Most economists believe the Great Recession ended in the summer of 2009 although a quick look at the numbers reveals President Barack Obama's stimulus measures, widely credited for getting the economy going again, really didn’t work.
In the third quarter of 2009, final gross domestic product growth came to 2.2 percent, according to government data, although when stimulus spending was subtracted from that figure and numbers show the economy contracted. The economy grew 5.6 percent during the fourth quarter of 2009 according to official figures although that figure drops to 2 percent when taken net of stimulus money.
In fact, the numbers show the economy contracted again during the first quarter of 2010. Real growth means that economies are being more productive and real useful jobs are being created.
Government stimulus is an attempt to manipulate growth statistics via inefficient and wasteful government spending. Stimulus does not advance standards of living. The Commerce Department says the U.S. economy officially grew 3 percent during the first quarter of 2010 when compared to the fourth quarter of last year, down from its original estimate of 3.2 percent.
Economists were expecting even better numbers. This is a fairly tepid recovery that is fighting a lot of headwinds. It will be hard to grow rapidly when the economy has to overcome limited credit availability, a modest recovery in housing, high unemployment rates and, as a consequence, depressed consumer confidence ... and uncertainty in Europe.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Society with the eye of Evolution
Journey from Apes ToHumans
About three million years ago, give or take few thousands :), some african apes had been living in trees came down to the ground. There was nothing special about these apes. Their brains were small and they weren't especially smart. They didnt have claws or sharp teeth for weapons. they weren't particularly strong or fast. they were certainly no match for a leopard. But because they were short, they started standing upright on their hind legs, to see over the tall African grass. That's how it began. Just some ordinary apes, looking out over the grass.
As time went on, the apes stood upright more and more of the time. That left their hands free to do things. Like all apes, they were tool-users. Chimps, for example, use twigs to fish for termites. That sort of thing. As time went on, our apes ancestors developed more complex tools. That simulated their brains to grow in size and complexity. It began a spiral; more complex tools provoked more complex brains which provoked more complex tools. And our brains literally exploded, in evolutionary terms. Our brains more than doubled in size in about a million years.
Problem of Evolution:
Brain size has created problem along with helping us, for one thing problem getting born. Big brain can't pass through the birth canal -which means that both mother and child die in child birth. That;s no good. What's the evolutionary response? To make human infants born very early in development, when their brains are still small enough to pass through pelvis. It's the marsupial solution- most growth occurs outside the mother's body. A human child's brain doubles during the first year of life. that's a good solution to the problem of birth, but it creates other problems. It means that human children will be helpless long after birth. The infant of many mammals can walk minutes after birth. Other Walk in a few days, or weeks. but human infants can't walk for a full year. They can't feed themselves for even longer. Being born in an immature state means that human infants have unformed brains. they don't arrive with a lot built-in, instinctive behavior. Instinctively, a newborn can suck and grasp, but that's all about all.
Society and Education system:
Complex human behavior is not instinctive at all. So one price of bin brains was that our incestors had to evolve new stable social organization s to permit long-term child care, lasting many years. So human societies has to develop education to train the brains of their children. to teach them how to act. Every human society expends tremendous time and energy teaching its children the right way to behave. You look at a simpler society, in say rain forest somewhere, and you find that every child is born into a network of adults responsible for helping to raise the child. Not only parents, but aunts and uncles and grandparents and tribal elders. Some teach the child to hunt or gather food or weave; some teach them about sex and war. But responsibilites are clearly defined, and if a child does not have, say, a mother's brother's sister to do certain teaching job, the people get together and appoint the substitute.
Because, raising children is, in a sense, the reason the society exists in the first place. It's the most important thing that happens, and it's the culmination of all the tools and language and social structure that has evolved. And eventually, a few million years later, we have kids using computers.
About three million years ago, give or take few thousands :), some african apes had been living in trees came down to the ground. There was nothing special about these apes. Their brains were small and they weren't especially smart. They didnt have claws or sharp teeth for weapons. they weren't particularly strong or fast. they were certainly no match for a leopard. But because they were short, they started standing upright on their hind legs, to see over the tall African grass. That's how it began. Just some ordinary apes, looking out over the grass.
As time went on, the apes stood upright more and more of the time. That left their hands free to do things. Like all apes, they were tool-users. Chimps, for example, use twigs to fish for termites. That sort of thing. As time went on, our apes ancestors developed more complex tools. That simulated their brains to grow in size and complexity. It began a spiral; more complex tools provoked more complex brains which provoked more complex tools. And our brains literally exploded, in evolutionary terms. Our brains more than doubled in size in about a million years.
Problem of Evolution:
Brain size has created problem along with helping us, for one thing problem getting born. Big brain can't pass through the birth canal -which means that both mother and child die in child birth. That;s no good. What's the evolutionary response? To make human infants born very early in development, when their brains are still small enough to pass through pelvis. It's the marsupial solution- most growth occurs outside the mother's body. A human child's brain doubles during the first year of life. that's a good solution to the problem of birth, but it creates other problems. It means that human children will be helpless long after birth. The infant of many mammals can walk minutes after birth. Other Walk in a few days, or weeks. but human infants can't walk for a full year. They can't feed themselves for even longer. Being born in an immature state means that human infants have unformed brains. they don't arrive with a lot built-in, instinctive behavior. Instinctively, a newborn can suck and grasp, but that's all about all.
Society and Education system:
Complex human behavior is not instinctive at all. So one price of bin brains was that our incestors had to evolve new stable social organization s to permit long-term child care, lasting many years. So human societies has to develop education to train the brains of their children. to teach them how to act. Every human society expends tremendous time and energy teaching its children the right way to behave. You look at a simpler society, in say rain forest somewhere, and you find that every child is born into a network of adults responsible for helping to raise the child. Not only parents, but aunts and uncles and grandparents and tribal elders. Some teach the child to hunt or gather food or weave; some teach them about sex and war. But responsibilites are clearly defined, and if a child does not have, say, a mother's brother's sister to do certain teaching job, the people get together and appoint the substitute.
Because, raising children is, in a sense, the reason the society exists in the first place. It's the most important thing that happens, and it's the culmination of all the tools and language and social structure that has evolved. And eventually, a few million years later, we have kids using computers.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Oil Spill - Spilling the bean
Chronology of Events:
Tuesday, April 20th-A Transocean rig called the Deep water Horizon explodes and catches fire, approximately 42 miles Southeast of Venice, Louisiana, while finishing a well for British Petroleum. U.S. Coast Guard District Eight command center receives report at approximately 10 p.m. Of the 126 people on board at the time of the explosion, 115 crew members were accounted for. Of these 115, 17 were medevaced from the scene. Search begins for missing 11.
Wednesday, April 21st-Officials state environmental damage will be minimal. BP mobilizes an armada of ships and aircraft to contain the oil slick.
Thursday, April 22nd-The fire rages. Mid-morning Thursday a second explosion occurs causing the rig to sink. 700,000 gallons of diesel are enclosed tanks inside the pontoons at the time of the initial explosion. Unclear if diesel remains contained.
Friday, April 23rd-Coast Guard state no oil appears to be escaping from the well head on the ocean floor. The U.S. Coast Guard suspends its search for the 11 missing crew members at approximately 5 p.m. ending a three day search that included 28 air and ocean craft and covered ~5,375 square miles.
Saturday, April 24th-With remotely operated vehicles, officials discover the oil is escaping from two leaks in a drilling pipe about 5,000 feet below the surface. Leaks appear to be releasing 1,000 barrels a day.
Sunday, April 25-The oil slick covering 600 square miles and spreading north, is about 70 miles south of the Mississippi and Alabama coastline.
Monday, April 26-The oil slick stretches 80 miles across the Gulf and is 36 miles southeast of Louisiana. Cleanup crews set up booms to block as much oil as possible from coming ashore. Remote operative vehicles are full day into operations to sea oil well on ocean floor. Reuters- “The leaking well, 5,000 feet under the ocean surface off Louisiana’s coast, has created an oil sheen and emulsified crude slick with a circumference of about 600 miles, covering about 28,600 square miles (74,070 sq. km), the Coast Guard said on Tuesday. That’s slightly bigger than the U.S. state of West Virginia….The spill, however, is not comparable with the infamous Exxon Valdez disaster, which spilled about 11 million gallons (50 million liters) of oil into the Prince William Sound in Alaska when it ran aground in 1989. BP’s well is spewing about 42,000 gallons (190,900 liters) of oil a day into the ocean, the Coast Guard estimates.”
Tuesday, April 27-Officials consider setting fire to the slick, which has grown to 100 miles across. The fast-moving spill is about 20 miles off the Louisiana coast. A controlled burn of the surface oil is now considered. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar say they are expanding the government’s investigation of the explosion that caused the disaster. Obama administration officials meet with top executives of BP. Governor Bobby Jindal requests Coast Guard set up protective booms around several wildlife refuges.
Wednesday, April 28-The slick nears to 20 miles east of the mouth of the Mississippi River. British Petroleum states a controlled test to burn the leaking oil was successful late Wednesday afternoon. NOAA-”Workers finish a containment chamber portion of a collection doom that will collect oil escaping from the well at the seafloor. The first rig to drill a relief well arrives on site and will commence drilling on Friday but will not be ready for several months. Good weather allows for both skimming operations and aggressive aerial application of dispersant – over 50,000 gallons of dispersant have been applied to the surface oil in the last two days.” The U.S. Coast Guard move ahead with a plan to burn off some of the crude from the slick. Mineral Management Service calls off luncheon “to present its annual award for exemplary safety and environmental management.” BP among list of finalists.
Thursday, April 29th-Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declares a state of emergency and the federal government sends in skimmers and booms to prevent environmental damage. At morning, the spill is roughly 16 miles off the Louisiana coast and stretches across a 600-mile area. Updated models indicate the the slick may reach parts of the coast by later today or early Friday. President Obama designates the spill of national significance allowing personnel and equipment from other regions to be more easily mobilized and transferred to the scene. BBC-President Barack Obama said BP was “ultimately responsible for funding… clean-up operations”. he US homeland security secretary, Janet Napolitano, is to visit the Gulf of Mexico tomorrow. BP stocks plummet by 7% when admission that oil is leaking faster than original speculations. At current rate of oil leakage in 58 days it will surpass the Exxon Valdez disaster as the largest oil spill in U.S. history. BP official on the Today Show welcomes help from all parties including U.S. military. Concerns grow on impact to Louisiana seafood and tourism industry. As of 8:42pm, “Faint fingers of oily sheen have reached the mouth of Mississippi River…By sunset Thursday, the oil had crept into South Pass of the river and was lapping at the shoreline in long, thin lines.” Jean-Michel Cousteau releases statement of dismay and asks all ot expect more of their governments, “Write your Congressional and State representatives demanding their support for alternative energy technologies and policies at all levels of government, including subsidies.” Senator Bill Nelson FL-D drafts legislation to suspend the Obama administration’s plan of offshore exploration and drilling until a full investigation of diaster and the development of new protocols are developed.
Friday, April 30th-Satellite photos from NASA are released showing a finger of the slick reaching the delta.
Sunday, May 2nd-12 days after the explosion, Barack Obama visited the disaster zone.
Obama’s response to the oil spill was anything but slick
On April 20 the Deepwater Horizon oil rig blew up and began spewing enormous amounts of oil as the blow-out preventer apparently failed. It took eight days before Barack Obama could muster a response of any kind. It was ten days before the One could manage to find a spot in his busy schedule for this minor ecological incident. Some people suggests that Obama waited eight days to allow the oil spill to become disastrous so Obama could use the event for political purposes but as appealing as that is, it’s not likely true. Especially since Obama gave that particular oil rig a safety award last year.
Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/louisiana-oil-spill-feds-gave-safety-prize-transoceans/story?id=10528236
That had to be embarrassing to Obama, even for a guy who accepts no responsibility for anything that goes wrong. Barack Obama’s response (when he finally got to it) was entirely predictable; More government. Obama reflexively proposed to split the Minerals Management Service into two agencies. Sounds great, but government agencies are like green plants. If you split the stem you can wind up with two plants larger than the original. There is no question that is exactly what would happen in this case as well. There would be another ever-expanding federal agency with salaries and pensions to feed forever.
And since no crisis should go to waste, Obama also seized the opportunity to propose a new oil tax.
But the problem isn’t the lack of a new agency. The problem is lack of enforcement of existing law (is it just me or does this sound a lot like other issues?) The AP reported that:
and especially damning:
The mission of the Department of Energy? To reduce dependence on foreign oil.
Like I said, the LAST thing we need is more government. We just need for what we already have to actually function. Is that a lot to ask?
Tuesday, April 20th-A Transocean rig called the Deep water Horizon explodes and catches fire, approximately 42 miles Southeast of Venice, Louisiana, while finishing a well for British Petroleum. U.S. Coast Guard District Eight command center receives report at approximately 10 p.m. Of the 126 people on board at the time of the explosion, 115 crew members were accounted for. Of these 115, 17 were medevaced from the scene. Search begins for missing 11.
Wednesday, April 21st-Officials state environmental damage will be minimal. BP mobilizes an armada of ships and aircraft to contain the oil slick.
Thursday, April 22nd-The fire rages. Mid-morning Thursday a second explosion occurs causing the rig to sink. 700,000 gallons of diesel are enclosed tanks inside the pontoons at the time of the initial explosion. Unclear if diesel remains contained.
Friday, April 23rd-Coast Guard state no oil appears to be escaping from the well head on the ocean floor. The U.S. Coast Guard suspends its search for the 11 missing crew members at approximately 5 p.m. ending a three day search that included 28 air and ocean craft and covered ~5,375 square miles.
Saturday, April 24th-With remotely operated vehicles, officials discover the oil is escaping from two leaks in a drilling pipe about 5,000 feet below the surface. Leaks appear to be releasing 1,000 barrels a day.
Sunday, April 25-The oil slick covering 600 square miles and spreading north, is about 70 miles south of the Mississippi and Alabama coastline.
Monday, April 26-The oil slick stretches 80 miles across the Gulf and is 36 miles southeast of Louisiana. Cleanup crews set up booms to block as much oil as possible from coming ashore. Remote operative vehicles are full day into operations to sea oil well on ocean floor. Reuters- “The leaking well, 5,000 feet under the ocean surface off Louisiana’s coast, has created an oil sheen and emulsified crude slick with a circumference of about 600 miles, covering about 28,600 square miles (74,070 sq. km), the Coast Guard said on Tuesday. That’s slightly bigger than the U.S. state of West Virginia….The spill, however, is not comparable with the infamous Exxon Valdez disaster, which spilled about 11 million gallons (50 million liters) of oil into the Prince William Sound in Alaska when it ran aground in 1989. BP’s well is spewing about 42,000 gallons (190,900 liters) of oil a day into the ocean, the Coast Guard estimates.”
Tuesday, April 27-Officials consider setting fire to the slick, which has grown to 100 miles across. The fast-moving spill is about 20 miles off the Louisiana coast. A controlled burn of the surface oil is now considered. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar say they are expanding the government’s investigation of the explosion that caused the disaster. Obama administration officials meet with top executives of BP. Governor Bobby Jindal requests Coast Guard set up protective booms around several wildlife refuges.
Wednesday, April 28-The slick nears to 20 miles east of the mouth of the Mississippi River. British Petroleum states a controlled test to burn the leaking oil was successful late Wednesday afternoon. NOAA-”Workers finish a containment chamber portion of a collection doom that will collect oil escaping from the well at the seafloor. The first rig to drill a relief well arrives on site and will commence drilling on Friday but will not be ready for several months. Good weather allows for both skimming operations and aggressive aerial application of dispersant – over 50,000 gallons of dispersant have been applied to the surface oil in the last two days.” The U.S. Coast Guard move ahead with a plan to burn off some of the crude from the slick. Mineral Management Service calls off luncheon “to present its annual award for exemplary safety and environmental management.” BP among list of finalists.
Thursday, April 29th-Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declares a state of emergency and the federal government sends in skimmers and booms to prevent environmental damage. At morning, the spill is roughly 16 miles off the Louisiana coast and stretches across a 600-mile area. Updated models indicate the the slick may reach parts of the coast by later today or early Friday. President Obama designates the spill of national significance allowing personnel and equipment from other regions to be more easily mobilized and transferred to the scene. BBC-President Barack Obama said BP was “ultimately responsible for funding… clean-up operations”. he US homeland security secretary, Janet Napolitano, is to visit the Gulf of Mexico tomorrow. BP stocks plummet by 7% when admission that oil is leaking faster than original speculations. At current rate of oil leakage in 58 days it will surpass the Exxon Valdez disaster as the largest oil spill in U.S. history. BP official on the Today Show welcomes help from all parties including U.S. military. Concerns grow on impact to Louisiana seafood and tourism industry. As of 8:42pm, “Faint fingers of oily sheen have reached the mouth of Mississippi River…By sunset Thursday, the oil had crept into South Pass of the river and was lapping at the shoreline in long, thin lines.” Jean-Michel Cousteau releases statement of dismay and asks all ot expect more of their governments, “Write your Congressional and State representatives demanding their support for alternative energy technologies and policies at all levels of government, including subsidies.” Senator Bill Nelson FL-D drafts legislation to suspend the Obama administration’s plan of offshore exploration and drilling until a full investigation of diaster and the development of new protocols are developed.
Friday, April 30th-Satellite photos from NASA are released showing a finger of the slick reaching the delta.
Sunday, May 2nd-12 days after the explosion, Barack Obama visited the disaster zone.
Obama’s response to the oil spill was anything but slick
On April 20 the Deepwater Horizon oil rig blew up and began spewing enormous amounts of oil as the blow-out preventer apparently failed. It took eight days before Barack Obama could muster a response of any kind. It was ten days before the One could manage to find a spot in his busy schedule for this minor ecological incident. Some people suggests that Obama waited eight days to allow the oil spill to become disastrous so Obama could use the event for political purposes but as appealing as that is, it’s not likely true. Especially since Obama gave that particular oil rig a safety award last year.
