Why Democratic Socialism is soon to be very important.

Despite what people believe, Democratic Socialism is not opposed to Capitalism. It actually compliments Capitalism. Democratic Socialism is democratically deciding as a society that certain things (like health care) are rights for every citizen (as many of the worlds happiest nations have found out).

It is not full socialism which puts everything under the governments regulation.

But Bernie Sanders is pushing Democratic Socialism because he has fairly amazing abilities of foresight when he predicted ISIS filling the political vacuum and the great recession. He sees what many young people see but older generations have a hard time comprehending. It's a concept that is obvious to the younger generation because we have been born into it. It is a very simple truth that is inevitable at our current pace of technological improvement.

We are all about to be replaced with robots and artificial intelligence.

Think you are in an industry that is safe from such advancement? Think again. What are you? A stock broker? Please, you will be the first to go. Are you into coding, like me? Sorry, we have literally worked ourselves out of a job.

Maybe you are creative and like to write books. Well, A.I. loves to write books more than you do! Songwriters are safe though, right? Wrong, they have already been replaced and you did not even notice. Movies? Yeah, they are out too.

You can always fall back on working at McDonald's though, right? Hmmm, maybe not. Walmart? I would not count on it.

Sure, there may always be some humans doing those jobs, but they will be a niche and novelty, not the norm.

All that to say what the younger generation already knows. We will be replaced. Sure, it will take some time and there will be resistance but ultimately progress will happen. And mainly because Capitalist businessmen cannot ignore the cost savings.

So what happens when we have all been properly put out of a job and we are not billionaires? We will have to rely on the government or the corporations who no longer have a need for us. By then it will probably be something fairly simple. With solar panels getting more efficient and electric cars going farther and 3D printing of housing drastically reducing building costs and 3D printed food becoming super cheap the cost of living is bound to plummet.

When this happens, the top 1% may hold not just the majority of the wealth in America (as they currently do) but almost all of it. At which point we will have two options.

The first option would be the Republican response. Sorry, you cannot earn any money and are a failure. You can go into debt the rest of your life and be a corporate slave. You will own nothing and have no hope of ever paying off your debt.

The second option is to rely on the government. In such a scenario, I can see why the Dutch are testing out a $20,000 a year guaranteed income. The majority of America may need a guaranteed income in the near future.

Because in this future we are creating, Democratic Socialism is the only form of freedom we will enjoy.

I am not pro-life or pro-choice.

The more I study politics the more I see that picking a side is nearly impossible without taking on attributes we do not agree with. Sadly we come up with boxes and we put everyone in them. Either people are pro-life or pro-choice, there is no other categories.

This is not true despite what people would believe. We can have our own ideas and we do not have to agree with the labels people put on us. By the time I finish this article though, I can guarantee that the pro-lifers will say I am pro-choice and the pro-choicers will say I am pro-life. If that is the case then I feel I have done my job well.

I have self identified as pro-life for a very long time, but there are things about the pro-life movement that just does not make sense to me. I do believe life begins at conception. I believe that deliberately ending that life is murder. However, I am not against sex education and I am not against contraceptives. I am also pro-welfare (which is some how oddly related).

The pro-life movement has taken on this banner of abstinence in a very Pharisee style move. Though as Christians we are instructed not to judge those outside the church (1 Corinthians 5:12-13). It is not our job to try and make all sins illegal. And trying to make the outside world stop having sex is about as useful as holding out your hand to stop a freight train.

What is your goal?

At this point in my life, I have a very specific political goal. To reduce the number of abortions to as small as possible. This, strangely enough, does not seem to be the goal of either pro-life or pro-choice.

I know because I have asked pro-lifers if they could reduce the number of abortions by 42%, would they vote for a pro-choice candidate. The answer, every single time, is "no." And is followed by some answer about not liking the idea of teenagers having sex or not liking contraceptives at all.

So there it is. Reducing the number of abortions is clearly not a pro-life goal, or if it is, it is not at the top of the list of priorities.

It is certainly not a pro-choicer's goal as asking the same question with roles reversed is obviously "no" as a pro-choicer's goal is to have choice where a pro-life candidate would take that choice away.

Pro-Life political agenda will not reduce the abortion rate.

The abortion rate, whether illegal or legal remains about the same.The New York Times discusses a rather global study that was done and the legal status of abortion has very little impact on abortion rates. And in some cases, making it legal actually reduces the abortion rate.

Why is this? Because illegal abortion is usually coupled with low access to birth control.

