Time to Oust all Dictators (2)

[Continuation, part 2. Blog on changing/deleting dictators]

I am only one person, I don't have the right to judge others; however, based on conduct and actions, I can judge whether individuals (and organizations), are socially acceptable or not -- civilized in this Century of Light (Author: Universal House of Justice), who pinpoint "the ruin that the human race has brought upon itself." In my opinion, even if I keep it to myself, how do I judge right from wrong? How do I judge another human being?

But in this case President Assad has been judged by the world's civil communities. The world in the past has demonized Hitler and to an extent the German people, Emporor Hirohito and the Japanese (hence the hubbub right now about visiting a sacred shrine), and many others in the last 75 years, like Saddam Hussein and his army. So in a civil society how do we get rid of dictators? Easy. 

1. Gather a military coalition as was done in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2. Issue a sanctioned U.N.fatwa, and 3. Depose, capture and imprison, or kill an inhuman being. Would that everything were so black and white. But remember how many lies (sometimes), arm-twisting, deal-making, and vote-getting all those actions finally took? Besides obtaining some modicum of public support? Time is still passing on such atrocities, during which innocent men, women and child citizens were and are murdered. "Collateral damage." 

No, there's a time for pleading and a time for action, immediately, so rebuilding a truly democratic Syrian nation can begin. In part one I showed how Assad's crimes were proven. Universally condemned. Yet now we dally and delay trying to get rid of Syria's chemical weapons. I say that's not nearly enough. This is NOT the same as issuing a fatwa against an innocent-til-proven-guilty evil person. The Syrian government's crimes against humanity led by President Assad is proven. Torturing, maiming, killing or displacing millions (UNHCR reports over 1 million children and 1 million other refugees). Assad is not like the long suffering, incognito author Joseph Anton who received a fatwa sentence of death. 

But why do we need multiples and multiples of murders to act against such inhuman "leaders," these mostly male megalomanical demigods? Weren't invasions and genocide in the '40s enough? Or in Rwanda? It's obvious that just like some demigods in the U.S. congress now, or these dictators, they refuse to cede real power to the people, or put the people's interests above their own like Nelson Mandela emblemized. '65 years later the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide  is still deeply flawed. Still extant, it calls for nations to voluntarily agree to its principles instead of being mandatory for all. Unfortunately, even the self-righteous don't want to cede any authority or sovereignty to someone or to a justly constituted organization who can put an end to these infinite cruelties.

Not until the Commonwealth of Nations cedes some of their soverignty to the International Criminal Court and to the Peacekeepers, will dictators and their miseries end.

By Rodney Richards copyright 2013
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Time to Change Trash Collectors

No, not the hardworkin' youth and men who stop by my house and all the others on my block on Wednesdays and Fridays. They work with precision, hardly any trash spilt on the asphalt. Lifting those yellow and green cans and luggin' newspaper bundles up and in, as well as those black, grey, brown, and green buckets filled to the brim with full garbage bags and debris. I certainly wish them a fattened paycheck and better benes for their critical services, services that some communities make residents pay for directly out-a-pocket. Ah, I love payin' property taxes for such good service, never failing. 

Except the time early one Saturday mornin' seeing a Company man directing the garbage truck to speed backwards down the middle of the street, to save time and travel picking up missed cans.  To suddenly watch as the massive truck smashes the driver's side rear-end of my red Civic, as it tries to pass - goin' backwards. How the youthful driver begged us not to call the Hamilton Police, but we did, and the Company's regional manager was also called and drove up, to record the event. How the driver  received a ticket for careless drivin' and we all went to municipal court. How we met with the youth and the prosecutor privately, and he again asked for leniency, and the prosecutor said, "this will end his career." And so we dropped the charge, our testimony, and the driver left with a warning, not points. Even tho I thought it wrong to do so in the moment yet Jan had convinced me.

How do we learn lessons from our mistakes and be much more careful? But Jan convinced me it was an "accident," not this poor boy's fault, yet people cause accidents too.