The federal agency charged with enforcing safety on deepwater oil rigs has also played a major role in promoting the industry’s claim that it is safe, and in 2009 handed out one of its top prizes for safety to Transocean’s Deepwater Horizon.
Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/louisiana-oil-spill-feds-gave-safety-prize-transoceans/story?id=10528236
That had to be embarrassing to Obama, even for a guy who accepts no responsibility for anything that goes wrong. Barack Obama’s response (when he finally got to it) was entirely predictable; More government. Obama reflexively proposed to split the Minerals Management Service into two agencies. Sounds great, but government agencies are like green plants. If you split the stem you can wind up with two plants larger than the original. There is no question that is exactly what would happen in this case as well. There would be another ever-expanding federal agency with salaries and pensions to feed forever.
And since no crisis should go to waste, Obama also seized the opportunity to propose a new oil tax.
But the problem isn’t the lack of a new agency. The problem is lack of enforcement of existing law (is it just me or does this sound a lot like other issues?) The AP reported that:
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100516/ap_on_bi_ge/us_gulf_oil_spill_inspections
Earlier AP investigations have shown that the doomed rig was allowed to operate without safety documentation required by MMS regulations for the exact disaster scenario that occurred; that the cutoff valve which failed has repeatedly broken down at other wells in the years since regulators weakened testing requirements; and that regulation is so lax that some key safety aspects on rigs are decided almost entirely by the companies doing the work.
and especially damning:
A citation on Sept. 19, 2002, also involved the blowout preventer. The inspector issued a warning because “problems or irregularities observed during the testing of BOP system and actions taken to remedy such problems or irregularities are not recorded in the driller’s report or referenced documents.” It was asserted by BP’s President that the BOP was modified in 2005 but it’s not clear how much testing and inspecting of this or other BOP’s have occurred since then.The Obama response to this mess was poor and slow, especially given Obama’s harsh criticism of the Bush response to Katrina. That the press is so content to grant Obama a pass after being so harsh on Bush is grinding, but not unexpected. The last thing we need is another federal agency. The Department of Energy was formed in 1977 under Jimmy Carter. In 1979 40% of our oil was imported. Today 65% of our oil is imported.
The mission of the Department of Energy? To reduce dependence on foreign oil.
Like I said, the LAST thing we need is more government. We just need for what we already have to actually function. Is that a lot to ask?
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Global Warming a Thought
Imagine that there is a new scientific theory that warns of an impending crisis, and points to a way out.
This theory quickly draws support from leading scientists, politicians, and celebrities, around the world. Research is funded by distinguished philanthropies, and carried out at prestigious universities. The crisis is reported frequently in the media. The science is taught in college and high school classrooms.
I don't mean global warming. I'm talking about another theory, which rose to prominence a century ago.
Its supporters included Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Winston Churchill. It was approved by supreme court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes and Louis Brandeis, who ruled in its favor. The famous names who supported it included Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone; activist Margaret Sanger; botanist Luther Burbank; Leland Stanford, founder of Stanford university; the novelist H. G. Wells; the playwright George Bernard Shaw; and hundreds of others. Nobel Prize winners gave support. Research was backed by the Carnegie and Rockefeller Foundations. The Cold Springs Harbor institute was built to carry out this research, but important work was also done at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and Johns Hopkins. Legislation to address the crisis was passed in states from New York to California.
These efforts had the support of the National Academy of Science, the American Medical Association, and the National Research Council.
All in all, the research, legislation, and molding of public opinion surrounding the theory went on for almost half a century. Those who opposed the theory were shouted down and called reactionary, blind to reality, or just plain ignorent. But in hindsight, what is surprising is that so few people objected.
Today, we know that this famous theory that gained so much support was actually pseudoscience. The crisis it claimed was nonexistent. And the action taken in the name of this theory were morally and criminally wrong. Ultimately, they lead to the deaths of millions of people.
Eugenics
The theory was eugenics, and its history is so dreadful and, to those who were caught up in it, so embarrassing that it is now rarely discussed. But it is a story that should be well known to every citizen, so that its horrors are not repeated.
The theory of eugenics postulated a crisis of the gene pool leading to the deterioration of the human race. the best human beings were not breeding as rapidly as the inferior ones - the foreigners, immigrants, jews, degenerates, the unfit, and the "feeble minded." Francis Galton, a respected British scientist, first speculated about this area, but his ideas were taken far beyond anything he intended. They were adopted by science-minded Americans, as well as those who had no interest in science but who were worried about the immigration of inferior races early in the twentieth century - "dangerous human pests" who represented "the rising tide of imbeciles" and who were polluting the best of the human race.
The eugenicists and the immigrationnist joined the forces to put a stop to this. The plan was to identify individuals who were feeble minded - Jews were agreed to be largely feeble minded, but so were many foreigners, as well as blacks and stop them from breeding by isolation in institutions or by sterilization.
As Margaret Sanger said, "Fostering the good-for-nothing at the expense of the good is an extreme cruelty... there is no greater curse to posterity than that of bequeathing them an increasing population of imbeciles." She spoke of burden of caring for "this dead weight of human waste."
Such views were widely shared. H. G. Wells spoke against "ill-trained swarms of inferior citizens." Theodore Roosevelt said that "Society has no business to permits degenerates to reproduce their kind." Luther Burbank: "Stop permitting criminals and weaklings to reproduce." George Bernard Shaw said that only eugenics could save mankind.
There was overt racism in this movement, exemplified by texts such as "The Rising Tide of Color Against White World Supremacy", by American author Lothrop Stoddard. But, at the time, racism was considered an unremarkable aspect of the effort to attain a marvelous goal - the improvement of the humankind in the future. It was this avant-garde notion that attracted the most liberal and progressive minds of a generations. California was one of the twenty nine American States to pass laws allowing sterilization, but it proved the most forward-looking and enthusiastic - more sterilizations were carried out in California than anywhere else in America.
Eugenics research was funded by the Carnegie Foundation, and later by the Rockefeller Foundation. The latter was so enthusiastic that even after the center of the eugenics effort moved to Germany, and involved the gassing of individuals from mental institutions, the Rockefeller Foundation continued to finance German Researchers at a very high level. (The foundation was quiet about it, but they were still funding research in 1939, only months before onset of WWII.)
...
Anyway So much for the detail about eugenics.
...
After WWII, nobody was a eugenicist, and nobody had ever been a eugenicist. Biographers of the celebrated and the powerful did not dwell on the attractions of this philosophy to their subjects, and sometimes did not mention it at all. Eugenics ceased to be a subject for college classrooms, although some argue that its ideas continue to have currency in disguised form.
But in retrospect, three points stand out. First, Despite the construction of Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory, despite the efforts at universities and the pleadings of lawyers, there was no scientific basis for eugenics. In fact , nobody at that time know what a gene really was. The movement was able to proceed because it employed vague terms never rigorously defined. "Feeble-mindedness" could mean anything from poverty and illiteracy to epilepsy. Similarly, there was no clear definition of "degenerate" or "unfit."
Second, the eugenics movement was really a social program masquerading as a scientific one. What drove it was concern about immigration and racism and undesirable people moving into one's neighborhood or country. Once again vague terminology helped conceal what was really going on.
Third, and most distressing, the scientific establishment in both the United States and Germany did not mount any sustained protest. Quite the contrariety. In Germany scientist quickly fell into line with the program. Modern German researchers have gone back to review Nazi documents from the 1930s. They expected to find directives telling scientists what research should be done. But none were necessary. In the word of Ute Deichman, "Scientists, including those who were not members of the Nazi party, helped to get funding for their work through their modified behavior and direct cooperation with the state."Deichman speaks of the "active role of scientists themselves in regard to Nazi race policy... where research was aimed at confirming the racial doctrine... no external pressure can be documented." German scientists adjusted their research interests to the new policies. And those few who did not adjust disappeared.
Global Warming
Now we are engaged in a great new theory. that once again has drawn the support of politicians, scientists, and celebrities around the world. Once again, the theory is promoted by major foundations. once again, the research is carried out at prestigious universities. Once again, legislation is passed and social programs are urged in its name. Once again, critics are few and harshly dealt with.
Once again, the measures being urged have little basis in fact or science. Once again, groups with other agendas are hiding behind a movement that appears high-minded. Once again, claims of moral superiority are used to justify extreme actions. Once again, the fact that some people are hurt is shrugged off because an abstract cause is said to be greater than any human consequences. Once again, vague terms like sustainability and generational justice - terms that have no agreed definition are employed in the service of a new crisis.
I am not arguing that global warming is the same as eugenics. But the similarities are not superficial. And I do claim that open and frank discussion of the data, and of the issues, is being suppressed. Leading scientific journals have taken strong editorial positions on the side of global warming, which I argue, they have no business doing. Under the circumstances, any scientist who has doubts understands clearly that they will be wise to mute their expression.
One proof of this suppression is the fact that so many of the outspoken critics of global warming are retired professors. These individuals are no longer seeking grant applications and no longer have to face colleagues whose grant applications and career advancement may be jeopardized by their criticisms.
The past history of human belief is a cautionary tale. humans have killed thousands of our fellow human beings because we believed they had signed a contract with the devil, and had become witches.
My View
In my view, there is only one hope for human kind to emerge from what Carl Sagan called "the demon-haunted world" of our past. That hope is science. But as Alston Chase put it, "when the search for truth is confused with political advocacy, the pursuit of knowledge is reduced to the quest for power." That is the danger we now face. And that is why the intermixing of science and politics is a bad combination, with a bad history. We must remember the history, and be certain that what we present to the world as knowledge is disinterested and honest.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics
This theory quickly draws support from leading scientists, politicians, and celebrities, around the world. Research is funded by distinguished philanthropies, and carried out at prestigious universities. The crisis is reported frequently in the media. The science is taught in college and high school classrooms.
I don't mean global warming. I'm talking about another theory, which rose to prominence a century ago.
Its supporters included Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Winston Churchill. It was approved by supreme court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes and Louis Brandeis, who ruled in its favor. The famous names who supported it included Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone; activist Margaret Sanger; botanist Luther Burbank; Leland Stanford, founder of Stanford university; the novelist H. G. Wells; the playwright George Bernard Shaw; and hundreds of others. Nobel Prize winners gave support. Research was backed by the Carnegie and Rockefeller Foundations. The Cold Springs Harbor institute was built to carry out this research, but important work was also done at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and Johns Hopkins. Legislation to address the crisis was passed in states from New York to California.
These efforts had the support of the National Academy of Science, the American Medical Association, and the National Research Council.
All in all, the research, legislation, and molding of public opinion surrounding the theory went on for almost half a century. Those who opposed the theory were shouted down and called reactionary, blind to reality, or just plain ignorent. But in hindsight, what is surprising is that so few people objected.
Today, we know that this famous theory that gained so much support was actually pseudoscience. The crisis it claimed was nonexistent. And the action taken in the name of this theory were morally and criminally wrong. Ultimately, they lead to the deaths of millions of people.
Eugenics
The theory was eugenics, and its history is so dreadful and, to those who were caught up in it, so embarrassing that it is now rarely discussed. But it is a story that should be well known to every citizen, so that its horrors are not repeated.
The theory of eugenics postulated a crisis of the gene pool leading to the deterioration of the human race. the best human beings were not breeding as rapidly as the inferior ones - the foreigners, immigrants, jews, degenerates, the unfit, and the "feeble minded." Francis Galton, a respected British scientist, first speculated about this area, but his ideas were taken far beyond anything he intended. They were adopted by science-minded Americans, as well as those who had no interest in science but who were worried about the immigration of inferior races early in the twentieth century - "dangerous human pests" who represented "the rising tide of imbeciles" and who were polluting the best of the human race.
The eugenicists and the immigrationnist joined the forces to put a stop to this. The plan was to identify individuals who were feeble minded - Jews were agreed to be largely feeble minded, but so were many foreigners, as well as blacks and stop them from breeding by isolation in institutions or by sterilization.
As Margaret Sanger said, "Fostering the good-for-nothing at the expense of the good is an extreme cruelty... there is no greater curse to posterity than that of bequeathing them an increasing population of imbeciles." She spoke of burden of caring for "this dead weight of human waste."
Such views were widely shared. H. G. Wells spoke against "ill-trained swarms of inferior citizens." Theodore Roosevelt said that "Society has no business to permits degenerates to reproduce their kind." Luther Burbank: "Stop permitting criminals and weaklings to reproduce." George Bernard Shaw said that only eugenics could save mankind.
There was overt racism in this movement, exemplified by texts such as "The Rising Tide of Color Against White World Supremacy", by American author Lothrop Stoddard. But, at the time, racism was considered an unremarkable aspect of the effort to attain a marvelous goal - the improvement of the humankind in the future. It was this avant-garde notion that attracted the most liberal and progressive minds of a generations. California was one of the twenty nine American States to pass laws allowing sterilization, but it proved the most forward-looking and enthusiastic - more sterilizations were carried out in California than anywhere else in America.
Eugenics research was funded by the Carnegie Foundation, and later by the Rockefeller Foundation. The latter was so enthusiastic that even after the center of the eugenics effort moved to Germany, and involved the gassing of individuals from mental institutions, the Rockefeller Foundation continued to finance German Researchers at a very high level. (The foundation was quiet about it, but they were still funding research in 1939, only months before onset of WWII.)
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Anyway So much for the detail about eugenics.
...
After WWII, nobody was a eugenicist, and nobody had ever been a eugenicist. Biographers of the celebrated and the powerful did not dwell on the attractions of this philosophy to their subjects, and sometimes did not mention it at all. Eugenics ceased to be a subject for college classrooms, although some argue that its ideas continue to have currency in disguised form.
But in retrospect, three points stand out. First, Despite the construction of Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory, despite the efforts at universities and the pleadings of lawyers, there was no scientific basis for eugenics. In fact , nobody at that time know what a gene really was. The movement was able to proceed because it employed vague terms never rigorously defined. "Feeble-mindedness" could mean anything from poverty and illiteracy to epilepsy. Similarly, there was no clear definition of "degenerate" or "unfit."
Second, the eugenics movement was really a social program masquerading as a scientific one. What drove it was concern about immigration and racism and undesirable people moving into one's neighborhood or country. Once again vague terminology helped conceal what was really going on.
Third, and most distressing, the scientific establishment in both the United States and Germany did not mount any sustained protest. Quite the contrariety. In Germany scientist quickly fell into line with the program. Modern German researchers have gone back to review Nazi documents from the 1930s. They expected to find directives telling scientists what research should be done. But none were necessary. In the word of Ute Deichman, "Scientists, including those who were not members of the Nazi party, helped to get funding for their work through their modified behavior and direct cooperation with the state."Deichman speaks of the "active role of scientists themselves in regard to Nazi race policy... where research was aimed at confirming the racial doctrine... no external pressure can be documented." German scientists adjusted their research interests to the new policies. And those few who did not adjust disappeared.
Global Warming
Now we are engaged in a great new theory. that once again has drawn the support of politicians, scientists, and celebrities around the world. Once again, the theory is promoted by major foundations. once again, the research is carried out at prestigious universities. Once again, legislation is passed and social programs are urged in its name. Once again, critics are few and harshly dealt with.
Once again, the measures being urged have little basis in fact or science. Once again, groups with other agendas are hiding behind a movement that appears high-minded. Once again, claims of moral superiority are used to justify extreme actions. Once again, the fact that some people are hurt is shrugged off because an abstract cause is said to be greater than any human consequences. Once again, vague terms like sustainability and generational justice - terms that have no agreed definition are employed in the service of a new crisis.
I am not arguing that global warming is the same as eugenics. But the similarities are not superficial. And I do claim that open and frank discussion of the data, and of the issues, is being suppressed. Leading scientific journals have taken strong editorial positions on the side of global warming, which I argue, they have no business doing. Under the circumstances, any scientist who has doubts understands clearly that they will be wise to mute their expression.
One proof of this suppression is the fact that so many of the outspoken critics of global warming are retired professors. These individuals are no longer seeking grant applications and no longer have to face colleagues whose grant applications and career advancement may be jeopardized by their criticisms.
The past history of human belief is a cautionary tale. humans have killed thousands of our fellow human beings because we believed they had signed a contract with the devil, and had become witches.
My View
In my view, there is only one hope for human kind to emerge from what Carl Sagan called "the demon-haunted world" of our past. That hope is science. But as Alston Chase put it, "when the search for truth is confused with political advocacy, the pursuit of knowledge is reduced to the quest for power." That is the danger we now face. And that is why the intermixing of science and politics is a bad combination, with a bad history. We must remember the history, and be certain that what we present to the world as knowledge is disinterested and honest.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics
Friday, May 7, 2010
What Racism?????
An elementary public school in Michigan had a field trip last week to meet with an rocket scientist. That's nice and good, isn't it? Students will visit rocket scientist and get motivated for being one... what it has to do with Racism?
Well.... the trip was only for 30 black students to meet with an African-American rocket scientist. Students who are not black were excluded from the outing .
"The district is investigating the allegations of violation of the State of Michigan Proposal 2," a spokeswoman for the Ann Arbor, Mich., school district . "There was no ill-intent or malice in the principal and teachers planning this field trip," she added.
The principal, Mike Madison, who is black, has authorized this trip. The goal of the trip, Madison said, was to close test score gaps and inspire the students to consider careers in the sciences.
The controversy began last week when the 30 students, members of an African-American academic support group, were taken to hear the rocket scientist, Alec Gallimore, speak at the University of Michigan, where he is an aerospace engineering professor and propulsion lab director.
But parents of students who were excluded protested, and the children who went on the trip were booed by their classmates when they returned to school.
Earlier this week, Madison tried to quash the controversy by sending a letter home to parents, in which he wrote:
In hindsight, this field trip could have been approached and arranged in a better way.
But as I reflect upon the look of excitement, enthusiasm and energy that I saw in these children’s eyes as they stood in the presence of a renowned African American rocket scientist in a very successful position, it gave the kids an opportunity to see this type of achievement is possible for even them.
It was not a wasted venture, for I know one day they might want to aspire to be the first astronaut or scientist standing on the Planet Mars....
The intent of our field trip was not to segregate or exclude students, as has been reported, but rather to address the societal issues, roadblocks and challenges that our African-American children will face as they pursue a successful academic education here in our community.
