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WAR IS A RACKET By Major General Smedley Butler

  CHAPTER ONE War Is A Racket WAR is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes. In the World War [I] a mere handful garnered the profits of the conflict. At least 21,000 new millionaires and billionaires were made in the United States during the World War. That many admitted their huge blood gains in their income tax returns. How many other war millionaires falsified their tax returns no one knows. How many of these war millionaires shouldered a rifle? How many of them dug a trench? How many of them

What is Cosmic Consciousness? (in 300 words or less)

    by Michael Corthell “You are a function of what the whole universe is doing in the same way that a wave is a function of what the whole ocean is doing.” ― Alan Watts You may agree that a coin is one thing or a unit, but that it has a duality, that is, it has a front and a back. And, as in front and back you might also agree that there is no inside without an outside, and no outside without an inside. The reality is that we all are like that in relation to the Universe. Consider this; we are the inside and the entirety of the universe, galaxy after galaxy is the outside. And further, consider that whatever exists everywhere, therefore, is a manifestation of the Divine. What I have simply outlined is the * sudden awareness of oneness realized when one has a cosmic awakening and has become truly conscious of the ultimate nature of reality, that is to say, had an intellectual revelation of the meaning, purpose, and aliveness of the universe. *Excerpt: ''Whether long or short

Excuses & Alibis: 5 Dozen Ways Not to Succeed

by Michael Corthell Most people who do not succeed in life have one glaring trait: they are negative minded and they know every reason for their failures. They have what they think are absolute, air-tight alibis to explain their own lack of achievement. Some of these alibis are cool and even entertaining, and a few of them are even reasonable, ones that can be justified by facts. But you can't spend alibis. Excuses don't pay the bills. The world loves a winner, the one who makes a difference, the one who can get the job done. People tend to shy away from the excuse-makers because of their dishonesty and unreliability. ''It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.''   —George Washington Below is an extensive list of the most commonly used alibis. As you read these, be honest with yourself. Identify how many of these alibis and excuses you own. This may be a negative exercise, but it is a necessary one. The good news is that with yo

What If There Was A Nuclear War Between the US and Russia? | Why Were Nuclear Weapons Developed?

  Underwater test of a nuclear weapon circa 1950 by Michael Corthell General Douglas MacArthur said in his 1961 address to the Philippines Congress: "You will say at once that, although the abolition of war has been the dream of man for centuries, every proposition to that end has been promptly discarded as impossible and fantastic . But that was before the science of the past decade made mass destruction a reality. The argument then was along spiritual and moral lines, and lost. But now the tremendous evolution of nuclear and other potentials of destruction has suddenly taken the problem away from its primary consideration as a moral and spiritual question and brought it abreast of scientific realism." Why were nuclear weapons developed? This is the official line:  President Harry Truman authorized the use of two atom bombs in an effort to bring about Japan’s quick surrender in the Second World War and thereby save lives. In the days following the bombings, Japan did in fact

How to Bringing Peace Into Your Day to Day Life

by Michael Corthell ''Can I bring peacefulness of mind into the middle of a very busy and stressful day?'' Yes, you can, not always perfectly, but you can do it. ''Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.'' —Thich Nhat Hanh How do I find inner peace? Live, breathe, love, listen, teach and be present. The answer is simple, but as I stated above, it may not be so easy to put into practice and you may not always do it perfectly, but we can start learning to be 'present' -- present in the moment.  It makes no difference how chaotic your day has become, or how stressful your job or life is, the practice of being 'present' can become a safety, a true oasis. It can and will change your life, and it is a very simple thing. When are completely and totally 'present', the external forces of the outside world are no longer an issue, because there is only you and that 'force', that exist in this moment,

How Can I Build Trust and Goodwill?

“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” ― William Shakespeare, ''All's Well That Ends Well'' by Michael Corthell Love all. Do not restrict your love to just a few people, but have your heart open to everyone and give your love without prejudice. Trust a few. People need to realize that there are people out there who are intent on doing evil to you. So don’t just simple trust everyone with a naïve trust. Only trust a few people that you know and whose intentions are pure. Do wrong to none. Never do bad things to anyone. No one, whoever they are, deserves to be harmed by you. No matter what anyone else does, you should always do the right thing, even towards people who have done wrong to you(excepting self-defense of course). Be kind to everyone. One of the most valuable assets a human being can have is trust. It allows for openness, exchange of emotion and ideas. When there is no trust, it becomes very difficult to get anything done. It is truly