So what are you going to do about it?

I am going to vote for Bernie Sanders. Bernie Sanders is very pro-choice and while I do not agree with the ideology that a fetus is not life or a person, Senator Sander's idea of Universal Health Care has the potential to reduce the number abortions about 40%.

With Universal Health Care, women could have unrestricted access to birth control that could last years. And how do we know that will reduce the abortion rate so dramatically? Well, they have performed this experiment right here in my own back yard.

In Colorado they began and very long experiment where they offered poor women and teenagers free long term birth control. And yeah, they found they were able to reduce the number of abortions by 42%! That is phenomenal!

If you are reading this article and your goal is to reduce the number of abortions drastically, the only candidate who has the potential to even make a dent in the rate is Bernie Sanders.

Concessions

Is this solution without its moral implications? No. I will concede that premarital sex will abound with such policies. But we live in a fallen world and if it means abortion rates are reduced by 40% then those outside the church can do as they please. God will judge them, not me. If almost half of abortions are avoided, that many babies are not killed. That is more important to me than attempting to impose Christian morals on non-Christians.

I will continue to preach nothing but abstinence prior to marriage to the youth who attend the church I am at. God clearly designed sex for marriage and the abortion rate existing at all is evidence of that. But I am not going to make the world perfect. We can only do our best until Jesus returns and reduces the abortion rate to zero.

What are you?

Ask yourself why you identify with whatever label you have placed on yourself. Really ask yourself what your goal is with that label and then make sure that label is really trying to accomplish the same goal you have. In my case, I do not fit into either label.

Why Democratic Socialism is a Champion of Capitalism

Bernie Sanders is running for President. While he could use a different label and no one else would bat an eye, he chooses to accept the label Democratic Socialist. This scares a lot of people just because it has the word Socialist in it. The ironic part is that his ideology of socialism would open more avenues for capitalism in America.

In an interview with NPR, Bernie says himself why he does not simply stop calling himself that. It is because it is what it is. He does not change the meanings of words or change his beliefs simply because they are misunderstood or inconvenient. Bernie is, if nothing else, a man of conviction.

Let's take his idea for the US Post Office for an example. He wants to privatize the post office and turn it into a banking system. This would cut government spending, create jobs, and turn a profit. What does that sound like?

The bad parts of socialism is what we are already doing. When the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 was signed by President Bush to essentially bail out the banks that had failed, that is Socialism at its worst. It is the opposite of Capitalism. It is the government holding up a system that cannot hold itself up.

Another example of bad socialism is the Berlin Wall. In reality, Trump is more of a socialist than Bernie is.

Socialism has good and bad, but Bernie is using Socialism as a champion for Capitalism. He does not want the government to control the banks, he wants to break them up into small credit unions. He is not going to take over any industry with the government. At most, he will regulate them with taxes.

I think a big one that people are disagreeing with is free college tuition at state and community colleges. This is not bad socialism. We are already doing this... It is called high school. Up until 60ish years ago people had to pay to go to high school. Now we have a government backed school system that has changed the literacy in America and increased the national wage average. Back then it was hard to get a job without a high school degree and few people had them. Sixty years later, most people have a high school degree but it is hard to support a family unless you have a college degree.

If the scenario for why we made public high schools free now exists for a college degree, why should we not have a free public and state tuition? That may be socialism, but it is socialism that promotes capitalism and entrepreneurship and creates an even playing field for the lower and middle class.

Bernie is the only one passionate about these issues. He wants radical change and we need it. Growing the middle class is good for the Nation. Six banks own 60% of America's wealth. That is not a good thing.

Why a prolife Christian is a Democrat.

I think I weird people out because I am a democrat but outspokenly against abortion. I am not the only one. When people hear Democrat or Republican, they immediately put them in boxes of every stereo typical view point of that party. I, personally, have an issue with anyone that agrees 100% of the time with any political party. I tend to believe that means they have their views because of their political party, not having their own views that prompts them to vote for a certain party.

This is how it works with me. It is similar to why I like Google. I stand behind and support Google because Google shares technological visions I have. Google does not dictate what I want from technology, they just happen to align with what I want from technology.

For me the Democratic party is similar. I have my ideas of politics and the democratic party aligns better with them than the Republican party.

On the issue of abortion, I believe the Republican party has struggled to yield results. Abortion numbers go up during Republican terms and I believe it is because of their "trickle down" economics which end up being hard on the lower and middle class (because people are greedy). On top of that, they tend to vote for tougher welfare restrictions which adds even more burden onto the poor. During George W. Bush's administration, the Republican party dominated the senate, the supreme court, and the presidency and yet did nothing to over turn the Roe vs Wade decision. They can say all they want about abortion but actions speak louder than words.

