For each quaint village this old highway passes through.
There is a sweet homesickness for a place I never knew.
I long to stop and chat with old friends in that tiny cafe.
When I walk in, hows the family, the waitress would say.
The old farmer at that table is more than likely some of my kin.
While the cop at the counter remembers my pa, way back when.
As I leave town I pass my little house grandpa built back in 32.
Homesick for a place I never lived, and for people I never knew.
I turn on the radio to remember the sweet sounds of big band.
I dream of a time when to be a soldier was thought to be grand
War news and FDR over the radio filled far more innocent air
Darling love me tonight, Europe calls, tomorrow I'll be there.
O those beautiful bygone days when the sun always seemed to shine
I never saw them, But remember the weather and women were sublime.
In my smart uniform in this quaint little village I drove my Nash around.
My dreams provide the pictures, Benny Goodman provides the sound.
There are no commercials playing on my Toyota's satellite radio.
I turn down the street to my high rise apartment. It's not far to go.
The big city is not so bad., except for the cold and driving rain.
I prefer my quaint village in uniform and in the 1940s to remain.
Wesley Jones
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Theoretical Worm Holes And Time Travel. Fanatsy Or Physics?
In theoretical astrophysics wormholes are tunnels connecting black holes ( a black hole is a mass so dense it's gravity keeps even light from escaping it's event horizon .. The center of our galaxy is believed to be one) It is speculated that wormhole structures are short cuts through space and time and contain anti-matter ( minus gravity ) and theoretically could allow time travel. Many believe Einstein's theory of relativity allowed for time travel. I don't believe so, and I will tell you why.
Who among us have not toyed with the idea of traveling back in time? If only to recapture some special moment of time in our lives. What an advantage we would have if we possessed current knowledge in a bygone era. We could return to correct mistakes in judgement, and alter choices, or even avert terrible tragedies. Before we get our hopes up, we need to consider there is a lot of known and proven science that says, the closest we can come to time travel is remembering.
Time is a measurement done by recording events within context of the frequency of cycles; ( revolutions around the sun, rotations on an axis, the frequency of a pendulum's swing etc). This is not unlike weight being the relative measure of mass. We can not traverse on or weigh the metric system ( we can however do so with the matter it measures.) Time like a unit of measurement used to determine and record weight, is an idea or system used to determine and record an event in relationship to another event... A metric meter is not the essence of the matter measured, only a consistent idea of how to measure and record it ..Time has no essence like matter or motion. It is an idea on how to uniformly track and record events by placing them in context with, and comparing them to known cyclical motion.
It is generally believed that the faster one travels the slower time passes ( in actuality what happens is the devices that record time slow down and there is a simple explanation.... General Relativity... .Just because increased motion or speed causes a time device to take longer to cycle, does not mean there is a change in the physical properties of the rest of the universe...) It is theorized, that once the the threshold of the speed of light is attained that time will retreat backwards. Even if a clock runs backwards the cyclical motion or events it is designed to measure progresses normally. If we could travel at the speed of light ( we can't and I will tell you why) all that would happen is we would be traveling in the dark because light would not have a chance to reflect..
Even in Hadron our largest particle collider we can not accelerate matter to the speed of light. The reason being, matter increases in weight the closer it gets to the speed of light..Energy added at a certain point needed to increase speed, only increases weight. This may be reason to examine Supersymmetry fermion and/or dark matter in more detail when considering particle velocity.
The most obvious reason for rejecting time travel is; if one where to return to the past, every particle and wave in the universe would have to be in the exact same place and in the same state and moving in the same direction at the same velocity as they were at the given time visited. This would have to be repeated for every moment spent in the past. Given that time ( place and circumstance) and chance influence the randomness of the human will, as well as all split second decisions ..All human actions would have to remain exactly the same as they were in the past for the duration of the visit. ...that is beyond probability maybe even an impossibility..If you were to return all matter to its state, lets say in June12th of 1945 you would have to use the matter we are currently existing in. There would be no matter to form a future to return to. The amount of matter in the universe is fixed. It would have to be squared for every moment you spent in the past. Time is simply how we quantify and order events that happened in the past.Not something that can be traversed or traveled..
The fact is we live in a world governed by fixed laws of nature. Our current reality is not a video that can be replayed, or visited when we want later. It is a good thing too. Can you imagine a world where your current neighbors great, great, great, grandson hates your great, great, great grandson and returns from the future to kill you so your great, great great grandson will have never existed. I am only kidding, but that is the kind of problems that would arise if God would have allowed time travel.Time is not a fabric like space. It is a system of measurement used to record motion and events played out on, or within the fabric of space. Sorry Doctor Who, you are all wet..
