Blue Dot

http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/videos/cosmos-a-space-time-odyssey/the-pale-blue-dot-3593.aspx

What kind of world are we shaping for ourselves?
The choices we make today will determine our tomorrow.

America vs the rest of the world

Two roads diverged....

the USA vs the rest of the world : two different responses to the pressing issues of our time: wch path will have the better outcome for humanity?

The institutionalization of Trumpism (implementing policies and consolidating power)

Trump's policies are isolationist,selfish, competitive,and protectionist in extreme. Trump is taking America to the limits of "individualism" (self-absorbed culture)and turning it into an island. Extreme individualism says its acceptable to act with selfish disrespect toward others (exploiting others in pursuit of one's own goals) . Single-minded focus on one's own interests/desires makes it difficult to form lasting cooperative (mutually beneficial)relationships with others. Without the social supports of community, isolated individuals suffer anxiety, aloneness, depression. True fulfillment comes from looking after not just one's own interests but also caring for the needs and interests of others.

Trump's top-down leadership style: his authoritarian managerial skills are not compatible with running a democracy. (not a team player; not receptive to input from advisors) He is consolidating power in the executive branch while ignoring constitutional checks and balances ,and the oversight function of congress. (by invoking his powers as Commander in Chief he is able to bypass all such safeguards)

Trump exemplifies the politics of fear and division.

Trump's policies are isolationist,selfish, competitive,and protectionist in extreme. Under Trump's leadership, the USA is increasingly isolating itself from the rest of the world:

UN General Assembly condemns US unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel

the nations of the world proceed with commitment to mitigate climate change despite US withdrawal from the Paris Accord.

The US seeks to renegotiate all its trade agreements in its own favour without consideration for the interests of its trading partners.

The US seeks to drastically restrict immigration and build a wall to barricade itself against the migrant hoards.

US reduces its contribution to the operating budget of the UN.

************************** If it is truely Donald Trump's intention to achieve "greatness" for America,... this is not the path to greatness. How about the wealthiest country in the world showing some magnanity! What happened to "noblesse oblige" and "giving back "? Relationships mean giving and not just taking.

In the meantime China seeks to further its interests by moving in the opposite direction : pushes for free trade, globalization, and multinationalism/multilateralism. China takes the longview by increasing investment in foreign aid, (investing in the infrastructure of other countries)and is winning a lot of influence and goodwill globally.

...and Canada takes the moral highroad and seems like a sanctuary of sanity in a world gone mad. Canada embraces the ideology that a civilized and just society does not ignore the suffering of downtrodden people

We are about to witness a tumultuous period in human history. We will all be caught up in the apocalyptic drama as these opposing forces and competing ideologies play themselves out on the world stage. If any good comes from the Trump fiasco, its that its put the focus on whats wrong with American society and what needs fixing. Hopefully this will motivate a transformation and create a new healthier social order.

My bet is that America will find itself on the wrong side of history. History will show that the best way forward for humanity is to tear down divisions/barriers and to embrace inclusivity. Clearly humanity is moving on and leaving America behind. History will show that the best adaptation was in building bridges¤(cooperation,inclusivity) ;not walls (competition, exclusivity) !

These two distinct approaches are perhaps best exemplified by the Dalai Lama's description of two kinds of selfishness: (see Dalai Lama's definition of true/prudent "selfishness")

"If you try to subdue your selfish motives and develope more kindness and compassion for others,ultimately you yourself will benefit more. So sometimes I say the "wise selfish person" should practice this way. Foolish selfish people are always thinking of themselves,and the result is negative. Wise selfish people think of others,help others as much as they can,and the result is that they too receive benefit." --Dalai Lama

"If you just want to Walk Fast, Walk Alone! But if you want to Walk Far, WalkTogether!" --Steve Jobs

¤ "building bridges" means building mutually- beneficial relationships based on what we share in common. Relationships mean giving and not just taking.

****************** Listen to comedian Ron James:

https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ahRVKC0rBMk&sns=em

https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=x3OueiVvvsE&sns=em

are we really any smarter than a rat?!

