Capitalism, Communism, the Quest for a Greater Good

    Many people within the systems of capitalism look inward and and are self-serving, thinking of their own bottom line. That is too bad. We should live in ways that we can provide for own needs with less stresses and be able to help others. To live well and be generous to others. Most governments strive to address the needs of most of its citizens, to help all, or the majority of the population, thrive and succeed. We want to find a healthier way of living, while maintaining the public and private good.

    Marxism tried to make things fairer for the heavy laborer, or poor wage earner. The working class, or proletariat. For everyone, there was a hope of assisting all to be successful and productive. Less high income wealth, and more general prosperity. The less selfish state was going to be the vehicle to help overcome the chronic ills of endemic money and private ownership. Unfair wealth disparity.

    Life is not fair, my hard working electrical contractor dad always said. Is this what we must face?

    Capitalism versus communism. Not the only options, because there is also the socialistic options in between. There are also despotic authoritarian regimes.

    

    But we will will discuss these two main nodes of economy. Okay, maybe not flesh out the 

    Both ways have their serious problems and issues.

    We want the greater good, yes? Most of us. The majority wants the great society, as it has been called over the years. We want to be in a world where all of us can strive and thrive, where none of us are hungry, or always under the threat of missing the next pay check.

    Yet, too many of us are found in this way. Marx and Engels thought they had a plan to outdo the woes of Adam Smith and the rest of the western ways of economics. Owners and owned, the wealthy and those that serve. Servants.

    We all own things. Should some own the majority of everything? How do we share our freedoms and goods? What government systems and programs allow the most equality, or equity?

    Equity. Equality. 

    Can we achieve them? Equity is defined by being fair and just.

    What is fair and just? That a chronically sick or feeble person who cannot work receive hundreds and thousands of dollars or rubles or yen. How should we all earn our livings? What if there are those who cannot work? How much do they share?

    In the "free world" we vote for elected representatives that make laws that govern these principles. We vote for executives that uphold or implement those laws. The rule of law under principles and equity.

    Principles.

    Equity.

    Words to live and die by.

    Are these concepts worth fighting for? Dying for?

    What would we, individually and collectively, sacrifice for and even die for?

    We need police. We need militaries.

    We need God. Or religion. Or do we? We need humanitarian charities and philanthropic givers and donors, organizers and pro bono benefactors. Or do we?

 

    What does God, religion, and philosophy, all the secular ethical thinkers and postulators, all the heavy handed dictators and benevolent monarchs, the Chief Executive Officers, the bosses and managers, the judges and the chiefs, what do they all have to say about and do for the benefit of us all?

    Or, like us, the smaller time individuals, do they, these power arbiters, only control their own pieces of the pie? We can only do our parts of influence and help where we are found and operate.

    Yes.

    Communism versus capitalism. 

    Chile just picked Kast over Jara.

    They are both seeking the greater good.

    The greater pie remains 

    

 So Many Things Wrong with Me

    However, there are the things that are right.

    What can we say?

 Soft or Hard: Strength Lies Within

    We call ourselves soft or hard, depending on what we think is good. Soft power: strength through peaceful economic and cultural means, using the rule of law and more nuanced marketing and production.

    Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Henry Ford, and maybe even Elon Musk (the richest man in our lifetime) might approve. Or no?

    Do we value more the hard power, in the might-is-right military and technological worlds of Sun Tzu and Machiavelli? Who is better? The wealthy magnate who out-innovates his opponents, or the empirical despot who marches her troops across borders and continents?

    Has there ever been such a female military leader? I digress...

    Who is stronger, who is mightier, who is more virtuous, might ask the ancient Confucius of China, or the modern sages of the 21st century.

    Who is wise, ask the savants and gurus and elected leaders and mavericks of our time?

    What is hard, what is soft?

    Is it wise to abstain from sexual partners prior to marriage, waiting for one hoped-for life partner for the the ostensible rest of one's life?

    Some people believe that is the strongest and most virtuous way. The best for society, for the community, and all individuals involved.

    

    Still others believe in life-time celibacy. Which is best? Never having human productive contact for the sake of progeny (or pleasure), or monogamy?

    Or open contact with multiple partners?

    Does it all depend on the person or the society?

