Founding Our Future

     There’s something about the overwhelming feeling one gets when staring out at the ocean; the waves crashing; the sunshine bouncing off the surface; the warmth of the rays on the face. A single breath alleviates all anger, discontent and worries. Once again, the truth of life’s meaning comes rushing into the mind like a long forgotten song, only to be swept back away to the sea of ‘business as usual’ by the tides of ‘ignorance is bliss.’ Today is Christmas and I am sitting in the parking lot next to Santa Monica Pier watching the Sun set over the ocean—quite spectacular if you ask me. The best part about today was that I just bought a meal for myself and gave half of it to a homeless woman that was sitting by Bubba Gump’s Restaurant. I only wish that I could give more; help more. This time of year is marked as a time of giving, helping and family. But, something always seemed strange about that to me. Why is it that only one or two weeks out of the year, people feel obligated to be charitable? Why is it that so many thousands of people starve, develop mental disorders and almost certainly die, homeless and neglected, on the streets of cities which house some of the richest people in the world; in one of the richest nations on Earth—the United States of America? Why is it that we have not yet built a foundation for the future that begins with an organization, or even a unified government, devoted to providing for the shelter, health and provisions for Citizens of not only the United States, but all around the world as well? That is exactly what I intend to do with my life.

     The ultimate goal of my writing is to convey messages of Unity, education and advancement; but at the same time, gain support for a non-profit organization that I want to found with your help; all of you. Since the beginning of 2009, when I made the decision to go to college, I have felt compelled to try and make the best of my life through helping, providing assistance to, and educating those who are in need. Something this huge needed to have a name that people will undoubtedly remember the first time heard. It took a while to produce a name that would sum up all of the things that this foundation will be doing. After many weeks of contemplating, it finally hit me and I can still remember how happy of a moment that was in my life. The name alone gives me the inspiration to continue my writings of government, religion, Unity, benevolence and advancement of Humankind. But, the writing is not where it stops for me. January 1st, 2010 is not only a new year; it is a new decade of the 21st century. People always tend to make frivolous resolutions on New Year’s Eve that are almost certainly broken; sometimes the very first day—quit smoking; stop eating junk food; give up drinking. But, where are the resolutions with substance; with meaning? Where are the resolutions that are selfless? My only resolution is to see my dream through; to create a foundation which reaches the world over and ensures that no person starves, or dies of preventable diseases; every person is provided shelter; every child is given the education, nurturing and care necessary to grow into responsible adults. The betterment of global society starts right now with a promise to you all.

     The New Year will mark the beginning of a journey that has long been anticipated. We have been preparing for this moment, even if it was unknowingly, for many millennia; and now it is here. As the long era of separation is closing in on its final days, a new era of interminable Unity is upon us all. We must find it in ourselves to become the future we want to see. Take a walk with me; it is not a journey for only one person. It is an odyssey for One kind—Humankind. Let us leave behind the legacy of hope, vision, innovation, responsibility and Unity—the legacy that we were not fortunate enough to have been given on account of the lack of technological and agricultural abilities, or the supposed scarcity of resources (excluding money, if anyone believes money is a resource,) or simply because of greed. Despite what many believe, we do have both the ability and resources, by an enormous factor, to ensure basic needs are provided to every single person on Earth. It is a matter of Citizens standing together in Unity to manifest this future. When our Posterity, in the coming centuries, eventually write the history books containing our generation, we should be able to stand confidently together knowing that we have done everything possible to ensure the continuation of a most prosperous journey in Unity which can only be called The Human Endeavor.

Little Green Men

     Recently, I calculated an estimate to the number of extrasolar planets that may harbor intelligent life. Although the method I implemented is rather crude, the results are staggering. According to astronomers, there are an estimated 300 billion (3.0 x 10^11) galaxies in the known universe. (That number has fluctuated between 100 and 500 billion over the decades, but for simplicity’s sake, I will use 300 billion.) Each galaxy contains about 3.0 x 10^11 stars. Multiply these and you get 9.0 x 10^22, or 90,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (90 sextillion) stars in the known universe. Around ninety percent of these stars are main sequence stars—stars in the most stable part of their lives that release energy by fusing hydrogen into helium. This leaves 81,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (81 sextillion) stars. If only 1,000,000,000th of these are like our sun, we are left with 81,000,000,000,000 (81 trillion) stars. About one percent of those stars, 810,000,000,000 (810 billion), should have planetary systems orbiting. One percent of those planetary systems, or 8,100,000,000 (8.1 billion), may yield at least one planet at a distance of what is known as “the goldilocks zone.” If one percent of those have atmospheres similar in composition, then at least one percent of those more than likely harbor some form of life—810,000. Finally, we can conclude that it is highly probable that more than one percent of those planets harbor intelligent life; however, if we were to be extremely modest and say that only one percent of one percent of these Earth-like planets have intelligent life, we are still left with 80 other planets that could have civilizations with technology well beyond that of our own here on Earth. The civilizations advanced enough technologically to populate other inhabitable planets mean that the number of planets that actually have life could be in the thousands or even tens of thousands. Even this number fails to account for the moons of giant planets that orbit stars at a distance that would allow for microbial growth or support a habitable environment. Our celestial neighbor Jupiter, a giant planet which can fit over 1300 Earths inside, boasts 63 moons. In fact, Jupiter’s moon, Europa, has been one of the most intriguing objects in the cosmos to many of the world’s astronomers. The reason: water. Scientists believe that Europa’s icy surface floats atop an ocean of liquid water. In the scientific community, the rule of thumb has been ‘where there is water, there is probably life.’ The problem: funding. It costs around $10000 per pound to send packages into space, for a grand total of right around $1.2 billion for each mission. NASA is a government-funded program with a budget of roughly $18 billion each year, which creates a far-too-limited number of research and development projects that have the potential to propel us into the future that boasts what is known only in the pages of science fiction novels. But, just imagine if we found life thriving on the moon of a giant planet in our very own solar system. When this happens, as I am confident it will within the next two or three decades, it will be the most important discovery ever made by Humankind—we are not alone. It could be the final piece in the puzzle of trying to understand how to understand Humankind’s purpose in the Universe. Maybe that is not enough for some of you, so I will throw in a few more hard facts that are confirmed by a consortium of astronomers around the world.