And I had to dun the Company's insurance carrier weekly to pay for the damage -- which they finally did.

Or the homely lookin' necessary guys in green pants and coats on the Trenton downtown streets every weekday, with long-handled bin and petite broom, sweeping up the detritus left by uncaring pedestrians or tossed from vehicles, or dropped by children -- and ignored until these homely men pick it all up. Pick up to keep our city streets clean, beautiful. I've been to cities with pristine sidewalks and streets, London outskirts, Stockholm, Zurich, Rome - not so much. And how hard we try to keep our highways clean here, with orange-suited men of all colors and sizes, with extra long dark, thick plastic bags that hold cans, and Doritos bags, McDonald's plastic cups and food wrappers, gum wrappers, and road debris. We all see them in the medians and sides of our highways. Thank goodness for them also.

Not a bad idea chargin' businesses a surtax because of their mass trash bits, even tho not their fault they're strewn everywhere. No the customer's fault, too many, who'd rather pay the trash tax when they pay at the counter, rather than not litter.

So I was at Wawa on QB and Youngs Road Sunday, buying Salem 100s. I had parked by Nino's, possibly Hamilton's best bakery where I was concerned, to ostensibly buy a hand-sized, delicious, melt-n-your-mouth fresh, Nut Ring, at Janet's rare request. As I exited I unwrapped the pack out front, threw the wrappings into a large red trash can, lit up, and walked past the other stores back to Nino's enjoyin' my smoke. My "Stupid!" cigarette.

I find a bench along the way and sit while I finish. A thought occurs, That was a very unusual trash can. Interesting me enough to walk back and scrutinize it's red-metal shape. 5 ft long, 3 ft wide and 3+ ft tall, wide enough for two clear plastic bagged, square plastic buckets inside. One large rectangular opening for trash, circles cut in the top and side for recycle next to it. Handles on doors to open and empty bags. "Why does this strike me so?"

I enter a Note in my Iphone "Recycle", type in color, dimensions, symbols on outside, thoughts. Shouldn't all stores, city streets have such receptacles? Hard to miss, efficient? Instead of just this one for Wawa, shouldn't there be at least 3-4 along this long shop-filled sidewalk to replace the 'Only trash' buckets placed along it's length? How could people miss them? It's so hard to catch and find litterers. I wonder how many are ever caught and fined the $25 -- to $100. Couldn't there be laws dictating use by all fast food and fast coffee/cigarettes stores mandating use of these stand-outs? That would surely be a boon to trash collection and recycling.

Competition still works in the manufacture sale and maintenance of these red babies. Other competitive companies contracting with stores, gov't and strip malls for their placement and emptying. Perhaps even a credit for pounds of recycling collected in their bag(s) against the rental contract for these red giants?

There'll forever be a market for a better mousetrap, plan or program, won't there?

And Jan and I really enjoyed our Nut Rings.

By Rodney Richards copyright 2013. Subscribe for free and leave a comment or contact me at 1950ablia@gmail.com.

Time to Change from Dictators

 #1 I'm not expert in anything; today's blog based on hearing/reading traditional news outlets, Time and the Week.
#2 Nation building has ended. No more invasions to conquer lands - disputes hopefully settled by the International Court of Justice (estab. 1945 with growing member states subject to its dictums), also enforced by U.N. Peacekeepers (euphemism for advisors and enforcers and rightly so). 

A new model of war has emerged: coalitions, i.e. collective security. Adumbrated by Baha'i leader Baha'u'llah in mid-1800s. Examples are: the Gulf War, '90-'91; Kosovo in '99 with air support from NATO; Iraq War starting in 2003, now a civil war; and Afghanistan since 2001, ongoing. (Source: Wikipedia) 