Wesley Jones
Who among us have not toyed with the idea of traveling back in time? If only to recapture some special moment of time in our lives. What an advantage we would have if we possessed current knowledge in a bygone era. We could return to correct mistakes in judgement, and alter choices, or even avert terrible tragedies. Before we get our hopes up, we need to consider there is a lot of known and proven science that says, the closest we can come to time travel is remembering.
Time is a measurement done by recording events within context of the frequency of cycles; ( revolutions around the sun, rotations on an axis, the frequency of a pendulum's swing etc). This is not unlike weight being the relative measure of mass. We can not traverse on or weigh the metric system ( we can however do so with the matter it measures.) Time like a unit of measurement used to determine and record weight, is an idea or system used to determine and record an event in relationship to another event... A metric meter is not the essence of the matter measured, only a consistent idea of how to measure and record it ..Time has no essence like matter or motion. It is an idea on how to uniformly track and record events by placing them in context with, and comparing them to known cyclical motion.
It is generally believed that the faster one travels the slower time passes ( in actuality what happens is the devices that record time slow down and there is a simple explanation.... General Relativity... .Just because increased motion or speed causes a time device to take longer to cycle, does not mean there is a change in the physical properties of the rest of the universe...) It is theorized, that once the the threshold of the speed of light is attained that time will retreat backwards. Even if a clock runs backwards the cyclical motion or events it is designed to measure progresses normally. If we could travel at the speed of light ( we can't and I will tell you why) all that would happen is we would be traveling in the dark because light would not have a chance to reflect..
Even in Hadron our largest particle collider we can not accelerate matter to the speed of light. The reason being, matter increases in weight the closer it gets to the speed of light..Energy added at a certain point needed to increase speed, only increases weight. This may be reason to examine Supersymmetry fermion and/or dark matter in more detail when considering particle velocity.
The most obvious reason for rejecting time travel is; if one where to return to the past, every particle and wave in the universe would have to be in the exact same place and in the same state and moving in the same direction at the same velocity as they were at the given time visited. This would have to be repeated for every moment spent in the past. Given that time ( place and circumstance) and chance influence the randomness of the human will, as well as all split second decisions ..All human actions would have to remain exactly the same as they were in the past for the duration of the visit. ...that is beyond probability maybe even an impossibility..If you were to return all matter to its state, lets say in June12th of 1945 you would have to use the matter we are currently existing in. There would be no matter to form a future to return to. The amount of matter in the universe is fixed. It would have to be squared for every moment you spent in the past. Time is simply how we quantify and order events that happened in the past.Not something that can be traversed or traveled..
The fact is we live in a world governed by fixed laws of nature. Our current reality is not a video that can be replayed, or visited when we want later. It is a good thing too. Can you imagine a world where your current neighbors great, great, great, grandson hates your great, great, great grandson and returns from the future to kill you so your great, great great grandson will have never existed. I am only kidding, but that is the kind of problems that would arise if God would have allowed time travel.Time is not a fabric like space. It is a system of measurement used to record motion and events played out on, or within the fabric of space. Sorry Doctor Who, you are all wet..
Wesley Jones
Monday, August 1, 2011
Jesus Of Nazareth And Theoretical Physics
Historically it has never been wise to hitch your theological or cosmological wagon to the latest scientific theory. However there are currently some very exciting theories being debated in physics. Things like string theory, branes, black holes, parallel universes and multiple dimensions etc.. These MAY (emphasis on MAY) go a long way in explaining a lot of the phenomenon mentioned in the Bible.
The Holy Bible has unbelievable depth. It is multi-layered and multi-faceted like no other book on earth. In it's wisdom books like Proverbs the seeds of moral truth are so profound they defy description. In the prophetic books it's prediction accuracy is amazing. The dozens of fulfilled prophecies about the Messiah that point to Jesus of Nazareth are just astounding..It's historical books are so accurate they are used as maps by archaeologists in the middle east.. Every archaeological dig there in the past 200 years has only confirmed the Bible's accuracy..The Bible's account of origins is becoming more and more plausible with each new scientific discovery. The Holy Bible's knowledge of our physical universe will amaze you when we take into account when it was written.. See the post in this blog : The Holy Bible First In Science.
The one theory I would like to deal with at least in part here is a branch of theoretical physics called string theory or (M theory as it is called since all 5 string theories have been unified). It has to do with particle physics, it claims to have found the lowest common denominator in physics, while reconciling , general relativity, and quantum mechanics (This is my own crude description ) It seeks a comprehensive mathematical explanation for how things work in the sub-atomic world as well as the rest of the universe. In other words string theory is aiming for the holy grail of physics,the title, The Theory Of Everything. What I am endeavoring to do is to compare what the Bible has to say about the origins of our universe, and what string theory has to offer in the way of explaining origins..I hope to do the same with other theories being debated in physics in subsequent articles posted in this blog.