     If you think about it, we are merely one particular miniscule product of an extremely long and complicated chain of events, in our understood version of time (which is a topic that could literally fill volumes), following a massive stellar explosion that happened roughly 5 billion years ago. This explosion produced many higher elements through a process, that is also present in Supergiant stars, known as nucleosynthesis, and can be accounted for by analyzing the fact that our own star, the Sun, contains some of these higher elements. This can only mean, through our observations and accepted theories, that when the Sun was a protostar—a region of extremely compact gas that is not yet dense enough to begin nuclear fusion of hydrogen—all of the gas being collected was that of a star that blew up in a supernova explosion more than 5 billion years ago. The original star probably was an extremely massive first generation star (based on a 13.7 billion year old known Universe) that exhausted its nuclear fuel very rapidly and then blew off its outer shells as supernovae, seeding the surrounding area of the universe with copious amounts of elements that would eventually be, in a sense, recycled through the formation of many further generations of stars, including the Sun. If the Sun was what is known as a first generation star we would not detect higher elements in the atmosphere. What we must remember, though, is that the Sun is just an average, relatively ordinary star which will eventually exhaust its massive storehouse of hydrogen gas through a specific nuclear fusion process known as the proton-proton chain. The estimated lifetime of a star similar in size and composition to the Sun is about 10 billion years. Already, scientists have postulated and agreed, 4.5 billion years have passed. So, we have 5.5 billion years to achieve a level of understanding that will allow us to relocate to another planet with a habitable environment; given we do not eradicate all life on Earth, including ourselves, long before then. To put all of this into perspective, Human Beings have been evolving for a little over 1 million years; written language is known to have been used in communication for over 10000 years; the Egyptian pyramids were built between 3000-5000 years ago; Newton began his groundbreaking work in Physics over 300 years ago; the industrial revolution was about 150 years ago; the automobile was invented roughly 100 years ago; Humans only live an average of 70-80 years; and I was born just 23 years ago. Time flies by faster than we think.

     In 1929, Edwin Hubble, observing at the Mount Wilson Observatory in California, made perhaps the most important astronomical discovery of the 20th Century: the expansion of the Universe. The concept was originally conceived by Albert Einstein over a decade earlier in his equations of General Relativity; however, Einstein believed in a static Universe, and so incorporated what he called the “cosmological constant” to compensate for something he was not quite sure how to explain. Hubble realized, though, that not only was the Universe expanding, the further away galaxies were, the faster they were moving. In other words, the Universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. Confirming this expansion was absolutely remarkable and revolutionized the ways in which we peer beyond Earth’s atmosphere and into the vast reaches of space. The cause for this expansion is still a huge question mark for theorists; nonetheless, the Big Bang, with a more recent addition known as Inflation, is the accepted theory today. But, there remains a problem: no theory has been designed that can accurately predict and explain, with verifiable equations, what happened at a time just 10^-43 (a decimal point with 42 zeros and a 1) seconds before the expansion began, creating a disunion of the Weak Nuclear, Strong Nuclear, Electromagnetic and Gravitational forces. There seems to be a big fuzzy patch at the beginning of any textbook explanation to The Big Bang which denotes a fundamental breakdown of all known and accepted theories that have been formulated to explain the Universe. These unknowns, along with many other unanswered questions, should be inspiration for Humankind to constantly be at the cutting edge of intellectual development, scientific research and technological breakthroughs.

