are working. Children are more on their own these days than ever – apart from the middle ages.
Some workers have to belong to unions – not unlike the guilds in the first dark ages. If you were not a member of the local but did that work, your property would be vandalized and threats would be made against your person and maybe even your family back then, too.
True, there is theoretically more movement these days. People are not tied to their companies the way they were tied to the land, but the truth is many feel they are tied, especially in poor economic times when they feel lucky to have a job. For those who do make a move, it is generally lateral movement and only some rare upward mobility. Auto mechanics, burger flipping, used car selling, assembly line work are all valid skills, but where can you really go with them?
These days, the better paying jobs require education, certification, even licensing that puts them out of reach of most people. While licenses and certifications might help protect the public from average cranks, it makes it hard to become a doctor, lawyer, teacher, or any profession. The cost of the education alone is prohibitive for most, so the numbers have not increased significantly for the population and it will not be long before certain professions will be lean or wanting in a variety of times and places, just like the first time the dark ages came around.
Yes, promotions still happen up to a point, but even in the first dark ages if a serf showed the right skills and some leadership qualities, they could get promoted out of the fields as well.
For our Dark Ages there are two things to consider which in some ways will make our Dark Ages worse that the first time around. They will have to wait until the next post, however, when we talk about the Beggars: the Permanent Underclass.
-Michael The Fiction Side:
The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The New Dark Ages: The Bureaucratic (Church) Class
The Baron sat on his throne and spoke openly to the Archbishop. “We are agreed, then. We recommend Charles to the King for appointment to the Bishopric.”
“Charles will do well.” The Archbishop nodded. “The Bishopric really controls nothing but a few insignificant parishes and a monastery. He won’t be able to screw anything up.”
“Of course, Rome will have to approve.”
“But that is a given. Rome never seriously objects on these lesser positions.”
###
The CEO sat behind his desk and spoke openly to the Cabinet Assistant Secretary. “We are agreed, then. We recommend Charles to the President for appointment to the department.”
“Charles will do well.” The Assistant Secretary nodded. “The department controls nothing but a few insignificant offices and a technology center. He won’t be able to screw anything up.”
“Of course the Senate will have to approve.”
“But that is a given. The Senate never seriously objects on these lesser positions.”
###
Welcome to the New Dark Ages
The Owner class – those elected to power – will appoint ministers, cabinet secretaries and heads of departments out of their own ranks like the Nobility of old appointed Bishops, Archbishops and the like. Sadly, like their Medieval counterparts, these appointments are and will be more concerned with enriching themselves than they will with seeing to the system. The reasons will be the same as before.
For one, the government departments, like the Bishoprics will be too large and unwieldy to get everywhere and examine everything. The idea of visiting every office (parish) will be too time consuming to be worthwhile. The “head” will not even know all of the work for which his people are responsible until some other department (bishopric) tries to take it away . Then there will be a fight for territory.
For two, the bureaucrats, like parish priests will be lifetime positions (especially as the unions exert more and more hold on the work). Even if a “head” becomes aware of utter incompetence in some office, it will be impossible to get rid of the person or persons. They may be shifted around, but that will just spread the incompetence elsewhere.
To be fair, many bureaucrats, like many a priest of old, will do their best to do a credible job in the position. But their hands will be tied by the very rules and regulations they are to uphold and enforce. They will not be able to do anything about something that even they see as an injustice without being branded a rebel (heretic) – and then they can be gotten rid of…
One of the chief occupations of the bureaucratic (church) class, of course, will be to keep the coffers full. There was always a poor box, and the peasants (employment class) were and will be told over and over to consider the poor and destitute. Some of it will go up the ladder and enrich the upper bureaucrats and department heads, but some of it will be used to actually help the poor: by which I mean the needy, yes, but also thieves, beggars, prostitutes, and the terminally lazy even as it does now. Still, the bureaucratic class will harp on the poor and destitute because they understand that much of their power, not to mention many of their jobs, will be directly tied to this permanent, non-productive underclass. The peasants (the employed) will be squeezed for their money. Oh wait, we already are.
###
-Michael The Fiction Side:
The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
“Charles will do well.” The Archbishop nodded. “The Bishopric really controls nothing but a few insignificant parishes and a monastery. He won’t be able to screw anything up.”
“Of course, Rome will have to approve.”
“But that is a given. Rome never seriously objects on these lesser positions.”