    Who is soft? Who is hard? What is strict? What is easy?

    For many it is is is hard to resist such personal, emotional, intimate contact at age 16, or 21, or 26, or 35. What of it? Does it matter?

    What is soft? What is hard? Who is strong? Who is weak?

    What makes us strong, disciplined, principled, focused, productive, best?

    Work, good decisions, good health and habits.

    Looking to serve, self and others.

    Saving and preparing for the future by being responsible and accountable.

    Be soft when soft is right. And hard when that virtue and grit is required.

    It takes all the strength and grace of all the choices above to be the best of all worlds, the best of everything.

    Like an egg, like life.

 Writers and Creators Are About

    Some masters remain in their own tongue, and weave masterpieces of art and literature. Others are distracted by other languages, yet still create and form their oeuvres and stories and epics and tales of woe and love, adventure and passion.

    Some of us dream of doing such things. Yet. We. Are. Left. Along.

    Alone, or out, or on the side. Peripheral. Marginalized? I suppose.

    Yet we consume and absorb as we go.

    Some love the words of the artists: they cling to Faulkner, or some others like Steinbeck, or Hemingway, or Rice or Walker...

    And on we must go. Think. Write, Speak. Communicate. Live. Die.

     

 Dads are Dads, Mine and Yours

    Some of us do not have them, most of us do. Dads. Fathers. Papis and papahs.

    If we did not have one that we know on earth, who perhaps did not raise us, then we also have our Father in Heaven. We could talk and discuss much about the heavens, the divine, our immortal hopes past this mortal...

    But I am mostly thinking about earthly fathers. Us earthy guys. Some of us are dirtier than others. Some are much cleaner. I suppose that most of us are in between.

    Well, I wanted to write more. We can think of them, love them, resent them, (but not too much), and we can extrapolate all the memories and meanings of who they are.

    We are not perfect, nor do we expect that from them.

 Indiana. My Indiana. Dreams and Hopes

    Wow, what a season. My Hoosiers are on top. Number one in the nation. Not Alabama, not Georgia, not Texas, not Ohio State nor Michigan.

    The Hoosiers of Bloomington!

    What????

    No typo. Curt Cignetti has taken the college football world by storm. Fernando Mendoza has done a remarkable job, and finished what Anthony Thompson of my high school years could not do.

    The Heisman rests in my hometown. 

    And now, the real test of the college football playoff. We get the winner of the Crimson Tide or Sooners. Perhaps a rematch with the Buckeyes... We cannot say. Texas Tech is a contender.

    Most of my life the IU football team has been down. Not always, but mostly. I have chronicled much of it. But not now!

    We got some playoffs to play.

    We shall see.

    More later. College football fans.

    Get ready!

 Blog On-- We Are Fortunate to Be Here. No Promises of Mortal Permanence

    I have been a bit inside of own head lately. Less on the blogosphere. Perhaps that is better?

    Who decides. Who decides?

    We all do.

    I just heard my daughter play the song "We are Charlie Kirk". If felt heart felt.

    He died a few short months ago. Seems that it was a while at this point, almost into the winter season. The days can go fast and slow, as do the weeks. And now months.

    Where are we? Where are you?

    Is your family okay? Is your soul at peace?

    Are you in Ukraine, a war-torn country, or Sudan, or another place where there is violence? I hope not. But some are there. Some are the ones who bear the brunt of it now. But not always, we hope.

    I have a friend that I knew as a child, and we were friends for a while, who will go un-named, who must be hurting for a few extra reasons right now. She raved about Brown University, perhaps her brother was there. She had one older brother. Her parents were Jewish studies professors. She was part of a legacy of the holocaust, as so many Jewish sons and daughters are.

    The attack on the Jewish of Sydney, Australia, was a heinous, awful, blow to many.

    Victims of a radical view and hatred that is felt across the world.

    The father and son extremists to the Islamic State, as it is. They were from India, or at least the father, who was killed during the attack.

    Too much hatred, too much violence.

    And others are sick, and are dying. We must hold on to the hope that remains. Some are closer family, others are celebrities and well known artists. We all succumb to the human strain. It is what we are.

    And be grateful.

    And love and serve while we can.

    I will.