My Views: My view thinks this is racism in true sense... Racism is the belief that race is a primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. Or, on the opposite side, racism can be as the belief that a certain race or races portray undesirable characteristics. In the case of institutional racism, certain racial groups may be denied rights or benefits, or receive preferential treatment.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RacismIn this incidence:
1. Principal Madison thinks - White students are superior students and Black students are inferior students
2. Black students is given preferential treatment because of the race or skin color
3. White students were not given opportunities or denied the opportunities based on race or skin color
4. Trips for Black student, members of an African-American academic support group, authorized by a black principal, to meet black rocket scientist.... ok too many blacks here... replace with white and read and then tell me if this is enough or not..
So the neh neh ne neh neh public who is shouting racism for AZ law... you thinkwhat has happened here in MI?
Terrorist - Miranda rights
I think My Views agrees with what Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) thinks as solution / workaround for Miranda rights debate. It goes hands in hand with my views of using negative reinforcement along with rewards for changing human behavior and being good Samaritan.
Lieberman plans to introduce a bill that would amend a decades-old law aimed at yanking citizenship from U.S. citizens who fight for a foreign military. The amendment would specify that any individual American citizen who is found to be involved in a foreign terrorist organization, as defined by the Department of State, would be deprived of their citizenship.
Such a law would potentially cover terror suspect Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistani-born American citizen charged in connection with the attempted car bombing in New York City’s Times Square. He was apprehended Monday night at the city’s John F. Kennedy airport after he boarded a flight to Dubai.
Logic is simple: If you have joined an enemy of the United States in attacking the United States and trying to kill Americans, I think you sacrifice your rights of citizenship, or to say you don't deserve the rights of citizenship.
Strip their citizenship and ship them to Guantanamo
Lieberman plans to introduce a bill that would amend a decades-old law aimed at yanking citizenship from U.S. citizens who fight for a foreign military. The amendment would specify that any individual American citizen who is found to be involved in a foreign terrorist organization, as defined by the Department of State, would be deprived of their citizenship.
Such a law would potentially cover terror suspect Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistani-born American citizen charged in connection with the attempted car bombing in New York City’s Times Square. He was apprehended Monday night at the city’s John F. Kennedy airport after he boarded a flight to Dubai.
Logic is simple: If you have joined an enemy of the United States in attacking the United States and trying to kill Americans, I think you sacrifice your rights of citizenship, or to say you don't deserve the rights of citizenship.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Cico de Mayo - Fact and fiction
The Battle of Puebla took place on May 5, 1862 near the city of Puebla during the French intervention in Mexico. The battle ended in a victory for the Mexican Army against the occupying French forces. The victory is celebrated today during the festivities of Cinco de Mayo (5th of May).
On September 16, 1862, President Juárez declared that the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla would be a national holiday, regarded as "Battle of Puebla Day" or "Battle of Cinco de Mayo". Although today it is recognized in some countries as a day of Mexican heritage celebration, it is not a federal holiday in Mexico. A common misconception in the United States is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico. Grito de Dolores (Mexico's Independence Day) falls on September 16 (dieciséis de septiembre in Spanish)
This holiday is also celebrated in the United States,however, it is not really celebrated anywhere else in Mexico, but city of Puebla. It was popularized in the United States by the Corona Beer commercials in the 80s and 90s as a popular time to enjoy a Corona.
Thought to share that with you because until 5 minutes back i was under the same impression...
On September 16, 1862, President Juárez declared that the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla would be a national holiday, regarded as "Battle of Puebla Day" or "Battle of Cinco de Mayo". Although today it is recognized in some countries as a day of Mexican heritage celebration, it is not a federal holiday in Mexico. A common misconception in the United States is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico. Grito de Dolores (Mexico's Independence Day) falls on September 16 (dieciséis de septiembre in Spanish)
This holiday is also celebrated in the United States,however, it is not really celebrated anywhere else in Mexico, but city of Puebla. It was popularized in the United States by the Corona Beer commercials in the 80s and 90s as a popular time to enjoy a Corona.
Thought to share that with you because until 5 minutes back i was under the same impression...
Coming... Coming... Came.... United State of Maxico???
I have found this news story... and I am kind of puzzled... Alright here is how it goes...
On any other day at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Daniel Galli and his four friends would not even be noticed for wearing T-shirts with the American flag. But Cinco de Mayo is not any typical day especially on a campus with a large Mexican American student population.
Galli says he and his friends were sitting at a table during brunch break when the vice principal asked two of the boys to remove American flag bandannas that they wearing on their heads and for the others to turn their American flag T-shirts inside out. When they refused, the boys were ordered to go to the principal's office.
"They said we could wear it on any other day," Daniel Galli said, "but today is sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it's supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it today.".
The boys said the administrators called their T-shirts "incendiary" that would lead to fights on campus.
"They said if we tried to go back to class with our shirts not taken off, they said it was defiance and we would get suspended," Dominic Maciel, Galli's friend, said.
My Views:
I guess i am not easily get offended... It never occurs to me anything if I see anyone wearing Any cloths US Flags or other wise on 15 Aug (Indian Independence Day).. Does it happen to you all???
What type of country we live in? There are 195 countries in the world... from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, and Out of 365 days about half would have independence day of one or the other..
So does that mean, Everyone needs to keep track of every independence day possible while dressing in the morning and make sure we dress accordingly... or there will be fight out? And if we do not have to worry about other countries why Mexican independence day is special?
Or... is it that we have reached at a tip over point where now American have to be afraid of legal or illegal Mexicans / American Mexicans...
I don't think that we should be celebrating Mexican holidays at the expense of America. We used to be something called a melting pot. Melt in! You don't melt in by being offended by people who are wearing the American flag. If you want to be an American, it's your flag now, too, not the Mexican flag. (Or check you may be illegally here undocumented)You want Mexico? Go back to Mexico! You want Germany? Go back to Germany! You want Sweden? Go back to Sweden! Canada? Go back to Canada!
On any other day at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Daniel Galli and his four friends would not even be noticed for wearing T-shirts with the American flag. But Cinco de Mayo is not any typical day especially on a campus with a large Mexican American student population.
Galli says he and his friends were sitting at a table during brunch break when the vice principal asked two of the boys to remove American flag bandannas that they wearing on their heads and for the others to turn their American flag T-shirts inside out. When they refused, the boys were ordered to go to the principal's office.
"They said we could wear it on any other day," Daniel Galli said, "but today is sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it's supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it today.".
The boys said the administrators called their T-shirts "incendiary" that would lead to fights on campus.
"They said if we tried to go back to class with our shirts not taken off, they said it was defiance and we would get suspended," Dominic Maciel, Galli's friend, said.
My Views:
I guess i am not easily get offended... It never occurs to me anything if I see anyone wearing Any cloths US Flags or other wise on 15 Aug (Indian Independence Day).. Does it happen to you all???
What type of country we live in? There are 195 countries in the world... from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, and Out of 365 days about half would have independence day of one or the other..
So does that mean, Everyone needs to keep track of every independence day possible while dressing in the morning and make sure we dress accordingly... or there will be fight out? And if we do not have to worry about other countries why Mexican independence day is special?
Or... is it that we have reached at a tip over point where now American have to be afraid of legal or illegal Mexicans / American Mexicans...
I don't think that we should be celebrating Mexican holidays at the expense of America. We used to be something called a melting pot. Melt in! You don't melt in by being offended by people who are wearing the American flag. If you want to be an American, it's your flag now, too, not the Mexican flag. (Or check you may be illegally here undocumented)You want Mexico? Go back to Mexico! You want Germany? Go back to Germany! You want Sweden? Go back to Sweden! Canada? Go back to Canada!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
MSNBC's Contessa Brewer 'Frustrated' That Times Square Bomber Is a Muslim
MSNBC host Contessa Brewer appeared on the liberal Stephanie Miller radio show on Tuesday and lamented the fact that the person arrested for the attempted Times Square bombing is a Pakistani American. She complained, "I get frustrated...There was part of me that was hoping this was not going to be anybody with ties to any kind of Islamic country." [Audio available here.]
My Views: So Ms Brewer, What were part of you hoping for? Some right wing extremist? Some Tea party activist? someone... White Middle age Christian? It would have fit perfectly in your agenda, wont it?
Brewer continued, "...There are a lot of people who want to use terrorist intent to justify writing off people who believe in a certain way or come from certain countries or whose skin color is a certain way. I mean they use it as justification for really outdated bigotry."
My Views:
My Views: So Ms Brewer, What were part of you hoping for? Some right wing extremist? Some Tea party activist? someone... White Middle age Christian? It would have fit perfectly in your agenda, wont it?
Brewer continued, "...There are a lot of people who want to use terrorist intent to justify writing off people who believe in a certain way or come from certain countries or whose skin color is a certain way. I mean they use it as justification for really outdated bigotry."
The News live host didn't explain which ethnicity or religion she had been hoping the bomber would have been affiliated with. She did defensively mention members of a Michigan militia group arrested in March and asserted that they were "from far different backgrounds than what this guy is coming from."
Attempting to understand the mind set of Faisal Shahzad, Brewer speculated, "Were there failed family ties? Did he have a strong community network here in the United States? Did he feel isolated?" She opined that these types of terrorists are "guys who are, I don't know, isolated in some ways from their families."My Views:
I have found this article in "The Hour" on April 17, 2005. I am putting capture here.. I am sure many of you will find it appropriate...
Click here if you can't read in screen picture.
The problem here is instead of condemning bad behavior, society have learned to defend it instead. Oh poor boy he has no family ties, he has no social structure... So what? Does this give you license to blow others?
USA has been positive reinforcement for people to be here for long with it's image as land of opportunities... the problem is only positive reinforcement doesn't work in order to change human behavior, we need to punish the bad behavior too. And that's My View..
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Time Square Bombing - May be this - May be that
The Telegraph has noticed: "The location is also adjacent to the Viacom building, fueling speculation that it might be linked to the company's controversial South Park cartoon which recently depicted Prophet Muhammad in a bear suit."
Can this be good enough reason for Muslims to get offended and do a terrorism act - looking at the track record - yes...
Can this be good enough reason for Muslims to get offended and do a terrorism act - looking at the track record - yes...
Friday, April 30, 2010
On Abortion
There are generally considered to be six arguments for abortion, and six counterarguments.
First Argument
The first argument considers the law and anthropology. It can be shown that many societies routinely practice abortion and infanticide without parental guilt or destruction of the moral fiber of the society. Usually examples are drawn from marginal societies, living in a harsh environment, such as the African Pygmies or Bushmen of the Kalahari. Or from societies which place a great premium on sons and kill of excess female infants. But the same argument has used the example of Japan, now the six-largest nation in the world and one of the highly industrialized.
The reverse argument states that Western society has little in common with either Pygmies or the Japanese, and that what is right and acceptable for them is not necessarily so for us.
Legal arguments are related to this. It can be shown that modern abortion laws did not always exist; they evolved over many centuries, in response to a variety of factors. Proponents of abortion claim that modern law are arbitrary, foolish, and irrelevant. They argue for a legal system which accurately reflects the mores and the technology of the present , not of the past.
The reverse argument points out that old laws are not necessarily bad laws and that to change them thoughtlessly invites uncertainty and flux in an already uncertain world. A less sophisticated form of the argument opposes abortion simply because it is illegal. until recently, many otherwise thoughtful doctors felt comfortable taking this position. Now, however, abortion is being debated in many circles, and such a simplistic view is untenable.
Second Argument
The second argument concerns abortion as a form of birth control. Proponents regard abortion on demand as a highly effective form of birth control and point to its success in Japan, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and elsewhere. Proponents see no essential difference between preventing a conception and halting a process which has not yet resulted in a fully viable infant. (These same people see no difference between the rhythm method and the pill, since the intention of both practices is identical.) In essence, the argument claims that "it's the thought that counts."
Those who disagree draw a line between prevention and correction. They believe that once conception has occurred, the fetus has rights and can not be killed. This view point is held by many who favor conventional birth-control measures, and for these people, the problem of what to do if birth control fails - as it does in a certain percentage of cases - is troublesome.
Third Argument
The third argument considers social and psychiatric factors. It has variants.
The first states that the physical and mental health of the mother always takes precedence over that of the unborn child. the mother, and her already existing family, may suffer emotionally and financially by the birth of another infant, and therefore, in such cases the birth should be prevented.
The second states that it is immoral and criminal to bring into the world an unwanted child. It states that, in our increasingly complex society, the proper rearing of a child is a time-consuming and expensive process demanding maternal attention and paternal financial support for education. If a family can not provide this, they do a grave disservice to the child. The obvious extreme case is that of the unwed mother, who is frequently unprepared to rear an infant, either emotionally or financially.
The counter argument is vague here. There is talk of mothers who unconsciously wish to conceive; talk of the maternal urge to procreate; flat statements that "there never was a child born who wasn't wanted." Or an ex-post-fact-o approach: once the child is born, the family will adjust and love him.
Fourth Argument
The fourth argument states that a woman should never, under any circumstances, be required to bear a child if she does not wish to do so. Abortion on demand should be a right of every woman, like the right to vote. this is an interesting argument, but its usefulness has been diluted by many of its proponents, who often express a rather paranoid feelings that the world is dominated by men who can not be expected to show any sympathy for the opposite sex. Those who disagree with this argument usually point out that a modern, emancipated woman need not become pregnant if she does not wishe it. A wide variety of birth-control methods and devices is available to her, and they believe that abortion is not a substitute for birth-control failure and inadvertent pregnancy - such as rape - are difficult to handle within this framework, however.
Fifth Argument
The fifth argument states that abortion is safe, easy, simple, and cheap; thus there can be no practical objection to legalizing termination of pregnancy.
The counterargument states that abortion carries a finite risk of mortality, which, though small, nonetheless exists. Unfortunately for this viewpoint, it is now perfectly clear that a hospital abortion is one-sixth to one-tenth as dangerous as a hospital delivery. This means it is safer to abort a child than to carry it to term.
Sixth Argument
The sixth argument is the newest and the most ingenious. It was first proposed by Garrett Hardin, and it attacks the problem at a crucial question. Is abortion murder? Hardin says no. He argues that the embryo does not become human until after birth and a long period of training. He states that the embryos are nothing but a template, ultimately derived from DNA, the information carrying genetic substance. Information in itself, he says, is of no value. It is like a blueprint. the blueprint of a building, he says, is worthless; only the building has value and significance. The blueprint may be destroyed with impunity, for another can easily be made, but a building cannot be destroyed without a careful deliberation.
This is a swift and oversimplified summary of his argument. Hardin was trained both as an anthropologist and as a biologist, and his view point is unique. it is interesting because it considers the question of when is a person human in terms of what is a human being? Returning to the analogy of bluprint specifies size, shape and general structure, but it does not state whether the building will be erected in New York or Tokyo, whether in a slum or an affluent area, whether it will be used effectively or fall in to disrepair. By implication, Hardin is defining a human being not only as an animal that walks on its hind legs, has a large brain, and an operational thumb; he includes in the definition enough maternal care and education to make a person a well adjusted and functioning unit of a social grouping. (Probably this will be my next post) The counter argument says the Hardin assumes DNA is a "non-unique"copy of information, when in fact it is quiet unique. All children of a given mother and father are not identical; therefore the DNA cannot be "non-unique". To this Hardin replies that we already, quite by chance, select only some of the potential DNA combinations of sperm and egg and allow these to reach maturation. He notes that an average woman has 30,000 eggs in her ovaries, yet will bring only a few to term. The others are destroyed just as surely as if they had been aborted. And, as he says, one of them might have been "a super Beethoven". Hardin's argument is still new and strikes many as abstruse. But undoubtedly his is just the first of many new arguments, for and against abortion, which will be proposed on an increasingly subtle scientific basis. It is a commentary on modern man that he must justify this morality on the basis of the molecular mechanisms at work within a single cell of his body.
What I have tried here is to provide arguments on both sides to make up your mind.... My views: Coming from the crowded country like India - I know the cons of having over population in any country. We need to control the population of any county and to think globally - the planet - if we fill up the planet - we have yet to find place where life can survive. Best way to control the population is to use contraception. In case of birth-control failure and inadvertent pregnancy - such as rape, or if mothers life is in danger - it is OK to go for abortion, but exceptions doesn't make the rule. My views has nothing to do with morality or religious belief but sense of being practical here. I respect the moral arguments and religious beliefs of others, abort or not should be personal decision and not forced decision either way...
First Argument
The first argument considers the law and anthropology. It can be shown that many societies routinely practice abortion and infanticide without parental guilt or destruction of the moral fiber of the society. Usually examples are drawn from marginal societies, living in a harsh environment, such as the African Pygmies or Bushmen of the Kalahari. Or from societies which place a great premium on sons and kill of excess female infants. But the same argument has used the example of Japan, now the six-largest nation in the world and one of the highly industrialized.
The reverse argument states that Western society has little in common with either Pygmies or the Japanese, and that what is right and acceptable for them is not necessarily so for us.
Legal arguments are related to this. It can be shown that modern abortion laws did not always exist; they evolved over many centuries, in response to a variety of factors. Proponents of abortion claim that modern law are arbitrary, foolish, and irrelevant. They argue for a legal system which accurately reflects the mores and the technology of the present , not of the past.
The reverse argument points out that old laws are not necessarily bad laws and that to change them thoughtlessly invites uncertainty and flux in an already uncertain world. A less sophisticated form of the argument opposes abortion simply because it is illegal. until recently, many otherwise thoughtful doctors felt comfortable taking this position. Now, however, abortion is being debated in many circles, and such a simplistic view is untenable.
Second Argument
The second argument concerns abortion as a form of birth control. Proponents regard abortion on demand as a highly effective form of birth control and point to its success in Japan, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and elsewhere. Proponents see no essential difference between preventing a conception and halting a process which has not yet resulted in a fully viable infant. (These same people see no difference between the rhythm method and the pill, since the intention of both practices is identical.) In essence, the argument claims that "it's the thought that counts."
