Religion, philosophy, and literature
Water is considered a purifier in most religions. Major faiths that incorporate ritual washing (ablution) include Christianity, Hinduism, Rastafarianism, Islam, Shinto, Taoism, and Judaism. Immersion (or aspersion or affusion) of a person in water is a central sacrament of Christianity (where it is called baptism); it is also a part of the practice of other religions, including Judaism (mikvah) and Sikhism (Amrit Sanskar). In addition, a ritual bath in pure water is performed for the dead in many religions including Judaism and Islam. In Islam, the five daily prayers can be done in most cases after completing washing certain parts of the body using clean water (wudu). In Shinto, water is used in almost all rituals to cleanse a person or an area (e.g., in the ritual of misogi). Water is mentioned in the Bible 442 times in the New International Version and 363 times in the King James Version: 2 Peter 3:5(b) states, “The earth was formed out of water and by water” (NIV).
Some faiths use water especially prepared for religious purposes (holy water in some Christian denominations, Amrita in Sikhism and Hinduism). Many religions also consider particular sources or bodies of water to be sacred or at least auspicious; examples include Lourdes in Roman Catholicism, the Jordan River (at least symbolically) in some Christian churches, the Zamzam Well in Islam and the River Ganges (among many others) in Hinduism.
Water is often believed to have spiritual powers. In Celtic mythology, Sulis is the local goddess of thermal springs; in Hinduism, the Ganges is also personified as a goddess, while Saraswati have been referred to as goddess in Vedas. Also water is one of the “panch-tatva”s (basic 5 elements, others including fire, earth, space, air). Alternatively, gods can be patrons of particular springs, rivers, or lakes: for example in Greek and Roman mythology, Peneus was a river god, one of the three thousand Oceanids. In Islam, not only does water give life, but every life is itself made of water: “We made from water every living thing”.
The Ancient Greek philosopher Empedocles held that water is one of the four classical elements along with fire, earth and air, and was regarded as the ylem, or basic substance of the universe. Water was considered cold and moist. In the theory of the four bodily humors, water was associated with phlegm. Water was also one of the five elements in traditional Chinese philosophy, along with earth, fire, wood, and metal.
Water also plays an important role in literature as a symbol of purification. Examples include the critical importance of a river in As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner and the drowning of Ophelia in Hamlet.
Sherlock Holmes held that “From a drop of water, a logician could infer the possibility of an Atlantic or a Niagara without having seen or heard of one or the other.”
Your blog have a good sense of humor,i guess so do you.
Equality and Dignity: Housing, Education, and Healthcare
EQUALITY AND DIGNITY
A Political Platform
For Equality and Dignity through Logic and Reason.
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Overview
ELECTIONS
Our electoral system does not work: with electoral colleges, and blue-states/red-states, the minority is underrepresented and the majority is powerless. Taxpayers’ money pays unjustifiably for parties’ internal nominations, the vote on election day is not secret, and, once elected, even politicians known to be corrupt cannot be recalled.
The system simply does not work, and the country has gone down the tube: we need a system of nominated representatives who can be recalled at any time by the same body that nominates them.
ECONOMY
Regarding economic conditions, the new gods, namely “The Economy”, “The Banks”, and “The Market”, rule irrationally the irrational soul of a lost nation. Letting imaginary “market forces” and “the Dow” rule our lives only opens the door to speculative forces and to monopolies: we need a real plan for resources, trade, commerce, production, and distribution, in order to know where we are and what we have, so that we can know where we are going and what we can do.
We cannot let the Dow index and other idiotic stock market indicators be the measure of a reform: and most shares of most companies listed on the stock markets are worth zero anyway, so there is no point in trying to resurrect theses dead and stale economic bodies.
FREE HEALTHCARE
We actually could really afford free healthcare for all, free education for all, public safety, and free adequate housing for all: we just need the willingness to do so.
