Saturday, February 5, 2011

On Guard - Enjoying the Proverbial Pie

Picture captured from:
http://www.johnbrent.ca/2010/09/27/the-way-things-should-be/


Being on guard is becoming such a necessary action in this day and age. If you follow media closely and think about it, you will discover that there are red flags popping up everywhere. If you were to look at life as a proverbial pie, you would quickly be able to put in perspective that most of that pie is not yours. Where do you see most of that pie being enjoyed? I would have to take it a step further. Look at the times. I’ve talked about big business before and how they are choking society as a whole. The government is guilty of taking more and more from taxpayers. We are recovering from a mini economic meltdown in Canada more notably in the US and other parts of the world and it is true that most are feeling the need to scale back. Problem is – recovery from debt is difficult for many. The rising costs of living and trying to pay off existing debt is stressful and is almost impossible to achieve.  Governments continue to spend money when they too should be scaling back.

The world is full of pie takers. If you are a taxpayer and hard working individual, how could you not notice how the organizations and companies that you invest your monthly salary in are trying to take more and more of it? Contracts that are being negotiated between management and unions are becoming more and more difficult. As necessary items for life become more expensive, the companies we work for are trying very hard not to increase our means to pay for these necessaries.  People who are highly educated are working for minimum to medium wage because the high paying jobs are few and far between.  It is sad that a nation deeply committed to diplomacy doesn't support the jobs to go with it.

The battle will continue on and undoubtedly the backs of average citizens will become more broken. We have to stand up for what is rightfully ours - freedom to live life without oppression and sacrifice. Truthfully, if you compared Canada and US to other parts of the world, we would fare out much better and could almost feel guilty for complaining because we really truly don’t know what it is to be poor. We do however, know how it is to crave and give in to the impulses to gather material items. This is what gets so much of us in trouble. There are necessaries and there are luxuries.

We are lucky enough to live in democracy. Although, there is always cause to be on guard as this can turn opposite over time. Much in the way the government spends our money and tells us how to live. There is a little bit of that existing here in our country. We are taxed to the max and seem to just take it. The wages aren’t going up as much as the prices of everything. We are led to believe that it is good for us and it is necessary.

The revolution in Egypt that has been happening for the last 12 days is something to draw attention to. This is a heavily populated Arab county that has been under oppressive conditions for at least 30 years.  Generations young and old is becoming more and more aware of the possibilities of living a free life and are standing up and saying – ENOUGH! It is wonderful. Not wonderful that some have to die in the process; but that the outcome will be liberating and will unleash the souls of these people who have lived in a coerced environment for so long. They want their ruler to surrender his post and take his hand off of Egypt and its people.  President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak is struggling with that decision and does not want to let go.  In 1989, the Chinese Tiananmen Square protests did not end well.  They wanted a democracy and instead the army slaughtered thousands of protesters.

Burt Bacharach composed a song in 1965 called "What the World Needs Now" describing what is missing in the world.  “What the world needs now is love sweet love. It’s the only thing, that there’s just too little of. What the world needs now is love sweet love. Not just for some, but for everyone.”

If the outcome in Egypt is indeed liberation (and we are all hoping for that), I can see this becoming a trend in all nations. There will be more uprising that won't come easy, but the final outcome will be a peaceful one. I vote for a reprieve and a chance for everyone to afford to eat, stay warm, have a roof overhead, clothes to wear, access to health care and have some left over to spoil themselves with, for whatever makes them happy.

The fact that we all need to stay on guard remains true. The key is to prevent government and corporation from taking too much of our proverbial pie. People grow tired of getting nothing but the crumbs.  Keep your eyes, mind and heart open. There are going to constantly be those living among us who aren’t able to achieve this. The sad part is - most of them are living the high life.  Somehow that doesn't seem fair does it?  Maybe we can all learn from this historic event happening in Egypt and put an end to control and oppression once and for all.

"The secret of happiness is freedom.  The secret of freedom is courage." - Thucydides (Ancient Greek historian and author, 460-404 BC).

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