     I realize that for some these numbers, along with the evidence, are just too overwhelming or may sound far-fetched. Perhaps it just completely goes against others’ religious beliefs. Regardless of any circumstance, these facts remain; and what one must consider is the level of technological and intellectual advancement Humankind has heretofore achieved. We are still at a relatively primitive stage in our Human Endeavor; and given that our technological progression is rapidly outpacing our intellectual progression, we stand at a pivotal point in our collective existence. We must stabilize this separation of advancement with the choices we make in the next decade—truly the most influential decisions Humankind will have ever made. The key to making the right choices is doing so in Unity. But, how can we make any choices, with respect to the interests, well-being and advancement of all of Humankind, if we continue as separate nations? Some in which Human trafficking, oppression, genocide and many other savage acts are carried out on a day-to-day basis; others in which private entities and corporations have a political stronghold on public policies that do not necessarily protect the interests of the public, but rather business interests. A global Federation would be a great start. An alliance of that magnitude will surely usher in future generations of Prosperity, Unity and Advancement for all Citizens of Earth. If there is any way for you to see life the way in which I see, it is this: the next time you are out at night and you have access to a clear view of a cloudless, moonless sky, do yourself a favor that so many neglect to do; take a few moments and just look up. Overwhelming, isn’t it? Just imagine the possibilities.

Religion: Part I

     The other day, I was on The United States of America Fan Page on Facebook and stumbled upon the discussion of what makes a nation Christian. Reading the very first post, I realized the person who started this discussion is somehow under the impression that the United States is a Christian nation, or any religion for that matter. The purpose of this essay is to debunk this irrational proposition. So, where does one begin?

   First, the Framers of the Constitution of the United States made a very clear statement in Amendment I; "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." At this point, I need not go any further, but choose to because religion is a subject that I have avoided writing about for far too long due to the heated debates that ensue almost immediately afterwards. Granted, the Bill of Rights was added four years after Establishment, at the states' demand for one at the cost of ratification. But, that doesn't mean we are free to speculate and then declare the Framers' intentions were for that of subjugation and despotism. Think about it; why would these men try to establish a completely new, innovative form of government, only to have it fall under the same tyrannical strongholds that were the very reasons for "The Declaration of Independence?"

     Second; other than in Amendment I, a variation of the word "religion" appears only one other time in the entire document; and even then, in Article VI, it is stated, "No religious Test shall ever be required as a qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States..." The words "God" and "Jesus Christ" are nowhere listed either. In fact, just two words are left that even remotely resemble any type of religious connection—in Article II, Section 3, where "Ministers" is used in a governmental context, not a religious one; and as for "the Year of our Lord," this can be evidenced as non-religious on the basis that the only dating system around the world for relatively “advanced” societies at that time, and even today, was that which was based on the alleged birth of Christ. There was no other option, although I am sure if there had been, it would have been chosen for the purpose of preventing misinterpretation--which seems to have led us to this very discussion. True it is that a large portion of colonists held Puritan values, but the Founders were well aware, and realized how imperative separation of church and state would be to the unique, new nation, and so implemented the above mentioned, plus many other Rights and Liberties, as Amendments I through X in the Bill of Rights.

     Third, the realization that billions of people remain subject to these ancient concepts (because we have to acknowledge, that is all they are—ancient, primitive concepts), which have, for over 2000 years, been waging war against each other while each declares itself the only righteous path to Heaven, Jesus Christ, God, Allah and 72 Virgins or whatever else any others’ after-life assumptions have evolved into, should be an enlightenment unto itself for all of Humankind. Considering the number of times since conception religions, and all "sub-religions," have been used as both salvation from, and at the same time, justification for, countless wars, Injuries and even genocide, all Citizens of Earth must be willing to realize that the true meaning of life does not necessarily exist in the form of some absolute "faith" in the imaginings of afterlife. Too often, many religions require people to dwell upon death and the most sacred “afterlife” so much for guaranteed passage into the realm of their beloved omnipotence that it completely consumes those peoples' lives and deprives them of the real reason for our existence—the accumulation of knowledge and the proper application of that knowledge, supported with scientific data, logical interpretation and, of course, experience, to ensure intellectual and technological advancement of Humankind in Unity towards understanding the vast expanse that is the Universe in which we are conscience.

   The only way to truly understand the after-life is through death, OR through an unabridged understanding of the fundamental elements and constituents of the Universe through life. If we can understand the meaning of life, using data, logic and experience, then and only then can we make a much more accurate prediction of what happens when our bodies die. We inhabit but a single planet of literally billions that just might harbor some other form of intelligent life. So, should we really be so arrogant to claim that any theological concept conceived by Human Beings holds any veracity on such an unimaginable scale? Before someone decides to rebuttal with some misguided attempt to downgrade the efficacy of Astronomical and Physical sciences, I would like to ask you, when was the last time you looked through a telescope? Or, had the privilege to bear witness to a moonless night sky on top of a mountain, where the Universe seemingly comes alive as an awe-inspiring spectacle? Gazing at the plane of the Milky Way is like looking at the past, the present and the future, all in one breathtaking, spectacular view. Life seems more precious; yet, at the same time—much more probable. The Universe recycles all energy. We are simple, meaty forms of energy and the likelihood of other life elsewhere in the cosmos is—well, questionable by our relatively primitive standards. And those questions have marched millions of people to their deaths. Whether or not we have made contact with other life forms, worship some form of omnipotent being or disagree with others who may believe otherwise should bear no relevance in our quest for understanding. The question we need to ask is not even whether global Unity is practicable; rather, will we have a respectable, responsible and thriving global civilization which is founded on benevolence, interdependence and sustainability to present to our Posterity as well as other possible life forms that just might be intelligent and capable of rapid space exploration?

