~ Free Thinking ~ Members share their individual perspectives with personal thoughts & political commentary

Freedom of Speech we have. Freedom of microphone, megaphone, echo chamber and participation though mainstream apparatus we do not.

You can talk all you want in a free speech 'zone' or in a cell or to yourself anytime you are feeling isolated. It is not enough.

There is a similar discussion going on a Rockridge Nation of getting basic needs met vs. our 'higher' order needs (i.e. our sense of fairness, creativity and understanding). I learned that a guy named Maslow laid this our succintly in a handy pyramid fashion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow .

Upon learning this, my observation is that a core Progressive or Liberal would feel that the bottom two levels must be a given stability in EVERYONE'S life in order for all of us to move as a society to the higher levels. Now that is quite the uphill battle and I wish it were possible in my lifetime, in a way it is (in that we have the resources to feed everyone). But perhaps this answers the question of 'why are Liberals bashing America?' which I read on posts quite a bit. I don't see it as 'bashing' but more seeking constant improvement. And when my local community is no longer hungry, cold or worried about getting housing or employment, then I work to get it to my region, when my region is satisfied, I work to get it to my state, after my state, my country, after my country then other countries. Sometimes we skip over our localities because the injustice is so sever in other areas (Darfur).

It is like Liberals want to pull together (communism, socialism - gasp) to accomplish the first two levels as a community, then as people are free to move upward on the pyramid, we just want to keep hands off and allow more and more freedom.

One thing I have noticed in this country is the current feeling that the 'market' is a natural force and any tampering is tantamount to blasphemy. The market is a HUMAN construct and therefore IMPERFECT even if it matched the original design perfectly. There are subsidies, there are cronies, there are rules that increase value on crap (such as a plastic toy) and decreases value on human life (such as the fact that we shrug over sweatshop labor - 'it's unavoidable'). Perhaps if we recognized that everyone deserves to have a full belly and a dignified job opportunity (i.e. NOT slaveish labor), then we can just get over the cries of 'communism' and 'socialism' and answer with cries of 'HUMANITY!' Maybe if the humanity factor was actually considered whatsoever in the business model, our system of Capitalism would'nt act as the highway to oligarchy.
[img_assist|nid=4534|title=Maslow's pyramid of needs|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=65]

from our lizard brain to our higher selves and I think that is happening, otherwise we can't see anyone as "human" since we see ourselves as American. I think that will be the trick and we can't evolve if we are busy with fear, war, bad food with chemicals that interfere with our electromagnetic system and other such toxins.

But I agree that it needs to be done so we can see the world much differently and act, think, create and be in that new evolving place.

Its powerful stuff I am speaking of and it's scaring the pants off the evil ones, who know this is happening. That is why they are in this big hurry to destroy. They know this evolving is occurring and they need to do this before it is somewhat completed or they will be unable to function as they wish by controlling and manipulating as they are currently doing. Well, enough of a rant for my first time out here. P

“before you criticize someone you’d better walk a mile in their shoes, that way when you begin you’re a mile away and you’ve got their shoes!”

How does one get tried for war crimes? Bush and his inner circle should all be handed over to the UN for war crimes against Iraq. Why is it that the US continues to build up their own future enemies? The WAR MACHINE needs to be stopped! Seems these guys can get away with murder, and it seems to never end. The least we can do is impeach Bush and Cheney. They both profit from the war or the oil and have from the get go. What does the common man do to help his country on this regard? I have three teenagers that have enough to worry about in their future with climate changes and the threat of the draft. Canada just keeps looking better everyday or maybe we should all join the Indian Nations and take back America back.

Peace-Loving-Crazy-Motherfuckers! I'm not going to write about the assassination or the war in Iraq. Tonight, I write about Basic humanity. We need to stop seeing each other as Americans or Iraqi's etc. and see ourselves as humans. It's hard to kill someone when you see them as a human being. We need a world without boundaries. A world where we all see each other for what we truly are, the same. A world where love, free speech, and free thought reign over all. No need for hate in this world. A world where freedom is free and all are trustworthy. A world without disgusting bombs that serve no purpose but to put fear in the hearts of those deemed "enemies". A world without starvation, poverty, or slavery designed for the selfish wants of others. No one judges another based on skin color or personal beliefs.

If you must judge, do it by character, and be precise. No one person is better than another. We are all many galaxies formed into one universe. Yet in one's eyes you can see an entire universe, that of loves, hates, deeds, experience, etc.

Judge yourselves before judging another. Look at everything, thoughts and reasons for thinking them. Look at your instincts, and those of others. Understand yourself before trying to understand another. Love those you were taught to hate, especially those which you taught yourselves to hate. No babies are born with a hate-gene. They were taught hatred by their masters. Hate starts on one's-self, then moves to those around. It truly is a fool that hates blindly, but I ask you, what wiseman hates at all??? A truly wise and learned man will find something to love about everything. And of course, everyone. It's not hard, and this is what I want for mankind. Not much to ask really, if you think about it.