How to End a Dictator (1) - like Bashar Assad

President of Syria (figurehead since '94); opposed by Peoples Council of Syria in 2000 and 2007 elections, but ran unopposed. Proof of dictatorship from reports: "Human Rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have detailed how Bashar's government and secret police routinely tortured, imprisoned, and killed political opponents, and those who speak out against the government^.  Since 2006 it expanded the use of travel bans against dissidents. In that regard, Syria is the worst offender among Arab states." "He ordered a mass crackdown and military sieges on pro-rebel protesters amid recent civil war."   (Source: Wikipedia 12/20/13)

Logical steps so far taken towards removal:
1. Background proof of cruel dictatorship has been gathered. Signs: Unopposed, unchallenged or unverified elections. Atrocities against Syrian people (or others). Proof is history and facts gathered over time in every case. Easily proven in modern times with cellphone pics, recordings, reporters, watch groups, internal document expose's etc.

2. Deciding. "Who's responsible or champion enough to remove him?" Leave up to anti-gov't protestors or rebels, international condemnation and embargos?   (See 5/18/2011 U.S. sanctions) Step a. Provide indirect military support towards ouster like advisors and arming rebels? (Not seen publicly yet?) b. Full civil war? Declared one by Red Cross on 7/15/12. c. Let it play out? Or? Next step.

3. Direct military intervention. a. Frought with problems and the largest (to me), is collateral damage (murder of civilians by coalition forces). Torture and murder accusations now hurled against Syrian rebel groups. Meaning: How on earth can we support that? b. International recognition toward stability is building (17 countries now), of the Syrian National Council (SNC); therefore justifying and legitimizing physical, material and military support. No one's done this yet, that I've heard of. Have you heard differently?

That's where we are now.  Part (2) coming - A Different Path.

By Rodney Richards, copyright 2013. Subscribe to this blog for updates, or comment to me at 1950ablia@gmail.com. I will try to respond.  

Time to Change Wages (2)

I'm proud of my home state New Jersey. The New York Times reported on November 5, 2013 (one day after elections -- and ballot measures), that voters approved an increase to the State's minimum wage (MW) to $8.25 an hour, by 61% to 39%. Since 2009 the Fed MW has been $7.25.The extra bonus in NJ is that the wage will rise with inflation increases annually. I should be so lucky with my our investments! But I'm all in favor of this fair minimum law for mostly unskilled workers. At that rate, if you can find a full-time job at all, it would be $330/wk, or $1,320/mo.

Then take out FICA, NJ income tax, a big maybe for health benes, and others. Doesn't leave much. The cheapest 1-bedroom apartments around here are scarce at $900-1,000/mo. So young people are forced to stay at home by pure economics, unless they share renting a house with 6 other male and female youths like I did thruout '69. The house was so big, there was a '60's Jaguar undergoing body work in the basement. But again, jobs were plentiful then.

In the U.S. it takes one large income or two combined to get started on the American Dream, and today's used car generally starts the dream off. A decent junker costs a thou or three.

That's why consumerism won't save us forever, yet it (based on sales), is the largest American industry by far in my opinion (or is it advertising and lobbying?).  Trades then sales have always existed I'd say. I and my family need things. We all need things regardless of our age -- products and services. 

But - prices seem to always go up (well, yes & no -- a different blog). The cost of raw materials always go up. Simple reason -- they're getting scarcer. Fossil fuels, elements and minerals, wood, water, and now with climate change -- fresh air to overcome smog like Bejing's. So the consumers' ride is coming to an end until we Preserve, Reserve, Replenish (what we can, like trees), and Conserve at all times. That's the "things" we already have and what we buy. We're just changing one material to another -- we don't create. When its gone . . . well. We are losing rapidly and not replenishing.

After decades of warnings, we're turning to renewable energy for example. In 2003 I went to a federal DEP banquet in Washington D.C. to receive an award for New Jersey's purchase of wind energy. Certified Green-e. at that time one of three highest states in the country doing so.There's hope. It's become a bandwagon now, with Jersey's current RPS standard of 20.38% Class I and Class II renewables by energy year 2020-2021 + 4.1% solar-electric by energy year 2027-2028. (Source: DSIRE). Energy articles aren't lyin' -- this means jobs as well as continued semi-comfortable lives going forward.