     It is quite amazing; the fact that we cannot stand on common ground as the Human Race with one goal: unconditional global advancement. There it goes—another ten years. The 21st Century was, throughout the 20th Century, always portrayed as a new era for Humankind, marked by global society geared toward scientific discovery and innovation, Unity and advancements in space exploration. Yet, the same old story sadly reads itself aloud, again and again; year after year; decade after decade: further separation of societies and governments that cherish much different views, attitudes, beliefs, and religions (in the case of the U.S., non-establishment), and that take action appropriate to such, according to their respective attributes. But, I refuse to accept an assumption that our lives should be devoted to an ambiguous speculation that seems to be the most hotly debated topic around the world; based not on scientific data or advancement for Humankind, but rather on ancient legends and myths. Where is the “faith” in Humankind itself; “faith” in ourselves? Must we really be subject to some concept of “God” or whatever name you would prefer? If “God” supposedly created us in his or her or its image, would that not mean that we have an innate right to take it upon ourselves to obtain the best possible understanding of life and everything in the Universe; the Universe which “God” allegedly created from—well, honestly, anyone can fill in that blank? Or that we were “designed” with the capability of rationalizing what is right and what is wrong? And if other intelligent life exists elsewhere in the cosmos, then who are we, Humankind, of the relatively negligible, little planet Earth, to say that civilizations on those other planets are wrong in their attempts to form and interpret assumptions of some type of Supreme Omniscient Being? It is one thing to believe in such an all-knowing being; quite another to try and force those beliefs, through religion, upon others who may have formed separate, unrelated beliefs, or disbeliefs. When religious wars, as the majority of wars on Earth are, continue unchecked, it becomes a necessity to construct a global government firmly rooted in an educational system which not only teaches religions objectively and free from hallowed mannerisms, but also teaches a well-rounded, technology-based, health-wise curriculum. Do not misinterpret me—I am not saying that we should abolish all religious institutions; that would infringe upon the Civil Right of “free exercise” and implies radical measures would be applied in the unfounded attempt to carry out such a decree. Instead, I concede that every single person is entitled to worship as he or she pleases; but do so in a manner considerate of any and all possible social consequences of one’s actions while worshiping. It is when and where a form of worship calls for radical measures to uphold a particular institution’s beliefs, including suicide bombings and forced indoctrination, that a line must be drawn. The future of Humankind depends on our ability to ensure it prosperously; as it manifests itself from our collective actions. If those actions are based on an ill-judged, highly misguided attempt to explain life through an entity that we, only recently in our long history, conceived, then there is almost no hope for breaking the cycle of corruption that has plagued our societies throughout the millennia. And if despotism, wars, starvation, Human trafficking, and many more such atrocities continue, it is because collectively, we allow it. But, I am confident that the generation alive today is the most important generation of Humankind ever. Does riding this wave of the future leave us with only two options: sink or swim? Nay; there is always another option—in this case, we are fortunate to have the ability to fly into the future; nearly frictionless and without any stops.

To Be Continued…

Experientia Docet

     The 21st Century...Cue the guy with the vociferous, baritone voice and throw in an orchestral accompaniment of triumph and progress. Indeed, the very thought alone makes one’s mind race off into a sunset of infinite dreams and endless possibilities; into some cliche Hollywood portrayal of what life might be like in the future—corruption and total destruction through the misuse of advanced technology, or boundless knowledge and intergalactic travel. The latter depiction is held in a rather phantasmal light while the former seems inevitably feasible. Conceding to the fact that nearly ten years have passed thus far in the Twenty-First Century and we have yet to change course towards global societal unification, there remains an ever-growing list of questions attached to the idea of futurity—far too many to name in just a few short pages. Humankind stands at the precipice of reason; and for that establishment, we are faced with a choice to reason as One, or to continue dividing interpretation of reason as many. The question one might immediately ask is whether global Unity is even possible. Can an allegedly advanced species, as ours so arrogantly boasts, with such a broad range of cultural, social, governmental and religious diversity, find a way to Unite for the common goal of advancement, or are we doomed to the stagnant, vicious circle that has been the history of Humankind—separate nations that journey from wealth to power; power to control; and control to self-destruction? With a plethora of globally pertaining issues, it is difficult to sift through so many and choose the single most pertinent issue that Humankind faces. After careful consideration (it was between this and religious subjugation, which I will get to soon enough in my writings), I have chosen to examine the possibility of, as well as reasons for, global governmental Unity. I realized that by pulling this single “string”, as the maxim goes, a thousand unravel; practically all other issues become aligned on a path to resolve. As the title of this essay indicates in Latin, experience teaches. We should take into consideration and learn from the past; not dwell upon and re-live the past time and again. Speaking of time; it is of the essence (at least our vague interpretation of time is apparently of some essence); so let us begin, shall we?