Those who disagree draw a line between prevention and correction. They believe that once conception has occurred, the fetus has rights and can not be killed. This view point is held by many who favor conventional birth-control measures, and for these people, the problem of what to do if birth control fails - as it does in a certain percentage of cases - is troublesome.
Third Argument
The third argument considers social and psychiatric factors. It has variants.
The first states that the physical and mental health of the mother always takes precedence over that of the unborn child. the mother, and her already existing family, may suffer emotionally and financially by the birth of another infant, and therefore, in such cases the birth should be prevented.
The second states that it is immoral and criminal to bring into the world an unwanted child. It states that, in our increasingly complex society, the proper rearing of a child is a time-consuming and expensive process demanding maternal attention and paternal financial support for education. If a family can not provide this, they do a grave disservice to the child. The obvious extreme case is that of the unwed mother, who is frequently unprepared to rear an infant, either emotionally or financially.
The counter argument is vague here. There is talk of mothers who unconsciously wish to conceive; talk of the maternal urge to procreate; flat statements that "there never was a child born who wasn't wanted." Or an ex-post-fact-o approach: once the child is born, the family will adjust and love him.
Fourth Argument
The fourth argument states that a woman should never, under any circumstances, be required to bear a child if she does not wish to do so. Abortion on demand should be a right of every woman, like the right to vote. this is an interesting argument, but its usefulness has been diluted by many of its proponents, who often express a rather paranoid feelings that the world is dominated by men who can not be expected to show any sympathy for the opposite sex. Those who disagree with this argument usually point out that a modern, emancipated woman need not become pregnant if she does not wishe it. A wide variety of birth-control methods and devices is available to her, and they believe that abortion is not a substitute for birth-control failure and inadvertent pregnancy - such as rape - are difficult to handle within this framework, however.
Fifth Argument
The fifth argument states that abortion is safe, easy, simple, and cheap; thus there can be no practical objection to legalizing termination of pregnancy.
The counterargument states that abortion carries a finite risk of mortality, which, though small, nonetheless exists. Unfortunately for this viewpoint, it is now perfectly clear that a hospital abortion is one-sixth to one-tenth as dangerous as a hospital delivery. This means it is safer to abort a child than to carry it to term.
Sixth Argument
The sixth argument is the newest and the most ingenious. It was first proposed by Garrett Hardin, and it attacks the problem at a crucial question. Is abortion murder? Hardin says no. He argues that the embryo does not become human until after birth and a long period of training. He states that the embryos are nothing but a template, ultimately derived from DNA, the information carrying genetic substance. Information in itself, he says, is of no value. It is like a blueprint. the blueprint of a building, he says, is worthless; only the building has value and significance. The blueprint may be destroyed with impunity, for another can easily be made, but a building cannot be destroyed without a careful deliberation.
This is a swift and oversimplified summary of his argument. Hardin was trained both as an anthropologist and as a biologist, and his view point is unique. it is interesting because it considers the question of when is a person human in terms of what is a human being? Returning to the analogy of bluprint specifies size, shape and general structure, but it does not state whether the building will be erected in New York or Tokyo, whether in a slum or an affluent area, whether it will be used effectively or fall in to disrepair. By implication, Hardin is defining a human being not only as an animal that walks on its hind legs, has a large brain, and an operational thumb; he includes in the definition enough maternal care and education to make a person a well adjusted and functioning unit of a social grouping. (Probably this will be my next post) The counter argument says the Hardin assumes DNA is a "non-unique"copy of information, when in fact it is quiet unique. All children of a given mother and father are not identical; therefore the DNA cannot be "non-unique". To this Hardin replies that we already, quite by chance, select only some of the potential DNA combinations of sperm and egg and allow these to reach maturation. He notes that an average woman has 30,000 eggs in her ovaries, yet will bring only a few to term. The others are destroyed just as surely as if they had been aborted. And, as he says, one of them might have been "a super Beethoven". Hardin's argument is still new and strikes many as abstruse. But undoubtedly his is just the first of many new arguments, for and against abortion, which will be proposed on an increasingly subtle scientific basis. It is a commentary on modern man that he must justify this morality on the basis of the molecular mechanisms at work within a single cell of his body.
What I have tried here is to provide arguments on both sides to make up your mind.... My views: Coming from the crowded country like India - I know the cons of having over population in any country. We need to control the population of any county and to think globally - the planet - if we fill up the planet - we have yet to find place where life can survive. Best way to control the population is to use contraception. In case of birth-control failure and inadvertent pregnancy - such as rape, or if mothers life is in danger - it is OK to go for abortion, but exceptions doesn't make the rule. My views has nothing to do with morality or religious belief but sense of being practical here. I respect the moral arguments and religious beliefs of others, abort or not should be personal decision and not forced decision either way...
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Making illegal illegal - Law of Arizona
I wrote two article on this series and before any one claim I am racist - I am white supremacist pig. I would like to remind you - I am lawfully admitted non-residential alien as far as immigration is concerned. I am lawfully admitted residential alien for IRS / Tax purposes.
Oh well don't want to be sidetracked again... Here is the link who is interested to read the whole law uncut...
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.htm
While police demands of documents are common on subways, highways and in public places in some countries, including France, why this fuss in United State?
This new AZ law - the name is "Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act" and really if you are in Arizona that is really the situation as mentioned in first post.
here is the main content - that every one is shouting about - that its racial law - pls read this and tell me where the race is:
A. No official or agency of this state or a county, city, town or other political subdivision of this state may adopt a policy that limits or restricts the enforcement of federal immigration laws to less than the full extent permitted by federal law.
My views> It says no state agency may adopt a policy that limit the enforcement of federal immigration law to less than the full extent permitted by federal law... So whats wrong here - why should some one choose not to follow law?
B. For any lawful contact made by a law enforcement official or agency of this state or a county, city, town or other political subdivision of this state where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person. The person's immigration status shall be verified with the federal government pursuant to 8 United States code section 1373(c).
My views>Per USCIS - here is the statistic of aliens in this country:
So this country have immigrants from all over the world, that is the reason this country is called country of immigrants... Duh... and they all look different and any one could be alien.. So why only Hispanics, in particular, railed against the law as a recipe for racial and ethnic profiling? Source: NY Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/us/politics/24immig.html
It clearly states that reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person... How “reasonable suspicion” will be applied is one of the great debates over the constitutionality of the law. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer issued an executive order http://www.azgovernor.gov/dms/upload/EO_201009.pdf requiring training to "provide clear guidance to law enforcement officials regarding what constitutes reasonable suspicion, and shall make clear that an individual's race, color or national origin alone cannot be ground for reasonable suspicion to believe any law has been violated."
so everyone who are giving false cry - that include Mr. President - you too with your comment... But now suddenly if you don’t have your papers and you took your kid out to get ice cream, you’re going to be harassed....
Please read the law before giving comments for political benefits...
Arizona has done nothing but making it necessary for state officials to enforced federal law to its fullest extent and that is nothing wrong...
Oh well don't want to be sidetracked again... Here is the link who is interested to read the whole law uncut...
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.htm
While police demands of documents are common on subways, highways and in public places in some countries, including France, why this fuss in United State?
This new AZ law - the name is "Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act" and really if you are in Arizona that is really the situation as mentioned in first post.
here is the main content - that every one is shouting about - that its racial law - pls read this and tell me where the race is:
A. No official or agency of this state or a county, city, town or other political subdivision of this state may adopt a policy that limits or restricts the enforcement of federal immigration laws to less than the full extent permitted by federal law.
My views> It says no state agency may adopt a policy that limit the enforcement of federal immigration law to less than the full extent permitted by federal law... So whats wrong here - why should some one choose not to follow law?
B. For any lawful contact made by a law enforcement official or agency of this state or a county, city, town or other political subdivision of this state where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person. The person's immigration status shall be verified with the federal government pursuant to 8 United States code section 1373(c).
My views>Per USCIS - here is the statistic of aliens in this country:
| Region and country of birth | Total | Family-sponsored preferences | Employment-based preferences | Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens | Diversity | Refugees and asylees | Other |
| REGION | |||||||
| Total | 1,130,818 | 211,859 | 144,034 | 535,554 | 47,879 | 177,368 | 14,124 |
| Africa | 127,050 | 5,450 | 5,707 | 45,823 | 24,122 | 45,315 | 633 |
| Asia | 413,312 | 81,218 | 78,881 | 168,366 | 13,536 | 69,561 | 1,750 |
| Europe | 105,398 | 4,393 | 23,529 | 55,844 | 8,737 | 10,453 | 2,442 |
| North America | 375,236 | 106,602 | 19,839 | 196,817 | 437 | 42,700 | 8,841 |
| Oceania | 5,578 | 404 | 1,075 | 3,357 | 582 | 139 | 21 |
| South America | 102,878 | 13,665 | 14,856 | 64,611 | 414 | 8,926 | 406 |
| Unknown | 1,366 | 127 | 147 | 736 | 51 | 274 | 31 |
So this country have immigrants from all over the world, that is the reason this country is called country of immigrants... Duh... and they all look different and any one could be alien.. So why only Hispanics, in particular, railed against the law as a recipe for racial and ethnic profiling? Source: NY Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/us/politics/24immig.html
It clearly states that reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person... How “reasonable suspicion” will be applied is one of the great debates over the constitutionality of the law. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer issued an executive order http://www.azgovernor.gov/dms/upload/EO_201009.pdf requiring training to "provide clear guidance to law enforcement officials regarding what constitutes reasonable suspicion, and shall make clear that an individual's race, color or national origin alone cannot be ground for reasonable suspicion to believe any law has been violated."
so everyone who are giving false cry - that include Mr. President - you too with your comment... But now suddenly if you don’t have your papers and you took your kid out to get ice cream, you’re going to be harassed....
Please read the law before giving comments for political benefits...
Arizona has done nothing but making it necessary for state officials to enforced federal law to its fullest extent and that is nothing wrong...
Making illegal illegal - Brought out some illegal behavior in AZ
Former President Bill Clinton who once compared, in very nice words, tea party protesters with Oklahoma City bombers. When i have heard this news and seen this footage - i was wondering where is he or any other democrats?
A riot started by protesters against the new law in Arizona to toughen up enforcement on illegal immigration in Phoenix on April 23. Bottles were hurled at police and threats of violence that make even the rowdiest Tea Party look like a TEA PARTY....
You’ll see the bottles thrown here, striking police officers who try to usher a lone anti-illegal immigration protester from the scene for his own safety. This is View from Ground:
This is overhead view from copter for the same thing - clearly shows a fusillade of bottles being thrown at the Police
Why don't we see this on main stream media? CNN, NBC, MSNBC, Anyone...
It's campaign time again for him!!! He has released this short web video where he tries to rally support for Democrats in the 2010 election similar to the turnout in the 2008 election. And has started using race card - he wants to use them to get Votes - look up the quote I have put from my previous post....
It will be up to each of you to make sure that the young people, African Americans, Latinos and women who empowered our victory in 2008 stand together once again.
For you who don't trust us - here is his own words uncut...
A riot started by protesters against the new law in Arizona to toughen up enforcement on illegal immigration in Phoenix on April 23. Bottles were hurled at police and threats of violence that make even the rowdiest Tea Party look like a TEA PARTY....
You’ll see the bottles thrown here, striking police officers who try to usher a lone anti-illegal immigration protester from the scene for his own safety. This is View from Ground:
This is overhead view from copter for the same thing - clearly shows a fusillade of bottles being thrown at the Police
Why don't we see this on main stream media? CNN, NBC, MSNBC, Anyone...
Supposed “N” word thrown by a Tea Party protester? National News… without any proof
Bottles thrown at Police by Illegals? … crickets…
Jaws and legs broken as Repubs leave a Political Rally?… crickets…
Black Man beaten by SEIU thugs????… more crickets…
Something I have not reported in my last post on Making illegal illegal, the Mexican drug war has killed over 22,000 people… FIVE times US deaths in Iraq! You don’t hear much about that, either… do you? Bush is bad - got US troop to war.... and see how many causalities - media was running daily tellies like baseball or cricket score card... just before election to help wonder boy they loved so much isn't it and after election - everything gone...
This is the way the lawless support the lawless - This is what I was seeing it coming and talking about in my last post -
"I am from India and we have seen and suffered problems of illegals in border. Biggest root cause of India's terrorism problem is the illegals coming from Pakistan's border. Pussy government of India is not doing anything because they are afraid to offend so called minority Muslims in India, which i do not believe are minority anymore. Same way we have problem of illegal immigrant from Bangladesh and politicians are not doing anything about it, infect they are trying to make them legal to get votes out of them.
Please, put politics behind and control your border, you do not want the problem you will face if you don't..."
It's campaign time again for him!!! He has released this short web video where he tries to rally support for Democrats in the 2010 election similar to the turnout in the 2008 election. And has started using race card - he wants to use them to get Votes - look up the quote I have put from my previous post....
It will be up to each of you to make sure that the young people, African Americans, Latinos and women who empowered our victory in 2008 stand together once again.
For you who don't trust us - here is his own words uncut...
Friday, April 23, 2010
EPA Contest or Obama Gov. Propoganda - Stockholm Sydrome and more
http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/videocontest/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apT-evyrzJ4
President Obama's Environmental Protection Agency is encouraging the public to create video advertisements that explain why federal regulations are "important to everyone."
The contest, which ends May 17, will award $2,500 to the makers of the video that best explains why federal regulations are good and how ordinary citizens can become more involved in making regulations. The videos must be posted on YouTube and can be no more than 60-90 seconds in length.
In the current contest, each video must include the slogan “Let your voice be heard,” and it must direct viewers to the government’s regulatory website www.Regulations.gov. The winning video will then be used by the entire federal government to promote the regulatory process and enhance the public’s participation in it.
The EPA is managing the contest, part of the government’s eRulemaking program, on behalf of the entire government.
As explained in the EPA press release announcing the contest, the purpose of the videos will be to remind the public that federal regulation touches “almost every aspect” of their lives and to promote how important those regulations are.
“The contest will highlight the significance of federal regulations and help the public understand the rulemaking process. Federal agencies develop and issue hundreds of rules and regulations every year to implement statutes written by Congress. Almost every aspect of an individual’s life is touched by federal regulations, but many do not understand how rules are made or how they can get involved in the process.”
The videos should be designed to “capture the public imagination” and to “explain” why government regulations are “important to everyone.”
“With a short 60 to 90 second video, citizens should capture public imagination and use creativity, artistic expression and innovation to explain why regulations are important to everyone, and motivate others to participate in the rulemaking process.”
The videos must both educate viewers on the government’s regulatory process and encourage them to become more involved in it. The videos must remind viewers that regulations are laws written by the executive branch.
“Federal agencies write laws called regulations or rules,” the contest’s information guidelines states. “When Congress writes a statute and the President signs it, it usually doesn’t have enough detail for it to be put into effect. So, federal agencies fill in the details by issuing regulations.”
The videos must also remind viewers that regulations are the law and that they actually outnumber laws passed by Congress on the order of 10-1.
“Regulations have the power of law. Breaking them can result in fines and even jail time. Regulations outnumber Congressional statutes. For every statute passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, federal agencies create about 10 regulations, each of which have the force of law.”
The videos must also explain to viewers how regulations affect the everyday lives of Americans, showing just what the government does that has a “direct impact” on the lives of “every American citizen.”
Regulations have a direct impact on your life and the life of every American citizen,” the information packet says.
“The price of the coffee you drink in the morning is affected by regulations written by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The television shows you watch are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission. The quality of the air you breathe is affected by regulations written by the Environmental Protection Agency.”
The winning entry will be the video which best promotes greater awareness of federal regulations, motivates people to participate in it, and tries to change the way most people think about regulation, EPA spokesman Latisha Petteway told CNSNews.com in an email explaining the contest.
“The overall message should promote greater awareness of Federal rulemaking, motivate
others to participate, and perhaps, even change the common perception of Federal rulemaking.”
The winning video will be announced by EPA in June 2010.
My Views: This is coming too fast... over past year i have been warning you about Socialism of President Obama and his administration and in general Democrat way of life. I always have idea the main agenda of Socialist Government is always to produce subjects that look up to them for help for every aspect of life, will that be food, shelter, education, helath care, job.... list is endless.... longer the list more power government have on you.
When started each program starts with very humble, emotional, charitable motives... then comes regulations associated... and at the end what you have is system that binds you... Let us take for example, Social security... provide help to retiree when they really need... but now it grew in to so big complex system - you need specialized lawyers to justify why you need help...
Medicare / Medicaid - gigantic government department that per Obama administration have so much corruption and waste... so they are estimating they probably gets 500 Billion Dollars from cutting wastage.... Beats me...
Coming back to the topic... this system makes us prisoners / hostage of the system... Then comes Stockholm Syndrome... where hostage gets sympathetic to captors. But this is going a step further... now your captor is asking you to make video to justify and promote the binding. They are asking you , the citizen, should capture public imagination and use creativity, artistic expression and innovation to explain why regulations are important to everyone, and motivate others to participate in the rulemaking process. It looks to me like Master is saying their slaves to create commercial to promote slavery and create more slaves.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apT-evyrzJ4
President Obama's Environmental Protection Agency is encouraging the public to create video advertisements that explain why federal regulations are "important to everyone."
The contest, which ends May 17, will award $2,500 to the makers of the video that best explains why federal regulations are good and how ordinary citizens can become more involved in making regulations. The videos must be posted on YouTube and can be no more than 60-90 seconds in length.
In the current contest, each video must include the slogan “Let your voice be heard,” and it must direct viewers to the government’s regulatory website www.Regulations.gov. The winning video will then be used by the entire federal government to promote the regulatory process and enhance the public’s participation in it.
The EPA is managing the contest, part of the government’s eRulemaking program, on behalf of the entire government.
As explained in the EPA press release announcing the contest, the purpose of the videos will be to remind the public that federal regulation touches “almost every aspect” of their lives and to promote how important those regulations are.
“The contest will highlight the significance of federal regulations and help the public understand the rulemaking process. Federal agencies develop and issue hundreds of rules and regulations every year to implement statutes written by Congress. Almost every aspect of an individual’s life is touched by federal regulations, but many do not understand how rules are made or how they can get involved in the process.”
