There is an interesting piece of information that I ran upon regarding a link between Blago, impeached Governor of Illinois, and the stimulus/rescue package. Did you know that Illinois would not receive any stimulus money unless Blagojevich was ousted?
"None of the funds provided by this Act may be made available to the State of Illinois, or any agency of the State, unless (1) the use of such funds by the State is approved in legislation enacted by the State after the date of the enactment of this Act, or (2) Rod R. Blagojevich no longer holds the office of Governor of the State of Illinois.The preceding sentence shall not apply to any funds provided directly to a unit of local government (1) by a Federal department or agency, or (2) by an established formula from the State."
Did he receive proper and lawful treatment? I'm not sure.
Showing posts with label Blago. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blago. Show all posts
Monday, February 2, 2009
Monday, December 22, 2008
Conformity. The Enemy of Growth.
When you think of the word "conformity", what do you think of? I picture by mother saying to me, "If your friends chose to jump off a cliff, would you follow them?" Or, I think of a herd of cows, following each other through a field to pasture. My guess is that not often do we think of society and the decisions made by our governing authorities. Do we go along blindly, or do we get involved in the process?
"Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth." -- John F. Kennedy
Let’s take a look at the definition of conformity.
"Conformity is the process by which an individual's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are influenced by other people. It may occur as the result of subtle, even unconscious influences, or by direct and overt social pressure. Conformity may also occur by the "implied presence" of others, when other people are not actually present.
People often conform from a desire to achieve a sense of security within a group-- typically a group that is of a similar age, culture, religion, or educational status. Conformity is common among young people as an aspect of youth culture. It is present in society as a whole and among small groups of friends. Any unwillingness to conform carries with it the very real risk of social rejection." -- Wikipedia
"Conformity, adherence to the practices or beliefs of the majority.
For information on:
*processes bringing groups and individuals within society into conformity, see Acculturation; Assimilation; Integration; Social Psychology
*ideas supporting nonconformity, see Individualism; Liberty
*political ideology of forced conformity, see Totalitarianism" -- Encarta
Please notice the “ideas supporting nonconformity”, which include “Liberty”. Within the United States of America, we know liberty because of the Founding Fathers and the sacrifices they made as nonconformists.
“Liberty, the freedom to act or believe without being stopped by unnecessary force, is generally considered in modern time to be a concept of political philosophy and identifies the condition in which an individual has the right to act according to his or her own will.” -- Wikipedia
Of course, there are guidelines for liberty. Without guidelines, we would not know as peaceful of an existence as we are blessed to experience. The guidelines are in the Constitution, and in the laws of the land. You may notice that when there are those who do not live by the laws of the land that the peace is disrupted.
“Article VI (The United States Constitution)
All debts contracted and engagements entered into, before the adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.
This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” -- Cornell University Law School
All elected officials are to uphold the laws as much (if not more stringently) than regular citizens. Unfortunately, we find that there are many who do not uphold these laws according to their oaths and therefore they are not very good examples to regular citizens. When elected officials break the laws of the land, break their oaths, they give permission to many regular citizens to do likewise. Therefore, our elected officials should uphold the oaths they have made to live according to the laws of the land, and when they break those oaths, they should have a stiffer penalty than the average citizen so that an example can be made.
Understand, conformity is important to a degree, however, conformity including redistribution of wealth and Totalitarianism is not liberty, but bondage.
“Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have... a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge, I mean the characters and conduct of their rulers.” – John Adams
"Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth." -- John F. Kennedy
Let’s take a look at the definition of conformity.
"Conformity is the process by which an individual's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are influenced by other people. It may occur as the result of subtle, even unconscious influences, or by direct and overt social pressure. Conformity may also occur by the "implied presence" of others, when other people are not actually present.
People often conform from a desire to achieve a sense of security within a group-- typically a group that is of a similar age, culture, religion, or educational status. Conformity is common among young people as an aspect of youth culture. It is present in society as a whole and among small groups of friends. Any unwillingness to conform carries with it the very real risk of social rejection." -- Wikipedia
"Conformity, adherence to the practices or beliefs of the majority.
For information on:
*processes bringing groups and individuals within society into conformity, see Acculturation; Assimilation; Integration; Social Psychology
*ideas supporting nonconformity, see Individualism; Liberty
*political ideology of forced conformity, see Totalitarianism" -- Encarta
Please notice the “ideas supporting nonconformity”, which include “Liberty”. Within the United States of America, we know liberty because of the Founding Fathers and the sacrifices they made as nonconformists.
“Liberty, the freedom to act or believe without being stopped by unnecessary force, is generally considered in modern time to be a concept of political philosophy and identifies the condition in which an individual has the right to act according to his or her own will.” -- Wikipedia
Of course, there are guidelines for liberty. Without guidelines, we would not know as peaceful of an existence as we are blessed to experience. The guidelines are in the Constitution, and in the laws of the land. You may notice that when there are those who do not live by the laws of the land that the peace is disrupted.
“Article VI (The United States Constitution)
All debts contracted and engagements entered into, before the adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.
This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” -- Cornell University Law School
All elected officials are to uphold the laws as much (if not more stringently) than regular citizens. Unfortunately, we find that there are many who do not uphold these laws according to their oaths and therefore they are not very good examples to regular citizens. When elected officials break the laws of the land, break their oaths, they give permission to many regular citizens to do likewise. Therefore, our elected officials should uphold the oaths they have made to live according to the laws of the land, and when they break those oaths, they should have a stiffer penalty than the average citizen so that an example can be made.
Understand, conformity is important to a degree, however, conformity including redistribution of wealth and Totalitarianism is not liberty, but bondage.
“Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have... a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge, I mean the characters and conduct of their rulers.” – John Adams
Friday, December 19, 2008
People With No Conscience.
hat causes a person to have no conscience? That is not to say that they lose consciousness, but they lose the sense of reality, of whether something is good or bad. How does someone get to that point?
One instance is that of Casey Anthony. Have you see pictures of her darling daughter Caylee?
A little about Caylee Anthony's life...
Currently regarding the DNA testing confirmation...
Note: The DNA came back today and is confirmed to be that of Caylee Anthony.
Now, I know that Casey Anthony is innocent until proven guilty, however, who could do something like that? Not only was that done, but then she goes and plays head-games with the officials and her own parents about it. Obviously, there is something very wrong with Casey Anthony. I believe that there is also something wrong with her parents for not questioning the whereabouts of their grandchild until a month or so later. What is wrong with people? It seems that there is no respect for life anymore!
Then, there is Governor Rod Blagojevich. Now, no one should doubt that Chicago has had a corrupt government for decades. However, for him to state today that he is not guilty of any wrong doing...that is insane! He is known for fighting and that is probably what has gotten him this far in his career.
His most recent press conference...
Now, here is another take on the story...
What is truly insane is that the Feds have him on tape and have been investigating him for years and yet he still denies any wrong doing. At this point, with all that has been made public, what is the guy thinking? He has always had the demeanor of "high-and-mighty", or "elite"...but, come on Blago…it's time to give it up!
Another person who must have a screw loose is Bernard Madoff. By now, you have probably heard that Madoff was a guy who performed a $50 billion ponzi scheme over years and years. Not only that, but rumor has it that the SEC knew he was involved in this type of activity and didn't do anything about it.
The only way the dominoes started falling was that, "Last week, the truth began to emerge as investors, spooked by the battered economy, decided to pull out their money." and he didn't have it. Long-story-short, "When the agents showed up at his apartment, Madoff admitted he'd "paid investors with money that wasn't there," was "broke" and knew "it could not go on." What was he thinking? I guess there are some silver linings to this bad economy after all.
There are so many examples of people who have no conscience and who still get by in this world. The list is huge. In fact, there are probably many, many who we don't even ever hear about. That is a scary thought!
"Conscience ability or faculty that distinguishes whether one's actions are right or wrong. In plain English, it is a person's inner sense of what is right or what is wrong morally. It leads to feelings of remorse when one does things that go against his/her moral values, and to feelings of rectitude or integrity when one's actions conform to our moral values. It is also the attitude which informs one's moral judgment before performing any action. The extent to which such moral judgments are based in reason has been a matter of controversy almost throughout the history of Western philosophy." -- Wikipedia
One instance is that of Casey Anthony. Have you see pictures of her darling daughter Caylee?
A little about Caylee Anthony's life...
Currently regarding the DNA testing confirmation...
Note: The DNA came back today and is confirmed to be that of Caylee Anthony.
Now, I know that Casey Anthony is innocent until proven guilty, however, who could do something like that? Not only was that done, but then she goes and plays head-games with the officials and her own parents about it. Obviously, there is something very wrong with Casey Anthony. I believe that there is also something wrong with her parents for not questioning the whereabouts of their grandchild until a month or so later. What is wrong with people? It seems that there is no respect for life anymore!
"The term "psychopathy" is often confused with psychotic disorders. It is estimated that approximately one percent of the general population are psychopaths.
The psychopath is defined by a psychological gratification in criminal, sexual, or aggressive impulses and the inability to learn from past mistakes. Individuals with this disorder gain satisfaction through their antisocial behavior and also lack a conscience." -- Wikipedia
Then, there is Governor Rod Blagojevich. Now, no one should doubt that Chicago has had a corrupt government for decades. However, for him to state today that he is not guilty of any wrong doing...that is insane! He is known for fighting and that is probably what has gotten him this far in his career.
His most recent press conference...
Now, here is another take on the story...
What is truly insane is that the Feds have him on tape and have been investigating him for years and yet he still denies any wrong doing. At this point, with all that has been made public, what is the guy thinking? He has always had the demeanor of "high-and-mighty", or "elite"...but, come on Blago…it's time to give it up!
"Narcissistic Personality Disorder...a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and a lack of empathy....
The narcissist is described as turning inward for gratification rather than depending on others and as being excessively preoccupied with issues of personal adequacy, power and prestige. Narcissistic personality disorder is closely linked to self-centeredness." -- Wikipedia
Another person who must have a screw loose is Bernard Madoff. By now, you have probably heard that Madoff was a guy who performed a $50 billion ponzi scheme over years and years. Not only that, but rumor has it that the SEC knew he was involved in this type of activity and didn't do anything about it.
"Within hours, investors who had trusted the 70-year-old Madoff for years - including the owner of the New York Mets - were reeling at charges that one of the most trusted names on Wall Street was a full-time fraud.
Manhattan federal prosecutors disclosed a long-running scheme that may have resulted in $50 billion in losses - perhaps the biggest scam in Wall Street history.
The one-time Nasdaq chairman, investigators charged, operated a classic Ponzi scheme, paying off early investors with funds from subsequent clients to keep the illusion of profit alive." -- NY Daily News
The only way the dominoes started falling was that, "Last week, the truth began to emerge as investors, spooked by the battered economy, decided to pull out their money." and he didn't have it. Long-story-short, "When the agents showed up at his apartment, Madoff admitted he'd "paid investors with money that wasn't there," was "broke" and knew "it could not go on." What was he thinking? I guess there are some silver linings to this bad economy after all.
There are so many examples of people who have no conscience and who still get by in this world. The list is huge. In fact, there are probably many, many who we don't even ever hear about. That is a scary thought!
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