###
The CEO sat behind his desk and spoke openly to the Cabinet Assistant Secretary. “We are agreed, then. We recommend Charles to the President for appointment to the department.”
“Charles will do well.” The Assistant Secretary nodded. “The department controls nothing but a few insignificant offices and a technology center. He won’t be able to screw anything up.”
“Of course the Senate will have to approve.”
“But that is a given. The Senate never seriously objects on these lesser positions.”
###
Welcome to the New Dark Ages
The Owner class – those elected to power – will appoint ministers, cabinet secretaries and heads of departments out of their own ranks like the Nobility of old appointed Bishops, Archbishops and the like. Sadly, like their Medieval counterparts, these appointments are and will be more concerned with enriching themselves than they will with seeing to the system. The reasons will be the same as before.
For one, the government departments, like the Bishoprics will be too large and unwieldy to get everywhere and examine everything. The idea of visiting every office (parish) will be too time consuming to be worthwhile. The “head” will not even know all of the work for which his people are responsible until some other department (bishopric) tries to take it away . Then there will be a fight for territory.
For two, the bureaucrats, like parish priests will be lifetime positions (especially as the unions exert more and more hold on the work). Even if a “head” becomes aware of utter incompetence in some office, it will be impossible to get rid of the person or persons. They may be shifted around, but that will just spread the incompetence elsewhere.
To be fair, many bureaucrats, like many a priest of old, will do their best to do a credible job in the position. But their hands will be tied by the very rules and regulations they are to uphold and enforce. They will not be able to do anything about something that even they see as an injustice without being branded a rebel (heretic) – and then they can be gotten rid of…
One of the chief occupations of the bureaucratic (church) class, of course, will be to keep the coffers full. There was always a poor box, and the peasants (employment class) were and will be told over and over to consider the poor and destitute. Some of it will go up the ladder and enrich the upper bureaucrats and department heads, but some of it will be used to actually help the poor: by which I mean the needy, yes, but also thieves, beggars, prostitutes, and the terminally lazy even as it does now. Still, the bureaucratic class will harp on the poor and destitute because they understand that much of their power, not to mention many of their jobs, will be directly tied to this permanent, non-productive underclass. The peasants (the employed) will be squeezed for their money. Oh wait, we already are.
###
-Michael The Fiction Side:
The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The New Dark Ages: Servants of the Nobility (Owner Class).
“I know.” The Baron had a thought and grinned because of it. “I’ll take the King’s representative out on a hunt in the game preserve. I’ll get him riding all day, and then have a banquet in his honor with plenty of wine. Make sure there is plenty of wine. When he is in the right frame of mind, we can feed him the information we want him to take back to the King. Do you think?”
###
“I know.” The CEO had a thought and grinned because of it. “I’ll take the assistant treasury secretary out on the golf course. I’ll get him walking all day, and then take him to the club house for dinner with plenty of wine. Call the club and make sure they have plenty of the kind he likes. When he is in the right frame of mind, we can feed him the information we want him to take back to Washington. Do you think?”
###
Welcome to the New Dark Ages.
So, the Barron had his jester, treasurer, court magician and astrologer, physician and chamberlain. So also the owner class has its entertainers, accountants, lawyers (to cast spells or spins to keep off the dreaded bureaucrats and the tax man), the best medical care money can buy, and a personal secretary to keep track of it all.
As the government or bureaucratic (church) class strives to take over more and more of the private sector, the owner class will strive to resist. There will be and already are massive compliance departments in the corporations, not to be sure the company is in compliance with all the oppressive rules and regulations of the bureaucratic class, but to find ways to get around those rules and regulations. Compliance lawyers, accountants and public relations (spin) people will command premium prices in the New Dark Ages to defend and build up the company the way engineers, architects and military experts in the Middle Ages commanded premium prices to defend and build up cities.
What is important for the owner class to understand is when their people of a liberal or socialist perspective are elected, like the days of a weak monarchy and weak nobility, the bureaucratic class (church) will grow in power, thus further eroding the owner class’s ability to resist. Conversely, when owner class people of a more moderate or conservative perspective are elected, like the days of a strong monarchy and strong nobility, the power of the bureaucrats (church) will be limited and the power of the owner class will be strengthened.
NOTE: No matter which end of the political spectrum is elected, the employment (peasant) class will not be helped. Wait, that is already true.