The biggest decrease in abortion in the past 50 years came during the years 2008-2011 (according to the Guttmatcher Institutes research) as the economy recovered from the train wreck that was the end of the Bush administration. Which is something I do not believe the Republican party understands. The economy makes the biggest difference in abortion rates. When we help the poor, we decrease people's desire to have abortion.

Making abortion illegal will not stop abortions. They will continue, they will just be done in secret or else where. Women will commit suicide and a host of other alternatives. Making abortion illegal is fighting the symptom, not the disease.

The disease is poverty. That is why I am strongly for a welfare system. That is why I am strongly for a government health care system. That is why I am strongly for a higher minimum wages. Let the CEOs take a pay cut every now and then. "Trickle down" economics has left us with CEOs continuing to be paid higher percentages and average employees getting less. It DOES NOT trickle down. We NEED to help the poor and let it trickle up.

In the end, it seems to me like the Republican party is focused on the letter of the Law while missing the spirit of the Law. To me, the Democrats are following the spirit of the Law and seeking the end result of a better standard of living for the poor and middle class which reaps the rewards of lower abortions rates and lower crime rates.

Enforcing a law will not reap what we want. Punishing offenders will not reap what we want. When Jesus came, he went straight for the poor and needy, eating with sinners, thieves and prostitutes. Because the well do not need a doctor, the sick do. For me, the Democratic party aligns with this view better than the Republican party.

I do not agree with everything the Democratic party does, but I believe they can make a bigger difference in the things I care about than the Republican party.

Planned Parenthood for example. I believe the Republican plan for defunding Planned Parenthood and giving those funds to the community health centers which do way more for women's health than Planned Parenthood should be passed. Planned Parenthood does not do mamograms and many other basic women's health treatments yet takes 46% of the budget. Why is it such a bad plan to give that funding to the community health centers that do way more women's health care than Planned Parenthood?

We need to stop thinking of issues as a Democratic or Republican agenda and think for ourselves. Think through your issues and consider the result you want and pick the party that will get the results you want and not the one that says nice words you agree with. Words mean little, results matter.

I am prolife and every life in the womb matters, but I do not want abortion to be punished, I want people to stop wanting abortions. That is why I am voting Democrat.

Star Wars Dark Disciple review

I would like to start off by saying that I ultimately liked the book. Quinlan Vos is my favorite Jedi so the fact that he was added back to the canon in such a big way was great. The book includes a great deal of mystery and unexpected events.

It seemed like the story was trying to blend Ventress’ and Vos’ Dark Horse stories together with Khaleen being replaced with Ventress. Ultimately I liked the change as Khaleen was kind of one dimensional and never really understood why Vos fell for her.

They brought Ventress’ origin back into the canon which was cool. I also liked her character in this novel and the relationship she has with Quinlan is one to remember.

I am about to go into a few of the disappointments with the novel, but again, I would like to remind you I did like the book and am glad it came out. It will include a lot of spoilers so beware.

My biggest problem with the story was the lack of struggle found in the Dark Horse story. I never felt any sense that Quinlan was struggling between light and dark at all. He was either one or the other with no in between. He went from Jedi Master who was having feelings he could not identify for Ventress to abandoning the Jedi Order and wanting to live the rest of his life with her in about the span of one paragraph.

I really felt like Vos was a victim of his emotions in the novel. He had zero control. In the Dark Horse story, he was constantly struggling with how far was too far and inched his way to the Dark side and back, but in this novel it really seemed like he abandoned the Light side the second he touched the Dark side and just did whatever anyone told him. It did not seem like he was a Jedi Master, more like a Jedi Knight or a Padawan.

Another piece that is almost laughable is a topic I joke about any time I read about a Jedi falling in love. They really should tell Jedi the truth about why Jedi should not fall in love. It is not about attachment, it is because someone WILL DIE. I have read many Star Wars novels and it is an instant death sentence for someone as soon as they confess feelings for anyone in a romantic way.

Sadly, there was one exception to this rule up until now. Quinlan Vos and Khaleen got a happily ever after… but like Disney fixed Sleeping Beauty’s parents (being the only Disney Princess with living parents) in Malificent, Disney has now fixed Vos’ happily ever after.

Seriously guys, you cannot find another way to end a relationship without killing one of them? Let’s change it up every once in a while, okay?