Subject: the feeding frenzy of commercialism/consumerism is about to begin : we are entering a season of extravagant /profligate consumption and self- indulgence.
>
> The problem is we live in a culture that glorifies consumerism and we don't think that we need to live within a finite budget and a finite carbon footprint.
> We are about to enter a season of rampant consumption and marketing hype.
> Retailers will be gearing up for the big Xmas season.
> We will be bombarded with messages to shop, spend, borrow, and buy,buy,buy--influences wch are difficult to ignore and resist.
> We have to resist the "culture of commercialism" in wch we are immersed.  Contrary to societal pressure the ideal holiday is not one surrounded by a glut of consumer goods; rather it is time and activities shared with family members.
>
> Don't be fooled by  "deals" and "bargains".
> The best way to save money on a "sale" is to not buy it!
> Black Friday should be rebranded  as
> " buy-nothing-day"!
> Don't buy into the buying and consumption frenzy this holiday season.
> We each need to reduce our carbon footprint.
>
> > > *************** > >
>
> warning to humanity--a second edition:
>
> http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/14/health/scientists-warn-humanity/index.html
>
> The letter essentially says that if there is not a groundswell of public pressure to change human behavior, the planet will sustain "substantial and irreversible" harm.
>
> we need to decrease our consumption and decrease our population

Trump exercises America's military might to advance American interests

America enters the Syrian quagmire vis-a-vis Russia and Iran based on "gasing incident"

America's cruise missile attack targets Syrian airbase suspected of being the launch source of chemical weapon attack on anti-Assad rebels.
America's involvement complicates a messy situation in the region.

What was the real motive behind the turnaround in Trump's policy toward Syria?
Makes one wonder if it was just a very expensive publicity stunt! --nothing more than a symbolic flexing of American military muscle. Most likely motivated by self-interest-- intended more for his domestic audience as a distraction and to  bolster his unfavorable popularity rating.

How is it that only 9 people were killed in such a massive attack...unless they had advance warning....or missed the target completely!

Targeted airfield is back in operation!
After being targeted by 59 cruise missiles, Syrian airbase is still up and running!
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/images-damaged-syrian-air-base-strike-released-46672099?yptr=yahoo

How is it that the airbase runway is not cratered and rendered nonfunctional?
If the intent of the strike was to render the airfield nonfunctional, the  costly effort was a clear failure!

How is it that Russian and Syrian reaction is no more than "obligatory outrage"?
There has been no retaliatory military response!

It will cost about $60 million to replace the cruise missiles that the U.S. military rained on Syrian targets Thursday night.
Each Tomahawk missile,( made by Raytheon Co.) costs $1 million, according to experts.

The better way to help Syrian people would have been to apply that 60 million to help the refugees. 60 million in humanitarian aid would have accomplished a great deal more. It certainly would have earned Trump a lot more good will!

******************
Let me explain it for you . . .

Muddle East – An American Perspective

We support the Iraqi government in the fight against the Islamic State.
We don't like IS but IS is supported by Saudi Arabia, whom we do like.

We don't like President Assad. We support the fight against him but  not IS which is also fighting against him.

We don't like Iran but Iran supports the Iraqi government against  IS.

So, some of our friends support our enemies and some of our  enemies are our friends and some of our enemies are fighting against our other enemies whom we want to lose but we don't want our enemies  who are fighting our enemies to win.

If the people we want to defeat are defeated, they might be replaced by people we like even less.

And all this was started by us invading a  country to drive out terrorists who weren't actually there until we  went in to drive them out.

Do you understand now?

Might this be "Plan-et B, C,and D"?

Might this be "Plan-et B, C,and D"?

NASA announces finding 3 earth-like planets in habitable zone around a red dwarf Sun(Trappist 1) just 40 light years away.

ttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/02/22/nasa-announcement-live/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/02/22/nasa-announcement-live/#update-20170222-1936

*******************

A Single Star Is Home to At Least 7 Earthlike Planets (3 of wch are potentially life-supporting)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/nasa-announces-single-star-home-194245041.html

NASA Announces potentially life-supporting earth-like exoplanets orbit nearby star

Feb 22, 2017

The largest known system of Earth-like exoplanets has been found orbiting a dwarf star in the Milky Way. At least three of the seven rocky exoplanets could have oceans of water, making it possible that the system could harbour life. The discovery lends weight to the growing belief among some astronomers that our galaxy could be teeming with Earth-like worlds.The first exoplanet – a planet orbiting a star other than the Sun –was discovered 25 years ago, and since then, astronomers have identified thousands of such objects. Most are Jupiter-like gas giants because huge exoplanets are much easier to detect than smaller Earth-like worlds. However, improved techniques and new telescopes have led to the discovery of Earth-like exoplanets with the potential to harbour life.In 2010, an international team of astronomers began using the TRAPPIST telescope in Chile to search for Earth-like exoplanets orbiting small stars nearby in the Milky Way. They were looking for tiny drops in the intensity of a star that occur when an exoplanet's orbit takes it between the star and Earth. Such "transits" of small exoplanets are much easier to see with dwarf stars because the change in intensity is large.

