Losing the Faith

Heh.

Its been awhile.

Why, indeed, has it been so long since I've written on the topic of Politics? It would be easy to blame my silence on recent political... lets call them regime changes, but that wouldn't be true. I'm not a shattered 'snowflake' looking desperately for a 'safe space' (as some might say these days)- but its true that recent trends have shaken my resolve. Trends in government, in the electorate, in political discourse. I've stumbled in my political ambitions. Why should I aspire to dip my hand into a pool seemingly so toxic that it burns anyone who touches it.

Who would want to willing step into the political arena these days? What good could you do without losing your proverbial soul? Well, I don't know the answer to that.

What I do know is that I'm still passionate about a healthy debate, about imparting my own personal theories and world view with others- whether they disagree with me or not. Over the years I've seen amazing results just... talking. Sharing concerns, outlining troubles that I see in society or politics at large and its amazing how receptive people can be (even in this day and age) to a sensible and respectful conversation.

So maybe I'm getting the spark back. Maybe my faith isn't quite as weak as I've feared in recent years. I don't know. What I do know is that you might see more from me here as I keep the conversation going. I already have a few ideas of topics I might want to cover- but I'd love to hear if anyone would like my thoughts on any specific subjects!

Until then let me impart some simple wisdom I've learned over the years. Yelling doesn't help. Contempt, condescension, and condemnation doesn't help. Building empathy with whomever your talking with is of paramount importance. Humanizing the context of whatever issue you're discussing can and will go a long way to garnering a sympathetic ear.

Until next time!

Alive!

After a long absence, during which I broke every promise I made to myself for keeping up on this blog, I shall again attempt to post semi-regularly. I've recently been full of inspiration lately with the actions in the Ukraine, my course schedule, and of course my time mediating discussions during Socrates Cafe.

Some topics that you all should look forwards to:

-The American Exective, both in historical and contemporary terms.
-Eastern Europe
-My outlook on the exercise of power
-A retrospective look on the BSA
-Midterm and gubernatorial elections, especially in PA
-Discrimination laws and their effect on 'personal liberty'

 ... All that and more! Is there any issue or topic that any of you think I should pay close attention to? Feel free to leave a comment, or send me a message! Until me next update, adios! 

Personal Beliefs

I want to start this entry by saying that I cannot oversell the show "The West Wing". It was a very well written political drama about the staff in the White House from the mind of Aaron Sorkin. While greatly idealized, it had many thought provoking themes- from homosexuals in the military to welfare, tax-reform to the psychology of elections. However, one of the recurrent themes has been standing out to me as I re-watch the the show- religion and spirituality. Most of the time, the staff of the White House is seen at odds with the Christian Right, even the very devout President Bartlet. This seemed odd until I began to see the deeper, subtler message behind every clash of ideas. The show does not so much target those who are religious.... it targets those who infringe (or attempt to infringe) on the lives of others.

This was brought home in episode seven of season 4, when Toby Ziegler (The White House Communications Director) told the President that his ex-wife was pregnant. When asked why he had waited so long to tell them, Toby admits it is because he was 'intimidated by his Catholicism. Bartlet's response is so simple- but it really ties the before mentioned theme together. He simply says "Really? Its my Catholicism, it works for me." There it is. The President makes the powerful point that you shouldn't judge others by your religion- you should follow the moral compass you believe in and let others follow their own path.

As simple a message as it is, its one that I feel is still a major problem out in the real world. Most recently has been the huge outcry against letting Gay Scouts in the Boy Scouts. I'm an Eagle Scout, and I know what its like to go out camping and teaching the skills many kids don't get anywhere- survival, sure, but more importantly leadership... and acceptance. I rejoiced when the Scouts repealed their ban (at least partially) because I believe that know some kids who wouldn't of had the opportunity to be part of the experience before now can. Better yet, they can without having to hide who they really are. What I can't believe is that this is even an issue. If we lived in a world where even most of the people prescribed to concept of following one's own beliefs and keeping the sin of judgement from their lips and minds- this ( and many other religious areas of concern) would be a non-issue.