Ultimately, the owner class’s ability to appoint ministers, cabinet secretaries and department heads, like the monarchy and nobility of old appointing Bishops and Archbishops, and sometimes even Cardinals and Popes will have little effect on the daily grind of the Bureaucratic class. Next time…..
###
-Michael The Fiction Side:
The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
###
“I know.” The CEO had a thought and grinned because of it. “I’ll take the assistant treasury secretary out on the golf course. I’ll get him walking all day, and then take him to the club house for dinner with plenty of wine. Call the club and make sure they have plenty of the kind he likes. When he is in the right frame of mind, we can feed him the information we want him to take back to Washington. Do you think?”
###
Welcome to the New Dark Ages.
So, the Barron had his jester, treasurer, court magician and astrologer, physician and chamberlain. So also the owner class has its entertainers, accountants, lawyers (to cast spells or spins to keep off the dreaded bureaucrats and the tax man), the best medical care money can buy, and a personal secretary to keep track of it all.
As the government or bureaucratic (church) class strives to take over more and more of the private sector, the owner class will strive to resist. There will be and already are massive compliance departments in the corporations, not to be sure the company is in compliance with all the oppressive rules and regulations of the bureaucratic class, but to find ways to get around those rules and regulations. Compliance lawyers, accountants and public relations (spin) people will command premium prices in the New Dark Ages to defend and build up the company the way engineers, architects and military experts in the Middle Ages commanded premium prices to defend and build up cities.
What is important for the owner class to understand is when their people of a liberal or socialist perspective are elected, like the days of a weak monarchy and weak nobility, the bureaucratic class (church) will grow in power, thus further eroding the owner class’s ability to resist. Conversely, when owner class people of a more moderate or conservative perspective are elected, like the days of a strong monarchy and strong nobility, the power of the bureaucrats (church) will be limited and the power of the owner class will be strengthened.
NOTE: No matter which end of the political spectrum is elected, the employment (peasant) class will not be helped. Wait, that is already true.
Ultimately, the owner class’s ability to appoint ministers, cabinet secretaries and department heads, like the monarchy and nobility of old appointing Bishops and Archbishops, and sometimes even Cardinals and Popes will have little effect on the daily grind of the Bureaucratic class. Next time…..
###
-Michael The Fiction Side:
The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
The New Dark Ages: Nobility or the Owner Class.
Once upon a time, a Baron brooded in his hall. “Lord,” the Chamberlain spoke up, but the Baron just shuffled his papers.
“I don’t get these accounts,” the Baron complained. “The harvest is in and our sales have been made, plus the taxes have been collected, but it doesn’t make any sense.” He waited for an explanation, but the Chamberlain wisely remained silent. “Send for my treasurer, and while you are at it, send in my court jester. I could use some entertainment.”
“Lord,” the Chamberlain tried again and spoke when the Baron looked up. “The Archbishop has come for the tithe.”
“Tell him to wait.”
“And the bishop is with him.”
The Baron blanched. “Tell him to sit on it.”
“And the King’s representative is coming here in the morning with a group of priests to check the books for the taxes.”
The Baron jumped to his feet. “Quick. Get my court magician, my sage, my court astrologer. I need a spell against these dreaded men. And while you’re at it, cancel my jester and get my physician. I have a headache.”
###
Once upon a time, a CEO brooded in his office. “Sir,” the Secretary spoke up, but the CEO just shuffled his papers.
“I don’t get these accounts,” the CEO complained. “The product is in port and our sales have been made, plus the taxes have been collected, but it doesn’t make any sense.” He waited for an explanation, but the secretary wisely remained silent. “Send for the CFO, and while you are at it, turn on some music. I could use some entertainment.”
“Sir,” the secretary tried again and spoke when the CEO looked up. “The EPA has come for the carbon credits.”
“Tell him to wait.”
“And the FDA is with him.”
The CEO blanched. “Tell him to sit on it.”
“And the Treasury assistant secretary is coming here in the morning with a group of accountants to check the books for the taxes.”
The CEO jumped to his feet. “Quick. Get my lawyers, accountants and PR people from the compliance department . I need a spin against these dreaded men. And while you’re at it, turn off the music and get my doctor. I have a headache.”
###
Welcome to the New Dark Ages
In our day, the owner class might not actually own anything outright, but they run things. They function as chief officers in the corporations, sit on each other’s boards as directors, and make money from having money. What they own are investments and with interest and dividends they constitute the top one or two percent or so of wage earners (covering maybe two to three million people in the United States).