The Bible teaches us that there was a void and only darkness in the space our universe now occupies.That implies there is a place where God exists outside of what we can physically know. Whether we call it a different dimension or a parallel universe or heaven it doesn't matter... God then spoke light into existence. To have light you must have energy to have energy you must have a source, matter. God did not have to go through the minutia he simply said "let there be light" so matter and energy appeared to produce light. This is why in the creation account there are 2 verses before God speaks light into existence dealing with matter.
The Bible also teaches in the first chapter of Genesis, God spoke the rest of the universe into existence as well as ordered it. What this has to do with string theory is this. In string theory scientists believe the strings vibrate not unlike how a voice produces vibrations that are not random but have significance and meaning . If the promoters of string theory are correct and these vibrating strings are not only irreducible; meaning there is no other thing smaller or more foundational in our universe, they also contain in their vibrations the information needed to build order and hold together everything else in the universe..Has science stumbled upon the voice of God in the smallest particle in the universe? Is this the cosmological equivalent to biological DNA?
String/ M, theory also claims 11 dimensions. That opens the door for an unseen spiritual world to dwell and operate in. This is conjecture on my part, but more and more of science is beginning to reinforce the claims of the Bible. String Theory is not a construct of theologians. It is viewed as at least a partial, yet very plausible explanation of origins by many of the top physicists in the world. As science progresses it has not made the Bible irrelevant. In fact the exact opposite is true. We are living in exciting times.
Wesley Jones
The Holy Bible has unbelievable depth. It is multi-layered and multi-faceted like no other book on earth. In it's wisdom books like Proverbs the seeds of moral truth are so profound they defy description. In the prophetic books it's prediction accuracy is amazing. The dozens of fulfilled prophecies about the Messiah that point to Jesus of Nazareth are just astounding..It's historical books are so accurate they are used as maps by archaeologists in the middle east.. Every archaeological dig there in the past 200 years has only confirmed the Bible's accuracy..The Bible's account of origins is becoming more and more plausible with each new scientific discovery. The Holy Bible's knowledge of our physical universe will amaze you when we take into account when it was written.. See the post in this blog : The Holy Bible First In Science.
The one theory I would like to deal with at least in part here is a branch of theoretical physics called string theory or (M theory as it is called since all 5 string theories have been unified). It has to do with particle physics, it claims to have found the lowest common denominator in physics, while reconciling , general relativity, and quantum mechanics (This is my own crude description ) It seeks a comprehensive mathematical explanation for how things work in the sub-atomic world as well as the rest of the universe. In other words string theory is aiming for the holy grail of physics,the title, The Theory Of Everything. What I am endeavoring to do is to compare what the Bible has to say about the origins of our universe, and what string theory has to offer in the way of explaining origins..I hope to do the same with other theories being debated in physics in subsequent articles posted in this blog.
The Bible teaches us that there was a void and only darkness in the space our universe now occupies.That implies there is a place where God exists outside of what we can physically know. Whether we call it a different dimension or a parallel universe or heaven it doesn't matter... God then spoke light into existence. To have light you must have energy to have energy you must have a source, matter. God did not have to go through the minutia he simply said "let there be light" so matter and energy appeared to produce light. This is why in the creation account there are 2 verses before God speaks light into existence dealing with matter.
The Bible also teaches in the first chapter of Genesis, God spoke the rest of the universe into existence as well as ordered it. What this has to do with string theory is this. In string theory scientists believe the strings vibrate not unlike how a voice produces vibrations that are not random but have significance and meaning . If the promoters of string theory are correct and these vibrating strings are not only irreducible; meaning there is no other thing smaller or more foundational in our universe, they also contain in their vibrations the information needed to build order and hold together everything else in the universe..Has science stumbled upon the voice of God in the smallest particle in the universe? Is this the cosmological equivalent to biological DNA?
String/ M, theory also claims 11 dimensions. That opens the door for an unseen spiritual world to dwell and operate in. This is conjecture on my part, but more and more of science is beginning to reinforce the claims of the Bible. String Theory is not a construct of theologians. It is viewed as at least a partial, yet very plausible explanation of origins by many of the top physicists in the world. As science progresses it has not made the Bible irrelevant. In fact the exact opposite is true. We are living in exciting times.
Wesley Jones
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Misplaced Loyalties Are A Recipe For Cruelty
A loyalty is a perceived moral obligation. It may be a misplaced sense of obligation, but people will be loyal to what they believe to be morally important. A street gang, a family, and a religious denomination are alike in the sense they have, even if unwritten, a list of moral obligations to the group. This moral sense of duty to a specific group can be heroic or demonic. History is full of examples of great sacrifice and heroism done for the benefit of one's group or people. On the other hand sectarian loyalties have led to unbelievable barbarism.