We can make a difference, and are doing so. Millions of people are helping. I'm counting you and I as helpers also.  

By Rodney Richards copyright 2013. Subscribe to this blog or leave me comments at 1950ablia@gmail.com

Time to Change Jobs (1)

[New series: A Time to Change . . .]

I can't remember what hourly rate I earned at my first job as door-to-door magazine seller in Mercer County NJ. I was hired for the summer, and was the only one left of the original 15 youth. (I am a Taurus) At the end, that company skipped town with all the yearly subscription payments, mostly from seniors. My first scam experience. 

Nor do I remember the cents per paper earned delivering the Santa Ana Register (California), or my commission rate selling Encyclopedia Britanicas in Orange County, again door-to-door. Nor as a stock clerk for many months at Woolworths in '67 next to Ewing High School, my alma mater. Nor as a busboy at International House of Pancakes on Parkway Ave (closed last year), and the free spaghetti dinners workin' nights.

I do not remember my nightly hourly rate cleaning Motor Trend Magazine and other Anaheim CA offices in '68. That job I got from my second cousin Donny (mentioned in my book), a swingin' bachelor. No, I don't remember that $$. In every one I was pleased and almost happy to be working and earning my own cash, shared with no one.  Thru the '60s dozens and dozens and dozens of jobs appeared in The Trenton Times, where I found my first magazine gig.

As far as any of my jobs or positions go, I enjoyed workin' and was always goalless, just goin' with the flow. Especially workin' as a salaried 35 hour-per-week employee for the State of NJ; almost 39 years. My actual "career," ended in '09 as a six-figure  manager; unplanned, unguided, happenstance thruout.

Grateful for each employment, which is why I now advocate vociferously for fair jobs for every able-bodied person who requires water, food, shelter, clothing and healthcare. Right now there are millions of jobs available, just look online.

But they all require meticulous backgrounds, bachelor's at a minimum, sometimes Masters, and years of training and experience in the field. Too many ridiculous and obscenely unnecessary requirements.  And they expect you to "hit the ground running." Mentoring or in-house training may be a joke, unless its sales or marketing, "America's job god." Yes, week or two-week courses on "How to overcome Buyer's barriers to buying," with many more to follow. Every salesperson's ABC? "Always buyers closing."

Let me digress. Consumerism keeps this country alive. It used to be buying U.S. manufactured goods, wars (still wars), which jobs mostly went oversees to slave labor rates, and tby the '70s turned ballistic into buying services. We seem to produce more intellectual property now than anything else, which will grow. I'd hate to be the US Patent Office!

So, jobs, jobs, jobs. Most politicians crying this mantra for decades, especially since the 2008 crash. It's a great mantra, but easy solutions, like OJT, more equal emphasis on technical schools, and legislation for things like the 30's Works Progress Administration, would be a starts. America's infrastructure is crumbling. A trillion gallons a year leaking from deteriorating pipes -- one example of dozens -- dangerous, overcrowded, narrow suburban roads, leaking sewer lines, wasted buildings/brownfields. At least cities and munis are recognizing these areas more now.   

So? Solution to jobs scarcity? Big ugly circle, sales and consumerism at all levels equal jobs and better earnings (maybe).

Why consumerism will not save us alone, nor even higher minimum hourly rates (which I'm in favor of), won't do it, in next blog.
All my opinion of course.

By Rodney Richards, subscribe or comment to 1050ablia@gmail.com

Time to Change Horror Parades

[A new series on change. To quote Ephesus (402 AD) "Everything changes and nothing remains still." In the modern age I've heard, "Change is the only constant."]

I love parades. For 20 years I championed our Baha'i community participation in Hamilton Twp's Annual Memorial Day parade. These parades honor those, dead and alive, men and women who have sacrificed too much to save us, to defend, us to defend ours, and the world's freedoms. I salute you and offer prayers.