Gay marriage: Don't be a bigot.

Bigot: a person who is intolerant toward those holding different opinions.

I'm going to start this off by saying I am not opposed to the Supreme Court's decision to legalize gay marriage in all 50 states. The decision does not really affect me.

But what does affect me are all of the bigots on both sides of this issue. Yes, you can be a bigot and be for gay marriage. All of the hate posts and slander I have seen from both sides today shows me that there are an abundance of bigots on both sides.

I was blocked by someone today when I pointed out that not everyone on the anti-gay marriage side is an uneducated bigot. We would do much better in our posts today if we stop for a minute and remember that the person on the other side of the political spectrum is not an ignorant uneducated hater. They probably just have a different opinion.

So if you feel that everyone who was against gay marriage is an ignorant fool, you, my friend, are a bigot. In reality, both sides are very educated on the topic, they just hold different opinions.

This is America. Let us just say what our opinion is and that we disagree with the other side and vote on it. NO INSULTS NEEDED. It only makes your side look bad.

A.D. The Bible Continues review

A little background about me (just a tiny bit, I promise), I love to study the early church and have read many historical works from the time of Jesus and through the first few centuries of Christianity. So the history found in A.D. The Bible Continues is something that fancies me so it was impossible for me not to watch this show.

I love it! I'm caught up to "Saul's Return" and have found it phenomenal.

But I have been asked how historically accurate it is. The answer to that is it is mostly historically accurate. There are a few discrepancies and I'll discuss a few in a minute, but it is important to note that the show is 90% not historical, but fiction derived from the history. There is only about 10% history referenced at all in the show. The rest is an adventurous fiction derived from the history (like most historical fiction is).

There are so many things I like about the fiction they have created surrounding the history. If you read Josephus or Tacitus or even Acts, there is very little emotion expressed in those writings. It is clear they are meant to record history. This show is not meant to tell history as if it were a documentary. It is meant to express the emotion felt during that time and I believe it is doing a great job of it!

The rivalry between Saul and Peter was so well done. The tension in Jerusalem from the Roman presence, Pilate and Caiaphas and their wives, it really makes it all so personal. The persecution of the early church coupled with its growth. How the apostles probably did a lot of hiding from the authorities. It's a great show.

So now that I talk about the small things I don't like or wish they had done differently, do not let them keep you from watching it. It is still a good show.

The few discrepancies I have seen are small and mostly (but not entirely) insignificant. They do show several appearances of Jesus, but it was far less than what is recorded. Jesus only appears to the disciples a few times in the show before his Ascension, but according to Acts 1:3 Jesus appears to them seemingly many times over the period of 40 days (over a month!) to speak with them and eat with them. They could have had Jesus be a regular character for 2-3 episodes before the ascension.

Another is that on the third day, Jesus did not just appear to the apostles, he appeared to the disciples who fled. They mentioned the members who fled in the show but they didn't mention or show that Jesus appeared to them on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-35. I could have seen a very cool episode where this happens to the disciples that fled and how the returned to Peter and the apostles afterward. Though from a tv stand point, that's more actors and probably would have cost more money in casting, so I can understand why that may have not made the cut for the show.

But one of the coolest things they could have easily done was the appearance to the 500. In 1 Corinthians 15:6, Paul recites possibly the earliest Christian creed which includes Jesus' appearance to more than 500 people at once. It does seem to be in order so it had to have occurred before Paul's conversion. The perfect time to do that would have been after Peter and Paul's debate in front of the believers camp. Having Jesus appear to the camp after Paul's exit would have been such a great time to do that. I think they really missed an opportunity there.

Those are what I'd consider the most significant. The other small things that are completely inconsequential are they have Peter's wife dying prior to the resurrection. Early church historians however record Peter's wife living long after the resurrection and eventually being martyred shortly before Peter himself is. I think they did this to show a sense of sacrifice in Peter on the show.

The emperor did die in bed and it is recorded that his successor did kill him, but it was certainly not in Jerusalem. Though I'm glad they did it that way. Learning of the Emperor's death through a letter would have been way less dramatic.

It's Hollywood so we can't expect them to cast unattractive people but Paul was probably short and bald. Though the guy they cast is really good at displaying Paul's fervor.

These things are minor compared to the things they do have right. They are really getting across the might and arrogance of Rome, the steadfast devotion of the Jews to the Temple, Pilate's cruelty, Caiaphas self righteousness. So bravo to them. I look forward to the coming episodes!