Slavery depended on sectarian loyalty. It was so obviously morally bankrupt it had to be defended by pitting white against black, north against south, states rights against the federal government, Democrat against Republican. The slave holders had to depend on the racial, regional and political prejudices to overcome the moral perverseness of their cause. If the Americans who lived then had their moral priorities (loyalties) in order there would have been no reason to fight the Civil War. Before we pass judgement on that generation however we have our own issues. Pro-abortion advocates use the same tactics on this generation. They pit male against female, Conservative against liberal, the religious against non-religious, Republican against Democrat. When an issue is made into a sectarian cause and the sectarian loyalty card is used the most awful practice can be defended by simply playing upon man kinds tribal instincts.
This is the very reason I believe my loyalties should be prioritized. There is a higher moral obligation that transcends any sectarian affiliation I have here on earth. Just because something happens to benefit my segment of society does not make it right. It is also true that something that may inconvenience me and mine is not necessarily wrong. There are moral truths that apply universally and are worth my loyalty to them. No matter what my country, community, church, party or family believe and practice, my first obligation is to the Biblical God.
The reason I use the term, "Biblical God." If I do not use a written revelation of God and His will, I can make my own god and conveniently apply to him any attributes or tenets I feel necessary to justify any behavior at any time. The Biblical God set parameters for our behavior and the Bible prioritizes our allegiances. It takes into account our desire to belong to a community and be affiliated with like minded individuals. Loyalty is an honorable trait that inspires great acts of courage and human sacrifice. But misplaced loyalties can be used to encourage and justify any action no matter how cruel and detrimental to others.
If our first priority is to an earthly sect be it racial, national, political or religious we become ripe for the use of those who play upon our differences to do mischief. Through the lens of sectarian unquestioned loyalties any war can be justified any injustice excused and any cruelty rationalized. Our God in His Holy Bible has left us the freedom to join and promote any cause we see fit. He lets us love and defend our nation and promote the beliefs of our favorite organizations. However He demands that our first loyalty be to Him and his will expressed in the Holy Bible. (At least in the western world) God has also given us the freedom to voluntarily submit to any religious organization and follow any religious leader we choose as long as we hold the organization and it's leaders to Biblical standards.There is no earthly entity secular or religious that deserves our loyalty or promotes our well being more than the God of the Bible.
With all the competing interests be they gender, racial, religious, tribal, or national the Holy God of the Bible, and His moral precepts when applied universally can be the final arbiter. When Jesus Christ came to earth He brought division as well as liberty. He gave each individual follower a moral compass and gave them the freedom to split from the pack when it became morally incongruous with the word of God. When we make the doctrine and interests of our particular sect our final moral authority we become a slave to faction. Jesus Christ offers us liberty from faction and sectarianism. He frees us to become free moral agents governed voluntarily by God and His Holy Word. When we make anyone other than the Biblical God the final authority on what is morally right we do a disservice to the group of any kind we belong to. We also leave ourselves and the causes and organizations we support vulnerable to tyranny..
Wesley Jones
Slavery depended on sectarian loyalty. It was so obviously morally bankrupt it had to be defended by pitting white against black, north against south, states rights against the federal government, Democrat against Republican. The slave holders had to depend on the racial, regional and political prejudices to overcome the moral perverseness of their cause. If the Americans who lived then had their moral priorities (loyalties) in order there would have been no reason to fight the Civil War. Before we pass judgement on that generation however we have our own issues. Pro-abortion advocates use the same tactics on this generation. They pit male against female, Conservative against liberal, the religious against non-religious, Republican against Democrat. When an issue is made into a sectarian cause and the sectarian loyalty card is used the most awful practice can be defended by simply playing upon man kinds tribal instincts.
This is the very reason I believe my loyalties should be prioritized. There is a higher moral obligation that transcends any sectarian affiliation I have here on earth. Just because something happens to benefit my segment of society does not make it right. It is also true that something that may inconvenience me and mine is not necessarily wrong. There are moral truths that apply universally and are worth my loyalty to them. No matter what my country, community, church, party or family believe and practice, my first obligation is to the Biblical God.
The reason I use the term, "Biblical God." If I do not use a written revelation of God and His will, I can make my own god and conveniently apply to him any attributes or tenets I feel necessary to justify any behavior at any time. The Biblical God set parameters for our behavior and the Bible prioritizes our allegiances. It takes into account our desire to belong to a community and be affiliated with like minded individuals. Loyalty is an honorable trait that inspires great acts of courage and human sacrifice. But misplaced loyalties can be used to encourage and justify any action no matter how cruel and detrimental to others.
If our first priority is to an earthly sect be it racial, national, political or religious we become ripe for the use of those who play upon our differences to do mischief. Through the lens of sectarian unquestioned loyalties any war can be justified any injustice excused and any cruelty rationalized. Our God in His Holy Bible has left us the freedom to join and promote any cause we see fit. He lets us love and defend our nation and promote the beliefs of our favorite organizations. However He demands that our first loyalty be to Him and his will expressed in the Holy Bible. (At least in the western world) God has also given us the freedom to voluntarily submit to any religious organization and follow any religious leader we choose as long as we hold the organization and it's leaders to Biblical standards.There is no earthly entity secular or religious that deserves our loyalty or promotes our well being more than the God of the Bible.