Curiously, like the medieval lords, the harder you and I work, the more money they make in bonuses and increased stock values. Too bad we don’t (generally) make more as well. Also, in case you haven’t noticed, when one of these people does such a terrible job they ruin a company, they don’t stay unemployed for long. They get another CEO or CFO or COO job quickly.
Now, these are the people who could retire after working only one or two years. They would have enough money to buy a modest house, travel when they want, buy a new car every year, pay all their own medical expenses as they age, and still have some left to leave to their descendants – and after only one or two years of work. Of course, these people don’t think this way. And they will tell you, honestly enough based on what they consider “work” that they have worked hard for all they have gotten. Then comes the fib: “And you can too.”
Sure. I mean the son of a serf can join the army and through good service be granted lands, be knighted, maybe even given a real title, and though appropriate marriages perhaps see a great-grandchild on the throne…but not likely. These days, these things are more by blood than you might think, and they are also by networking: who you know, not necessarily what you know. And most of all, the old adage is true. It takes money to make money.
True, an entrepreneur might have the greatest idea in the world, but they still need financing. If you ever saw that show “The Shark Tank,” you might have noticed that the people with money can command a controlling interest in the product or service. Then, with success of those products or services, the children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren of those sharks might not have to work a day in their lives; but as I said, these people don’t think this way.
The Owner Class is appropriate because these people make so many decisions about the products and services available to us they affect all of our lives. This is even more true when they are elected to office. And don’t be fooled, most of the people who run for “public office” are part of the Owner Class. And, once in office, they can appoint people to head various departments and such, like the nobility of old appointed second sons and the like to various high church offices. The point of that, however, will have to wait, because first I need to explain about the various servants of the Owner Class.
The Barron had his jester, treasurer, court magician and astrologer, physician and Chamberlain. Owners have entertainers, accountants, lawyers and physicians at their call as well. Next time…
-Michael
The Fiction Side: The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
“I don’t get these accounts,” the Baron complained. “The harvest is in and our sales have been made, plus the taxes have been collected, but it doesn’t make any sense.” He waited for an explanation, but the Chamberlain wisely remained silent. “Send for my treasurer, and while you are at it, send in my court jester. I could use some entertainment.”
“Lord,” the Chamberlain tried again and spoke when the Baron looked up. “The Archbishop has come for the tithe.”
“Tell him to wait.”
“And the bishop is with him.”
The Baron blanched. “Tell him to sit on it.”
“And the King’s representative is coming here in the morning with a group of priests to check the books for the taxes.”
The Baron jumped to his feet. “Quick. Get my court magician, my sage, my court astrologer. I need a spell against these dreaded men. And while you’re at it, cancel my jester and get my physician. I have a headache.”
###
Once upon a time, a CEO brooded in his office. “Sir,” the Secretary spoke up, but the CEO just shuffled his papers.
“I don’t get these accounts,” the CEO complained. “The product is in port and our sales have been made, plus the taxes have been collected, but it doesn’t make any sense.” He waited for an explanation, but the secretary wisely remained silent. “Send for the CFO, and while you are at it, turn on some music. I could use some entertainment.”
“Sir,” the secretary tried again and spoke when the CEO looked up. “The EPA has come for the carbon credits.”
“Tell him to wait.”
“And the FDA is with him.”
The CEO blanched. “Tell him to sit on it.”
“And the Treasury assistant secretary is coming here in the morning with a group of accountants to check the books for the taxes.”
The CEO jumped to his feet. “Quick. Get my lawyers, accountants and PR people from the compliance department . I need a spin against these dreaded men. And while you’re at it, turn off the music and get my doctor. I have a headache.”
###
Welcome to the New Dark Ages
In our day, the owner class might not actually own anything outright, but they run things. They function as chief officers in the corporations, sit on each other’s boards as directors, and make money from having money. What they own are investments and with interest and dividends they constitute the top one or two percent or so of wage earners (covering maybe two to three million people in the United States).
Curiously, like the medieval lords, the harder you and I work, the more money they make in bonuses and increased stock values. Too bad we don’t (generally) make more as well. Also, in case you haven’t noticed, when one of these people does such a terrible job they ruin a company, they don’t stay unemployed for long. They get another CEO or CFO or COO job quickly.
Now, these are the people who could retire after working only one or two years. They would have enough money to buy a modest house, travel when they want, buy a new car every year, pay all their own medical expenses as they age, and still have some left to leave to their descendants – and after only one or two years of work. Of course, these people don’t think this way. And they will tell you, honestly enough based on what they consider “work” that they have worked hard for all they have gotten. Then comes the fib: “And you can too.”