The videos should be designed to “capture the public imagination” and to “explain” why government regulations are “important to everyone.”
“With a short 60 to 90 second video, citizens should capture public imagination and use creativity, artistic expression and innovation to explain why regulations are important to everyone, and motivate others to participate in the rulemaking process.”
The videos must both educate viewers on the government’s regulatory process and encourage them to become more involved in it. The videos must remind viewers that regulations are laws written by the executive branch.
“Federal agencies write laws called regulations or rules,” the contest’s information guidelines states. “When Congress writes a statute and the President signs it, it usually doesn’t have enough detail for it to be put into effect. So, federal agencies fill in the details by issuing regulations.”
The videos must also remind viewers that regulations are the law and that they actually outnumber laws passed by Congress on the order of 10-1.
“Regulations have the power of law. Breaking them can result in fines and even jail time. Regulations outnumber Congressional statutes. For every statute passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, federal agencies create about 10 regulations, each of which have the force of law.”
The videos must also explain to viewers how regulations affect the everyday lives of Americans, showing just what the government does that has a “direct impact” on the lives of “every American citizen.”
Regulations have a direct impact on your life and the life of every American citizen,” the information packet says.
“The price of the coffee you drink in the morning is affected by regulations written by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The television shows you watch are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission. The quality of the air you breathe is affected by regulations written by the Environmental Protection Agency.”
The winning entry will be the video which best promotes greater awareness of federal regulations, motivates people to participate in it, and tries to change the way most people think about regulation, EPA spokesman Latisha Petteway told CNSNews.com in an email explaining the contest.
“The overall message should promote greater awareness of Federal rulemaking, motivate
others to participate, and perhaps, even change the common perception of Federal rulemaking.”
The winning video will be announced by EPA in June 2010.
My Views: This is coming too fast... over past year i have been warning you about Socialism of President Obama and his administration and in general Democrat way of life. I always have idea the main agenda of Socialist Government is always to produce subjects that look up to them for help for every aspect of life, will that be food, shelter, education, helath care, job.... list is endless.... longer the list more power government have on you.
When started each program starts with very humble, emotional, charitable motives... then comes regulations associated... and at the end what you have is system that binds you... Let us take for example, Social security... provide help to retiree when they really need... but now it grew in to so big complex system - you need specialized lawyers to justify why you need help...
Medicare / Medicaid - gigantic government department that per Obama administration have so much corruption and waste... so they are estimating they probably gets 500 Billion Dollars from cutting wastage.... Beats me...
Coming back to the topic... this system makes us prisoners / hostage of the system... Then comes Stockholm Syndrome... where hostage gets sympathetic to captors. But this is going a step further... now your captor is asking you to make video to justify and promote the binding. They are asking you , the citizen, should capture public imagination and use creativity, artistic expression and innovation to explain why regulations are important to everyone, and motivate others to participate in the rulemaking process. It looks to me like Master is saying their slaves to create commercial to promote slavery and create more slaves.....
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Making Illegal Illegal - Right or Wrong?
I want to talk to you a little bit about what's happening in Arizona, where they've just passed a strict Immigration bill. The lawmakers there have now passed a bill -- it's still making its way to the Arizona governor. She hasn't commented on this bill yet. She's got to be under incredible heat to not pass it. Or not sign it. Here's what it is. It will be the toughest piece of Immigration enforcement in the country. Now, get this: What Arizona is doing is they are making it illegal to be illegal.
Obviously, as expected civil rights groups began condemning the law; anti-immigration groups began applauding it; and enforcement officers have mixed opinions — and most of this has to do with the law’s effects on illegal immigrants and non-white communities alike.
Groups opposing this says, that means if you have dark skin, you have black hair, you will be stopped and officer will ask you paper work please.... don't you carry your driving license - will it not be enough to prove you are legal? and if you do not carry - most of the time you will be walking in your neighbour hood - invite officer to home or office (After checking his ID first) and show it... so where is the pain here....
Now check this out:
A whopping 57,000 Arizona citizens walk out to find their cars stolen every year. Mexican drug gangs use those vehicles for transport of their billion dollar enterprises. People traffickers use those stolen cars for the far-reaching illegal alien smuggling network that commences in Phoenix. Arizona schools suffer the children of an estimated 460,000 illegal alien migrants that crossed over the border in violation of federal laws. Arizona’s prisons remain full of illegal aliens while citizens and police suffer death at the hands of criminal aliens.
Last month, an illegal alien walked over the border to execute lifelong Arizona rancher Rob Krentz on his own property. National Parks Ranger Chris Eggle suffered death at the hands of a drug runner on the Arizona border at Organ Pipe National Park. Over the years, illegal aliens killed several Phoenix police officers: an illegal alien killed Officer Nick Erfle during a traffic stop. The alien enjoyed sanctuary immunity with multiple arrests by Mayor Gordon in Phoenix.
MY View:
I am legal non-resident alien and i think my voice is important here. I do not see any problem in this, if you are legal and you have no bad intention to bring your illegal relatives to this country. Biggest thing about pussy mentality of these groups is that they are ready to give free tickets to illegals to a minor inconvenience. Why is it bad for border states who have big problem of illegal immigration to take help of police to put extra check.
By this I am not against the other measures like punishing employer who give employment to person without SSN or making more stringent measures on borders to prevent people to cross border without proper paperwork.
I am from India and we have seen and suffered problems of illegals in border. Biggest root cause of India's terrorism problem is the illegals coming from Pakistan's border. Pussy government of India is not doing anything because they are afraid to offend so called minority Muslims in India, which i do not believe are minority anymore. Same way we have problem of illegal immigrant from Bangladesh and politicians are not doing anything about it, infect they are trying to make them legal to get votes out of them.
Please, put politics behind and control your border, you do not want the problem you will face if you don't...
Obviously, as expected civil rights groups began condemning the law; anti-immigration groups began applauding it; and enforcement officers have mixed opinions — and most of this has to do with the law’s effects on illegal immigrants and non-white communities alike.
Groups opposing this says, that means if you have dark skin, you have black hair, you will be stopped and officer will ask you paper work please.... don't you carry your driving license - will it not be enough to prove you are legal? and if you do not carry - most of the time you will be walking in your neighbour hood - invite officer to home or office (After checking his ID first) and show it... so where is the pain here....
Now check this out:
A whopping 57,000 Arizona citizens walk out to find their cars stolen every year. Mexican drug gangs use those vehicles for transport of their billion dollar enterprises. People traffickers use those stolen cars for the far-reaching illegal alien smuggling network that commences in Phoenix. Arizona schools suffer the children of an estimated 460,000 illegal alien migrants that crossed over the border in violation of federal laws. Arizona’s prisons remain full of illegal aliens while citizens and police suffer death at the hands of criminal aliens.
Last month, an illegal alien walked over the border to execute lifelong Arizona rancher Rob Krentz on his own property. National Parks Ranger Chris Eggle suffered death at the hands of a drug runner on the Arizona border at Organ Pipe National Park. Over the years, illegal aliens killed several Phoenix police officers: an illegal alien killed Officer Nick Erfle during a traffic stop. The alien enjoyed sanctuary immunity with multiple arrests by Mayor Gordon in Phoenix.
MY View:
I am legal non-resident alien and i think my voice is important here. I do not see any problem in this, if you are legal and you have no bad intention to bring your illegal relatives to this country. Biggest thing about pussy mentality of these groups is that they are ready to give free tickets to illegals to a minor inconvenience. Why is it bad for border states who have big problem of illegal immigration to take help of police to put extra check.
By this I am not against the other measures like punishing employer who give employment to person without SSN or making more stringent measures on borders to prevent people to cross border without proper paperwork.
I am from India and we have seen and suffered problems of illegals in border. Biggest root cause of India's terrorism problem is the illegals coming from Pakistan's border. Pussy government of India is not doing anything because they are afraid to offend so called minority Muslims in India, which i do not believe are minority anymore. Same way we have problem of illegal immigrant from Bangladesh and politicians are not doing anything about it, infect they are trying to make them legal to get votes out of them.
Please, put politics behind and control your border, you do not want the problem you will face if you don't...
Friday, April 16, 2010
Hinduism - Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahudha Vadanti
I came across this very nice article, by Ed Vishwanathan, while browsing on Hinduism. It has answered one of my very old question that I was looking answer for, so thought about sharing with you...
What is Hinduism?
It is the true culture of Indians in India. Many call it "A way of life." It is not an organized religion like Christianity or Islam. It has no founder. It has no Pope. It has no hierarchy. Just a lot of scriptures. In Hindu scriptures, you are actually studying about the history and culture of India, like in 66 books of the Holy Bible you are actually studying about the culture and history of the Jews.
Hinduism and Judaism are mothers of all modern religions in the world. Buddhism, Sikhism and to some extent Jainism and Zoroastrianism came from Hinduism. Of course, Jainism existed during Rig Vedic Period. Statues of Rishabha, the first Thirthankara and founder of Jainism was found in the Mohenjadaro, Harappa excavations. Islam and Christianity came from Judaism. Judaism, Islam and Christianity have Abraham as the common father figure. All three have many common prophets. There is even mention about Jesus Christ many times in the Holy Koran.
Coming back to Hinduism, C.S. Lewis, the great author and theologist wrote, finally it will come to two religions. Hinduism and Christianity. The first [Hinduism] will grow absorbing ideas and concepts from everywhere and later [Christianity] will keep away from everything that is foreign to it. What C.S. Lewis wrote is very true.
Hinduism cannot be destroyed, even if we burn every Hindu scripture and kill every Hindu theologian on earth. Hinduism or Hindu Culture is a very dynamic living, breathing Reality. Strength of Hinduism lies in its most amazing ability to adapt to different circumstances and different ages while maintaining its very strong continuity with the past. How does it do that? That is a billion dollar question.
Who is the founder of Hinduism?
No body in particular. It is the research output of countless learned men called Rishis who were Christ like masters, through centuries.
Who is a Hindu?
I believe anyone who search after truth is a Hindu. There is One and only God and One Truth. The very first book of Hindus named Rig Veda proclaim, "Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahudha Vadanti". (There is only one truth, only men describe it in different ways). So a Jew or a Christian or a Moslem who is in search after truth is automatically a Hindu. There are about 800 million Hindus in the world. There are more than 800,000 Hindus in the U.S., and about 160,000 in Canada.
What Attracts One to Hinduism?
The concepts of utmost freedom of thoughts and actions. That's what attracts many to Hinduism. Hinduism never forbids any one to question its fundamentals. On one side, in Hinduism, you may come across people worshiping pests like rats, and still on other side you will come across concepts parallel to Quantum Physics and Neil's Bohr Theory of nuclear structure and reactions. On one side Advaita (There is only one) philosophy is discussed and promoted, still on other side Dvaita (Two - duality) philosophy is discussed and promoted. Hinduism never ever banished any one, since he or she wrote a wrong scripture or did not observe a particular ritual.
There was never a Salman Rushdie (author of Satanic Verses) in Hinduism and never will be there one. Mahatma Gandhi wrote, even atheists can call themselves as Hindus. That is very true. In fact the Charvaka philosophy or Nastika philosophy, (existed during the Vedic period) founded by Charvaka rejected the existence of God and considered religion as an aberration. Voltaire in Essay on Tolerance wrote: "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death, your right to say it." Hinduism is the symbol of what Voltaire wrote.
When did Hinduism Take Birth?
Nobody knows. If you go by Hindu mythological stories, Hinduism is trillions of years old. If you go by Max Muller, the German philosopher, it is at least 8000 to 9000 years old. Hinduism might have started as Dravidian civilization and later merged with Aryan civilization. Of course, my friend David Frawley has written a wonderful book, explaining that Aryan Invasion of India never happened and it is a myth.
However studying the relics of Mohenjadaro and Harappa excavations, I conclude, relics of the Indus civilization shows merging of many cultures and concepts. The Indus Valley was home to the largest of the four ancient urban civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China. Harappa and Mohenjodaro were cities in the Indus Valley civilization that flourished around 2,500 B.C. in the western part of South Asia. The roots of Hinduism can be traced to this civilization. The language spoken here is believed to be from Dravidian family, which includes Tamil. Hinduism has the strange capability to absorb and grow from all quarters and that is why in it you can see relics of all other civilizations like Egyptian, Celtic, Mayan, Greek, Roman etc. To me it does not matter the exact date it was born, since nobody can prove or disprove the exact date. I am more concerned about what it has to give to the world.
What was the original name of Hinduism?
Sanatana Dharma or Righteousness Forever was the original name of Hinduism. It was Persians who invaded India during 6th century B.C. who gave the name Hinduism meaning the religion of people living near the Indus river. In Persian the letter H and S are pronounced almost the same so they mistook the word Sindhu (Sanskrit name for Indus) to H and then started calling Hindus and Hinduism.
What is the language in which the Hindu scriptures were written?
Sanskrit older than Hebrew and Latin. The first words in English language came from Sanskrit. The word mother came from Sanskrit word mata and father came from Sanskrit word pita as per the PBS video "The Story of English". Believe it or not the word geometry came from a Sanskrit word named Gyaamiti meaning 'measuring the earth'. The word trigonometry came from the word Trikonamiti meaning 'measuring triangular forms'. Sanskrit, which literally means "cultured or refined" was the classical language of India and is the oldest and the most systematic language in the world. Forbes Magazine, (July, 1987) wrote: "Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages and is the most suitable language for the computer software."
How was Hinduism Started?
According to Hindu scriptures it started as Shruti - that which is heard. The great seers of ancient times called Rishis who had perfected themselves have heard in their hearts, eternal truths and they taught those truths to disciples by telepathy and later they wrote them in books. Vedas and Upanishads are known as Shruti literature rest is called Smriti - that which is remembered - literature.
All Hindu scriptures were considered as revealed truths of God. In fact Hindu scriptures say that all Hindu Scriptures were written by God. According Christian theologians Holy Bible is considered to be Holy Spirit inspired book. According to Mimamsa school of thought, all Shruti literature existed all through eternity in the form of sounds. Therefore those sounds of words of Vedas and Upanishads are very important to Hindus.
What are the Sacred Books of Hinduism?
The very first sacred books of Hinduism are called Vedas. Vedas means knowledge. There are four Vedas and they claim to teach men the highest aspects of truths which can lead them to God. Vedas and Upanishads are Shruti scriptures. The word Veda came from the root word "vid" meaning "to know". Vedas are the very first scriptures of Hinduism. Vedas as per scriptures was written by God. Vedas state "Self Ralization" is one and the goal of human life. Vedas also discuss in detail rituals and ceremonies to attain self-realization. There are 4 Vedas. They are:
Rig Veda - Knowledge of Hymns - 10589 verses
The Hindu Rig Veda is the foremost book of Hindus. It is the oldest book in the world. Nobody knows when Rig Veda was written. According to Bal Gangadhar Tilak it was written in 5000 BC. German philosopher Max Muller dates 1500 BC. According to some it took centuries to write this book from 1500 B.C. to 500 B.C. Rig Veda is older than Gilgamesh (2500 B.C) and the Old Testament.
The very first Veda, Rig Veda very clearly shows that it was written, when nomad man first settled down on the banks of rivers like Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus etc. That is the reason why, in Rig Veda, you see, people are worshiping natural powers like lighting, rain, Sun, fire (Agni); water; air, that effects cultivation. It consists of 1028 hymns, comprising of 10,589 verses in 10 chapters known as Mandalas. 33 gods are worshiped in Rig Veda. There are 100 hymns addressed to Soma; 250 addressed to Indra; 200 hymns addressed to Agni; Many addressed to Surya. Few addressed to Ushas, Aditi, Saraswati, Varuna and Asvins. Lord Vishnu is a minor god in Rig Veda.
One of the most important statement came from the Rig Veda is "Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahudha Vadanti" - meaning "Truth is one but men describe it differently". Lord Vishnu has minor importance in Rig Veda. Name of Lord Siva is mentioned as Rudra. Soma in Rig Veda is intoxicating drink to gods. The word Sura came those who drink an intoxicating drink which I think is Soma. The word Asura came from those who do not drink that drink. Another word that caught my attention in Rig Veda is the word Rta which means some kind of cosmic order. I think the word Dharma originated from the word Rta.
One of the most prominent hymns of Rig Veda "Purusa-Sukta - Purusha (man) and the Primordial sacrifice of Purusha for the betterment of man and the world". Another one is "Creation Hymn.
Caste system started in Rig Vedic period. The Rig Vedic Hymn, known as Purusha-Sukta (Mandala-x, 19th hymn, 12th verse) states: "The Brahmin was Purusha's (cosmic man - the first principle of Sankhya Philosophy in Hinduism) mouth, the Kshatriya his arms, the Vaisya his thighs and Shudra his feet.
Yajur Veda - Knowledge of Liturgy - 3988 verses
Yajur Veda deals with knowledge of rites. This Veda is based on Rig Veda. It contains rules and regulations explaining how to conduct rituals. It consists of prose as well verse. This Veda is indeed a priestly handbook, even describing the details of how to make an alter. Sacrifice is one of the most important aspect of this Veda.
Sama Veda - Knowledge of Music - 1549 verses
Sama Veda deals with the knowledge of chants. Sama means "melody". The classical Indian music originated from this Veda. This Veda is also based on Rig Veda. Verses from this Veda is sung when "Soma Sacrifice" is performed. Sama Veda is similar to Psalms in Christianity. To some extent much of this Veda is a repetition of the Rig Veda sung in melodious format. Invocations of this Veda is addressed to Soma (moon or the narcotic drink Soma); Agni (fire); Indra (god of heaven). One of the Upanishads that came out of this Veda is Chandogya Upanishad.
Atharva Veda - Knowledge given by Sage Athrvana - 6000 Verses
Atharva Veda contains the knowledge given by sage Athrvana. Some state that sage Athrvana did not formulate this Veda but was the chief priest in the ceremonies associated with it. Atharvana who is mentioned in the Rig Veda was considered as the eldest son of Lord Brahma (God of creation). Atharva Veda is also known as Brahma Veda, because it is still used as a manual by Hindu priests and Brahmins. Ayurveda is a part of Atharva Veda.