With all the competing interests be they gender, racial, religious, tribal, or national the Holy God of the Bible, and His moral precepts when applied universally can be the final arbiter. When Jesus Christ came to earth He brought division as well as liberty. He gave each individual follower a moral compass and gave them the freedom to split from the pack when it became morally incongruous with the word of God. When we make the doctrine and interests of our particular sect our final moral authority we become a slave to faction. Jesus Christ offers us liberty from faction and sectarianism. He frees us to become free moral agents governed voluntarily by God and His Holy Word. When we make anyone other than the Biblical God the final authority on what is morally right we do a disservice to the group of any kind we belong to. We also leave ourselves and the causes and organizations we support vulnerable to tyranny..
Wesley Jones
Saturday, July 30, 2011
What In The World Does God Want From Me?
In the Old Testament book of Micah the prophet Micah stood between God and the people of Israel. He became the spokesman for God to the people and the voice of the people to God. He ask of God for the people; "With what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before the High God?" He asked if God wanted them to sacrifice their best and in great numbers, or did God want them to vow and give them their first born for the sin of their soul? God's answer was simple and direct. " He hath shown thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God." In other words what God wants from us is simply to be humble, just, honest, and compassionate human beings.
In my journey through this world I have sought truth, peace and God's will for my life in many different places. I have attended hundreds of churches, dozens of denominations and heard thousands of sermons. A lot of what I saw was not good. Everything from believing God wants us to see how loud and wild we can be in a church service. To God wants us to be strict, prohibitive and austere as we can possibly be. I have heard it preached that what God wants is our money and only the most generous tithers please God. I have heard it taught that only the people who give up TV, radio, card playing, dance, short pants and short skirts, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, fatty foods and cut their hair in a certain way can possibly please God.
Unfortunately I have witnessed too much emphasis put on the external while the matters of the heart were mostly ignored. I believe the animosity between Christian sects are not caused by the great Biblical truths taught in scripture. They are caused by the misunderstanding caused by a false notion of what God wants from us. King David in the book of Psalms chapter 15, asked God directly what He wanted from mankind. "Lord who shall abide with you and live with you forever?" God's answer to David was .. " He that lives honestly and does what is right and speaks what is right from their heart. He that does not slander or mistreat their fellowman. He who refutes the wicked and cruel while honoring the just and merciful."
In my almost 53 years of living ( 32 of them as a Christian ) I have found this one thing to be true. There is nothing more that God wants from us than for us to be kind, tenderhearted and honest human beings. Whatever rules and regulations we put upon ourselves or others are at best secondary to what lies within our hearts and minds. I can not speak for everyone else, but as for me the only remedy I have found in changing the foolishness and pettiness of my heart is in knowing God's Son , Jesus Christ and God's will revealed in the Holy Bible.
I am of the opinion that many people reject God because of the false notions about His will promoted by ignorant and disingenuous religious leaders. My advice to all seekers of truth is to not to rely on others to find God's will for your life. Seek God and His will for yourself. Both can be found in the person of Jesus Christ and the Holy Bible, but only by those who look for themselves..The alternative is to be ran in circles trying to live up to what everyone else believes is God's will for your life.
Wesley Jones
In my journey through this world I have sought truth, peace and God's will for my life in many different places. I have attended hundreds of churches, dozens of denominations and heard thousands of sermons. A lot of what I saw was not good. Everything from believing God wants us to see how loud and wild we can be in a church service. To God wants us to be strict, prohibitive and austere as we can possibly be. I have heard it preached that what God wants is our money and only the most generous tithers please God. I have heard it taught that only the people who give up TV, radio, card playing, dance, short pants and short skirts, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, fatty foods and cut their hair in a certain way can possibly please God.
Unfortunately I have witnessed too much emphasis put on the external while the matters of the heart were mostly ignored. I believe the animosity between Christian sects are not caused by the great Biblical truths taught in scripture. They are caused by the misunderstanding caused by a false notion of what God wants from us. King David in the book of Psalms chapter 15, asked God directly what He wanted from mankind. "Lord who shall abide with you and live with you forever?" God's answer to David was .. " He that lives honestly and does what is right and speaks what is right from their heart. He that does not slander or mistreat their fellowman. He who refutes the wicked and cruel while honoring the just and merciful."
In my almost 53 years of living ( 32 of them as a Christian ) I have found this one thing to be true. There is nothing more that God wants from us than for us to be kind, tenderhearted and honest human beings. Whatever rules and regulations we put upon ourselves or others are at best secondary to what lies within our hearts and minds. I can not speak for everyone else, but as for me the only remedy I have found in changing the foolishness and pettiness of my heart is in knowing God's Son , Jesus Christ and God's will revealed in the Holy Bible.
