Materialist politics

 We're all materialists, to one extent or another. We all use and enjoy material goods in our daily lives, and most of us simply couldn't get by without them. And there's nothing wrong with that, as long as the desire for material goods doesn't control us and our actions.

Materialism becomes an obstacle when we start allowing things (or the desire for things) to control us, to keep us focused on things outside ourselves rather than on things that would be truly beneficial to us, such as our spiritual selves, our relationships, our learning, our peace of mind. . . .

Materialism is a distraction. It gives us a direction in which we can focus our attention and our energies that seems to be attainable. After all, if I want a new stereo system or a closet full of new clothes, all I have to do is pay money or use credit to get them. I know which ones I want, and I know where to find them. The people who sell things have made it so easy for us to buy that fulfilling our materialistic cravings never has been easier, which is a very unfortunate fact for the millions of people who are now trapped under a mountain of debt with no realistic way out.

But what are our motives when we pursue our materialism? Why do we want or have to buy things to satisfy our cravings? Are we working towards happiness in life? If so, we have thousands of examples to see of people who have been "successful" in acquiring material wealth, but who have been miserably empty inside. Do we feel that we'll reach a level of peace and contentedness by having more things? Again, we have tons of anecdotal evidence that tells us that the feeling of contentedness that comes from buying something fades rather quickly after the purchase is made, leaving us feeling just as empty as before.

Many people feel that by acquiring just the right material goods, they can make other people see them in a positive light. In other words, they buy their new car or clothes or electronic gadget in order to impress others. They're often setting themselves up for great disappointment when others don't react as they think they should.

It's very obvious that while the Who’s enjoy their material goods, they are not essential to their happiness. They are able to be happy without them.

 

Some of Barack Obama's saying!

- A good compromise, a good piece of legislation, is like a good sentence; or a good piece of music. Everybody can recognize it. They say, 'Huh. It works. It makes sense.'

-Al Qaeda is still a threat. We cannot pretend somehow that because Barack Hussein Obama got elected as president, suddenly everything is going to be OK.

-America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles of justice and progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.

-Americans... still believe in an America where anything's possible - they just don't think their leaders do.
-As a nuclear power - as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon - the United States has a moral responsibility to act.

-Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.

-Community colleges play an important role in helping people transition between careers by providing the retooling they need to take on a new career.

-Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.

-I can make a firm pledge, under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes. 

-I cannot swallow whole the view of Lincoln as the Great Emancipator.

-I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.

-I don't care whether you're driving a hybrid or an SUV. If you're headed for a cliff, you have to change direction. That's what the American people called for in November, and that's what we intend to deliver.

-I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war.

-I don't take a dime of their [lobbyist] money, and when I am president, they won't find a job in my White House.

-I found this national debt, doubled, wrapped in a big bow waiting for me as I stepped into the Oval Office.

-I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.

-I opposed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. It should be repealed and I will vote for its repeal on the Senate floor. I will also oppose any proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban gays and lesbians from marrying.

-I think it is important for Europe to understand that even though I am president and George Bush is not president, Al Qaeda is still a threat.

-I think when you spread the wealth around it's good for everybody.

-I will cut taxes - cut taxes - for 95 percent of all working families, because, in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle class.

Corruption

Corruption is a belief system giving rise to political and social instability which reinforces the cycle. In a society where the citizens believe, rightly or wrongly, that corruption amoung public officials is widespread, even the incorruptibility of an official becomes a handicap to the efficient performance of his duties, which in turn encourages insertia and inefficiency.

Low salaries tempt the official to seek to improve his earnings by corrupt means and the temptation becomes all the greater when the chances of being caught are small.

Corruption is detrimental to the ideals od modernization. It engenders conflicting loyalties amoung the populace and, to that extend, is indicative of a lack of attachment to the state and ideals of the government.

If corruption cannot be contained, if not eradicated, there can be hardly any prospects of development.

War on Gaza!!

6 Aug 2005 ... As WND reported, Hamas last month announced on its website after Israel's Gaza withdrawal the group will begin the next phase of its war.

4 Feb 2007 ... Opinion: Gaza clashes are over values, way of life and future Palestinian identity.(Israel Opinions)

14 Dec 2008 ... The new drug overtaking the Gaza Strip doesn't stimulate hallucinations or give endurance at the dance club. It merely chills you out, ...(msnbc.com)

30 Dec 2008 ... There can be no justification for Hamas’s attacks or its virulent rejectionism. But others must also take responsibility for the current ...(NYTimes.com)

1 Jan 2009 ... On the Israeli war in Gaza. Authored by: clore on Friday, January 02 2009 @ 07: 43 AM CST. "Anarchist communist analysis from Syria" ...(Infoshop News)

4 Jan 2009 ... Government in Jerusalem spent months laying groundwork at home and abroad for assault.

War is part of the landscape in Gaza. Israel pounds northern Gaza to deter Palestinian militants from continuing to launch Qassam rockets into Israel.(Washingpost.com)

The International Crisis Group is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation committed to preventing and resolving deadly conflict.(B26 ending the war in Gaza)

So is the war in Gaza hopeless? Not really. The God of Abraham did promise peace will eventually be restored not only in Gaza but all the way from Egypt ..(BBC News)

Gaza; Jan 8 2009. UNRWA says it has lost all confidence in... Gaza; Jan 8 2009 ... Death toll in Gaza rises to 763 after 50...

Jan 2009 ... Hamas: We will win war in Gaza. Hamas political deputy sets out conditions for a ceasefire with ... Watch our coverage of the war on Gaza ...(Al Jazeera).

Financial crisis

Who is responsible?