Rocky compositions

Just 40 light-years from Earth, they spotted a star they called TRAPPIST-1 that appeared to be transited by several exoplanets. Now, further observations –including 20 days of continuous monitoring using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope – have revealed seven exoplanets in the TRAPPIST-1 system. The exoplanets have orbital periods ranging from 1.5–20 days. All seven objects appear to be similar in size to Earth, with radii ranging from 0.77–1.13 Earth radii. The team was able to determine the mass and density of six of the exoplanets, which suggests that they have rocky compositions.TRAPPIST-1 is about 80 times more massive than Jupiter. So instead of resembling the Sun and its planets, the system is similar to Jupiter and its four Galilean moons – according to team member Michaël Gillon of the University of Liege in Belgium. Gillon says that three of the planets orbit within the habitable zone of the star, which means that they could have liquid water and even life.TRAPPIST-1's nearness to Earth combined with the fact that the exoplanets are relatively large compared with the star means that it should be possible to study the exoplanet atmospheres. This would provide important information about chemical composition and the possibility of life.

Climate studies

According to Amaury Triaud of the University of Cambridge in the UK, the team is now trying to work out if the exoplanets are shrouded in envelopes of hydrogen – which would suggest that they are not Earth-like. The James Webb Space Telescope – to be launched in 2018 – will have the capability to study the composition of the exoplanet's atmospheres and even their climates. "We could know if there is life in TRAPPIST-1 within a decade," says Triaud.TRAPPIST-1 is described in Nature. Hear Sara Seager explain how astronomers are searching for life on exoplanets in this podcast: Searching for life on other planets.

About the author

Hamish Johnston is editor of physicsworld.com

Einstein said that matter and energy are the same thing: matter-energy is a single substance

Transcending the illusion of materiality.

Einstein said that matter and energy are not two separate entities,but the same thing : matter-energy is a single substance.

Why then do we perceive our bodies and all external objects as material(matter), and not as energy? How can one substance be perceived /experienced in two seemingly different contradictory ways if they have one inherent reality?! Why are our senses not capable of seeing the energy content of matter...thereby creating an ethos/bias of materialism?

Time to replace the out-dated word "spirit" with its modern meaning "energy".
For most people the word "spirit" does not convey any meaningful experiential information.

The antiquated language of the sciptures makes it seem that spirituality has lost all relevance to modern man.It is time to exchange the worn-out meaning of "spirit" for "energy.The word "energy" is a modernization of tbe word "spirit". Energy produces form (through progressive degrees of organizational complexity) for the sole purpose of affording it(energy/spirit/life) expression.The life that is within always seeks a fuller outward expression.

The world of manifest forms(the so-called material world) we perceive with our senses is illusory.It is not what it appears to be. All that appears to the senses as matter is in actuality (composed of )energy.Matter is but an outward mask that hides the Truth wch is Light. Just as the cause is antecedent to the effect, energy is antecedent to matter. Energy cannot be perceived by our outward-directed senses.We are educated to believe that nothing is real beyond what we can perceive with our ordinary senses. Is there another way of knowing that does not depend on our exterioceptive senses?

Throughout history there have been reports of people(saints and mystics) who using an inward-directed method of perception have experienced themselves as energy. This experience has been described as enlightenment,oneness,God-consciousness,etc. This experience is at the heart of all religions.This experience is a change of awareness of himself as a material being into a consciousness that he is a spiritual being (created in the image and likeness of God" ,whose nature is spirit,energy,light.) The body is radiant and pure spiritual substance,and it will show forth this condition when the thought of its materiality is withdrawn and gives place to the truth that flesh in its true state is the radiant light of God--the light wch was in the beginning and out of wch all things were formed("in the beginning was the Word", and it was made into flesh/matter). That wch makes the body appear to be something else is the clouded mentality(false belief in materiality) that imposes itself between the flesh and its true source.The thoughts with wch we are incorrectly identified must be discarded in order to merge with pure awareness. Spirit/energy is the life force thst gives rise to the emanations of thought and expresses itself through the actions of the body. (moves the body) Energy is the vital force of yhe universe animating all space and all manifest forms(so-called material objects) Life is that process of the inner force working itself outward into outward form. A true master expends and expresses his life in service to others (giving from the source within).Life is a matter of giving from inside outward. He can only give out harmonious thoughts,feelings, actions. Love is a cohesive/binding force that keeps all things in harmonious relationship with the source.