Sure. I mean the son of a serf can join the army and through good service be granted lands, be knighted, maybe even given a real title, and though appropriate marriages perhaps see a great-grandchild on the throne…but not likely. These days, these things are more by blood than you might think, and they are also by networking: who you know, not necessarily what you know. And most of all, the old adage is true. It takes money to make money.
True, an entrepreneur might have the greatest idea in the world, but they still need financing. If you ever saw that show “The Shark Tank,” you might have noticed that the people with money can command a controlling interest in the product or service. Then, with success of those products or services, the children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren of those sharks might not have to work a day in their lives; but as I said, these people don’t think this way.
The Owner Class is appropriate because these people make so many decisions about the products and services available to us they affect all of our lives. This is even more true when they are elected to office. And don’t be fooled, most of the people who run for “public office” are part of the Owner Class. And, once in office, they can appoint people to head various departments and such, like the nobility of old appointed second sons and the like to various high church offices. The point of that, however, will have to wait, because first I need to explain about the various servants of the Owner Class.
The Barron had his jester, treasurer, court magician and astrologer, physician and Chamberlain. Owners have entertainers, accountants, lawyers and physicians at their call as well. Next time…
-Michael
The Fiction Side: The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The New Dark Ages: Class Structure.
Thank God we live in America, right? In America we are free and equal, aren’t we? Anybody can achieve the dream. Isn’t that so?
Long, long ago in Europe, in a land not so far away, there was a kingdom called Amorica. The people there fretted because the Glory that was Rome was gone, and now the Franks stood on their doorstep and threatened invasion. The people of Amorica trembled, because the Germans, that is the Angles and Saxons, already overwhelmed their cousins across the water and now the Franks were threatening them. What could the people do?
The Priest stood up to say some comforting words to the people. Unfortunately, because of the Glory that was Rome he said everything in Latin so none of the people understood what he was saying. That language was already dead as far as the people were concerned.
Then the King stood up and gave a rousing speech in High Britain because of the Glory that was Arthur, but that was not much better, though the people caught a few of the words. Their own language was more closely related to Welsh than Britain. Still, the King roused some of the nobles and perhaps that was a good thing, but what could the people do?
One of the beggars, the lowest of the low stood up last and looked at all the people. “Go back to your homes, ye idiots. At least ye got homes,” he yelled. And so that was what the people did because they figured life would just go on as it had and, as far as they knew, it would go on the same forever. So the Franks came and the people were right.
The King and his nobles owned the actual land and ruled the kingdom, except for the land owned and ruled by the church. The King passed decrees. The Church passed decrees. But the people just went on like the land itself. They were peasants, the serfs who worked the land, some merchants and craftsmen in town, perhaps guild members, and artisans of a sort, but all of them really peasants. They got up with the sun, worked until dark, had families before they died so their families could do the same thing after they were gone. And the beggars, the lowest of the low, still hung around the fringes of all this and…begged.
Let me be the first to say, welcome to the New Dark Ages.
Today the chief commodity isn’t land, it is industry, and the nobility is money-made, but this makes sense because today conquest is not by the sword. Instead it is by mergers and acquisitions. I call it the Owner Class, but a more detailed description of how medieval it really is will have to wait for a future post.
The Church, of course, has been neutered in our present society, but it has not gone away. It has been replaced by Federal, State and local bureaucracies. Trust me, for every decree your CEO hands down, the government is handing down three. Again, the details will have to wait, but I might say that the more actual daily power our elected officials hand over to the bureaucracy, the more medieval we are becoming.
We, or most of us anyway, are the peasants, what I call the employment class. Some of us live paycheck to paycheck. Some of us do well enough, but only as long as we have a job. Lose the job and we risk losing our house, all our perks and benefits, and becoming part of the group that lives paycheck to paycheck. Note: when someone in the owner class loses their job they get a package generally worth more than what you or I would make in our whole working careers.
Serfs: workers, laborers, artists, craftsmen, small businessmen (merchants) entrepreneurs (for the most part) and etc. Most of us, anyway.