I am of the opinion that many people reject God because of the false notions about His will promoted by ignorant and disingenuous religious leaders. My advice to all seekers of truth is to not to rely on others to find God's will for your life. Seek God and His will for yourself. Both can be found in the person of Jesus Christ and the Holy Bible, but only by those who look for themselves..The alternative is to be ran in circles trying to live up to what everyone else believes is God's will for your life.
Wesley Jones
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Somethings Are Worth Paying For: A Commonsense Solution To The debt Crisis
Our current budget problems can be reduced to; what programs are worth the government funding, and who has to pay for them. Most Americans have no problem with the idea of helping the destitute and disabled. Many programs that do this are worthy of the financial sacrifice made by the more fortunate citizens. Keeping food on everyone's table and a roof over their head and medicine in their cabinet is a worthwhile goal of government. The rub comes when we have to decide who pays for it. The easiest solution is to put it all upon the taxation of future generations by borrowing and spending now...That option is about to run out..
The desire to make taxes painless and politically palatable usually leads to going after business.Since a business can not vote it is the logical solution. However a business has employees and stock holders ( mostly the 401ks of middle class workers ). Most businesses greatest expenses are salaries and benefits of employees. When a business is taxed it adds another expense and the employees and stockholders pay the bill with lower wages and less benefits. The alternative is to pass the tax on to the consumer in the form of raising the price of the product or service. This often reduces market share and gives an advantage to competitors usually based over seas where there are less taxes and regulations.
The next attempt is always directed at the prosperous. The people who have succeeded in acquiring wealth. They prospered through hard work, sacrifice, wise investment, or just fortuitous enough to have parents that acquired wealth honestly themselves. The problem with putting an unfair burden on prosperity is it diminishes the reward for education , hard work and effort. It also stymies risk associated with investment, especially in cutting edge technology... All is not lost there is a fair and equitable solution in funding worthwhile government programs.
In the current political climate there are plenty of politicians who build their careers on pandering to business and the rich, or playing upon the envy and jealousy of people towards those who for whatever reason are more successful than others. What we need is a system of taxation that does not open the door for the politicians who play one segment of our society against the other, or give tax exemptions and subsidies to their financial supporters.
The most obvious and simplest form of fair taxation that does not punish success, or put the poor and middle class at a disadvantage is a universal flat tax. If we are going to tax business at all, it is best to tax them in a way they can not lobby for exemptions or subsidies. An example: Five percent of net (period) without exemptions.The parameters that determine net income should be universal, for the self employed, to the largest corporations. This approach would bring stability and certainty and encourage investment while adding to and stabilizing our tax revenues. It also would let the free market determine the value of the product and the viability of the company, not the politicians making sweetheart deals with business for tax exemptions and subsidies.
The same is true for individual taxation. If the only exemptions from a five percent taxing of individual gross income are the number of dependents, politicians could not pit one segment of society against the other. If taxes are to be raised or lowered, all but the destitute would share the burden or benefit.( there should be exemption from income taxes for those below a realistic poverty line) ...There will be those who claim a flat tax is not progressive enough, the rich should pay a higher percentage. Five percent of 200,000 dollars is 10,000 dollars. Five percent of 20,000 dollars 1,000 dollars. If you make ten times more than your neighbor you pay ten times more. Anymore or any less would be unfair.... After a 1,000 dollar dependent exemption the person making 20,000 dollars would pay zero.The person making 200,000 would pay 9,000 dollars...If that is not fair, the problem is not with fairness but one of envy.
The percent is not set in stone, but if it raised or lowered universally for all citizens and businesses alike it takes out a lot of the rancor and corruption out of politics.If taxes are raised they are raised on everyone including those who support you politically. If we also were to have a enforceable balanced budget amendment along with a flat tax none of our national wealth would be wasted on servicing an unnecessary debt. It would also keep politicians from buying votes by offering government programs, tax exemptions and subsidies without raising taxes on everyone but their supporters. Interest on debt and foreign energy costs are driving us to the edge of bankruptcy..We can have a solid, effective social safety net, along with a second to none infrastructure, but we all need to equally fund and pay for them.
Low and fair taxes, and a certain and simple tax system not only will help our economy and encourage investment. It will provide the funds to pay for worthwhile government programs to improve the quality of life for all of us. A balanced budget mandate would insure our taxes went for the benefit of our fellow citizens, rather than paying interest to foreigners who hold our debt. If we all have a say, and share the burden equally, instead of having politicians pitting different segments of society against each other, and/or giving their supporters tax exemptions and special subsidies and benefits. The world would marvel how generous and prosperous our government and economy could be.