PRIORITIES
We can start giving a decent house to each citizen and family. Each individual would receive a housing value of $10,000 per year, which would amount to a value of $3 Trillion. A family of four, for instance, would receive $40,000. The housing industry, and related trades, would employ some 11.5 Million people, at a salary of $130,000 per person, at a total cost for the Treasury of $1.5 Trillion. Each housing employee would generate an output value of $260,000 (corresponding to a productivity equal to the salary times two). Everyone would have the dignity of an adequate home, which would lead to better health, better education, better public safety, and overall a better society
$8 Trillion have been wasted in 2008 and 2009 by the current system in bailouts of one sort or another, and little or nothing has been accomplished: instead, to completely restore health, education, housing, and public safety would actually have cost less, just $6.7 Trillion. Evidently something has to change in our choices and in our decision-making process.
LOGIC
In order to achieve our goals, we need to move away from subjective irrationality, from illusions, from delusion, and from self-delusion: through logic, we need to reach objective reason.
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Only what is socially relevant and socially needed, according to social logic and social necessity, is socially valid and socially acceptable.
Assumptions:
Total Population 300 Million people.
Workforce: ages 25 to 75 are 150 Million people.
Ages 0 to 25 are 100 Million people.
Ages over 75 are 50 Million people.
Ages 75 to 85 are 35 Million people.
Ages over 85 are 15 Million people.
Guaranteed salary to workforce is $130,000 per person per year.
Measured value of production output is $260,000 per person per year.
Political representation is guaranteed via nomination of representatives to caucuses and committees.
Caucuses and committees are established at all levels of society, e.g., neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, hospitals, courts, etc.
Any representative can be recalled at any time by the same body that nominated that same representative.
Local representatives in turn nominate delegates to regional caucuses and committees, and further to national representations.
Central caucuses and committees of representatives will regulate the centralized basic social industries (healthcare, education, housing, and public safety), and monitor all other industries, production, distribution, and planning.
For purposes of equality, all committees and caucuses will be composed of an equal number of men and women.
Every citizen is guaranteed the right to work at full pay between ages 25 and 75.
Every citizen is guaranteed a salary of $130,000 between ages 25 and 75.
All socially illogical old privileges are abolished, as being in contravention of social equality.
All forms of exploitation are abolished, as being in contravention of social dignity.
The measured value of the production output of each worker cannot exceed $260,000, corresponding to twice the input salary.
Every citizen will serve a mandatory total of 5 years (not necessarily consecutively) in public service in the Public Forces between ages 25 and 75.
Every citizen is guaranteed full salary also during the public service years.
Every citizen is guaranteed free healthcare, preventive care, medicines, medical devices, dental care, hearing care (including hearing devices), vision care (including eyeglasses), etc., at an estimated average value of $10,000 per person per year.
Every citizen is guaranteed free childcare and preschool between ages 0 and 5, at an estimated value of $30,000 per year.
Every citizen is guaranteed free education (including textbooks), including college and graduate level, between ages 5 and 25, at an estimated value of $30,000 per year.
All parents are fully responsible for the subsistence and actions of their own children until the child reaches age 25.
Every citizen over age 85 is guaranteed free eldercare, valued of $30,000 per person per year, in addition to the universal healthcare estimated at an average value of $10,000 per person per year.
Every citizen is guaranteed adequate and free housing, at an estimated value of $10,000 per person per year. Households with multiple members will receive multiple housing values on the basis of the number of persons living in the same household (e. g., a family of four would receive an estimated value of housing of $40,000 per year).
Every citizen is guaranteed free public safety and justice, as provided by the public forces, at an estimated average value of $13,000 per person per year.
Pension begins at age 75.
Pensioners (ages over 75) will receive a tax-free variable stipend, the size of which depends on the available surplus of the Treasury.
Students (ages between 5 and 25) will receive a tax-free variable stipend, the size of which depends on the available surplus of the Treasury.
A flat tax of 40 percent on all income of all persons (except for Treasury surplus stipends available for student and pensioners) is implemented, to be paid to Treasury: all other taxes (state tax, property tax, sales tax, payroll tax, etc.) are abolished. Currently, a 25% federal income tax, a 7.5% payroll tax, and a 7.5% sales tax add up to a tax rate of some 40%, on top of which state taxes and property taxes need to be added for a proper comparison.
All healthcare services, including hospitals, clinics, HMOs, laboratories, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, research institutes, health insurance providers, etc., are centralized and regulated.