     Earth is but a nucleus of an atom of a grain of sand; only a speck on the cosmic beach of space-time. So where does that leave us? Negligible, at best, I suppose. But that fact does not mean Humankind can excuse the atrocities that have hitherto been carried out between the separate societies which have flourished into distinct spheres rarely overlapping on similar policies and issues. Rather, the barbarous actions of Humankind over the millennia need to be substantiated in a manner that derives just intentions of advancement through an enumeration of commonly known, yet, consistently ignored facts. Recall that in 1776, Thomas Jefferson did exactly that and it changed the course of the history of Earth, even if intentions were focused on founding a single, united nation. Today, we face an entirely new, alarmingly paralleled situation—this time in a global context. “The Declaration of Independence” as my influential compendium, I have written a modernized update to this truly historic document. As a way of conveying a global societal unification, this document is entitled “The Declaration of Interdependence.” It goes as follows:

*****When in the course of Human events, a necessity for an unprecedented, immediate and interminable global cooperation arises, that of a truly undivided people must firmly be established to achieve goals concurrently. Human Beings of all ages, races, creeds, ethnicity and governments, unified to forge Global Legislation, should bring forth a declaration of causes for separation from, and abolishment of, all constraints inhibiting positive intellectual and technological progression, and for movement towards Unity, of all Human Civilizations on Earth.

     We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Human Beings are created equal; that they are creations of the Universe, and thus are bound by the Laws of the Universe. That it is within the responsibilities of all Human Beings to Unite and ensure a future of advancement and security for all forms of life inhabiting their world. That to embrace boundless knowledge for their kind strengthens the effort to thoroughly understand the fundamental structure of the Universe. That to obtain absolute understanding of the Universe yields interpretation of purpose. That purpose inspires Human Beings to become united and self-sustaining without the threat of tyranny and oppression. That when self-sufficient Governments of their world become destructive of these ends and fail to secure the advancement of Human Beings, it is their right, it is their duty to alter or abolish these Systems of Government and provide a new, worldwide Government to establish uniformity in advancement.

— Such has been the toleration by Human Beings; and so now becomes the necessity to alter their Systems of Government. The history of governments on planet Earth is a history of expansion scarred by material greed, power and control over the masses. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

     We have refused our Assent to the Laws of the Universe, the most wholesome and necessary for the global public good. We have allowed our Legislatures to neglect passing Laws of immediate and pressing importance; and when they so shall pass such Laws, it is at the desire of lobbyists and private corporations not serving the Interests of the global public. We have allowed corrupt individuals the ability to write Legislation of unusual, uncomfortable lengths for the sole purpose of fatiguing us into compliance without understanding. We have witnessed the enslavement, indoctrination, genocide, and invasions on the rights of millions of people throughout Human history. We have ignored the fact that thousands of people die every day due to preventable causes that modernized countries simply take for granted. We have refused for a long time, after such occurrences, to take measures to ensure well-being of all Citizens worldwide and to promote an understanding that the authority of Legislative Powers ultimately resides in the People at large for the sole purpose of preventing Annihilation; entire countries remaining in the mean time under the influence of totalitarians. We have endeavored to create obstructions at the borders of our separated countries in order to block the instinctive Nature of Humankind to explore and discover; all in the name of pretended Security from one another. We have declared War on other Human Beings for vast numbers of unjustified reasons; reasons easily resolved through proper diplomacy. We have failed to acknowledge the importance of Education, Health and Technology in the future advancement of our global society. We have neglected the innate duty of responsibility to the betterment of a societal whole, unacknowledged or unbeknownst by many and abandoned by others in times of greatest importance; giving our Assent to acts of pretended legislation:

     For allowing such indecency to Humankind to continue unabated: For protecting the actions of some and attacking those same actions of others by use of loopholes and extenuating circumstances that ignore the core facets of Right and Wrong: For cutting off or restricting Trade with certain parts of the world for intentions based on profit and control; not sustainability: For depriving us in many cases, of information useful to making decisions that affect Citizens and our Rights and Liberties: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offenses: For tolerating the abrogation of habeas corpus, Human and Civil Rights and Liberties; advocating instead Systems of Government corrupt with avarice, Injury and political bureaucracy; inevitable to becoming self-destructive as all hitherto governments have: For cherishing theological ideology over logical design—the ability and responsibility of Humankind to naturally advance itself to a level of unforeseen understanding bereft of hallowed subjugation—and neglecting to focus rather on an unabridged understanding of the underlying principles that constitute the Laws of the Universe.

     We have abdicated Government, in many instances under false pretenses of necessary Security, becoming subject to War against ourselves. We have plundered the land, ravaged the Coasts, bombed the cities and destroyed the lives of millions of people in other nations. We are at this time transporting large Armies of Mercenaries to other nations to complete the works of death and desolation, with hypocritical intentions to prevent such acts from being carried out, under circumstances of Cruelty and Perfidy scarcely paralleled to the most barbarous ages. We have excited domestic insurrections amongst ourselves due to unjust laws and advocated inequalities.

     In every stage of these Oppressions, We have, through a vast range of Organizations, Petitioned for Redress in the most Humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated Injury.

    We have been warned time and again of attempts by our legislatures to extend unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the conditions of our Assent to only fair and just Laws. We have appealed for honorable justice and magnanimity and they have been deaf to the voice of reason and logic. Therefore, we must denounce Separation of Nations and Society, Unite the Governments of Humankind and provide safeguards for the future of our Posterity.