So, I suggest that everyone evaluate their thoughts and actions, and see if you can live to your own standards of a good, moral, and happy life. You'll be happier if you do- I guarantee it.

Rolling Jubilee

We all remember Occupy Wallstreet, and all of the issues they raised. I, like many others, had high hopes for the rallies across the countries. Unfortunately, while the movement is still around, it seems that the majority of the American People have moved on. So has any lasting good come from OWS? I wasn't sure until I read about a program called Rolling Jubilee.

For those of you who don't know what a Jubilee is, the word is referenced in the Bible to be a special year of universal pardon for sins. In this regard, supporters in Occupy Wall Street want to do the same- buying up and forgiving debt for thousands of Americans. You see, how it usually works when it comes to debt is that it is sold to debt collection industries (a billion dollar industry on its own) for pennies on the dollar. Rolling Jubilee is a non-profit which seeks to emulate these firms, but instead of ruthlessly hounding the debtors for payment, they instead forgive the debt. All sorts of debt, from housing to medical bills, have been forgiven all over the country.

As of this post, they have forgiven almost 12 million dollars in debt. This is an excellent program, which is (as far as I understand) real good for real, everyday Americans all over the country. Hopefully they keep at it, and some of you consider donating- who knows? Maybe in the future it'll be your debt which is forgiven.

http://rollingjubilee.org/

As always, feel free to leave any comments for me!

The Cost-Co Query

One of the many arguments against raising the minimum wage, or even having a minimum wage, is it puts a too much of a strain on business. Ignoring the fact that $7.25 an hour isn't even close to enough money for someone to live on without going into debt, the question of our business's survival is still a fair one. However, I'm no longer sure if the numbers actually support this theory. A specific example of a potential source of discrediting information is Costco. Workers start at $11.50 an hour, and tend to have better potential growth in their wages than competitors like Sam's Club. In addition, CEO Jim Sinegals has done everything in his power to make sure every Costco worker has access to benefits and affordable healthcare. Despite this generosity, Costco has seen steady growth annually as Walmart has been slowing down. While Walmart tends to have better profits (potentially from an almost 50% turnover rate among employees, as well as low wages), Cost-Co remains to be a strong competiter.

Why is this? Is it the fact that about a third of the workers are represented by the Teamsters Union? Is it because Costco's employee's are better paid and therefore have a reason to give better service to the customers? I'll be the first to admit that I am not an economist, but it seems to me that the success that Costco, and other firms which act with great generiosity to their employees, seems to show that (at least from a long term perspective) they can still be competitive. They can still make money. Food for thought.

As always, if anyone has any comments I'd love to hear them!

The Problem with Full-Time

As of this moment, and according to Business Insider, only 47% of working age American work full time. It is common for companies such as Walmart to give their employees just under the limit which would make them full-time, thus dodging the need to pay out a variety of benefits these employees would otherwise be entitled to. I have many friends who work extremely hard every week, only to be given 38 or 39 hours of work with no chance of any real benefits.

So I took it upon myself to think up how to circumvent the problem. Lowering the hours a week needed wouldn't really help, as I imagine the corporations in question would simply lower the amount they give to every part-time employee. How does one get around the monumental problem of these easily circumventable loopholes? My thought seemed so simple, I'm sure I can't be the first one to imagine such a solution- what if 'Full-Time' was judged by the average number of hours worked by workers at the company? I understand enforcement could be an issue, but this way would force the majority of firms would be unable to deny their workers any amount of benefits by using a cheap loophole.

The thought is imperfect, and requires more thought, it is an interesting concept. As always, I would love to hear what you think about both my idea and the issue at large.

Decisions

So after some thought, I've decided on what the update schedule will be for this blog. Every week I will post twice, once or Tuesday and once on Friday. This sort of deadline will help me focus, as well as let any of my readers know exactly when to check the site. There is a good chance I will post more than twice a week, despite the deadline.