A large number of Upanishads came from Atharva Veda. Belief it or not, much of Hindu exorcism of devils came from this Veda. At the same time, the oldest records on Veda do not talk about this Veda. There is absolutely no reference about this Veda in the Chandogya Upanishad or in the Brahmana tests or in the Jatakas or in the Bhagavad Gita. That very clearly shows Atharva Veda was non-existent when other 3 Vedas were composed.
Ayurveda
Ayurveda - The Hindu Medicine Scripture - consists of more than 100,000 verses initially. Still it is considered as a upa Veda of Atharva Veda.
More Books of Hinduism
Samhitas - basic texts for hymns to deities, formulas and chants. The Sanskrit word Samhita means "put together".
Brahmanas - description as well as directions for performance of rituals. The word originated from the word Brahmins. Brahmins are the original Hindu priests and they follow Brahmans to conduct rituals.
Aryanakasb - contain Mantras and interpretations of rituals. This book also known as "the forest books" since book is used by saints who meditate in the forests.
Upanishads - texts revealing ultimate truths by different saints. Upanishads teach men that there is One and Only thing and that is BRAHMAN. You and I are just reflections of Brahman. Or we are indeed God... Upanishads teach us "Tat Tvam Asi" - That Thou Art. In fact, the word Upanishad can be broken down as upa (near) ni (down) shad (sit) meaning that teachings of Upanishads were conveyed from masters to students when students sat very next to masters and nobody overheard those teachings.
There are a total of 108 Upanishads. Principle ones 13. Some of the Upanishads are named after the sages who answered all questions. Some as per the first word in the Upanishad.
1. Isa Upanishad, 2. Kena Upanishad, 3. Katha Unpanishad, 4. Prasna Upanishad, 5. Mundaka Upanishad, 6. Mandukya Upanishad, 7. Aitareya Upanishad, 8. Taittirya Upanishad, 9. Chandogya Upanishad, 10. Brihad-Aranyaka Upanishad, 11. Kaushitaki Upanishad, 12. Shvetashvatara Upanishad, 13. Maitri Upanishad.
Smriti Literature consists of large number of books.
Vedangas - scriptures attached to Vedas.
1. Dharma Sutras - Codes of Manu, Yatnyavalkya etc
2. Jyotisha - Astrology and Astronomy
3. Kalpa - rituals and legal matters
4. Siksha - phonetics
5. Chhandas - measurements
6. Nirukta - Etymology
7. Vyakarana - Sanskrit grammar
Upa Vedas
1. Ayurveda - Hindu science of health and longevity
2. Dharnur Veda - Hindu science of archery and war
3. Gandharva Veda - Hindu science of Music
4. Artha Shastra - Hindu science of governing by Kings
Darsanans - Hindu Jnana Yoga - Path of Knowledge
1. Nyasa - Sage Gautama wrote Nyaya sutras
2. Vaisheshika - Sage Kanada wrote Vaisheshika sutra
3. Samkhya - Sage Kapila - Gita starts with this philosophy
4. Yoga - Sage Patanjali wrote Patanjali Yogasutra
5. Mimamsa - Sage Jaimini wrote Mimamsa Sutra
6. Vedanta - Sage Veda Vyasa
Vedanta (At the End of the Vedas) meaning it started at the end of Vedic age, has two parts : 1. Advaita Philosophy - One Only - great exponent Adi Sankara and 2. Dvaita Philosophy - Two - almost all Vaishnava Saints.
Itihasas or Epics : Mythological Scriptures
Ramayana - story of Rama, written by Valmiki. Ramayana is the story of Rama and princess Sita. Valmiki wrote the whole Ramayana as the narration of a crying dove (who just lost her lover to a hunter's wicked arrow) to him. This beautiful poem consists of 24,000 couplets. Lord Rama is one of the avatars of Lord Vishnu and Ramayana is a story which projects Hindu ideals of life. There are many versions of Ramayana. The Hindi version was written by sage Tulsi Das The Malayalam version (Kerala state) was written by Thuncheth Ezuthachan. The original text was written in very stylish Sanskrit language
Mahabharata - story of Pandvas and Kauravas 220,000 verses, 18 chapters Bhagavad Gita is part of this scripture. It is lengthier than Homer's ODYSSEY. It consists of episodes, dialogues, stories, discourses and sermons. It contains 110,000 couplets or 220,000 lines in 18 Parvas or sections or chapters.
Apart from 18 parvas there is a section of poems in the form of an appendix with 16,375 verses which is known as Harivamsa Parva. So in total there are 19 Parvas, even though many saints do not consider the last Parva as an important parva. The Bhagavad Gita is part and parcel of Mahabharata.
Is Bhagavad Gita the Hindu Holy Bible?
Bhagavad Gita is a part of the epic Mahabharata, appearing in the middle of the great epic. Many consider Bhagavad Gita as the most important scripture of Hindus. If the entire Upanishads can be considered as cows, then the Bhagavad Gita can be considered as milk. It is the essence of the Vedas.
Bhagavad Gita consists of 18 chapters and 700 verses. It deals with all type of Yogas, means of self-realization. It is in the form of a very lively conversation between the warrior-prince Arjuna and his friend and charioteer Lord Krishna, at the outset of the great Mahabharata war, in the middle of the battle field. Just before the beginning of the war, Arjuna refused to fight, when he found he had to kill thousands of his own kinsmen to be victorious in the war. Lord Krishna advised him on a very large variety of subjects in a question and answer format. At the end, Arjuna took Lord Krishna's advice and fought and won a very fierce war. Gita has an answer to every problem a man may face in his life. It never commands anyone what to do; Instead it discusses pros and cons of every action and thought. Throughout Gita you will not come across any line starting or ending with Thou Shalt Not. That is the reason why Gita is the darling of millions of seekers of truth throughout the world.
Versions of Gita
The very first English translation of Gita was done by Charles Wilkins in 1785, with an introduction by Warren Hastings, the British Governor General of India. One of the most popular translation was done by Sir Edwin Arnold, under the title The Song Celestial. There are many translations of the Gita and one of most descriptive translation on Gita was done by Swami Sri Prapupada of International Krishna consciousness. Almost all saints in India have published their versions of the Bhagavad Gita. Recently the Self Realization Fellowship, California have published an excellent translation of the Bhagavad Gita. Most intellectuals in the world go through Gita at least once in their life time. Aldous Huxley wrote: The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the most systematic scriptural statement of the perennial philosophy" in his introduction of the The Song of the God by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood. Gita won the interest and admiration of great intellectuals such as Von Humboldt of Germany and Emerson of America. It has influenced thinkers like Hagel and Schopenhauer.
Father of Atom Bomb and Bhagavad Gita
Robert Oppenheimer, the very first Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission and father of Atom bomb was a great admirer of the Bhagavad Gita. He learnt Sanskrit during Manhattan Project to understand the true meaning of Gita. He really shocked the world, when he quoted a couplet from Gita (Chapter 11:12) after witnessing the first Atomic Explosion in the state of New Mexico. Later when he addressed congress regarding Atom Bomb he said Atom Bomb remind him of Lord Krishna who said in the Bhagavad Gita, "I am death devourer of all".
Puranas - 18 are most important
Mahabhagavatam is the most read important scripture of ISKCON (Hare Krishan). Puranas are religious stories which expound truths. Just like the parables told by Jesus Christ, these stories are told to common folk to make them understand the higher truths of life. According to Jesus Christ "Mysteries of the universe are revealed to those who are spiritually awake, but to others those mysteries have to be explained in parables". On that Puranas are called the Vedas of the Common folk, for they present the mysteries through myth and legend. Six puranas addressed to Lord Vishnu are 1-Vishnu Purana 2-Narada Purana 3-Srimad Bhavata Purana 4-Garuda Purna 5-Padma Purana 6-Varaha Purana. Six Puranas --addressed to Lord Siva are 1-Matsya Purana 2-Kurma Purana 3-Linga Purana 4-Vayu Purana 5-Skanda Purana 6-Agni Purana. SIX Puranas addressed to Lord Brahma are 1-Brahma Purana 2-Brahanda Purana 3-Brahma-Vaivasvata Puranaor Brahma-Vaivarta Purana 4-Markandeya Purana 5-Bhavishya Purana 6-Vamana Purana . Apart from that we have 22 minor Puranas
Agamas - Sectarian Scriptures
They are a group scriptures worshipping God in particular form and they describe detailed courses of disciple for the devotee. Like Upanishads there are many Agamas. They can be broadly divided into three sets of Agamas.
Vaishnava Agamas - worship God as Lord Vishnu
Saiva Agamas - worship God as Lord Siva
Sakti Agamas - worship God as Mother Goddess.
Believe it or not there is no Agamas for Lord Brahma (God of creation). Saivates have 28 Agamas and 108 Upa Agamas (minor agamas). Saktiates recoganizes 77 agamas. I am not sure about the actual number of the Vaishna Agamas. Vaishanavates consider Pancha Ratra Agamas as one of the most important agamas. Each Agama consists of Philosophy, mental discipline, Rules for constructing temples and Religious practices.
Tantras
Started during Vedic age, Tantras consists of cosmology, erotic exercises etc. Tantra is very important and very vast. Sanskrit word Tantras means to expand. Tantrism researched into Astronomy, Astrology, Palmistry, Cosmology. Chakras and Kundalini power etc are the contributions of Tantras to the world. Of course Tantras also states salvation through sex. In any other religion scriptures like Tantra literature will not be tolerated. In Christianity, the first person William Tyndall who translated Holy Bible into English was mercilessly burnt at stake, and copies of his Bible burnt, since church did not like his version of the Holy Bible! That is why I take my hats off to Hinduism.
Charvaka - Hindu Materialism
Just like Tantras, Hinduism tolerated Chrvaka philosophy. Its founder was Charvaka. The most important book was Brihaspati Sutra. I am stating things in past tense since I am not aware if copies of this book are available in India. According to Charvaka, "Material world alone exists and our knowledge comes from sense perception". This philosophy openly propagated that there is no God, the Law of Karma has no basis and that the Vedas were written by clowns. It adds " Enjoy life while you can, for once cremated, you will never return to earth." There are still a lot more scriptures in Hinduism. I should say that there are more than 1000 scriptures in Hinduism.......We will now start discussing about each individual scripture....
What is the Hindu Concept of God?
Hindus believe in One and Only God - Brahman which expresses itself in trillions of forms. Hindus do not believe God has human form or any other form. God is nameless and timeless. But there is nothing wrong to worship a God with name and form (nama-roopa), since man cannot conceive anything without any name and form. In fact, in the Shruti scriptures of Hinduism, God or Brahman has been described as Saguna Brahman (God-Brahman with attributes) as well as Nirguna Brahman (God-without attributes. In the Upanishads, God is described as Neti - Neti (not this-not that) method. So first Hindus worshiped 33 natural gods in the Rig Veda. Then Hinduism came to the realization that there is one and only God - Brahman. Just like one and only Sun shines over the mountains of Afghanistan, dry deserts of Saudi Arabia; Penthouse of New York, there is one and only God which is present in the Hindu temple, Christian church, Moslem Mosque, Jewish synagogue, Buddha Vihars and Sikh Gurudwara.
If there is only One God, Why Hindus worship many God forms?
During the time of Upanishads, when the Hindu Rishis (scientists of that day) said there is only One God - Brahman, they found out that laymen could not understand that concept. So they wrote Itihasas (epics) and Puranas [mythological stories] filled with many gods, with the concept that when you worship any God form, you are actually worshiping one and only God Brahman. Lord Krishna reiterated that point by saying, "Call me by what ever name you like; Worship me in any form you like; All that goes to One and Only Supreme Reality." So a Hindu when worshiping any God form is actually worshiping One and Only God Brahman. In Christianity One God expresses himself in three forms, Father, Son and the Holy Ghost.
In Hinduism One God Expresses itself in trillions of forms. That is the reason why Hindus have no problem in calling Jesus and Buddha avatars (incarnations) of God, even though Buddha did not reorganize the authority of Vedas or belief in Brahman.
Believe it or not there is no word Trinity in the entire Holy Bible and it originated only after emperor Constantine became a Christian. He did that to fuse pagan Rome to Christianity. Only mention of Trinity concept of God in the Bible, is in the St. Matthew's account of Christ's last command to the apostles, "Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the son and of the Holy Spirit" [MAT 28:19.] According to Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia the Trinity doctrine was not established until 363 A.D. It says that Trinity is the result of three or four centuries of theological development. The New Catholic Encyclopedia also states that devotion to Trinity had begun in monasteries at Aniane and Tours, during 8th century.
Why Hindus Worship Idols?
Show me any person [except may be Jews], who does not believe in an idol, image, or symbol and I will show you the greatest liar on earth. All religions have some concept of God with name and form, but Hindus alone have the courage to admit that fact.
The Cross in the Christian church, the picture of Jesus Christ, the statue of Mary, statues of patron saints, even the black stone in Kabba are all idols. If anyone bow in front of any of them, they are breaking laws of Old Testament [LED . . . 26:1, and EX 20:2-5.] Idol worship is every where and I never ever met a man who does not worship something or someone. In fact, the first sculpture of Christ was in the form of a small boy holding on to a sheep. Now, everywhere in the world, people have pictures of Christ according to their culture. A loving young white man in USA, a tough man looking like a judge in Russia, a nice black man in Africa and a man looking like a typical man from China with a sheepish beard in China.
I respect all those pictures. Believe it or not, all of them are idol worships. Once again, God is spirit...No word or image can describe or depict God or can encompass the greatness of God. God is neither the father nor the mother. Since man cannot conceive anything without name and form, man has the right to worship God with a form. At the same time, every worship leads to a God without any name and form in course of the development of the seeker in spirituality.
What are the Hindu Moral Codes?
Hindu moral codes are written a collection of books called Dharma Sutras. Hindu moral Codes are the integral part of Hinduism and they come under the big umbrella called Dharma. It is very difficult to translate the word Dharma. Some of the codes are Ahimsa (non-killing), Satya (truth), Dharma (duty), Karuna (compassion), Virya (fortitude), Dama (self-restraint), Saucha (Purity).
What is an Avatar?
An Avatar is an incarnation of God. Whenever God come down to earth in any form then Hindus call that an Avatar. According to that definition, Christ can be considered as an Avatar, even though there is no mention about Jesus Christ in any of the Hindu scriptures.
What is Salvation according to Hinduism?
Hindu salvation concept is different from Christian salvation concept. Hindu salvation is known as Self Realization. In Hindu salvation a person realizes that he is not the body, but the immortal soul (Adman) within. That is the reason why Hindu salvation is known as self realization or "Realizing that he is the Immortal self and not the perishable body. In Hindu salvation the identity of the soul is lost when it attains salvation. Hindu salvation can be compared to a pinch of salt trying to find the bottom of the ocean. The moment the pinch of salt touches the surface of the mighty ocean, it becomes part and parcel of the Ocean. Similarly, when a person seeks after God according to Hinduism, becomes One with God when he attains salvation. Hinduism never ever boasts monopoly on salvation. In fact, as per Hinduism, any one even an atheist can attain salvation. A Jew, Christian and Moslem can attain salvation, irrespective of whether they read any Hindu scriptural book.
What is the Law of Karma?
Hindus believe in life after death. They also believe in the Biblical concept "Whatever a man soweth, that shall he reap". That is the basis of karmic law. Every action and every thought has a result. Hindus believe that every thought and every action is weighed on the scale of eternal justice. The law of karma is one of cause and effect. Nobody can escape from the Karmic debt. I believe Christ took care of the Karmic debt of all the apostles so that he can make them fishermen of men.
What happens to us when we die?
According to Hinduism, the body alone dies. the soul within the body never dies, But the path the soul takes is decided upon the past actions which are known as karmas. So the actions of former body does not die with the body. Past actions are attached to the body and they decide what kind of body the soul takes in the next life. When an individual soul exhausts all its karmas and merges with God then Hindus say that soul has attained salvation.
Does that mean one has to take millions of lives to achieve salvation?
No, absolutely not. That question is the question many ask. Hindu scriptures, especially the Bhagavad Gita very clearly says that one can attain salvation in one life, provided one surrender his will to the will of God 100%. Lord Krishna said: "Those who surrender all actions to me and regard me as the supreme goal and worship me with whole hearted devotion, will be saved by me from repeated births and deaths." In another verse, Lord Krishna said: "Give up all your righteous and non-righteous actions and come to me; take refuge in me. Then I shall free you from all sins; grieve not." That me who is mentioned is not the Lord Krishna but the absolute soul or God. Krishna is one of the representations of that God. That God can appear in another form like Christ or without any form or name at all.
How can one attain Salvation?
Through four paths
1 Jnana Yoga - Path of Knowledge
2 Karma Yoga - Path of Selfless Actions
3 Bhakti Yoga - Path of Devotion
4 Raja Yoga - Path of Breath Control and Pranayama
Most of all religious devotees of all religions are Bhakti yogies whether they believe in Hinduism or not. Very good Christians go to church everyday and surrender themselves to the deity of Christ are Bhakti Yogis. So too Moslems. Hinduism is the only religion that explains the four paths very well.
What is Aum (Om)?
It is the Hindu word. It is a syllable that stands for absolute. It is uttered in the beginning as well as at the end of all Hindu prayers. To some extent it is the logos of the Holy Bible.
Do you believe that John 1:1 came from the Hindu Scriptures?
Yes, I think so. Long before JOHN 1:1 [70 AD] was written, Hindu Vedas [ at least 5000 BC] wrote the same thing "Prajapathi Vai Agre Aseet" In the beginning was Prajapati, The Brahman, The God "Tasya Vag dvitiya Aseet" with whom was the word: "Vag Vai Oarama Brahman" and the word was verily the Supreme Brahman - The God. John 1:1 states: In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God."
Why do women wear a dot on their forehead?
That dot is supposed to be the meeting point of eye brows. That important point is called Angina Chara or spiritual eye. Everyone is supposed to protect that. In fact all saints protect that point with sandalwood paste. But later women alone started protecting that area.