The Miracle of Life and The Artistry of the ONE

by Michael Corthell 'Let there be light, and there was light, love, and life.' When writing about God (the creator/the first cause/the prime mover or simply The ONE) I often say that creation is love or love is the essence of what the ONE is, and that 'love is all there is'. I say this because the true effect and purpose of all creation is love, life, and the love for it. In fact, all life is the ONE's manifestation of itself. ''A Brief Awakening' ' ''In the vastness of the out-rushing cosmos, you are but tiny—a warm and pulsing spark.  Against all odds, your birth a brief awakening from silent eons spent sleeping in the dark.  When you feel your heart swell with wild wonder at the dazzling diamond chandeliers of night,  know your body was built from ancient stardust and the universe now sees through your eyes.  So let the breath of sweet gratitude fill you, as the light of each new day begins.  For this moment itself is a miracle,

How to Develop Leadership Skills

by Michael Corthell  Qualities such as assertiveness, adaptability, intelligence, and conscientiousness are some of the most important leadership skills.  Transformational leaders , are leaders who are positive, and inspiring. They empower people and develop followers. ''A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.'' —John C. Maxwell A transformational leader works with his subordinates, treating them as a team, to identify any needed change. She or he creates a vision to guide the change through inspiration—executing the change along with committed members of the group or team. These types of leaders are more valued by their followers and their superiors because they inspire action and therefore get things done. You may aspire to be a great leader. Here is exactly how to do it: Make sure you have a clear vision. Take the time to share your vision, your mission and your goals with your group. Your job as a leader is to provi

Build Yourself a Better Body

by Michael Corthell How to build a better body? That is the question. The next question: How can you live longer and enjoy a better quality of life? The answer to both? We make wise choices about the foods we eat and the amount of excise we get. We just maintain our 'machine' properly.   Your building materials and fuel. It is certainly true that 'we are what we eat'. ''So then if I eat an all plants diet with absolutely no meat do I become a vegetable?'' No, you get a better, longer-lasting body, science has proved that. Eating right and exercising properly are the right things to do, most of us know this.  How do we start? Make up your mind to start taking good care of your 'machine'.  Set small, measurable goals that will help you get to your overall larger goal. Keep a food and exercise journal. Measuring your progress is great feedback. Stop eating animal flesh and processed junk food . Eat only nutritious wh

What is Extensionality and How Does it Relate to Resourceism?

  “The word love will disappear in the future and be replaced by a new term called extensionality , meaning you’ll enhance one another’s lives. But ‘I love you’ is just empty words that manifest nothing. It’s how people behave to one another that indicates love.” -  Jacque Fresco by Michael Corthell I would like to talk about 'extensionality' in a new sense of the word.  Extensionality in the way I'm defining it is 'love in action' or that is to say, extend as much love, care, and concern to people and nature as possible. Why do I want to talk about it? Because there is a new world on the horizon and new words are needed to adequately describe that world.  ''We live in a world with very unkind systems. The lack of caring, compassion, and concern in this world stems from the environment created by our monetary system which generates our behavior, societal norms, and traditional beliefs. Many people desire a kinder and more compassionate world. We have peopl

What is Life's Happiness Secret? CHOICE

by Michael Corthell Define happiness in terms of  living  a good life, or flourishing,  rather than simply as an emotion.  A happy life is a positive life. Life is both a serious business and a game we all play. Some of us play at it better than others, and they are the people you see smiling all the time - they are happy, and joyful in their lives. Do you want to be one of them? I believe that you do. There are some parts of life that are seemingly secret. I say secret because they are so obvious we often take them for granted sometimes. Some of us need to be reminded often, others are just naturally happy. ''The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Scatter sunshine, forget self, think of others. Try this for a week and you will be surprised.''   ― Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking What is the number one secret?   Choose to be happy! When you

Mind Your Language: Thought, Metaphor and Imagination

Noam Chomsky, Steven Pinker, Evelina Fedorenko,  and Daniel Dor join Brian Greene to grapple with the foundations of language.  Language ranks among the most powerful influences on human existence. Even so, language presents many mysteries that are the subject of heated debate. Was there a rewiring of the human brain which gave us the capacity for language? Or is it a human invention developed to facilitate group cooperation? Is language primarily a communication tool or the substrate of inner thought? And how is it that with a few choice phrases language can fire the imagination or transport us to the stars?