Then, of course, there are the beggars. We treat them better these days. We have welfare and plenty of other programs, but they remain a drain on the rest of us, a useless, non-working, permanent underclass of people. Again, more on that to come
-MichaelThe Fiction Side: The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/ The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
Long, long ago in Europe, in a land not so far away, there was a kingdom called Amorica. The people there fretted because the Glory that was Rome was gone, and now the Franks stood on their doorstep and threatened invasion. The people of Amorica trembled, because the Germans, that is the Angles and Saxons, already overwhelmed their cousins across the water and now the Franks were threatening them. What could the people do?
The Priest stood up to say some comforting words to the people. Unfortunately, because of the Glory that was Rome he said everything in Latin so none of the people understood what he was saying. That language was already dead as far as the people were concerned.
Then the King stood up and gave a rousing speech in High Britain because of the Glory that was Arthur, but that was not much better, though the people caught a few of the words. Their own language was more closely related to Welsh than Britain. Still, the King roused some of the nobles and perhaps that was a good thing, but what could the people do?
One of the beggars, the lowest of the low stood up last and looked at all the people. “Go back to your homes, ye idiots. At least ye got homes,” he yelled. And so that was what the people did because they figured life would just go on as it had and, as far as they knew, it would go on the same forever. So the Franks came and the people were right.
The King and his nobles owned the actual land and ruled the kingdom, except for the land owned and ruled by the church. The King passed decrees. The Church passed decrees. But the people just went on like the land itself. They were peasants, the serfs who worked the land, some merchants and craftsmen in town, perhaps guild members, and artisans of a sort, but all of them really peasants. They got up with the sun, worked until dark, had families before they died so their families could do the same thing after they were gone. And the beggars, the lowest of the low, still hung around the fringes of all this and…begged.
Let me be the first to say, welcome to the New Dark Ages.
Today the chief commodity isn’t land, it is industry, and the nobility is money-made, but this makes sense because today conquest is not by the sword. Instead it is by mergers and acquisitions. I call it the Owner Class, but a more detailed description of how medieval it really is will have to wait for a future post.
The Church, of course, has been neutered in our present society, but it has not gone away. It has been replaced by Federal, State and local bureaucracies. Trust me, for every decree your CEO hands down, the government is handing down three. Again, the details will have to wait, but I might say that the more actual daily power our elected officials hand over to the bureaucracy, the more medieval we are becoming.
We, or most of us anyway, are the peasants, what I call the employment class. Some of us live paycheck to paycheck. Some of us do well enough, but only as long as we have a job. Lose the job and we risk losing our house, all our perks and benefits, and becoming part of the group that lives paycheck to paycheck. Note: when someone in the owner class loses their job they get a package generally worth more than what you or I would make in our whole working careers.
Serfs: workers, laborers, artists, craftsmen, small businessmen (merchants) entrepreneurs (for the most part) and etc. Most of us, anyway.
Then, of course, there are the beggars. We treat them better these days. We have welfare and plenty of other programs, but they remain a drain on the rest of us, a useless, non-working, permanent underclass of people. Again, more on that to come
-MichaelThe Fiction Side: The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/ The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Rewritten History, Orwellian Style.
Here is an example: Sept = 7, oct = 8, nov = 9, dec = 10 (decimal/tenth). So why is September the 9th month, October the 10th, November the 11th and December the 12th. December should be the 10th month, shouldn’t it?
Let’s see, that would make the New year around March first – or most likely March 21st at the Spring Equinox. Whoever decided the New Year should be in the middle of winter? Obviously, at some point in history things got changed, and these days I bet most people never thought that dec means 10.
The important thing to note about the calendar is this cannot have happened by accident or evolution. People did not suddenly wake up one morning and all decide to move the time for the New Year. Some person or persons in power had to make the change. In this case, it was Pope by the name of Gregory the Great.
So, the question for the day: Is this kind of rewriting of life happening today? Yes.
First, an obvious one that some people still understand:
False: The Civil War was a war to free the slaves.
True: The Civil War was fought because many southerners believed their states, communities and individual rights were being trampled on by a national government out of control. The Southern answer was to separate from that national government. The Northern answer was to “preserve the union.”
Slavery was deliberately not discussed for two years of the war because of the hope that the Southern states might yet be reunited peacefully. When the Emancipation Proclamation was finally passed and signed, it was done with the hope that it would cause a spontaneous uprising of slaves in the south that would cripple the southern economy. It did not happen…
False: European colonialism was perpetrated by aggressor nations and greedy men who oppressed people and suppressed local cultures in order to gain economic advantage, steal the native resources and enrich the looting nations
True: In the thinking of the time, the world was seen as progressing from worse to better, from primitive societies to civilization. It was the same kind of progressive thinking that produced the theories of Marx and Darwin and caused the founding fathers of the United States to want to “form a more perfect union.”