What is Namaste'?
It is the popular Hindu greeting performed by pressing two hands together and holding them near the heart. The whole act communicate to the world 'You and I are one. I salute and worship the God within you, which is a mirror image of myself".
Do Hindus Practice Monogamy?
Hindus practice monogamy and Hindus have stopped "child marriages in India by SAADA Act (1929) under the British. It is the Moslems in India who are allowed to marry four wives and Moslem Sharia law allows child marriages for Moslems in India.
Do Hindu Scriptures Forbid Abortion?
Yes they do. Hindu scriptures forbid abortion. From time immemorial, Hindus consider children as gifts from God. In the code of Manu, Manu forbids abortion. One of the worst acts described in the scriptures is Sis-Hatya meaning destruction of the unborn fetus. There are prayers in the Rig Veda to guard a growing embryo. Only time abortion is allowed is when the fetus is known to be defective as per Susruta Samhita, the Hindu Ayurvedic book.
What is Caste System?
There is nothing in Hinduism as complex as caste system. It emerged as a part of division of labor among people during the days of Rig Veda. The greatest apostle of caste system, was Sage Manu. He laid down all provisions governing caste system in Manu-Smriti.
Brahmins - Priests
Kshatriyas - Fighters and warriors
Vaisya - Business men
Shudras - helpers of every one
Unlike in the Holy Bible, where Slavery is discussed and accepted even by St. Paul (Holy Bible verses Col. 4:11; Exodus 21:21 1: Lev. XXV:44- 55 Thessalonians 3:22), there is no statement in the entire Hindu scriptures to ill-treat lower castes, except Sage Manu's Code, where punishments of lower castes are severe comparing to punishments for the higher castes for the same offense. There is no word "untouchable" in the entire Hindu scriptures. Still caste system degenerated in India. It is indeed the greatest curse on Hinduism. It attacks the core of Hinduism. It resulted in large scale conversion of Hindus to other religions. I sincerely pray and hope, caste system eventually will go away, making it a relic of the history. Hindus should do what Christians did. Even though slavery is mentioned and accepted as a practice in the Holy Bible, even though during Civil war many such as Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America quoted from the Bible to support slavery, Christians took it upon their chin and eliminated slavery completely.
Once upon a time, India had 3,000 castes and 25,000 sub-castes. Even there were 1,800 Brahmin castes in India. Even different Brahmin castes did not mingle themselves socially or otherwise, in ancient times. Last of all, ancient India, persecuted a large group of people called untouchables. Mahatma Gandhi said: "Untouchability is a crime against God and men." Ambedkar once wrote out of his own experience, "To the untouchables, Hinduism is a veritable chamber of horrors."
Why Hindus Practice Suttee (Sati)?
None of the Hindu scriptures mention about Sati. Suicide of the consort of Lord Siva, Sati, has nothing to do with Sati or Suttee. Suicide of queen Madri in the epic Mahabharata has nothing to do with Sati. Suicide of 16000 wives of Lord Krishna in the Srimad Bhagavatam has nothing to do with Sati. At the same time Suttee is the most horrendous way of widows jumping into the funeral pyre of their fallen husbands. It is an ancient ritual practiced by a warrior race of India called Rajputs. Nobody else in India, practiced Suttee. Once again, Suttee is never mentioned in any Hindu religious scripture. There is not even one episode of Suttee in the vast Hindu mythology.
Many state Hinduism is very Complex and Contradictory!
All religions are the result of the works of thousands of thinkers. Hinduism and Judaism are cultures and they are the mothers of all religions. New religions like Christianity and Islam took the best aspects of Judaism and made part of them. So too Buddhism and Jainism took the best aspects of Hinduism and made part of them. In Christianity, there were several housecleaning in its 2000 years of history. Hinduism on its part, never had any house cleaning in its history. Since Hinduism never tossed anything away, in it you will see in it primitive religion as well as very advanced thoughts.
II have repeatedly stated that Hinduism has the good, the bad and also the ugly aspects in it like any other culture or religion in the world. We have to boldly face facts and eradicate the bad and the ugly aspects, to better the lives of millions of Hindus, for years to come.
The greatness of Hinduism can be summarized in few words. "Freedom of Thoughts and Actions." That is what Hinduism stands for.
What is Hinduism?
It is the true culture of Indians in India. Many call it "A way of life." It is not an organized religion like Christianity or Islam. It has no founder. It has no Pope. It has no hierarchy. Just a lot of scriptures. In Hindu scriptures, you are actually studying about the history and culture of India, like in 66 books of the Holy Bible you are actually studying about the culture and history of the Jews.
Hinduism and Judaism are mothers of all modern religions in the world. Buddhism, Sikhism and to some extent Jainism and Zoroastrianism came from Hinduism. Of course, Jainism existed during Rig Vedic Period. Statues of Rishabha, the first Thirthankara and founder of Jainism was found in the Mohenjadaro, Harappa excavations. Islam and Christianity came from Judaism. Judaism, Islam and Christianity have Abraham as the common father figure. All three have many common prophets. There is even mention about Jesus Christ many times in the Holy Koran.
Coming back to Hinduism, C.S. Lewis, the great author and theologist wrote, finally it will come to two religions. Hinduism and Christianity. The first [Hinduism] will grow absorbing ideas and concepts from everywhere and later [Christianity] will keep away from everything that is foreign to it. What C.S. Lewis wrote is very true.
Hinduism cannot be destroyed, even if we burn every Hindu scripture and kill every Hindu theologian on earth. Hinduism or Hindu Culture is a very dynamic living, breathing Reality. Strength of Hinduism lies in its most amazing ability to adapt to different circumstances and different ages while maintaining its very strong continuity with the past. How does it do that? That is a billion dollar question.
Who is the founder of Hinduism?
No body in particular. It is the research output of countless learned men called Rishis who were Christ like masters, through centuries.
Who is a Hindu?
I believe anyone who search after truth is a Hindu. There is One and only God and One Truth. The very first book of Hindus named Rig Veda proclaim, "Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahudha Vadanti". (There is only one truth, only men describe it in different ways). So a Jew or a Christian or a Moslem who is in search after truth is automatically a Hindu. There are about 800 million Hindus in the world. There are more than 800,000 Hindus in the U.S., and about 160,000 in Canada.
What Attracts One to Hinduism?
The concepts of utmost freedom of thoughts and actions. That's what attracts many to Hinduism. Hinduism never forbids any one to question its fundamentals. On one side, in Hinduism, you may come across people worshiping pests like rats, and still on other side you will come across concepts parallel to Quantum Physics and Neil's Bohr Theory of nuclear structure and reactions. On one side Advaita (There is only one) philosophy is discussed and promoted, still on other side Dvaita (Two - duality) philosophy is discussed and promoted. Hinduism never ever banished any one, since he or she wrote a wrong scripture or did not observe a particular ritual.
There was never a Salman Rushdie (author of Satanic Verses) in Hinduism and never will be there one. Mahatma Gandhi wrote, even atheists can call themselves as Hindus. That is very true. In fact the Charvaka philosophy or Nastika philosophy, (existed during the Vedic period) founded by Charvaka rejected the existence of God and considered religion as an aberration. Voltaire in Essay on Tolerance wrote: "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death, your right to say it." Hinduism is the symbol of what Voltaire wrote.
When did Hinduism Take Birth?
Nobody knows. If you go by Hindu mythological stories, Hinduism is trillions of years old. If you go by Max Muller, the German philosopher, it is at least 8000 to 9000 years old. Hinduism might have started as Dravidian civilization and later merged with Aryan civilization. Of course, my friend David Frawley has written a wonderful book, explaining that Aryan Invasion of India never happened and it is a myth.
However studying the relics of Mohenjadaro and Harappa excavations, I conclude, relics of the Indus civilization shows merging of many cultures and concepts. The Indus Valley was home to the largest of the four ancient urban civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China. Harappa and Mohenjodaro were cities in the Indus Valley civilization that flourished around 2,500 B.C. in the western part of South Asia. The roots of Hinduism can be traced to this civilization. The language spoken here is believed to be from Dravidian family, which includes Tamil. Hinduism has the strange capability to absorb and grow from all quarters and that is why in it you can see relics of all other civilizations like Egyptian, Celtic, Mayan, Greek, Roman etc. To me it does not matter the exact date it was born, since nobody can prove or disprove the exact date. I am more concerned about what it has to give to the world.
What was the original name of Hinduism?
Sanatana Dharma or Righteousness Forever was the original name of Hinduism. It was Persians who invaded India during 6th century B.C. who gave the name Hinduism meaning the religion of people living near the Indus river. In Persian the letter H and S are pronounced almost the same so they mistook the word Sindhu (Sanskrit name for Indus) to H and then started calling Hindus and Hinduism.
What is the language in which the Hindu scriptures were written?
Sanskrit older than Hebrew and Latin. The first words in English language came from Sanskrit. The word mother came from Sanskrit word mata and father came from Sanskrit word pita as per the PBS video "The Story of English". Believe it or not the word geometry came from a Sanskrit word named Gyaamiti meaning 'measuring the earth'. The word trigonometry came from the word Trikonamiti meaning 'measuring triangular forms'. Sanskrit, which literally means "cultured or refined" was the classical language of India and is the oldest and the most systematic language in the world. Forbes Magazine, (July, 1987) wrote: "Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages and is the most suitable language for the computer software."
How was Hinduism Started?
According to Hindu scriptures it started as Shruti - that which is heard. The great seers of ancient times called Rishis who had perfected themselves have heard in their hearts, eternal truths and they taught those truths to disciples by telepathy and later they wrote them in books. Vedas and Upanishads are known as Shruti literature rest is called Smriti - that which is remembered - literature.
All Hindu scriptures were considered as revealed truths of God. In fact Hindu scriptures say that all Hindu Scriptures were written by God. According Christian theologians Holy Bible is considered to be Holy Spirit inspired book. According to Mimamsa school of thought, all Shruti literature existed all through eternity in the form of sounds. Therefore those sounds of words of Vedas and Upanishads are very important to Hindus.
What are the Sacred Books of Hinduism?
The very first sacred books of Hinduism are called Vedas. Vedas means knowledge. There are four Vedas and they claim to teach men the highest aspects of truths which can lead them to God. Vedas and Upanishads are Shruti scriptures. The word Veda came from the root word "vid" meaning "to know". Vedas are the very first scriptures of Hinduism. Vedas as per scriptures was written by God. Vedas state "Self Ralization" is one and the goal of human life. Vedas also discuss in detail rituals and ceremonies to attain self-realization. There are 4 Vedas. They are:
Rig Veda - Knowledge of Hymns - 10589 verses
The Hindu Rig Veda is the foremost book of Hindus. It is the oldest book in the world. Nobody knows when Rig Veda was written. According to Bal Gangadhar Tilak it was written in 5000 BC. German philosopher Max Muller dates 1500 BC. According to some it took centuries to write this book from 1500 B.C. to 500 B.C. Rig Veda is older than Gilgamesh (2500 B.C) and the Old Testament.
The very first Veda, Rig Veda very clearly shows that it was written, when nomad man first settled down on the banks of rivers like Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus etc. That is the reason why, in Rig Veda, you see, people are worshiping natural powers like lighting, rain, Sun, fire (Agni); water; air, that effects cultivation. It consists of 1028 hymns, comprising of 10,589 verses in 10 chapters known as Mandalas. 33 gods are worshiped in Rig Veda. There are 100 hymns addressed to Soma; 250 addressed to Indra; 200 hymns addressed to Agni; Many addressed to Surya. Few addressed to Ushas, Aditi, Saraswati, Varuna and Asvins. Lord Vishnu is a minor god in Rig Veda.
One of the most important statement came from the Rig Veda is "Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahudha Vadanti" - meaning "Truth is one but men describe it differently". Lord Vishnu has minor importance in Rig Veda. Name of Lord Siva is mentioned as Rudra. Soma in Rig Veda is intoxicating drink to gods. The word Sura came those who drink an intoxicating drink which I think is Soma. The word Asura came from those who do not drink that drink. Another word that caught my attention in Rig Veda is the word Rta which means some kind of cosmic order. I think the word Dharma originated from the word Rta.
One of the most prominent hymns of Rig Veda "Purusa-Sukta - Purusha (man) and the Primordial sacrifice of Purusha for the betterment of man and the world". Another one is "Creation Hymn.
Caste system started in Rig Vedic period. The Rig Vedic Hymn, known as Purusha-Sukta (Mandala-x, 19th hymn, 12th verse) states: "The Brahmin was Purusha's (cosmic man - the first principle of Sankhya Philosophy in Hinduism) mouth, the Kshatriya his arms, the Vaisya his thighs and Shudra his feet.
Yajur Veda - Knowledge of Liturgy - 3988 verses
Yajur Veda deals with knowledge of rites. This Veda is based on Rig Veda. It contains rules and regulations explaining how to conduct rituals. It consists of prose as well verse. This Veda is indeed a priestly handbook, even describing the details of how to make an alter. Sacrifice is one of the most important aspect of this Veda.
Sama Veda - Knowledge of Music - 1549 verses
Sama Veda deals with the knowledge of chants. Sama means "melody". The classical Indian music originated from this Veda. This Veda is also based on Rig Veda. Verses from this Veda is sung when "Soma Sacrifice" is performed. Sama Veda is similar to Psalms in Christianity. To some extent much of this Veda is a repetition of the Rig Veda sung in melodious format. Invocations of this Veda is addressed to Soma (moon or the narcotic drink Soma); Agni (fire); Indra (god of heaven). One of the Upanishads that came out of this Veda is Chandogya Upanishad.
Atharva Veda - Knowledge given by Sage Athrvana - 6000 Verses
Atharva Veda contains the knowledge given by sage Athrvana. Some state that sage Athrvana did not formulate this Veda but was the chief priest in the ceremonies associated with it. Atharvana who is mentioned in the Rig Veda was considered as the eldest son of Lord Brahma (God of creation). Atharva Veda is also known as Brahma Veda, because it is still used as a manual by Hindu priests and Brahmins. Ayurveda is a part of Atharva Veda.
A large number of Upanishads came from Atharva Veda. Belief it or not, much of Hindu exorcism of devils came from this Veda. At the same time, the oldest records on Veda do not talk about this Veda. There is absolutely no reference about this Veda in the Chandogya Upanishad or in the Brahmana tests or in the Jatakas or in the Bhagavad Gita. That very clearly shows Atharva Veda was non-existent when other 3 Vedas were composed.
Ayurveda
Ayurveda - The Hindu Medicine Scripture - consists of more than 100,000 verses initially. Still it is considered as a upa Veda of Atharva Veda.
More Books of Hinduism
Samhitas - basic texts for hymns to deities, formulas and chants. The Sanskrit word Samhita means "put together".
Brahmanas - description as well as directions for performance of rituals. The word originated from the word Brahmins. Brahmins are the original Hindu priests and they follow Brahmans to conduct rituals.
Aryanakasb - contain Mantras and interpretations of rituals. This book also known as "the forest books" since book is used by saints who meditate in the forests.
Upanishads - texts revealing ultimate truths by different saints. Upanishads teach men that there is One and Only thing and that is BRAHMAN. You and I are just reflections of Brahman. Or we are indeed God... Upanishads teach us "Tat Tvam Asi" - That Thou Art. In fact, the word Upanishad can be broken down as upa (near) ni (down) shad (sit) meaning that teachings of Upanishads were conveyed from masters to students when students sat very next to masters and nobody overheard those teachings.
There are a total of 108 Upanishads. Principle ones 13. Some of the Upanishads are named after the sages who answered all questions. Some as per the first word in the Upanishad.
1. Isa Upanishad, 2. Kena Upanishad, 3. Katha Unpanishad, 4. Prasna Upanishad, 5. Mundaka Upanishad, 6. Mandukya Upanishad, 7. Aitareya Upanishad, 8. Taittirya Upanishad, 9. Chandogya Upanishad, 10. Brihad-Aranyaka Upanishad, 11. Kaushitaki Upanishad, 12. Shvetashvatara Upanishad, 13. Maitri Upanishad.
Smriti Literature consists of large number of books.
Vedangas - scriptures attached to Vedas.
1. Dharma Sutras - Codes of Manu, Yatnyavalkya etc
2. Jyotisha - Astrology and Astronomy
3. Kalpa - rituals and legal matters
4. Siksha - phonetics
5. Chhandas - measurements
6. Nirukta - Etymology
7. Vyakarana - Sanskrit grammar
Upa Vedas
1. Ayurveda - Hindu science of health and longevity
2. Dharnur Veda - Hindu science of archery and war
3. Gandharva Veda - Hindu science of Music
4. Artha Shastra - Hindu science of governing by Kings
Darsanans - Hindu Jnana Yoga - Path of Knowledge
1. Nyasa - Sage Gautama wrote Nyaya sutras
2. Vaisheshika - Sage Kanada wrote Vaisheshika sutra
3. Samkhya - Sage Kapila - Gita starts with this philosophy
4. Yoga - Sage Patanjali wrote Patanjali Yogasutra
5. Mimamsa - Sage Jaimini wrote Mimamsa Sutra
6. Vedanta - Sage Veda Vyasa
Vedanta (At the End of the Vedas) meaning it started at the end of Vedic age, has two parts : 1. Advaita Philosophy - One Only - great exponent Adi Sankara and 2. Dvaita Philosophy - Two - almost all Vaishnava Saints.
Itihasas or Epics : Mythological Scriptures
Ramayana - story of Rama, written by Valmiki. Ramayana is the story of Rama and princess Sita. Valmiki wrote the whole Ramayana as the narration of a crying dove (who just lost her lover to a hunter's wicked arrow) to him. This beautiful poem consists of 24,000 couplets. Lord Rama is one of the avatars of Lord Vishnu and Ramayana is a story which projects Hindu ideals of life. There are many versions of Ramayana. The Hindi version was written by sage Tulsi Das The Malayalam version (Kerala state) was written by Thuncheth Ezuthachan. The original text was written in very stylish Sanskrit language
Mahabharata - story of Pandvas and Kauravas 220,000 verses, 18 chapters Bhagavad Gita is part of this scripture. It is lengthier than Homer's ODYSSEY. It consists of episodes, dialogues, stories, discourses and sermons. It contains 110,000 couplets or 220,000 lines in 18 Parvas or sections or chapters.