Our Baha'i community built floats, carried big banners, children or a 10 foot earthly globe. Our signs proclaimed 'The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.' (Baha'u'llah), or black with huge white letters, 'One Planet . . . One People . . . Please.' I've written about my joys marching with friends, with my son Jesse rollerblading next to us and shouting "Happy Memorial Day!'  A day for remembering sacrifice . . . and American deaths. 

I suppose every people or country that's been in terrible unrest or wars, and have survived or won, hold annual parades in remembrance. Remembering the bravehearts who gave their lives so that freedom might triumph.Our thanks and gratitude comes straight from our hearts, because our heads, quite frankly, don't know or can remember the details of so long ago. Generations ago. That's why we appreciate V.F.W. Posts, who are struggling to remain open and need our help. 

But I feel its time to stop honoring death and dying, with, or without purpose, depending on your view. I would rather spend my time motivating the living, now, in 2013. Not from June 6, 1944 - 69 years ago, or VE Day, May 8, 1945, or V-J (or V-P) Day, or the Gulf war in '91, and so on. Millions of dead soldiers, nurses, staffs, and civilian men, women and children. Millions of years ago. Newer generations don't seem to care or know, unless their own National Reservist parent, relative or sibling has been killed in Afghanistan or elsewhere. I'm advocating Peace parades, those that honor peace, freedom and prosperity.

We seem not to remember the innocents in these horror parades. 
No one flies a banner for their remembrance. "Collateral damage." We are hardly ever ginen their poor numbers. Getting them from Iraq or Afghanistan is nearly impossible.

Do we keep celebrating OUR victory over the evil Japanese and German Nazi's? By having these parades aren't we forever rubbing those past misguided souls, men women and children, soldiers, airman, naval commanders; in the muds of hell?  Haven't we forgiven yet?  For their sins (and ours - Hiroshima and Nagasaki); or not, innocent townsfolk and children? It's 2013 for God's sake.

Look, we can't forget these bloody, decimating, crippling wars. If and when we do - some (usually men), seem quick to start another one - whether provoked or unilaterally. It's been said the day will come when mothers will refuse to let their sons and daughters (now), be dragged off to war. Halleluiah!

I was lucky, called a coward by some, because my body was designated IV-F by the Army in 1968. And so "physically" missing the so-called Vietnam "War." Aren't these wars over? Isn't nation-building ended? Shouldn't dictators and aggressors be put down mercilessly by Peacekeepers from all civilized countries?

Let's rather remember the rebuilding of Europe and Japan. How they've changed for the good, productive and honorable, their quality products sought by American consumers and businesses. How, indeed, we helped them. How indeed American businesses served them, with trucks, planes, roads, buildings, everything. And still do. And their strong employees at risk every day.

Yes, that's what I'd like to commemorate. The ultimate successes, the results of all that misery, maiming and bloodshed. And expand that largesse to fix our country's leaking water pipes, wasting 1 trillion gallons a year, or crumbling roads and highways, or re-purpose, renovate or build from scratch our cities' deserted and abandoned properties. To train the uneducated to hold jobs. To name a few needs.

Help me in fixing those things. You, Government, go ahead and take a few more dollars of my earned and unearned income. Let's make it happen like the German and Japanese citizens did. Let's crack our dirty little 2% ceiling of annual GDP.

We can do better! We're more than capable! And I wish to help.

by Rodney Richards copyright 2013
Please subscribe and comment, or reach me at 1950ablia@gmail.com

The Joy of Rumi

During the '60s I read Erich Fromm's The Art of Loving. Heaven knows how it ended up in my hands, and I don't remember one point he made in the book, but I've always remembered I read it. It must have meant something then. I still have fondness when I think of him and that book, so it left a positive impression.

This past week on Monday, the mornings when I volunteer at Hamilton Twp Public Library, I was doing my job in the Literature section of books to be put out for sale. I pick all 8 boxes to go out for sale, and the 8 shelves of softcovers and hardcovers (on the purple cart marked "Literature") Great fun, decent work, I get my volunteer stars in heaven, and I take my time enjoyin' Dunkin between activities. And often my eye lands on a book of interest I want to read.