Far from being exploitative, the Europeans believed they were giving the people of the world, some of whom were still living a stone age existence, the best that they had. It was their moral imperative to bring the benefits of civilization to “backwards” nations. They believed the spread of western, Christian civilization was right, good and true and for the benefit, not detriment of the world. And this colonialization, though far from perfect, was always driven, not by greed, but by the highest ethical standards. Indeed, Ghandi himself was clear when he said his passive resistance would be utterly ineffective against anyone who held to a lower moral ground than the British.
False: Food, clothing, shelter and (now) healthcare are human rights.
True: Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and the original word that was taken out because of the slavery issue, that is, property are rights. You own your thoughts, your beliefs, your labor, your things and (yes) your money, and what you do with them is your decision. The United States Constitution spelled out some rights for all to understand: freedom of conscience – to assemble with others and worship as you please, freedom of speech and the press, freedom to defend yourself, your family and your property against tyranny. These are rights. Why? Because they depend only on you to do with what is yours as you see fit.
Food, clothing, shelter, education and healthcare are not rights. They are entitlements according to our current rulers, but they are not rights. Why? Because they depend upon others, specifically stealing from others in order to insure them to you!
You can see, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Life is being rewritten by those with power and influence, and it is being rewritten under our very noses. Perhaps the second question should be, why?
-MichaelThe Fiction Side: The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/ The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
Let’s see, that would make the New year around March first – or most likely March 21st at the Spring Equinox. Whoever decided the New Year should be in the middle of winter? Obviously, at some point in history things got changed, and these days I bet most people never thought that dec means 10.
The important thing to note about the calendar is this cannot have happened by accident or evolution. People did not suddenly wake up one morning and all decide to move the time for the New Year. Some person or persons in power had to make the change. In this case, it was Pope by the name of Gregory the Great.
So, the question for the day: Is this kind of rewriting of life happening today? Yes.
First, an obvious one that some people still understand:
False: The Civil War was a war to free the slaves.
True: The Civil War was fought because many southerners believed their states, communities and individual rights were being trampled on by a national government out of control. The Southern answer was to separate from that national government. The Northern answer was to “preserve the union.”
Slavery was deliberately not discussed for two years of the war because of the hope that the Southern states might yet be reunited peacefully. When the Emancipation Proclamation was finally passed and signed, it was done with the hope that it would cause a spontaneous uprising of slaves in the south that would cripple the southern economy. It did not happen…
False: European colonialism was perpetrated by aggressor nations and greedy men who oppressed people and suppressed local cultures in order to gain economic advantage, steal the native resources and enrich the looting nations
True: In the thinking of the time, the world was seen as progressing from worse to better, from primitive societies to civilization. It was the same kind of progressive thinking that produced the theories of Marx and Darwin and caused the founding fathers of the United States to want to “form a more perfect union.”
Far from being exploitative, the Europeans believed they were giving the people of the world, some of whom were still living a stone age existence, the best that they had. It was their moral imperative to bring the benefits of civilization to “backwards” nations. They believed the spread of western, Christian civilization was right, good and true and for the benefit, not detriment of the world. And this colonialization, though far from perfect, was always driven, not by greed, but by the highest ethical standards. Indeed, Ghandi himself was clear when he said his passive resistance would be utterly ineffective against anyone who held to a lower moral ground than the British.
False: Food, clothing, shelter and (now) healthcare are human rights.
True: Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and the original word that was taken out because of the slavery issue, that is, property are rights. You own your thoughts, your beliefs, your labor, your things and (yes) your money, and what you do with them is your decision. The United States Constitution spelled out some rights for all to understand: freedom of conscience – to assemble with others and worship as you please, freedom of speech and the press, freedom to defend yourself, your family and your property against tyranny. These are rights. Why? Because they depend only on you to do with what is yours as you see fit.
Food, clothing, shelter, education and healthcare are not rights. They are entitlements according to our current rulers, but they are not rights. Why? Because they depend upon others, specifically stealing from others in order to insure them to you!
You can see, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Life is being rewritten by those with power and influence, and it is being rewritten under our very noses. Perhaps the second question should be, why?
-MichaelThe Fiction Side: The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/ The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
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