This "spiritual awakening" is considered the highest human attainment.(one does not need to attain;one is)( one does not need to become, but simply to be what one already is)."Heaven" is not a place to get to, but just realizing(awakening to)the state you are already in. It is an experience of the primordial energy of wch all composite material objects are constituted. Knowledge of this energy(the spirit of God) comes through becoming so still that one feels it vibrating within oneself. Power is awakened through communion with this energy. Because of our materialist bias, the validity of this experience is not widely accepted in the West. But in Eastern cultures this energy is the primary antecedent reality and the material realm of the senses (Maya) is by comparison illusory(secondary, less real,).

In this age of materialism this state of awareness(awareness of oneself as a spiritual being or a body of light ) is most often regarded as a fantasy, or an achievement beyond our reach (unknowable/unattainable). Most people have had fleeting glimpses of this experience.But in modern civilization there is a pervasive denial of this experience and no conceptual context in wch it can be understood(other than an outdated religious belief system whose inner meaning has largely been misunderstood ,corrupted,and lost.) Empiricists deny the validity of an alternative reality not accessible to our ordinary senses. We are so addicted to looking outside ourselves that the idea of looking inward to find reality seems absurd (nonsensical). The idea that there is some other reality besides this one is terrifying. This makes it very difficult to take this teaching to heart and to find the motivation to actualize it.

But the countless who have attained enlightenment have said it is a profoundly meaningful/fulfilling experience -- an experience available to all and through practice attainable by all. All the mystical paths of the world tell us that there is an enormous reservoir of power within us. The immeasurable power and force that invigorates and moves throughout yhe universe moves also within man.

When the veil between energy and matter is shattered the two become one, and we realize they were never separate/different;they were always one and the same.To the enlightened Master there is no materiial universe/reality.The visible universe is to him the manifestation of spirit and is therefore spiritual in essence and governed by the law of Spirit.

The experience of enlightenment is real. It is the experience of knowing the energy wch is deathless (cannot be created or destroyed)and eternally pure,and wch is the essence of who we are(our true nature). False beliefs/thoughts, selfish desires and negative emotions obscure our ability to see our intrinsic nature and the true nature of reality.

This sequence of progressively deepening states of consciousness does not only happen when we die, but occurs everyday unnoticed as we fall asleep! It is said that this experience occurs daily to everyone, (as well as at the time of death)... corresponding to the period after falling asleep and before dreaming (REM sleep) begins +,but it goes unnoticed (without our conscious awareness) except to a trained practitioner. Trained practitioners (adepts) are able to maintain unbroken awareness through the different phases of sleep and dreaming.

A man who almost drowned at yhe age of fourteen describes his near-death experience: "As I reached the source of the Light, I could see in. I cannot begin to describe the feelings evoked by what I saw. It was an infinite world of calm,and love,and energy,and beauty.It was as if human reality was insignificant compared to this.And yet it urged the importance of life at the same time as it solicited death as a means to a different, better life. It was all being,all beauty,all meaning for all existence. It was all the energy of the universe forever in one place." --"Closer to the Light" by Melvin Morse, page 120

For most people who only perceive the physical reality of material form the dissolution of the body at death is oblivion(the end,nothingness),for they have not experienced any other reality. To the extent one is able to relinguish one's identification with and attachment to the body and adopt a broader identity with the whole universe("I am co-extensive with the universe"), one loses one's fear of death(the death of the body is not total oblivion). The attainment of "eternal life" is not a matter of preserving life in the body forever, but rather of transcending our restrictive identification with the body and embracing a more enduring(non-perishable) identity.If the life within the body is energy, energy does not die. The energy that occupies and gives life to the body is an individualized form of the universal energy--the same energy/light of wch the entire universe is made.By the time of the death of the temporary mortal body("the temple of the living God") the master has disidentified himself with it and sees it as an encumbrance from wch he yearns to be liberated.He is no longer limited or defined by the body. He has tranferred his identity from "the temple" to "the living God". He has adopted a broader, more all-encompassing identity such as "the universe" ,or the energy wch is co-extensive with the universe and wch never dies.*
Time is just a mental construct--a fabrication of the human mind. Some highly realized people have directly experienced the raw primordial formless energy wch is the intrinsic essence of everything.

A higher Reality is here and now. ..if we can dispel ignorance and enter into it!


"In the beginning was light and light became the life of man." Even materialistic scientists claim that light is the foundation and the essence of all manifest form (matter).Therefore man's body is not just a body of material flesh, but a body of light wch includes the flesh, for light/energy sustains the flesh in exactly the same sense that oxygen and hydrogen sustain water. Take oxygen and hydrogen out of water and there is no water.Similarly if you took the light out of the body/matter, the body would be no more! "The light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world " is within you. That Light is our birthright and we must move toward it overcoming the lower senses wch hold us back and away from It. Merge with the Light and be purified. Power is awakened through communion with this energy.

