NPR Nov 22/10
by Frank James

Sometimes it seems like everyone's talking about the federal deficits and debt right now though there isn't widespread agreement on what to do about them. Turns out, a lot of people don't even know the difference between the two, according to Joe Minarik, a budget expert who worked in the Clinton Administration and now is with the centrist Committee for Economic Development.

 It appears interesting that not a whole lot of Americans know the difference between deficit and debt. However, it is even more interesting that no one cares to know the difference between legitimate and illegitimate deficits and debts. Yet, that is what really matters. If you cannot distinguish between the two, you could be driving yourself into a spiral of self-destruction. Let us consider a simple illustration.

Yes, you may have to legitimately incur deficits and debts to feed your family, but it is morally illegitimate to mortgage the family house to gamble.  Yes, it may be wise to incur deficit to boost the economy, but it is foolish to incur debts to fight foreign wars with a trillion dollars a year, wars which guarantee an increase in future terrorism. It is indeed a sadly funny picture of state governments scrambling in red ink when the federal government is lavishing unbridled sums on its war machine, and no one dares to object!

So is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Yes, if you are willing to Self-build, and adopt the process of questioning yourself and those around you. Start with 'The Provocative Qur'an' and instigate yourself towards the path of Self-discovery. Then the false images of distraction will fall away and you will not only understand the difference between deficit and debt but also realize the difference between the legitimate and the illegimate fiscal burdens.

NPR 5/23/10
Sister Margaret McBride: Don't Confess
by Julianna Baggott

Sister Margaret McBride, excommunicated after allowing an abortion to be performed on a woman who doctors say would otherwise have died, shouldn't have to do penance to re-enter the Catholic Church, says Julianna Baggott...     ...In November, Sister Margaret McBride, an administrator at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, made the decision to save the life of a 27-year-old pregnant woman. The woman, a mother of four, was 11 weeks pregnant, suffering pulmonary hypertension that would very likely kill her and, as a result, her unborn child. Sister McBride agreed to the abortion that would save the woman's life. Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted has excommunicated her for it.

Life and death questions are always hard to answer, but choices are often less difficult to make. Was Sister McBride wrong in choosing to save one life instead of losing both? Most people won't disagree with her logic. The question in this case is therefore not a question of choosing life or death, it is about elevating dry doctrine above the Gospel's humanity. As the Provocative Qur'an explains, this lip service runs counter to the Messiah's message.

"Why is it that the brutality of the Cross—as recorded by the Crusades and the Inquisition—superseded the humanity of the Gospel? We now know the real reason. It is because the real message took a back seat to the imagined nature of Christ. The Christians became fascinated by their doctrines instead of obeying the precepts of their Savior; his teaching that being good is an action rather than a matter of his divinity has been ignored.
[Luke 6:46–47] “But why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and not do the things which I say?” “Whoever comes to me and hears my sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like” (the Messiah gives the example of a house founded on a solid foundation).

The results of this distraction have created a paradox. For centuries Christians have burnt each other alive because of doctrinal battles. Even today, Christians are more unforgiving towards each other than non-Christians; people who attend churches of the same denomination are ready to sue each other on the slightest provocation. What happened to turning the other cheek? On the other hand, those who wish to avoid the real-life Christian paradox cloister themselves like monks; those who strive to extend the universal love ordained by the Gospel have to become Mother Teresa. What happened to the practical Gospel for everyday Christians?"

Whether you wish to become an artist or an architect, a career athlete or an astronaut, setting sights on your long term goals is necessary to drive you towards it. But our life does not run like water in an aqueduct; it is a mountain stream, which must cleave rocks to reach its destination. To see us through difficult challenges, dreams are not enough; we need a strong inner self to motivate and sustain us towards our goals. In ancient Greek mythology, Apollo blazed his way, each day, on a two-wheeled chariot. Your life-chariot also requires two wheels, the driven wheel of your chosen career goals balanced by the driving wheel of self help. But is self building more than just a do-good ideal? Join me to discover that self help is a practical event and many of us already benefit from it on a daily basis; however, by applying it purposefully, you can make it a powerful ally.

Almost everyone has a dream car. Usually you start the purchasing process, by determining affordability. The next steps are usually taking a test drive, negotiating a price, completing paper work, securing insurance and driving the car home. However, some of us add a few more details to the transaction. How about investigating different cars models to suit your needs? What about considering fuel economy and environmental impact? Would you like the sales person to guide you towards a better decision? Do you want the best price or just drive a hard bargain? Is this an opportunity to learn negotiating skills or just display a hard-nosed attitude? Are you going to remain thrifty through the closing process or mindlessly pay for unnecessary frills? Now, in the first scenario, you were driven on the single wheel of desire. In the second, you balanced yourself with an additional wheel of becoming a well-informed consumer, a sensible spender and a skillful negotiator. This is, as a simple illustration, self-help. If, through self building, you not only made a great purchase but also learned new skills, then why not make it a purposeful part of every life transaction?

All of us remember the unparalleled fun we had as children just playing together. That simple-hearted joy wasn’t driven by the incentive of making sales; it was produced by the rewarding experience of learning social skills. As grown ups, we don’t vacation to save money; instead we spend hard earned cash willingly to experience new sights and sounds. Marriage has it charms in the novelty of an exciting relationship; even jobs which promise new skills are more fulfilling than those which appear stale. If life’s chariot is designed to run on two wheels, then why does it sometimes veer away on just one?