     We, the Representatives of planet Earth, in Council, Assembled, appealing to the Citizens of Earth for sanction of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of all People from all Nations, solemnly publish and declare, that all Nations are, and of Right ought to be United; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to oppressive institutions, and that all political connection between States, is and ought to be totally integrated; and that as Sovereign Nations bound to a single, common governmental contract, they have full Power to establish Commerce, contract Alliances, promote Peace, and to do all other Acts and Things which Interdependent States may of right do under the provisions of the global Alliance. And for the support of this Declaration, we, the people of Earth, pledge to each other our Lives, our Guidance and our Knowledge.*****

     This document has been the object of months of quiet anticipation; mine, of course. And, it is far from perfect. But, I believe that if Jefferson was alive in modern times and felt compelled to write about the state of the world’s governmental affairs, the result might resemble what you have just read. Besides the limited number of examples I was able to convey, there is plenty of empirical evidence for why such an alliance would be indubitably beneficial to all of Humankind. When was the last time that you watched the news, at least here in the United States, and it was filled with inspirational stories of magnanimity? In my lifetime, I can definitively say never. It has been made clear by corporate conglomerate media outlets that what the public apparently enjoys and cannot get enough of are scripted reality shows, celebrity gossip and stories that adorn our airwaves with death, corruption and devastation. Controversy sells; and we all know that at the end of the day, profit is what life is about. Well, not really, but that is what we have been led to believe and cherish. Since when did athletic accomplishment and infotainment take precedence over intellectual esteem and academia? Maybe the shift happened when the Internet allowed people to water down language, especially English, into the online jargon and acronyms that have been the staple of the youth of the United States (e.g. OMFG, ROTFL.) Furthermore, interest in, as well as access to, government has declined or been limited significantly over the past few decades, especially since the Internet has opened up the world to the notion that absolutely everything is just a click away and, more recently, by the passage of the USA Patriot Act. To set the record straight, I am not in any way blaming the Internet for Humankind’s indiscretions. Nor do I attest to a ban, limitation or control of the Internet—it is the ultimate form of ubiquitous trans-communication and should be completely free worldwide; plus, without it I might have no hope of conveying my many messages of Unity to the world over. How can a price be placed on knowledge, anyways? These are all just simple observations that everyone should be making; but I understand how hard it is the peel away from the latest gossip, the newest controversy over celebrities’ infidelities, the hottest new phone/text machine/camera/Internet browser/mp3 player/everything you can think of all in one little $500 device that will be outdated in 2 weeks and is marketed as the best new thing to make you think and do less, and put as little effort as possible into gaining a more refined understanding of life. Although all of these topics actually do fall under the category of global governmental Unity, the issue I am most concerned with, however, is the government itself and how best to obtain a global unification, thereof.

     So, what would be the best form of government to implement in a global community? In an article written for Time Magazine, Strobe Talbott says, “The best mechanism for democracy, whether at the level of the multinational state or that of the planet as a whole, is not an all-powerful Leviathan or centralized superstate, but a federation, a union of separate states that allocate certain powers to a central government while retaining many others for themselves.” I couldn't agree more. Before I had even read that article, months ago, I actually wrote an essay which provided a foundation for a Federation of Earth. Admittedly, it was almost exclusively based on the federal system that exists in the United States, with minor updates to accommodate and ensure global participation and representation. It has proven, with the United States as prime advocating example, that federalism is perhaps the most promising form of government that would mold an all-encompassing umbrella over nations which establishes a foundation of guiding principles and laws ensuring Rights and advancement for all nations on Earth, while delegating all other powers not mentioned in the binding agreement to the nations. In a more judicial aspect of global Unity, Stephen Schlesinger, of the World Policy Institute in New York City comments, “By the end of the century, we will have the first permanent international criminal court to prosecute the most serious violations of humanitarian law.”

     No doubt we are bound to an inevitable future of Unity in one form or another. What better time than now to light a torch that we will be proud to pass on to future generations of Earth? In the Federalist, Alexander Hamilton wrote, in 1787, “There is nothing absurd or impracticable in the idea of a league or alliance between independent nations, for certain defined purposes precisely stated in a treaty…leaving nothing to future discretion; and depending for its execution on the good faith of the parties.” Visionary words indeed, considering the time in which they were written. He was right then, and he is undeniably correct in modern times. We have literally had millennia to establish a well-rounded, fully integrated government which can protect future generations through Unity; especially within the past century. There really is no excuse. Nothing can justify Humankind’s propensity to dominate everything by any and all means necessary. No words can define just how important a unification of this magnitude—of this importance—truly is. It is something that must be felt within; something intangible, yet profoundly realized. It begins when we want it to begin. We are faced with a choice to design a respectable, prosperous government to carry on a legacy of Unity and humanitarianism, or be forced into it by whatever wars, tragedies or disasters that we encounter on our journey; inevitable obstacles on such a neglectful path that have an extremely good chance of leading to total annihilation. So what will it be? We can utilize this luxury of choice and decide for ourselves, or chalk our future up to these ellipses…