Wesley Jones
The desire to make taxes painless and politically palatable usually leads to going after business.Since a business can not vote it is the logical solution. However a business has employees and stock holders ( mostly the 401ks of middle class workers ). Most businesses greatest expenses are salaries and benefits of employees. When a business is taxed it adds another expense and the employees and stockholders pay the bill with lower wages and less benefits. The alternative is to pass the tax on to the consumer in the form of raising the price of the product or service. This often reduces market share and gives an advantage to competitors usually based over seas where there are less taxes and regulations.
The next attempt is always directed at the prosperous. The people who have succeeded in acquiring wealth. They prospered through hard work, sacrifice, wise investment, or just fortuitous enough to have parents that acquired wealth honestly themselves. The problem with putting an unfair burden on prosperity is it diminishes the reward for education , hard work and effort. It also stymies risk associated with investment, especially in cutting edge technology... All is not lost there is a fair and equitable solution in funding worthwhile government programs.
In the current political climate there are plenty of politicians who build their careers on pandering to business and the rich, or playing upon the envy and jealousy of people towards those who for whatever reason are more successful than others. What we need is a system of taxation that does not open the door for the politicians who play one segment of our society against the other, or give tax exemptions and subsidies to their financial supporters.
The most obvious and simplest form of fair taxation that does not punish success, or put the poor and middle class at a disadvantage is a universal flat tax. If we are going to tax business at all, it is best to tax them in a way they can not lobby for exemptions or subsidies. An example: Five percent of net (period) without exemptions.The parameters that determine net income should be universal, for the self employed, to the largest corporations. This approach would bring stability and certainty and encourage investment while adding to and stabilizing our tax revenues. It also would let the free market determine the value of the product and the viability of the company, not the politicians making sweetheart deals with business for tax exemptions and subsidies.
The same is true for individual taxation. If the only exemptions from a five percent taxing of individual gross income are the number of dependents, politicians could not pit one segment of society against the other. If taxes are to be raised or lowered, all but the destitute would share the burden or benefit.( there should be exemption from income taxes for those below a realistic poverty line) ...There will be those who claim a flat tax is not progressive enough, the rich should pay a higher percentage. Five percent of 200,000 dollars is 10,000 dollars. Five percent of 20,000 dollars 1,000 dollars. If you make ten times more than your neighbor you pay ten times more. Anymore or any less would be unfair.... After a 1,000 dollar dependent exemption the person making 20,000 dollars would pay zero.The person making 200,000 would pay 9,000 dollars...If that is not fair, the problem is not with fairness but one of envy.
The percent is not set in stone, but if it raised or lowered universally for all citizens and businesses alike it takes out a lot of the rancor and corruption out of politics.If taxes are raised they are raised on everyone including those who support you politically. If we also were to have a enforceable balanced budget amendment along with a flat tax none of our national wealth would be wasted on servicing an unnecessary debt. It would also keep politicians from buying votes by offering government programs, tax exemptions and subsidies without raising taxes on everyone but their supporters. Interest on debt and foreign energy costs are driving us to the edge of bankruptcy..We can have a solid, effective social safety net, along with a second to none infrastructure, but we all need to equally fund and pay for them.
Low and fair taxes, and a certain and simple tax system not only will help our economy and encourage investment. It will provide the funds to pay for worthwhile government programs to improve the quality of life for all of us. A balanced budget mandate would insure our taxes went for the benefit of our fellow citizens, rather than paying interest to foreigners who hold our debt. If we all have a say, and share the burden equally, instead of having politicians pitting different segments of society against each other, and/or giving their supporters tax exemptions and special subsidies and benefits. The world would marvel how generous and prosperous our government and economy could be.
Wesley Jones
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Is It Time To Give Up ?
After an outbreak of severe weather, series of earthquakes, threat of war or even a major defeat of our particular political party and/or political cause, it is human nature to entertain apocalyptic thoughts. Things like ; man has gone too far to be redeemable, it is the day of reckoning, the end of the world is at hand, all is lost and things can only get worse.... Catastrophe or political calamity can be an excuse to quit and run to the extremes, or simply a time to roll up our sleeves and try to work even harder to make this planet a better place to be until God sees fit to change it Himself.. Often the doomsday prophets no matter their politics or affiliation have the exact opposite impact on society they intend to. They try to motivate the masses with hyperbole and worse case scenarios. This approach more often then not creates apathy and fear more than it does productive change.
I posted a previous article for this blog titled, How Our Eschatology Effects Our Politics. In it I addressed how an overly pessimistic, non-Biblical view of eschatology can cause discouragement and even doubt about us even having a future. It causes fear an suspicion and rampant speculation in some people. Probably worst of all it causes apathy and a, "whats the use in trying to change things", attitude in all of us. The evening news can be discouraging, but believe me things have been worse. Consider that at one time, Hitler Stalin, Mao, Mussolini and Franco were all alive and were in power or ascending to power. Japan was a military dictatorship killing thousands in Asia. Central and south America were ruled by dictators while under crushing poverty. Most of the world was in the midst of a great depression. All of this in a short span of less than 20 years. Our problems pale in comparison.
