Category Archives: Inequality
America’s Most Shameful Boasts
Freedom, Justice, and Equality for all. These are values we boast to ourselves and foreigners about what is so great about our democracy. They have the presumption of equal opportunities for all. However these value are far truer for some than other. Obviously opportunities are not equal for all economically, socially, religiously, and politically. Regardless of what we claim we are clearly a nation full of paradoxes. The pursuit of happiness are only words for many who have little hope for a better life. Continue reading
Time to Embrace Diversity
Though social and ethnic diversity has always been part of the American landscape it hasn’t always been generally embraced. Much of this nation is still struggling to recognize the richness and contributions that diversity inherent brings. Majority groups often feel threatened by the intrusion of other social influences such as members of the LGBT community or the physically or mentally handicapped or the Black community. This nation was created with a vision mirrored in the Constitution reflecting the openness, freedom, equality, and diversity so lacking under British rule. The Bill of Rights further embraces and protects the diversity of man to believe as they wished, speak their mines freely, and peruse their dreams and aspirations. The founders of this nation were extraordinarily perceptive in their vision for a perfect nation. They realized that the diversity of citizens would make this nation great. The diversity of each ethnicity, culture, lifestyle, and beliefs in a free environment in totality makes for a far more enriching society. Continue reading
Profiling
TV shows, crime movies and novels sometime contain professional law enforcement profilers who are able to characterize the behavior of individuals through body language, habits, and appearance. But we are all amateur profilers. The primary difference between the armature profiling we do and that of professionals is that the professionals have learned through the accumulated knowledge taught in education the psychological makeup of people and how this relates to their physical appearance and behaviors. But where would we all be if we didn’t characterize various physical characteristics and behaviors in people? Profiling is part of our defense mechanism that has socially been built into us to help us differentiate between friend and foe. The problem is that we often profile people based upon one physical characteristic such as skin color or obesity or shape of nose or eyes or beauty or ugliness. Such profiling fails to look as multiple features and behaviors that flaw profiling as a defense mechanism and sometimes makes foes out of friendly people and friends out of devious people. Continue reading
If Only Women Were In Charge
Before my retirement I worked in the high-tech industry of Silicon Valley. It was my observation that most successful professional women I’ve known were more assertive and goal oriented, characteristics largely attributed to men. But they were few in numbers. I keep returning to Of Modern Times and the Caveman where I describes how the caveman in us is still ever present. The cave women stayed at the cave to raise the cave family and take care of domestic tasks like skinning game and caring for the cave kids while the cavemen went out hunting for food. In the modern world high level jobs have become largely related to mental focus and aggressive temperament. It is an extremely competitive working world. To get ahead one must be the best or have the drive to fight to be best. I believe that if this world were run by women this would be a far better and more harmonious world. When I say women I mean typical women, not the aggressive over achieving male like women. Continue reading
Inequality for All
The other day I viewed the documentary “Inequality for All” by Robert Reich for the first time on NetFlix. I was struck by its similarities to articles I have written in past posts such as The Economic Power of the Middle Class March 19, 2013 and Prosperity is with the Masses September 16, 2013 in terms of the disparity in income between the very rich and the typical middle class as well as the parallel conclusion we both drew that the well being of our economy depends largely upon the ability of a large middle class to spend on goods and services. As a matter of fact our mutual conclusion seems quite self evident so I fail to see why so many people don’t realize this. Continue reading
Posted in Economy, Government, Inequality, Social Issues
Tagged American workers, conomic growth, goods and services, higher upper class taxes, inequaties between the rich and middle class, lower middle class taxes, Middle class, middle class spends, more money for the middle class, rich invest, upper class
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Where are all the Women?
Last Saturday, March 8th, was International Women’s Day, a reminder that women’s inequalities still exists in every corner of the world even though women represent half the earth’s population. This is no less true in the United States where our … Continue reading
The Price of Poverty and Ignoance – What are our Alternatives?
The food stamp program has recently ended a temporary increase due to the downturn in the economy a few years ago and is under attack by Republican lawmakers. They want to reduce it by $40 billion over the next 10 … Continue reading
Posted in Inequality, Social Issues
Tagged $40 billion, congress, crime, poverty, Prevention, smaller military, Victims
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Hopelessly Poor in the Land of Milk & Honey
For a kid living in an environment of abject poverty I can imagine the difficulties they would face in trying to excel in school or going to college to escape their world of oppressive poverty. Such environments do not provide the nurturing and social expectations to become successful. The only feasible way to make significant money is through criminal means. The only way to get nurturing as a youth is to join a gang since parents were usually not at home due to work or otherwise occupied. Continue reading
Posted in Inequality, Social Issues
Tagged aid, Black, crime, dispair, education, expectation, gangs, Hispanic, hopless, nurturing, poverty, Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, Wealth
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The Anti-Abortion Law in Texas
The United States is founded upon the principles “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” as stated in the … Continue reading
Human Rights vs. Social Justice – Is there Really a Difference?
It seems strange to me that in a country which opposes Human Rights abuses abroad, we still struggle with Social Justice issues here in the US. Perhaps we have a double standard for human rights, one for us and another … Continue reading
Dating of Asian Women in America – a case for Social Justice?
The way Caucasian men at the top of the social ladder view Asian women at the bottom of the social ladder as being beautifully submissive may be condescending to some Asian women who consider this a demeaning social justice issue. Continue reading
A Nation in Denial of its Immigrant Heritage
In spite of the US attempts to limit and exclude the immigration of Chinese and people of color throughout history, Chinese and other immigrants have made significant contributions to America’s development. In recent decades Asian immigrants continue to make major contributions in science and technology that improve our standard of living. Continue reading
Money – the Means to the End, Not the End
The LOVE of money is the root of all evil. What was true a couple of thousand years ago is even truer today than ever before. Money is used as the yardstick for measuring success. Thus the accumulation of money by the wealthiest is often more important that using it to purchase goods and services. Continue reading
Posted in Inequality, Morality Values, Social Issues
Tagged Christian value, disparity, evil, love of money, money, poor, root of all evil, social animoal, Wealth, wealthy
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Women’s Right to Equality Way Overdue
Women have made great strides in equality over the last 100 years but there are still areas where they are not yet the equal of men. They constitute 50% of the population yet still do not play an equal role in government, business, and management. More than half college students are now women yet there career aspirations are still less then men. Thus inequities still exist. Continue reading
Posted in Inequality, Social Issues
Tagged discrimination, equal right, equality, inequality, job, sex discrimination, women, women right
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Definition of Marriage – The LGBT Argument
There currently rages a social debate by both the LGBT community and conservative religious group whether same sex marriage should be the law of the land. Currently the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) enacted in 1996 defines marriage as being … Continue reading
ouR Social Conscience 