The Absolutes of Right and Wrong

    One might wonder what it means to be a Citizen in society. According to the Dictionary.com Unabridged, a citizen is, “a native or naturalized member of a state or nation who owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its protection.” This definition implies a close tie that binds people to administration--a sort of two-way street between citizens and their government. There are certain responsibilities to which both are obliged to uphold in order for societies to flourish and prosper. These responsibilities differ over a broad range of interests, rights, and liberties that may be influenced by and beneficial to the people, the government itself, or both; provided the proper System of Government is implemented which allows Citizens direct access to decisions that affect changes in society. Over the centuries, the roles that citizens have played in government have evolved—just as the separate vicissitudes in governments of entire nations have continually evolved; sometimes forging barricades of apprehension impenetrable to the ignorant, and propitious only to the select few who command from within these walls. From Socrates, in the fifth century B.C., to Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1950s and 60’s, to the high-tech twenty-first century—where, despite the rapid progression in technology, only some of us are fortunate enough to have the luxury of enjoying even the most basic Rights and Liberties. Humankind’s history provides crystal clear evidence of the struggle to overcome tyranny by oppressive institutions. Through the works of many of the most revolutionary thinkers, a vivid portrait has been drawn of the innate duties and responsibilities citizens must carry out to provide a progressive future for Posterity. The journey to understanding what is right and wrong, just and unjust, fair and unfair has been quite an arduous undertaking. Ahead, the path has yet to be constructed; and that is what we must never forget. The future is what we make it—a product of the present, influenced by the past. Perhaps the most important obligation of citizens can be determined as being Unity; for, Unity provides an impervious force field that deflects any attempts to impede advancement. By and large, the roles and responsibilities of citizens remain exceedingly crucial in the fight to provide a better tomorrow for all generations to come. As the tension grows between individuals, citizens and government, and even governments themselves, we must constantly remind ourselves of the common bond that each and every single person on Earth shares: the fact that we all comprise Humankind; not just a privileged few.

     (The following three works are available in a book entitled "50 Essays" which should be available at most college campuses.)

     In Plato's classic work "Crito," Socrates argued convincingly of what is right and what is wrong. He believed in relying on the guidance of the “one”, with an assumption that “there is someone with expert knowledge” to determine case-by-case whether or not a person’s actions were justifiable. But, we all know where assumptions lead us—don’t we? “What we ought to consider,” Socrates asserts, “is not so much what people in general will say about us but how we stand with the expert in right and wrong, the one authority, who represents the actual truth." He placed absolute confidence in the Laws, no matter how unjust. “There is no sense in which wrongdoing is good…,” he confidently proclaims. But the icing on the cake would have to be the way he, through a highly provocative, equally unlikely, hypothetical scenario, conveyed the importance of conforming to the Laws of the State.

Look at it this way. Suppose that while we were preparing to run away from here (or however one should describe it) the Laws and Constitution of Athens were to come and confront us and ask this question: “Now Socrates, what are you proposing to do? Can you deny that by this act which you are contemplating you intend, so far as you have the power, to destroy us, the Laws, and the whole State as well? Do you imagine that a city can continue to exist and not be turned upside down, if the legal judgments which are pronounced in it have no force but are nullified and destroyed by private persons?”

     Compelling, isn't it? However, this particular account is but a supposition—simple conjecture which introduces the possibility of being caught, all the while neglecting to acknowledge the equal, if not more likely, probability of getting away. The way Socrates tells the story bears stark resemblance to what Stefanie Ericsson, in her essay entitled, “The Ways We Lie,” calls Omission. In this revealing, often humorous explanation, she investigates the many different instances in which people lie to one another. Exemplifying everyday situations alongside historical data, Ericsson is able to easily relate with the reader by declaring up front that, “We lie. We all do. We exaggerate, we minimize, we avoid confrontation, we spare people’s feelings, we conveniently forget, we keep secrets, we justify lying to the big-guy institutions." As strong as this accusation might sound, it is very true. We have all lied in one, if not all, of the many ways she describes. But Ericsson warns, “Our acceptance of lies becomes a cultural cancer that eventually shrouds and reorders reality until moral garbage becomes as invisible to us as water is to a fish." So maybe we are walking around in an integrity-bereft haze of lies and deception that owe homage to people’s feelings rather than what may be right; but that does not mean we cannot open a window for some “fresh air.” In a rather Socratic manner, she concludes by asking, “How much do we tolerate before we become sick and tired of being sick and tired? When will we stand up and declare our right to trust…When do we stop turning over our personal power and responsibility to liars?"