Children learn quite early that to get an ice cream cone all you have to do is to pay a dollar (or more) to the vendor. Although parents encourage saying “please”, in due course “please” may become a formality rather than an opportunity to improve social skills. Relationships can become an exchange of favors rather than an opportunity to become a better person. Providing services to clients and customers can degenerate into a list item rather than to improve one’s job skills. It should come as no surprise, then, that many marriages fall apart, and work turns into a chore. However, if being driven on the single wheel of desire has become your habit, don’t be intimidated. Adding the second wheel of self help to your life is much easier (and less expensive) than changing the transmission of your favorite vehicle from a two-wheel to a four wheel drive.
Whether you set out for the local beach or a vacation to Tahiti, I bet you are looking forward to a new and different thrill each time rather than travel details. In the illustration of purchasing your new car, when you focused on the learning as the essential goal, the best deal followed. Practice the same prioritizing everyday and the path towards your goal will become more enjoyable and rewarding. If you are in a relationship, focus on becoming a better friend and you won’t be disappointed. Whether you sell homes or solar panels, financial products or health services, by first emphasizing the self building experience, you will not only turn your work into play but also make it more financially fruitful. In Greek mythology, Apollo rode a two-wheeled chariot to light up the ancient world. You already have the wheel of your goals. Add to it the wheel of self help and it will drive your chariot of success to benefit both yourself and those around you.

Whether you play chess on a small board or basket ball in a court, there is always an exciting suspense as to who will win or lose. Of course, more than just luck is needed to win any game, big or small. Board games often involve out-smarting the opponent and the outcome of basket ball is often a matter of agility and physical prowess. However, there is another important yet often overlooked reality: All games are played by rules and the real winner is one who not only knows them well, but also uses them to his advantage. Join me to discover that life is no different; playing by its rules you will live healthier, become more successful and avoid frustrations. You will also learn that rules aren’t just a tiresome routine; instead they offer both challenge and excitement.

Everyone knows that eating a well balanced diet is good for you, that building an earthquake resistant structure protects your loved ones and that driving safely pays dividends. At its heart, this common sense is a recognition and acceptance of rules which govern your personal health, investments and driving record. And if you want to be successful in whatever is next on your goals, you had better keep learning more and more rules. As a child, you had to learn social skills; as a parent, you must explore parenting skills. If you wish to surf, you must learn about the waves; if you are a physician, you should keep abreast of cutting-edge research. But then, don’t just quit with a simple interest return on knowing the rules; there is a trick to compound your profit.

Gravity always pulls you down, consuming too many calories will swing the scale up and driving within speed limits will prevent a speeding ticket. These self-evident facts illustrate another reality: Rules do not bend, even though we often wish them otherwise. How is it, then, that people often escape the consequences of their actions or even benefit from rule-breaking? The answer is actually quite simple. Life is not ruled by just one principle but many. Although the Law of Gravity pulls us down, the rules of aerodynamics enable aircrafts to go up. You have probably read about drug-dealers who escape prosecution because their search and seizure was illegal; the rule against drug-dealing was neither bent nor broken, but instead trumped by the rule for conducting proper searches and seizures. Smart attorneys make their living by playing one rule against another; our modern advances, from airplanes to wind energy propellers, turn the disadvantage of one rule into an advantage under another rule. The spirit of being an entrepreneur is to put the conflicting rules of business on your side. Adopt the same spirit for your life-goals and prepare to soar.

But if rules are such an important asset, what keeps us from knowing, following and using them? If parents know about healthy food habits, why do some stuff their children with fatty foods? If drunk driving or piloting endangers lives, why do some people and pilots consume alcohol when they know that they have to drive or fly? The answer is again quite simple: We often focus on the pleasure of the moment rather than its future consequences; with this focus, the parent finds an excuse for junk-feeding while party-goers trivialize intoxication. But there is a better alternative: Focus on the consequences. After all, if your goal is to help your child’s health or to drive safely, wouldn’t you follow just about any rule to get there? Consider then the destination as you plan each itinerary for the day’s journey, whether it is a matter of personal choices or business decisions. Once you adopt this pivotal rule, the field is yours with just some additional hints.

Look for objective rules and not emotional conclusions. Although the safety of childhood vaccines is often controversial, seek out reliable scientific sources instead of anecdotes; it may be wise to fear rules but it isn’t wise to be ruled by fear. Respect the objective rules; build safer buildings while the earthquake faults are busy building tensions. Play with the rules; if we can harness the rules of solar energy to make life more comfortable and the planet greener, why not use the rules of our social being to make us happier and friendlier? Whether you admit it or not, you are in a game; the only suspense is whether you will win by the rules or be overruled by them.

NPR March 19, 2010
President Obama held a big rally Friday just outside Washington, hoping to persuade the last few wavering lawmakers he needs to vote "yes" on the overhaul bill, with a historic House vote just days away. "I know this has been a difficult journey. I know this will be a tough vote," Obama told thousands of supporters inside a college basketball arena in Fairfax, Va. "I know that everybody's counting votes right now in Washington." Obama complained that many of the political media have covered the health care debate as if it were a sporting event. But he quoted from one his most sporting predecessors, Teddy Roosevelt, who said, "Aggressive fighting for the right is the noblest sport the world affords."

Not unsurprisingly, the delivery of health care has become so complicated that to fix its every aspect adds to the complication. Most Americans don't even have the time to read through and understand the proposals and their ramifications. However, one thing is clear: Without antitrust protections, the for-profit insurance monopolies squeeze both medical providers and their patients. When free market competition loses its bite, the market becomes predatory. But overhauling the market is difficult when greed is at stake. Like everything else, selfish special interests overinflate the dangers of reform and derail progress.

So what should we do? Let us first start with overhauling our own personal lifeview. If we have the sensitivity to realize that general human welfare should be placed above personal agenda, then bias will be replaced by interest. This will stimulate us to examine the proposals and weigh in,  not with emotions but with reason. As in everything, Self-building precedes Health-building.