The inner esoteric message of the Holy Boks has never been more relevent.

A dark time for liberal democracy : the democratic system will face a severe test in the next four years

government by the 1%

When billionaires gain public office, don't expect them to enact laws that oppose their interests. They will formulate a narrative  that portrays their interests as identical to the common good.Thus they promulgate the mythology that when the wealthy do well,everyone does well("trickle down effect").
If this were true the gap between yhe rich and the poor would not be widening (income disparity).
The truth is that the rich are getting richer at the expense of the poor who are becoming poorer(this exploitation has also been referred to as the "trickle up effect").
There is no doubt that "deregulation" and  lowering the corporate tax rate will benefit corporations and may stimulate economic activity, but without government policies that ensure an equitable distribution of these  benefits to the general public the acrued profits will end up in the pockets of the wealthy. (Lets not forget who caused the 2008 economic recession, at whose expense the perpetrators were bailed out,and who suffered the most)
Without social,political,and economic equity,democracy is nothing more than a dream. Build a fair economy that benefits everyone and people will stop focusing on the differences that divide them and blaming each other.
A decades-long slide into economic doldrums has been experienced by many Americans who feel left behind (have not shared in the wealth generated by the economy).
When the poor get poorer and lose confidence in the system wch seems rigged against them ("systemic poverty", they don't just vote out those in authority by whom they feel betrayed, they often turn to illegal activity and violence in order to survive.People who feel disrespected and abused commonly act out their anger with displaced aggression.
If people lose trust in tbe integrity of their govt. they will resort to self-help, wch often takes the form of criminal activity. If the law is perceived to exist solely to enforce the rights of the wealthy and privileged, the disenfranchised will not respect tbe law. When people perceive the govt. does not act in service to all, they feel aggrieved,alienated and oppressed,--even betrayed.
When those in public office are blatantly or covertly motivated by self aggrandizement, the people feel justified in engaging in selfish,immoral,and even illegal behaviour(the social order disintegrates into chaos). When people in authority consider themselves above the law (bereft of conscience) and have a spirit of entitlement(the wealthy feel they deserve their wealth)...administrative corruption erodes trust in those entrusted with public power and in the legitimacy of their authority.
The role of govt. should be to uphold the law/constitution and ensure justice for all.

A just society can only exist through the equitable sharing of the wealth generated by the economy. Governments have a moral responsibility for the welfare of all people.

Those entrusted with public power must be held accountable to ensure that power is used for the betterment, improvement and benefit of all.

*************
Capitalism is inherently amoral(Michael Sandel :"What money can't buy: the moral limits of the markets"),
and imparts acceptability to the pursuit of wealth even at the expense of other people. (a strategy for exploitation of labor)

Capitalism as an economic system offers a conceptual framework and the ideological justification for the oppression of the working poor. It gives corporations the power (through lobbying and funding of political candidates) to shape public policy to their own benefit at the expense of the working people.

Capitalism without regulation undermines democracy.

Relationship between capitalism and slavery: 
The main premise of capitalism is freedom to profit from cheap labour. This is code for exploiting the labour class by paying them a minimum non-liveable wage (a slave wage).
This is a form of exploitation (slavery)! Capital should not be allowed to exploit/oppress labour.

A market economy yhat has delivered its benefits to the wealthy 1% (,and the political elites) has failed to benefit everyone.

The underlying principle of democracy is the equality of all. The rise of inequality has eroded this principle and thereby undermined democracy.

Elites are benefiting at the expense of those who work for a living. There is a lack of respect for the dignity of work...and tbe working class who feel neglected,excluded, unappreciated,disempowered,exploited,oppressed.

********************

Donald Trump personifies hypercapitalism....and it is tragiclly ironic that aggrieved voters fed up with political establishment's failure to address the unfair imbalance in wealth in American society placed their hopes in a billionaire
businessman(see "a new bunch of reptiles has taken over the swamp in Washington").
Bernie Sanders ran a campaign wch highlighted the real cause of working class discontent/betrayal, and would have defeated Donald Twit had it not been for the Democrat establishment sabotaging his campaign efforts.
Donald Trump has neither the insight nor the will to fix the real cause of discontent and disfunction in America...and so we see  him diverting attention toward  red herring problem of "the Moslem conspiracy against America" for people to direct their fear and anger against (see "strongman sets up straw man" and "putting Moslems on the invasive species list").
Bernie Sanders was right: the correct and appropriate object of fear and anger should be people like Donald Trump and those he represents whose greed and selfishness has poisoned the world.