Apart from 18 parvas there is a section of poems in the form of an appendix with 16,375 verses which is known as Harivamsa Parva. So in total there are 19 Parvas, even though many saints do not consider the last Parva as an important parva. The Bhagavad Gita is part and parcel of Mahabharata.
Is Bhagavad Gita the Hindu Holy Bible?
Bhagavad Gita is a part of the epic Mahabharata, appearing in the middle of the great epic. Many consider Bhagavad Gita as the most important scripture of Hindus. If the entire Upanishads can be considered as cows, then the Bhagavad Gita can be considered as milk. It is the essence of the Vedas.
Bhagavad Gita consists of 18 chapters and 700 verses. It deals with all type of Yogas, means of self-realization. It is in the form of a very lively conversation between the warrior-prince Arjuna and his friend and charioteer Lord Krishna, at the outset of the great Mahabharata war, in the middle of the battle field. Just before the beginning of the war, Arjuna refused to fight, when he found he had to kill thousands of his own kinsmen to be victorious in the war. Lord Krishna advised him on a very large variety of subjects in a question and answer format. At the end, Arjuna took Lord Krishna's advice and fought and won a very fierce war. Gita has an answer to every problem a man may face in his life. It never commands anyone what to do; Instead it discusses pros and cons of every action and thought. Throughout Gita you will not come across any line starting or ending with Thou Shalt Not. That is the reason why Gita is the darling of millions of seekers of truth throughout the world.
Versions of Gita
The very first English translation of Gita was done by Charles Wilkins in 1785, with an introduction by Warren Hastings, the British Governor General of India. One of the most popular translation was done by Sir Edwin Arnold, under the title The Song Celestial. There are many translations of the Gita and one of most descriptive translation on Gita was done by Swami Sri Prapupada of International Krishna consciousness. Almost all saints in India have published their versions of the Bhagavad Gita. Recently the Self Realization Fellowship, California have published an excellent translation of the Bhagavad Gita. Most intellectuals in the world go through Gita at least once in their life time. Aldous Huxley wrote: The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the most systematic scriptural statement of the perennial philosophy" in his introduction of the The Song of the God by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood. Gita won the interest and admiration of great intellectuals such as Von Humboldt of Germany and Emerson of America. It has influenced thinkers like Hagel and Schopenhauer.
Father of Atom Bomb and Bhagavad Gita
Robert Oppenheimer, the very first Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission and father of Atom bomb was a great admirer of the Bhagavad Gita. He learnt Sanskrit during Manhattan Project to understand the true meaning of Gita. He really shocked the world, when he quoted a couplet from Gita (Chapter 11:12) after witnessing the first Atomic Explosion in the state of New Mexico. Later when he addressed congress regarding Atom Bomb he said Atom Bomb remind him of Lord Krishna who said in the Bhagavad Gita, "I am death devourer of all".
Puranas - 18 are most important
Mahabhagavatam is the most read important scripture of ISKCON (Hare Krishan). Puranas are religious stories which expound truths. Just like the parables told by Jesus Christ, these stories are told to common folk to make them understand the higher truths of life. According to Jesus Christ "Mysteries of the universe are revealed to those who are spiritually awake, but to others those mysteries have to be explained in parables". On that Puranas are called the Vedas of the Common folk, for they present the mysteries through myth and legend. Six puranas addressed to Lord Vishnu are 1-Vishnu Purana 2-Narada Purana 3-Srimad Bhavata Purana 4-Garuda Purna 5-Padma Purana 6-Varaha Purana. Six Puranas --addressed to Lord Siva are 1-Matsya Purana 2-Kurma Purana 3-Linga Purana 4-Vayu Purana 5-Skanda Purana 6-Agni Purana. SIX Puranas addressed to Lord Brahma are 1-Brahma Purana 2-Brahanda Purana 3-Brahma-Vaivasvata Puranaor Brahma-Vaivarta Purana 4-Markandeya Purana 5-Bhavishya Purana 6-Vamana Purana . Apart from that we have 22 minor Puranas
Agamas - Sectarian Scriptures
They are a group scriptures worshipping God in particular form and they describe detailed courses of disciple for the devotee. Like Upanishads there are many Agamas. They can be broadly divided into three sets of Agamas.
Vaishnava Agamas - worship God as Lord Vishnu
Saiva Agamas - worship God as Lord Siva
Sakti Agamas - worship God as Mother Goddess.
Believe it or not there is no Agamas for Lord Brahma (God of creation). Saivates have 28 Agamas and 108 Upa Agamas (minor agamas). Saktiates recoganizes 77 agamas. I am not sure about the actual number of the Vaishna Agamas. Vaishanavates consider Pancha Ratra Agamas as one of the most important agamas. Each Agama consists of Philosophy, mental discipline, Rules for constructing temples and Religious practices.
Tantras
Started during Vedic age, Tantras consists of cosmology, erotic exercises etc. Tantra is very important and very vast. Sanskrit word Tantras means to expand. Tantrism researched into Astronomy, Astrology, Palmistry, Cosmology. Chakras and Kundalini power etc are the contributions of Tantras to the world. Of course Tantras also states salvation through sex. In any other religion scriptures like Tantra literature will not be tolerated. In Christianity, the first person William Tyndall who translated Holy Bible into English was mercilessly burnt at stake, and copies of his Bible burnt, since church did not like his version of the Holy Bible! That is why I take my hats off to Hinduism.
Charvaka - Hindu Materialism
Just like Tantras, Hinduism tolerated Chrvaka philosophy. Its founder was Charvaka. The most important book was Brihaspati Sutra. I am stating things in past tense since I am not aware if copies of this book are available in India. According to Charvaka, "Material world alone exists and our knowledge comes from sense perception". This philosophy openly propagated that there is no God, the Law of Karma has no basis and that the Vedas were written by clowns. It adds " Enjoy life while you can, for once cremated, you will never return to earth." There are still a lot more scriptures in Hinduism. I should say that there are more than 1000 scriptures in Hinduism.......We will now start discussing about each individual scripture....
What is the Hindu Concept of God?
Hindus believe in One and Only God - Brahman which expresses itself in trillions of forms. Hindus do not believe God has human form or any other form. God is nameless and timeless. But there is nothing wrong to worship a God with name and form (nama-roopa), since man cannot conceive anything without any name and form. In fact, in the Shruti scriptures of Hinduism, God or Brahman has been described as Saguna Brahman (God-Brahman with attributes) as well as Nirguna Brahman (God-without attributes. In the Upanishads, God is described as Neti - Neti (not this-not that) method. So first Hindus worshiped 33 natural gods in the Rig Veda. Then Hinduism came to the realization that there is one and only God - Brahman. Just like one and only Sun shines over the mountains of Afghanistan, dry deserts of Saudi Arabia; Penthouse of New York, there is one and only God which is present in the Hindu temple, Christian church, Moslem Mosque, Jewish synagogue, Buddha Vihars and Sikh Gurudwara.
If there is only One God, Why Hindus worship many God forms?
During the time of Upanishads, when the Hindu Rishis (scientists of that day) said there is only One God - Brahman, they found out that laymen could not understand that concept. So they wrote Itihasas (epics) and Puranas [mythological stories] filled with many gods, with the concept that when you worship any God form, you are actually worshiping one and only God Brahman. Lord Krishna reiterated that point by saying, "Call me by what ever name you like; Worship me in any form you like; All that goes to One and Only Supreme Reality." So a Hindu when worshiping any God form is actually worshiping One and Only God Brahman. In Christianity One God expresses himself in three forms, Father, Son and the Holy Ghost.
In Hinduism One God Expresses itself in trillions of forms. That is the reason why Hindus have no problem in calling Jesus and Buddha avatars (incarnations) of God, even though Buddha did not reorganize the authority of Vedas or belief in Brahman.
Believe it or not there is no word Trinity in the entire Holy Bible and it originated only after emperor Constantine became a Christian. He did that to fuse pagan Rome to Christianity. Only mention of Trinity concept of God in the Bible, is in the St. Matthew's account of Christ's last command to the apostles, "Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the son and of the Holy Spirit" [MAT 28:19.] According to Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia the Trinity doctrine was not established until 363 A.D. It says that Trinity is the result of three or four centuries of theological development. The New Catholic Encyclopedia also states that devotion to Trinity had begun in monasteries at Aniane and Tours, during 8th century.
Why Hindus Worship Idols?
Show me any person [except may be Jews], who does not believe in an idol, image, or symbol and I will show you the greatest liar on earth. All religions have some concept of God with name and form, but Hindus alone have the courage to admit that fact.
The Cross in the Christian church, the picture of Jesus Christ, the statue of Mary, statues of patron saints, even the black stone in Kabba are all idols. If anyone bow in front of any of them, they are breaking laws of Old Testament [LED . . . 26:1, and EX 20:2-5.] Idol worship is every where and I never ever met a man who does not worship something or someone. In fact, the first sculpture of Christ was in the form of a small boy holding on to a sheep. Now, everywhere in the world, people have pictures of Christ according to their culture. A loving young white man in USA, a tough man looking like a judge in Russia, a nice black man in Africa and a man looking like a typical man from China with a sheepish beard in China.
I respect all those pictures. Believe it or not, all of them are idol worships. Once again, God is spirit...No word or image can describe or depict God or can encompass the greatness of God. God is neither the father nor the mother. Since man cannot conceive anything without name and form, man has the right to worship God with a form. At the same time, every worship leads to a God without any name and form in course of the development of the seeker in spirituality.
What are the Hindu Moral Codes?
Hindu moral codes are written a collection of books called Dharma Sutras. Hindu moral Codes are the integral part of Hinduism and they come under the big umbrella called Dharma. It is very difficult to translate the word Dharma. Some of the codes are Ahimsa (non-killing), Satya (truth), Dharma (duty), Karuna (compassion), Virya (fortitude), Dama (self-restraint), Saucha (Purity).
What is an Avatar?
An Avatar is an incarnation of God. Whenever God come down to earth in any form then Hindus call that an Avatar. According to that definition, Christ can be considered as an Avatar, even though there is no mention about Jesus Christ in any of the Hindu scriptures.
What is Salvation according to Hinduism?
Hindu salvation concept is different from Christian salvation concept. Hindu salvation is known as Self Realization. In Hindu salvation a person realizes that he is not the body, but the immortal soul (Adman) within. That is the reason why Hindu salvation is known as self realization or "Realizing that he is the Immortal self and not the perishable body. In Hindu salvation the identity of the soul is lost when it attains salvation. Hindu salvation can be compared to a pinch of salt trying to find the bottom of the ocean. The moment the pinch of salt touches the surface of the mighty ocean, it becomes part and parcel of the Ocean. Similarly, when a person seeks after God according to Hinduism, becomes One with God when he attains salvation. Hinduism never ever boasts monopoly on salvation. In fact, as per Hinduism, any one even an atheist can attain salvation. A Jew, Christian and Moslem can attain salvation, irrespective of whether they read any Hindu scriptural book.
What is the Law of Karma?
Hindus believe in life after death. They also believe in the Biblical concept "Whatever a man soweth, that shall he reap". That is the basis of karmic law. Every action and every thought has a result. Hindus believe that every thought and every action is weighed on the scale of eternal justice. The law of karma is one of cause and effect. Nobody can escape from the Karmic debt. I believe Christ took care of the Karmic debt of all the apostles so that he can make them fishermen of men.
What happens to us when we die?
According to Hinduism, the body alone dies. the soul within the body never dies, But the path the soul takes is decided upon the past actions which are known as karmas. So the actions of former body does not die with the body. Past actions are attached to the body and they decide what kind of body the soul takes in the next life. When an individual soul exhausts all its karmas and merges with God then Hindus say that soul has attained salvation.
Does that mean one has to take millions of lives to achieve salvation?
No, absolutely not. That question is the question many ask. Hindu scriptures, especially the Bhagavad Gita very clearly says that one can attain salvation in one life, provided one surrender his will to the will of God 100%. Lord Krishna said: "Those who surrender all actions to me and regard me as the supreme goal and worship me with whole hearted devotion, will be saved by me from repeated births and deaths." In another verse, Lord Krishna said: "Give up all your righteous and non-righteous actions and come to me; take refuge in me. Then I shall free you from all sins; grieve not." That me who is mentioned is not the Lord Krishna but the absolute soul or God. Krishna is one of the representations of that God. That God can appear in another form like Christ or without any form or name at all.
How can one attain Salvation?
Through four paths
1 Jnana Yoga - Path of Knowledge
2 Karma Yoga - Path of Selfless Actions
3 Bhakti Yoga - Path of Devotion
4 Raja Yoga - Path of Breath Control and Pranayama
Most of all religious devotees of all religions are Bhakti yogies whether they believe in Hinduism or not. Very good Christians go to church everyday and surrender themselves to the deity of Christ are Bhakti Yogis. So too Moslems. Hinduism is the only religion that explains the four paths very well.
What is Aum (Om)?
It is the Hindu word. It is a syllable that stands for absolute. It is uttered in the beginning as well as at the end of all Hindu prayers. To some extent it is the logos of the Holy Bible.
Do you believe that John 1:1 came from the Hindu Scriptures?
Yes, I think so. Long before JOHN 1:1 [70 AD] was written, Hindu Vedas [ at least 5000 BC] wrote the same thing "Prajapathi Vai Agre Aseet" In the beginning was Prajapati, The Brahman, The God "Tasya Vag dvitiya Aseet" with whom was the word: "Vag Vai Oarama Brahman" and the word was verily the Supreme Brahman - The God. John 1:1 states: In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God."
Why do women wear a dot on their forehead?
That dot is supposed to be the meeting point of eye brows. That important point is called Angina Chara or spiritual eye. Everyone is supposed to protect that. In fact all saints protect that point with sandalwood paste. But later women alone started protecting that area.
What is Namaste'?
It is the popular Hindu greeting performed by pressing two hands together and holding them near the heart. The whole act communicate to the world 'You and I are one. I salute and worship the God within you, which is a mirror image of myself".
Do Hindus Practice Monogamy?
Hindus practice monogamy and Hindus have stopped "child marriages in India by SAADA Act (1929) under the British. It is the Moslems in India who are allowed to marry four wives and Moslem Sharia law allows child marriages for Moslems in India.
Do Hindu Scriptures Forbid Abortion?
Yes they do. Hindu scriptures forbid abortion. From time immemorial, Hindus consider children as gifts from God. In the code of Manu, Manu forbids abortion. One of the worst acts described in the scriptures is Sis-Hatya meaning destruction of the unborn fetus. There are prayers in the Rig Veda to guard a growing embryo. Only time abortion is allowed is when the fetus is known to be defective as per Susruta Samhita, the Hindu Ayurvedic book.
What is Caste System?
There is nothing in Hinduism as complex as caste system. It emerged as a part of division of labor among people during the days of Rig Veda. The greatest apostle of caste system, was Sage Manu. He laid down all provisions governing caste system in Manu-Smriti.
Brahmins - Priests
Kshatriyas - Fighters and warriors
Vaisya - Business men
Shudras - helpers of every one
Unlike in the Holy Bible, where Slavery is discussed and accepted even by St. Paul (Holy Bible verses Col. 4:11; Exodus 21:21 1: Lev. XXV:44- 55 Thessalonians 3:22), there is no statement in the entire Hindu scriptures to ill-treat lower castes, except Sage Manu's Code, where punishments of lower castes are severe comparing to punishments for the higher castes for the same offense. There is no word "untouchable" in the entire Hindu scriptures. Still caste system degenerated in India. It is indeed the greatest curse on Hinduism. It attacks the core of Hinduism. It resulted in large scale conversion of Hindus to other religions. I sincerely pray and hope, caste system eventually will go away, making it a relic of the history. Hindus should do what Christians did. Even though slavery is mentioned and accepted as a practice in the Holy Bible, even though during Civil war many such as Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America quoted from the Bible to support slavery, Christians took it upon their chin and eliminated slavery completely.
Once upon a time, India had 3,000 castes and 25,000 sub-castes. Even there were 1,800 Brahmin castes in India. Even different Brahmin castes did not mingle themselves socially or otherwise, in ancient times. Last of all, ancient India, persecuted a large group of people called untouchables. Mahatma Gandhi said: "Untouchability is a crime against God and men." Ambedkar once wrote out of his own experience, "To the untouchables, Hinduism is a veritable chamber of horrors."
Why Hindus Practice Suttee (Sati)?
None of the Hindu scriptures mention about Sati. Suicide of the consort of Lord Siva, Sati, has nothing to do with Sati or Suttee. Suicide of queen Madri in the epic Mahabharata has nothing to do with Sati. Suicide of 16000 wives of Lord Krishna in the Srimad Bhagavatam has nothing to do with Sati. At the same time Suttee is the most horrendous way of widows jumping into the funeral pyre of their fallen husbands. It is an ancient ritual practiced by a warrior race of India called Rajputs. Nobody else in India, practiced Suttee. Once again, Suttee is never mentioned in any Hindu religious scripture. There is not even one episode of Suttee in the vast Hindu mythology.
Many state Hinduism is very Complex and Contradictory!
All religions are the result of the works of thousands of thinkers. Hinduism and Judaism are cultures and they are the mothers of all religions. New religions like Christianity and Islam took the best aspects of Judaism and made part of them. So too Buddhism and Jainism took the best aspects of Hinduism and made part of them. In Christianity, there were several housecleaning in its 2000 years of history. Hinduism on its part, never had any house cleaning in its history. Since Hinduism never tossed anything away, in it you will see in it primitive religion as well as very advanced thoughts.
II have repeatedly stated that Hinduism has the good, the bad and also the ugly aspects in it like any other culture or religion in the world. We have to boldly face facts and eradicate the bad and the ugly aspects, to better the lives of millions of Hindus, for years to come.
The greatness of Hinduism can be summarized in few words. "Freedom of Thoughts and Actions." That is what Hinduism stands for.
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