All educational services, including schools, colleges, universities, textbook publishing companies, etc., are centralized and regulated.
All housing services, including development, construction, maintenance, furniture industries, appliance industries, utilities, etc., are centralized and regulated.
All public safety services, including police, courts, defense, military installations, diplomatic corps, security, surveillance, intelligence, postal service, delivery services, fire protection, etc., are centralized and regulated.
False advertising and sales practices that mislead consumers are prohibited.
Only thoroughly informative advertisement, of a non-emotional character, for socially necessary and essential products and services will be allowed. Advertisements for pharmaceuticals, medicines, alcoholic beverages, and nicotine products are prohibited.
All schemes of copyrights, patents, royalties, and trademarks are abolished.
All schemes of debt, pawn, money lending, check cashing, usury, and interest payment are prohibited.
The system and practice of establishing companies, corporations, trust, foundations, nonprofits, etc., intended to limit personal liabilities and responsibilities is abolished.
The schemes of market trading in stock, shares, options, bonds, public offerings, etc., of fictitious businesses and corporations are abolished.
The schemes of mutual funds, hedge funds, swaps, derivatives, etc., often defined as “the economy”, are abolished.
Only sole proprietorships, general partnerships, and cooperatives of individuals, with personal, absolute, unlimited, and uninsurable responsibility and inalienable guarantees, will be allowed to conduct business, manufacturing, commerce, and trade of any kind.
Monopolies, trusts, and cartels against social interests are prohibited.
The Treasury collects taxes and distributes national wealth to centralized and regulated industries.
The regulated healthcare industry will serve 300 Million people (all ages) for an average service value of $10,000 per person per year, and will employ 11.5 Million people at a salary of $130,000 per person, with a production output value of $260,000 per person, at a total cost for the Treasury of $1.5 Trillion (current annual expenses for healthcare in the USA approximate $2.3 Trillion).
The regulated childcare and education industries will serve 100 Million people (childcare ages 0 to 5 and education ages 5 to 25) for an average service value of $30,000 per person per year, and will employ 11.5 Million people at a salary of $130,000 per person, with a production output value of $260,000 per person, at a total cost for the Treasury of $1.5 Trillion.
The regulated housing industry will serve 300 Million people (all ages) for an average service value of $10,000 per person per year, and will employ 11.5 Million people at a salary of $130,000 per person, with a production output value of $260,000 per person, at a total cost for the Treasury of $1.5 Trillion.
The regulated eldercare industry will serve 15 Million people (ages over 85) for an average service value of $30,000 per person per year, and will employ 1.7 Million people at a salary of $130,000 per person, with a production output value of $260,000 per person, at a total cost for the Treasury of $225 Billion.
The regulated public safety industry will serve 300 Million people (all ages) for an estimated average service value of $13,000 per person per year. The public service of all citizens in the Public Forces for 5 years between ages 25 and 75, totaling 15 Million people in service at any given time, will lead to a cost for the Treasury of some $2 Trillion (the cost of $130,000 in annual salary for each enrolled citizen) obtaining a value of services of $3.9 Trillion ($260,000 of measured value of output generated by each enrolled individual).
The Treasury will have revenues of $7.8 Trillion (40% of $130,000 each for 150 Million persons), and will also receive a value of public service by the Public Forces of $3.9 Trillion ($260,000 value of output per year by 15 Million persons in mandatory enrollment in the Public Force at any given time).
The Treasury will have costs of $1.5 Trillion for healthcare, $1.5 Trillion for childcare and education, $1.5 Trillion for housing, $2 Trillion for public service, and $220 Billion for Eldercare, totaling thus some $6.7 Trillion.
The variable surplus of some $1.1 Trillion will be distributed equally in the form of non-taxable stipends to students (ages 5 to 25) and pensioners (ages over 75), totaling some 150 Million people, corresponding to approximately $7,000 per year to each student or pensioner.
Industries like food, clothing, information, entertainment, communication, transportation, infrastructure, energy, import, export, etc., are monitored in accordance with social logic and social need.
All socially non-productive activities are regulated.
All socially non-essential activities are regulated.
All cultural, research, and artistic activities are monitored in accordance with social relevancy.