We have a system for our 20,000 books to be sold (to benefit Library needs), which is, after each sale, whoever's in charge of their section, like Wars, Religion, Reference, kids books and so on, writes a small black dot on the item's price tag. Again, this is after each sale. When that price tag, which is invariably $1 or $.50, gets three dots, we move it out of the collection into the World Books pile in the back. Volunteers pack hundreds of those books into boxes and away they go, in fair to excellent condition. Basically we get the shipping cost back at 3 cents per book. 3 cents!

I was carrying the three-dot book RUMI Poet and Mystic to World Books, but stopped and put it on the shelf by my coat to buy when I left. Very happy I did. The reading is light, clear, and written straight to the heart and soul. Reminds me of the feelings I got reading Mr. Fromm, or Lao Tzu, or the I Ching. Especially having re-read the Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys by Baha'u'llah.

Jalalu'l-Din Rumi is a Perfect Man, in my eyes and heart. He is the greatest Persian poet and mystic, lived in the 13th century, a master Sufi and dervish, a Shaykh -- teacher, genius, a lover and knower of Allah, and I am touched when reading his short odes and thinking 'how so, how true.'

Another Perfect Man, or almost, another human saint, passed away from this world to his celestial home just hours ago. A Champion of the people he cared for in South Africa, and all people really. He will be missed temporarily until the joy of knowing he's traversing God's glorious mansions helps us realize we can have those mansions here on earth, for everyone, some day. Isn't that our goal? What goal can be more important than serving each other and caring for one another, like a family? 

There are thousands more champions here, and everywhere; millions, trying to ease the sufferings -- trying to eliminate bad laws and bad ideas. These champions are heartfelt and determined to bring goodness. I hope to be called one, somewhere, even if just in a small way, when my body dies.

Best wishes in your endeavors for good.

By Rodney Richards copyright 2013

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The Joy of Nationalism

The human race developed for tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, of years from family, tribe, village(s), city-state(s), and nation(s). I don't think this is disputed. Some would hold that we did all this in the last 10,000 years, but I disagree, knowing we have and may uncover advanced civilizations much older. Ancient. It just means they're harder to find - all traces have disappeared.

The point is that colonialism, national boundaries and independence revolts, are almost done. Now we have 'civil unrest' - for some reasonable reasons (corruption, voting fraud, not helping economy etc.). Mankind wants better. It's 2013. We deserve better - technologies prove we should have it, it's possible. So to all intents, nation-building has come to an end. Witness the model for stopping aggression -- the Gulf War, '90-'91. 

"Beginning with the policing of agreements worked out between hostile states, the principle  of collective action, defence of peace between nations, gradually took on the form of military interventions such as that of the Gulf War, in which compliance with Security Council resolutions was imposed by force on aggressor factions and states." (Source: UHJ, Century of Light) True collective security was born. (Actually in WWI and II) Another example being NATO in Europe.

So as I listen to China's unreasonable dictums concerning owning certain areas of the seas and islands in the China Sea, I can't help but laugh. 

Sorry guys, to you and any country that tries to expand their territory into international waters, or into boundaries firmly established by history or precedent. No, the resources of the earth now belong to all its peoples, like the movement of oil around the world, or any natural resource. The same goes to the Arctic and Russia's spurious claims. Too late. You established your boundaries decades ago, like China and all other countries (or new ones like Miramar).

This is why the world needs International Courts. To arbitrate these kinds of disputes peacefully, diplomatically, based on existing and new laws needed.

No, as much as I admire America's stance in the Chinese/Japanese dispute, by flying two jets thru that air space, you're missing the point. Really now, it's 2013. 

Wars have long been over. Only civil unrest, skirmishes and terrorism are left, and terrorism is our greatest enemy today.

Let's focus on eliminating real threats, and not making hollow ones.

By Rodney Richards. 
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Look for my first book on CreateSpace.com and Amazon by the end of next week.