Life went on and we made it out of the twentieth century and unless God intervenes it will go on for us as well. I believe there is always hope we can build a better tomorrow. The alternative is to sit on a hill and wait for the end. Or worse we could all stop caring and begin to live only for today, "eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die". The extremes that live on the lunatic fringes of political, religious and cultural reality thrive on ignorance, fear and apathy.
Not only does the world need knowledgeable people who still care and have a hope for tomorrow. The world needs a method to sort the wheat from the chaff. There is so much non-sense out there especially in the areas of politics and religion. There is also no shortage of the overly ambitious who want to be our messiah and/or dictator. Mankind does not have to be at their mercy without a resource to consistently discern truth. I found that resource around the age of 14.
I was an avid reader in high school, when I could find the time between sports and work. One thing I quickly learned; not all political or religious experts were offering the same thing, or taking the same path to get there. Most were at least in part well meaning. Many were out right demagogues. I needed a scale to weigh their arguments. I found it in the Holy Bible. I could use the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes to learn to recognize worthwhile knowledge and acquire wisdom. I used the Psalms to learn how to worship God. I used the words of Jesus to understand how to conduct myself and treat others ( I still made most of the foolish teenage mistakes) but I had found a solid method in sorting truth from foolishness. The writings of the apostles helped me recognize false religious doctrines and false teachers. knowing the prophetic books of the Bible made the false prophets easily identifiable.
We do not need anymore charismatic leaders to lead us from one extreme to the other. We need solid individuals with a firm foundation in reality, and an informed electorate that will not change course every time someone screams the sky is falling. The Bible was the arbiter of truth and the definer of terms when this nation was founded. I know it can be used to sort through the half baked and self promoting ideas that have led us to our current state of national confusion. If we as a people do not find both a common starting point and a common foundation on which to build we will continue to be jerked from the far left to the far right every few years. If a few disasters are mixed with a few demagogues we could end up with a 1940s style dictatorship of our own. Or even a nation of competing extreme religious cults.
Wesley Jones
I posted a previous article for this blog titled, How Our Eschatology Effects Our Politics. In it I addressed how an overly pessimistic, non-Biblical view of eschatology can cause discouragement and even doubt about us even having a future. It causes fear an suspicion and rampant speculation in some people. Probably worst of all it causes apathy and a, "whats the use in trying to change things", attitude in all of us. The evening news can be discouraging, but believe me things have been worse. Consider that at one time, Hitler Stalin, Mao, Mussolini and Franco were all alive and were in power or ascending to power. Japan was a military dictatorship killing thousands in Asia. Central and south America were ruled by dictators while under crushing poverty. Most of the world was in the midst of a great depression. All of this in a short span of less than 20 years. Our problems pale in comparison.
Life went on and we made it out of the twentieth century and unless God intervenes it will go on for us as well. I believe there is always hope we can build a better tomorrow. The alternative is to sit on a hill and wait for the end. Or worse we could all stop caring and begin to live only for today, "eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die". The extremes that live on the lunatic fringes of political, religious and cultural reality thrive on ignorance, fear and apathy.
Not only does the world need knowledgeable people who still care and have a hope for tomorrow. The world needs a method to sort the wheat from the chaff. There is so much non-sense out there especially in the areas of politics and religion. There is also no shortage of the overly ambitious who want to be our messiah and/or dictator. Mankind does not have to be at their mercy without a resource to consistently discern truth. I found that resource around the age of 14.
I was an avid reader in high school, when I could find the time between sports and work. One thing I quickly learned; not all political or religious experts were offering the same thing, or taking the same path to get there. Most were at least in part well meaning. Many were out right demagogues. I needed a scale to weigh their arguments. I found it in the Holy Bible. I could use the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes to learn to recognize worthwhile knowledge and acquire wisdom. I used the Psalms to learn how to worship God. I used the words of Jesus to understand how to conduct myself and treat others ( I still made most of the foolish teenage mistakes) but I had found a solid method in sorting truth from foolishness. The writings of the apostles helped me recognize false religious doctrines and false teachers. knowing the prophetic books of the Bible made the false prophets easily identifiable.
We do not need anymore charismatic leaders to lead us from one extreme to the other. We need solid individuals with a firm foundation in reality, and an informed electorate that will not change course every time someone screams the sky is falling. The Bible was the arbiter of truth and the definer of terms when this nation was founded. I know it can be used to sort through the half baked and self promoting ideas that have led us to our current state of national confusion. If we as a people do not find both a common starting point and a common foundation on which to build we will continue to be jerked from the far left to the far right every few years. If a few disasters are mixed with a few demagogues we could end up with a 1940s style dictatorship of our own. Or even a nation of competing extreme religious cults.
Wesley Jones
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