     In “The Insufficiency of Honesty,” Stephen L. Carter explores some common misconceptions of the correlation between honesty and integrity. He, by using three examples, including that of a man on his deathbed telling his wife he had cheated thirty-five years before, explains that just because a person tells the truth does not mean that it was done so with integrity. Carter states, “Arranging his own emotional affairs to ease his transition to death, he has shifted to his wife the burden of confusion and pain, perhaps for the rest of her life." Although he gives circumstantial evidence in his essay for why one should choose to withhold such information, Socrates would probably agree with a decision to be honest at all times, even at the expense of feelings, because it is what can be considered as right and just. Carter continues with another story of a man, under the impression that women are incapable of hard work, who discriminates against women by assigning them less intensive tasks at his workplace. “The manager,” he states, “fails the most basic test of integrity. The question is not whether his actions are consistent with what he most deeply believes but whether he has done the hard work of discerning whether what he most deeply believes is right." In his third example, Carter uses a woman, told by a man she engages in sex with that if she becomes pregnant, she is basically on her own, to demonstrate how there is a “version of responsibility [which] assumes that not all moral obligations stem from consent or from a stated intention." He ends by saying, “Nowadays, here in America, people seem to spend their time thinking of even cleverer ways to avoid their obligations, instead of doing what integrity commands and fulfilling them. And all too often honesty is their excuse."

     The problem with lying is that the more one lies, the more distant one becomes from reality, which is another form of a lie Ericsson describes as delusion. All too often, we think that by crawling into someone else’s skin, we can escape the wake of consequences left behind by our deceptive actions. From individual situations, all the way up to governments, this method has never ceased to fail. When we continue to hand over roles and responsibilities to government, what happens when our hands are empty? I propose three steps to follow in order for Humankind to secure a prosperous future for global society. First and foremost, we must always remember and utilize the power of Unity. All across the board, from health care to money, even government; issues can be resolved through diplomatic Unity. Unification ensures that secondly, our Rights, Liberties and Freedoms are never abridged, but are protected, as long as the actions citizens perform do not conflict with any laws, and provided these laws are just and fair, as decided by the people as a whole. Thirdly, building the foundation for advancement on a solid, supportive governmental system that advocates the educational system as the key component to the encouragement which forms the desire to become knowledgeable, ensures the protection of Human and Civil Rights and Liberties, and solves practically all the other pertinent issues we now face. Neither of these systems should ever be based almost entirely on finances; if at all. Depriving people of these most fundamental rights—the right to learn and the right to have a say in government—due to a figment of the imagination, is perhaps the best example of unjust actions that society allows continuance of. If the Socratic Method works for you, then, look at it this way: the more activities, situations, information, stories and interests one is introduced to, the more likely it is that person will move on and become an integral part of the continued advancement of society as a whole. It is time to start thinking about the next generation. We have a responsibility to our Posterity. Considering the rapid ascension of technological advancement, this responsibility is rooted in the idea that we are perhaps the most important generation of Humankind to have ever walked (or blasted off of) the face of Earth. We currently have the means to destroy ourselves completely. However, we equally have the means to provide health care, food, water and education to every single person on this planet. So, what is stopping us from doing just that? Why do thousands of men, women and children die every day from starvation or preventable causes that most countries simply take for granted? How is it that Human Beings are still bought and sold into slavery in this day and age? Honestly, a thousand pages would never be enough to write all of the questions that remain unanswered or ignored, just like the people being subjugated in war-torn countries. Even if we were to write down these questions it is not enough to simply acknowledge and agree with them. It is the action to change this incivility which becomes the benchmark for an effective campaign against despotism. Martin Luther King Jr., an advocate of non-violent protest, said it best in, “Letters from Birmingham Jail.” “Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself..."

Freedom and Security

     Benjamin Franklin, in 1755, wrote, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” These powerful words resonate deafeningly 254 years later as we find ourselves at the discretion of Legislature alarmingly paralleled to that which Franklin was writing of. We remain, as if by choice, completely oblivious to the fact that the USA Patriot Act—you know, that wonderful, surreptitious document which was passed without a hint of scrutiny—practically nullified the First Amendment Rights, which are guaranteed to Citizens in the Constitution of the United States, on the grounds of what are known as “suspected terrorist activities.” In fact, it is well known and documented that the National Security Agency conducted illegal operations that included warrantless searches, neglect of habeas corpus as well as the entire Constitution, and even went so far as to torture suspected terrorists, United States Citizens included, for information regarding terrorist organizations these alleged “terrorists” may or may not have known. The worst part of all is we, the U.S. Citizens, seem totally uninterested in repealing this bill that cracks the very foundation on which our Government was built: the Constitution of the United States. Instead, the center of focus has gone through a paradigm shift from unwavering scrutiny of the Government, as the Founders believed, to blatant disregard of Government, as modernization of society takes a subliminal turn for the worse.

   Propaganda, introduced to the general public by corporate conglomerations monopolizing practically all media outlets, makes it virtually impossible to sift through the mound of monetarily-influenced, biased news to find facts about these issues. Thanks to deregulation, corporations are in a virtual free-for-all with regards to mergers and takeovers. Ever wonder why different news stations in the United States cover the same stories at the same time; taking commercial breaks at almost the same time; playing the same commercials geared toward the same groups of people? We have become so numb by the massive influx of Everything Inc. that we will stand by and convert to slaves of an economic system bound for a state of perpetual disenfranchisement rather than take responsibility and exercise our Civic duties as Citizens to influence public policy for the common good; the public good—not for the good of only a select few. Wealth and Power of that magnitude always has and inevitably always will journey to the threshold of despotism. The United States is proudly holding the keys with hand on the doorknob; turning. The door opens and…