All production, distribution, and trade will be planned on the basis of existing and future resources in order to meet social needs in accordance with social logic.
Fresh potable water is the most valuable resource on the planet: therefore the usage of water will be regulated, and any waste or socially non-essential use of water will be restricted or prohibited.
Some 50 Million people will be employed in regulated industries, financed by the Treasury, for a budget of some $6 Trillion. (The current national budget in the USA is about $4 Trillion.)
Some 100 Million people will be employed in monitored industries, for a gross domestic income of some $13 Trillion. (The current national gross domestic product in the USA is about $15 Trillion, with a current rate of exploitation of 5 to 6 and even 10 times the worker’s salary, providing thus the private corporations and the private banks unjustifiably excessive profits.)
International awareness of social necessities will be constantly promoted.
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EQUALITY AND DIGNITY
(for Equality and Dignity through Logic and Reason)
EQUALITY AND DIGNITY
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SUMMARY
We establish local caucuses and committees, and we nominate representatives for the higher political bodies of the basic centralized regulated industries, namely healthcare, education, housing, and public safety.
We get free childcare and preschool until age 5, we get free education until age 25, we all get free healthcare and free housing, we all agree as a nation not to have children before age 30 (and then only two children per couple), we retire at age 75, and we get free eldercare after age 85.
While working we all get $130,000 per year, and we all pay a flat 40% in income tax: no other taxes apply. And during the course of our work-life, we all commit ourselves to serve 5 years in public service, at full pay, administering and planning together the people’s resources.
EQUALITY AND DIGNITY
For Equality and Dignity through Logic and Reason
SUMMARIES
HOUSING
The process of formation of a new social structure begins with housing.
Housing needs cannot be disregarded, and housing is of primary importance in order to establish a society based on equality and dignity.
Only through adequate housing for all we can achieve adequate health conditions for children and for the elderly population, for students and for mothers, for workers and for the sick.
Adequate housing ensures good family conditions, good education, and good safety.
Adequate and secure housing enables the individual to find expressions of higher intellectual pursuit by enabling personal interests, and of deeper social engagement by fostering community contacts.
In one’s own community, everyone will participate in communal activities and local representation. Housing is a crucial component of political representation and power, and the democratic process begins in the community where one lives.
Everybody will receive adequate housing, valued at $10,000 per individual per year. So a family of four, at $10,000 each, would therefore receive a housing value of $40,000.
For the population of 300 Million people, at $10,000 per person, Housing would be a regulated industry totaling an output of $3 Trillion. Each person employed in the Housing industry would receive a salary of $130,000, and each employee would generate an output value of $260,000. This is based on an input-output factor of 2, which is high enough to ensure sufficient productivity, but low enough so as to prevent exploitation. The Housing industry would encompass housing development, construction, rentals, maintenance, utilities, appliances, furniture, etc, and the housing industry as a whole would employ 11.5 Million people, at a total expense for the Treasury of $1.5 Trillion.
HEALTHCARE
Equality and dignity can be achieved only if healthcare is guaranteed to all citizens.
Healthcare encompasses all care, preventive medicine, prenatal and postnatal care, hospitalization, etc. General healthcare includes also dental care (including braces and dentures), vision care (including eyeglasses and special devices), hearing care (including hearing aids and special equipment), and nutrition care (including obesity treatment).
Guaranteed healthcare improves relations, relieves social tension, and ensures a more happy society.
In one’s own healthcare community (hospital, nurse station, pharmacy, laboratory) everybody will participate in nominating representative for higher body of representation, to ensure that healthcare programs are executed in an adequate and timely manner.
Everybody will receive adequate healthcare, valued at an average of $10,000 per individual per year.
For the population of 300 Million people, at $10,000 per person, Healthcare would be a regulated industry totaling an output of $3 Trillion. Each person employed in the Healthcare industry would receive a salary of $130,000, and each employee would generate an output value of $260,000. This is based on an input-output factor of 2, which is high enough to ensure sufficient productivity, but low enough so as to prevent exploitation. The Healthcare industry would encompass hospitals, clinics, HMOs, laboratories, pharmacies, research centers, pharmaceutical industries, medical devices, health insurance companies, etc., and the healthcare industry as a whole would employ 11.5 Million people, at a total expense for the Treasury of $1.5 Trillion.
