A Podcast by Frank Kaufmann

Podcast transcript
A workingman’s guide to assessing what’s going on around us.

The nature of reality is hierarchical and manifests strength, power, and size as elements of a functioning and harmonious cosmosphere.

Our beef should never be with the fact that some things and some people are stronger, more powerful, and larger than others. The only problem with that fact is when these realities result in injustice or interference with opportunity and self-expression.

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For example, suppose the mayor of New York levied taxes against its citizens so high we could not afford food, or appointed judges who released violent criminals into our home areas where our children try to go to school. This would be a version interfering with opportunity and self expression.

Now imagine a New York mayor so rich that he could buy the bank my paltry salary is deposited in each week, and so strong that if I arm-wrestled him, he’d spin me in a circle, and so large that he’d have to duck to get into my house? Is there anything inherently wrong with the fact that my mayor is bigger, stronger, richer and more powerful than me? I don’t think so. Supposing that big, rich, strong, powerful Mayor developed a program that artistically and musically gifted children could take a one hour class each week at Julliard from the world’s most famous teacher in their instrument. Then that mayor would be better than the scrawny, poor, mayor who makes it so I can’t eat and school children are getting shot all the time.

This is all just to say that focus on how strong, powerful, and large people or institutions are is misplaced. The focus should be on if people serve and contribute to creating opportunities for everyone to enjoy boundless self-expression.

We have to be careful where the starting point of our focus is, when trying to analyze and assess what is going on around us.

Presently, prevailing ideologies focus on strength, power, and influence as the starting point for thought and analysis, and respond to this natural reality with absurd, mal-formed notions of equality. These misformed rants (and hellish legislative pursuit) of “equality,” is just another form of materialism utterly out of touch with the fullness of human value and creative life. Present obsession with “equality,” or even worse “equity,” is literally like rage against the sun and the moon, or a rivulet outraged that the Pacific Ocean is so big.

The Pacific Ocean could be 1000 times bigger, and still have no negative bearing on the divine beauty of the rivulets enchanting symphony. The Ocean does nothing to stop the rivulet from being its very fullness.

All these reflections have to do with sovereignty. This is why American founders worked in every possible way to ensure that human, individual sovereignty is total, complete, and inviolable.

So. Part 1. As we try to withstand the torrential admixture of information and the stench of bias washing over us each day, a key lens to help us navigate is Sovereignty. Is the person, institution, legislation, event good for my sovereignty. Does the speaker understand that he or she “governs” only if we allow it. This is “the consent of the governed” cited in the United State Declaration of Independence. Does the proposed law seek in any way to constrict, inhibit or interfere with my God-given human rights? Right to think, believe, speak, assemble, criticize the government, even revolt?

Size, power, strength are not my concerns, human sovereignty given to each person from God is my concern.

Having clear focus can help us see clearly in a world of too much media which include, information and deception.

The second thing to look at involves the question of harmony. Mutually supportive, mutually beneficial relationships and engagement.

Does the person, institution, legislation, corporation, education, ideology intend to advance greater harmony, cooperation, symbiosis.

To be pro-harmony one must include in one’s advocacy and posture the affirmation of humility, constant learning, and forgiveness.

Look at the prevailing activities, voices, and pursuits of what we receive in media on a daily basis. Look at what your professors (or even grade school teachers) are pronouncing, and implicitly demanding your compliance often through tools of implied threat or group acceptance. Is the ideology, is the information infused with the affirmation of humility and constant learning? With the elegance and liberating power of forgiveness? If not, we are allowing ourselves to be led astray.

In summary, these are foundational pillars to give ourselves power and discernment even over complex issues, and even standing in front of a hydrant spewing sewage and pearls. Does this defend and will it advance greater personal sovereignty for every person? Does it build on the recognition of the need for and dynamics of harmony.

We should build our lives around these. All else soon becomes evil and does harm to people.