When there is a conflict of interest between any two individuals or groups, there is one moral "treat others the way you would want to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot" principle. Ideally, both parties are adhering to that principle. Otherwise, one or both parties adopted the immoral "do unto to others before they do unto you…
When there is a conflict of interest between any two individuals or groups, there is one moral "treat others the way you would want to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot" principle. Ideally, both parties are adhering to that principle. Otherwise, one or both parties adopted the immoral "do unto to others before they do unto you" principle. And people who are not willing to take advantage of the short-term benefit of acting immorally have been drummed out of today's Republican party.
Gary, your two Toms and Chuck Hagel were adhering to the moral principle. So did a Republican politician from Maricopa County, Arizona. His name is Bill Gates. He ended up in therapy for PTSD caused by the treatment he received from MAGA protesting outside his home for the sin of refusing to break the law in Trump's favor in the 2020 election. Ref: The Axe Files podcast, E539.
To be wise is to understand that the small short-benefit of an immoral act has an enormous long-term cost, and the small short-term cost of a moral act has an enormous long-term benefit.
My prediction is that "long-term" is November, "enormous benefit" will be a landslide D victory, and that that will be the final nail in MAGA's coffin. My expectation is the delinquents will be drummed out, and then the grownups can take back what's left of the real Republican party.
If the Republican Party were to reconstruct (and that’s a big if) they will need to make their policies about people instead of profit and loss. Because profit at all costs has been their thing. A friend of mine talks about the job creators (meaning the corporate employers) as though they are a priestly class. In fact the GOP has been busy preserving kleptocratic and exploitive methods over taking care of the citizenry. Their altar has been the so called free market which they bail out and prop up over helping people obtain safe housing, food and water and other essentials. It is the U.S. version of a guillotine happening now. Off with their heads. The grownups of the GOP ran for their lives I guess.
Jesus of Nazareth taught his theory of moral sentiments in his words and actions documented in the Gospels. And then the people who believed in his theory created the movement we now call Christianity. To this day, there are people who bought the lie that Christianity is immoral. It is not. Instead, immoral people have been using Jesus’ name in vain, and they are giving Christianity a bad name.
Likewise, in his book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759), Adam Smith taught how the same moral lesson applied in a different context. And then the people who believed in his theory created the movement we now call capitalism. To this day, there are people who bought the lie that capitalism is immoral. It is not. Instead, immoral people have been using the name capitalism in vain, and they are giving it a bad name.
In his book, Capitalism and Freedom, Milton Freidman used the words in the title of his book in vain (aka in selfishness), and that book is how the Republican party defines capitalism. As a child, I didn’t know much, but I knew the difference between right and wrong. And so, as a child, I knew more about Christianity, capitalism, and freedom than Milton Freidman, the entire 2024 edition of the Republican party, and six of the nine SCOTUS justices.
Have you watched Food Inc 2? They talk about the mergers and acquisitions that have occurred in the food industry resulting in 2 to 4 major players controlling 80-90% market share.
For instance, Walmart takes in 1 out of every 3 dollar spent on groceries in the United States. They control the price we pay for groceries in hundreds of markets where they are the only grocery store within 30-50 miles. They are actually an anomaly in that they have grown by bankrupting their completion never needing to purchase them.
When we lived in Rolla, MO Walmart did 70% of all retail business in town. Downtown Rolla was a ghost town with only a few mom & pop stores left, some restaurants and a couple of bars.
But Tyson, Perdue and a few others control the meat industry and they are making huge profits by colluding which used to be illegall.
When there is a conflict of interest between any two individuals or groups, there is one moral "treat others the way you would want to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot" principle. Ideally, both parties are adhering to that principle. Otherwise, one or both parties adopted the immoral "do unto to others before they do unto you" principle. And people who are not willing to take advantage of the short-term benefit of acting immorally have been drummed out of today's Republican party.
Gary, your two Toms and Chuck Hagel were adhering to the moral principle. So did a Republican politician from Maricopa County, Arizona. His name is Bill Gates. He ended up in therapy for PTSD caused by the treatment he received from MAGA protesting outside his home for the sin of refusing to break the law in Trump's favor in the 2020 election. Ref: The Axe Files podcast, E539.
To be wise is to understand that the small short-benefit of an immoral act has an enormous long-term cost, and the small short-term cost of a moral act has an enormous long-term benefit.
My prediction is that "long-term" is November, "enormous benefit" will be a landslide D victory, and that that will be the final nail in MAGA's coffin. My expectation is the delinquents will be drummed out, and then the grownups can take back what's left of the real Republican party.
If the Republican Party were to reconstruct (and that’s a big if) they will need to make their policies about people instead of profit and loss. Because profit at all costs has been their thing. A friend of mine talks about the job creators (meaning the corporate employers) as though they are a priestly class. In fact the GOP has been busy preserving kleptocratic and exploitive methods over taking care of the citizenry. Their altar has been the so called free market which they bail out and prop up over helping people obtain safe housing, food and water and other essentials. It is the U.S. version of a guillotine happening now. Off with their heads. The grownups of the GOP ran for their lives I guess.
Jesus of Nazareth taught his theory of moral sentiments in his words and actions documented in the Gospels. And then the people who believed in his theory created the movement we now call Christianity. To this day, there are people who bought the lie that Christianity is immoral. It is not. Instead, immoral people have been using Jesus’ name in vain, and they are giving Christianity a bad name.
Likewise, in his book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759), Adam Smith taught how the same moral lesson applied in a different context. And then the people who believed in his theory created the movement we now call capitalism. To this day, there are people who bought the lie that capitalism is immoral. It is not. Instead, immoral people have been using the name capitalism in vain, and they are giving it a bad name.
In his book, Capitalism and Freedom, Milton Freidman used the words in the title of his book in vain (aka in selfishness), and that book is how the Republican party defines capitalism. As a child, I didn’t know much, but I knew the difference between right and wrong. And so, as a child, I knew more about Christianity, capitalism, and freedom than Milton Freidman, the entire 2024 edition of the Republican party, and six of the nine SCOTUS justices.
Translation: Don’t buy the lie.
Have you watched Food Inc 2? They talk about the mergers and acquisitions that have occurred in the food industry resulting in 2 to 4 major players controlling 80-90% market share.
For instance, Walmart takes in 1 out of every 3 dollar spent on groceries in the United States. They control the price we pay for groceries in hundreds of markets where they are the only grocery store within 30-50 miles. They are actually an anomaly in that they have grown by bankrupting their completion never needing to purchase them.
When we lived in Rolla, MO Walmart did 70% of all retail business in town. Downtown Rolla was a ghost town with only a few mom & pop stores left, some restaurants and a couple of bars.
But Tyson, Perdue and a few others control the meat industry and they are making huge profits by colluding which used to be illegall.
I have hope in your prediction, James! Thank you for your thoughts.