ELDERCARE
Every citizen over age 85 will receive full and free eldercare, in addition to the guaranteed general healthcare provisions.
Eldercare is valued at $30,000 per individual per year.
For the population over age 85 of 15 Million people, at $30,000 per person, Healthcare would be a regulated industry totaling an output of $450 Billion. Each person employed in the Healthcare industry would receive a salary of $130,000, and each employee would generate an output value of $260,000. This is based on an input-output factor of 2, which is high enough to ensure sufficient productivity, but low enough so as to prevent exploitation. The Eldercare industry as a whole would employ 1.7 Million people, at a total expense for the Treasury of $225 Billion.
EDUCATION
Equality and dignity can be achieved only through a educated and responsible population, where all are given adequate schooling (including university) and all are made responsible for society’s needs and achievements, for progress and for accomplishments.
Childcare, kindergarten and preschool will be given free to all children age 0 to 5. Schooling including college, university and graduate school will be provided free to all citizens age 5 to 25.
Parents will be fully responsible for their children until the child reaches age 25.
Everybody who studies, and everybody who has children in school age, will participate in the democratic process of education, by participating in local planning and by nominating representative to higher regional bodies.
Everybody will receive adequate housing, valued at $10,000 per individual per year. So a family of four, at $10,000 each, would therefore receive a housing value of $40,000.
For the population age 0 to 25 in childcare, school, and college age, totaling 100 Million people, at $30,000 per person, Education would be a regulated industry totaling an output of $3 Trillion. Each person employed in the Education industry would receive a salary of $130,000, and each employee would generate an output value of $260,000. This is based on an input-output factor of 2, which is high enough to ensure sufficient productivity, but low enough so as to prevent exploitation. The Education industry would encompass childcare centers, schools, high schools, colleges, universities, textbook industry, etc., and the education industry as a whole would employ 11.5 Million people, at a total expense for the Treasury of $1.5 Trillion.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Public safety is essential to establish a society based on equality and dignity for all. Mutual respect, mutual trust, and mutual support requires a safe society, without threats, without fear, and without tension, where emerging disputes are settled at the initial stage, and where possible errors are corrected in depths, even at the individual level.
All public demands on public service based on public interest and public forces is handled at the local level, with a system of vertical representation that begins around one’s own home, one’s own workplace, one’s own school.
Everybody will serve for 5 years, between the ages 25 to 75, in the public forces (with a full pay of $130,000 per year), in order to guarantee a social participation of all in social issues that concern all. The social service in the public forces is a right and a duty, so that everybody works for everyone, in a communality of resources and goals.
Everybody will receive adequate public safety services, valued at $10,000 per individual per year.
For the population totaling 300 Million people, at $13,000 per person, Public Safety would be a regulated industry totaling an output of $3.9 Trillion. Each person employed in the Public Service industry in the public forces would receive a salary of $130,000, and each employee would generate an output value of $260,000. This is based on an input-output factor of 2, which is high enough to ensure sufficient productivity, but low enough so as to prevent exploitation. The Public Service industry would encompass police, courts, defense, military installations, diplomatic corps, security, surveillance, intelligence, postal service, delivery services, fire protection, etc., and the public service industry as a whole would employ 15 Million people at any given time, at a total expense for the Treasury of $2 Trillion.
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Your suggestions, questions, and comments are welcome.
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For Equality and Dignity through Logic and Reason.
Join now!
Free participation.
This is a social movement.
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Guaranteed free healthcare to all.
Free childcare.
Free education to all up to age 25.
Free housing to all.
Free public safety to all.
Free eldercare over age 85.
Guaranteed employment over age 25.
Guaranteed salary between ages 25 and 75, also to homemakers (over age 25) and graduate students (over age 25).
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Today is tomorrow’s yesterday, and tomorrow we will be judged on the basis of how we act today.
EQUALITY AND DIGNITY
equalityanddignity@yahoo.com
EQUALITY AND DIGNITY
CENTRAL BUREAU FOR STATISTICS AND INFORMATION
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