Vanasõna

  The Story... World Affairs The United Nations was created to resolve differences through diplomacy and to bring people and nations together after WWII. NATO was created during the Cold War to stop the the advancement of the Union of Soviet Social Republics and it was hoped that with the fall of of the Soviet Union, NATO would be Abe to stand down. However, with Russia now invading Ukraine (including others over the last two decades), it is has not stopped Vladimir Putin's desire to rebuild the once mighty empire. The was a story in the 1980's going around that countries that had a McDonald's restaurant didn't go to war against each other because the theory was that with Western Capitalism, they could meet their needs through commerce and not through war. Peace through suburbs... So we started doing business with China to build common goals. USAID has been a program started in the 1950's to work on our soft-power diplomacy to build up other nations so they would ...

  Jesus asks us, "What do you see?" The Rev. Dr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote of the German people while he was in prison: ‘Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in human beings at least a sense of unease. Against stupidity we are defenseless. Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed — in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical — and when facts are irrefutable they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental. In all this the stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self-satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack. For that reason, greater caution is called for than with a malicious o...

  The Story... It is a fact that after WWII, the GI Bill helped millions of veterans go to college and get degrees and also helped them secure housing through no down payment low interest loans. It is a fact that over 1 million African Americans served in the armed forces during WWII, but very few (less than 70,000) were able to access college help and of the suburbs built for veterans often had a clause that the owner couldn't sell to a 'colored' family. There are still deeds with this language written into it. In the 1950's there were signs on businesses saying, "Help wanted: whites only." In 2004, a study was done with the exact same resumes except the first names of Greg and Emily instead of Jamal and Lakisha out to real businesses. Greg and Emily got 50% more calls for interviews than Jamal and Lakisha. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI that communist plot) is a way to make things more equitable for all Americans, not just those who have been lucky en...

  The Story... A story became public in with Ronald Reagan who was quoted the ten worst words a person can say, "I am from the government and here to help." Since then, Republicans, Evangelicals, and Libertarians have set out to paint all aspects of the government as bad, corrupted, and it has culminated as the conspiracy theory of the "Deep State". This story has a hold on many Americans who believe the elected officials (all except their own) are corrupt. and anyone who works in federal agencies. They have furthered this story by allowing money to be labeled 'free speech' so billionaires can funnel tens and hundreds of millions of dollars into the elections so they can reap billions of dollars in tax rebates and less and less government oversight. So that corruption can reign and while they reap the benefits, they can holla about those crooked and un-American socialists and communists. This story governs the Trump Administration and while the keys of the k...

How many are watching or re-watching West Wing as an escape for when times are simpler. I love this scene between President Bartlett and a conservative Republican:   President Josiah Bartlet:  We agree on nothing, Max. Senator Lobell:  Yes, sir. President Josiah Bartlet:  Education, guns, drugs, school prayer, gays, defense spending, taxes - you name it, we disagree. Senator Lobell:  You know why? President Josiah Bartlet:  Because I'm a lily-livered, bleeding-heart, liberal, egghead communist. Senator Lobell:  Yes, sir. And I'm a gun-toting, redneck son-of-a-b*tch. President Josiah Bartlet:  Yes, you are. Senator Lobell:  We agree on that. And after that exchange, they were able to agree on one thing, some tax code, and were able to get it passed through the Congress. What we are seeing, is that many different people and groups within the nation, within the Republican party, and even within MAGA don't always agree with the executive acti...

 In the Five Books of Moses where also known as the? (Pentateuch) What was the last thing written of the Pentateuch, the last story? Hint: it was a poem. (The First Creation Story) The Seven Day Creation Story was put in its final form, the first time it was written down was while the people of Israel were in the diaspora spread throughout the Babylonian Empire in the sixth century BCE. It became widely shared because the prophet Jeremiah told the people to marry amongst the people wherever they were at and to settle in. Yes one day, they would return to the towns and Jerusalem, but for now, continue to live. The people of the nation of Judah were there for about seventy years, so there were a couple of generations happening and their children and grandchildren were forgetting their language, their heritage, and their God. Then, the poem about God creating the world in seven days was used as a reminder, a balm, and a way to remember who and whose they were. It centered on the sabba...