Was ist Schön?

Lately there has been much confusion about what is beauty. It is truly an epidemic in today’s society. People are too quick to judge something based on its outward appearance. This is not the way it should be though. Because of this hasty judgment, these people lose the opportunity to explore something new, or to meet someone with a different view of the world.

            When judging other people, the “judges” are quick to divide the others based on race, sexual orientation, size and a multitude of other categories. However, the “judges” fail to realize that they are passing judgment on humans. We are all humans, and nothing more. Therefore, there is no reason to jump to false conclusions based on the way something appears at first.

            I realize that first impressions are hard to break; this is a part of human nature. Remember the old saying never judge a book by its cover? This rule still applies to us. We should do more to incorporate it into our daily lives. There are many things that are beautiful, many people who are beautiful. In fact, it is my personal belief that anything that brings happiness is beautiful.

            Franz Kafka once said, “Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty in all things will never grow old.” We should seize this opportunity and drink from this fountain of youth. It is up to you to drink from the chalice and maintain your youth.

Red

Socialism is a topic that hits close to home. I have been a social democrat since I was in high school. I have to say it leads to a lot of judgment and misguided hatred. When I tell someone I believe a certain degree of socialism would be beneficial to this country, they instantly equate me with figures like Stalin. 

Listen, Stalin was a dictator. The power he held was a perverted form of totalitarianism disguised under the title of communism. Being a socialist is different than being a communist. And, more to the point, being a socialist does not automatically equate to supporting a dictatorship. My message to the misguided American people, don't equate socialist ideas with the dictators of the past. If you don't inform yourself, you run the risk of being as hypocritical as these people:

(Just to clarify, Medicare is a government run program comes from a socialist idea thought up by people like Eugene V. Debs.)

All I really want to convey is, think before you say something ignorant! Inform yourself!

All Apologies

First off, I would like to say sorry for not updating the blog lately. I have been very busy to say the very least. I plan to post more over break. That, is a promise. 

So, let's get down to business. I have seen so many pictures, mostly on Facebook, saying "I will not apologize for being an American." I have also heard politicians say the same thing. Let me be the first to actually apologize to the rest of the world for being an American. I am sorry. I am sorry we have these war-like tendencies. I am sorry we are unwilling to promote peace throughout the world. I am sorry for the ignorant people who condemn the other citizens of the world for simply being different. I am sorry for the stupidity and hypocrisy shown by so many citizens of the United States. 

To say the least, I am ashamed of the actions my country and its people have taken in recent years. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, at least. I hope we can improve soon. 

To my fellow Americans...let's work on changing the way we treat the world we live in. Let's try to promote peace in the world. Let's try to educate ourselves about the way the world works. This is a vision I hope to spread! 

"Mother Russia, How Are You Sleeping?"

The title of this post comes from an Iron Maiden song called Mother Russia. I am waiting to see how Vladimir Putin's re-election turns out. On Sunday, he was elected to be the Russian President. Putin has held this post two other times. The Russian Constitution bans serving three consecutive terms. Since he was prime minister in 2008, this will not be a third consecutive term. This is why it is officially legal for him to serve as president.

Amid demonstrations in some of the major cities, some foreign governments have officially recognized Putin's role of president. An example of this is the UK Prime Minister calling Putin to discuss increasing ties between Russia and Britain. 

This post isn't really opinionated, because, at the moment, I really don't have an opinion on the matter. All I hope to see is for Russia to regain its place among other nations. Literature has been greatly benefited by Russian writers such as Tolstoy. Russia has helped the thinking world in many other ways as well. 

Vladimir Putin holds this office legally. He will officially take over the presidency in May of this year. I am waiting to see how this plays out. I do know of some people who are terming this re-election as the birth of a Czar. There are many discussions to be held over his presidency. Please, feel free to share your thoughts.

Fate

First off, I would like to apologize for not posting anything new in a while. I have been swamped with class work. So, this is me making up for it. Today in my English class we discussed the idea of fate. My professor asked the class: "how many people are okay with the idea of fate?" Out of the class of 23, only two people (myself included) did not raise their hands. My professor asked us why we did not like the idea of fate. At the time I could not respond. This is my redemption for not responding. 

I dislike the idea of fate. I can't stand the feeling that something, other than myself, has complete control over my life. To me, this seems like a big source of nihilism. People say things such as: "it wasn't meant to be" and "only god knows." It seems to me that people like this are giving up. People like this seem to let go of things they have fought so hard for. 

I cannot stand this idea. I pose the question: if fate is in control, why attempt to change things? Maybe I do not understand this. Either way, I am going to work hard to attain my dreams. I will not give up, nor will I dismiss the rejections as fate. I will look at the rejections and learn how to change myself for the better. I view these renunciations as learning experiences. I feel if more people felt this way, the world would be a beautiful place; a place filled with determined people. 

Franz Kafka once said something to the effect: "whatever we desire will become reality. Whatever is not reality is something we have not desired enough." This is the view I take. I will continue to desire, until it is real! I will not let anything control my life, but myself. I guess the point of this post is to never give up on whatever you want to become reality. Keep fighting, even after "fate" has told you no!

Why Politics Matter

I have heard many ignorant people my age say they are unwilling to follow politics because it "has no meaning." Let me just say that being political affects many things in our daily lives. I personally feel it is more of a duty to be political. It is our duty to research all aspects of a political party, before associating with one. It is our duty to research the candidates running for office. The thing we all must realize is that we are voting for who we want to lead our lives, who we want to represent our nation. 

I am speaking from an American standpoint of course. Humor me, answer these questions honestly:

Are you a citizen? 
Do you attend college?
Do you work?
Do you pay taxes?

These are all general questions. There is a large list of them. If you answered yes to any of these, you are affected by the political system. This is why we must take the time to learn about the people who want to run this nation. 

Whatever you do, do not just believe the first thing you hear. The best example that I can think of is the disagreement over Obama's religion (once again, I feel this should not matter since this nation was founded on the idea of separation of church and state. Therefore, religion and politics do not mix ["Mr. Jefferson, build up that wall!"-Christopher Hitchens]). I have heard many people spread the lie that President Obama is a Muslim. He is not! He has said multiple times that he is a Christian, and that he bases his political ideology on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Even if he were a Muslim, why should it matter? Are we, as a nation, that afraid of diversity? It is pitiful!

I urge you to look carefully at what each candidate is saying. Only then should you vote. Whatever you do, do not simply vote for a person based on the fact you have heard his or her name a lot. That only does more harm than good. Politics matter! If you don't like the way the government treats you, the beauty of living in a democratic country is that you have the power to change it! Form your opinion based on fact. Break the delusion and get involved! 

Your Thoughts

I would just like to take a moment to ask you to share your thoughts about the current situation between Iran and Israel. What do you think will happen? Will the United States be forced to take a side in another conflict? What are your thoughts?

By the way, it has been a week since I created this. Is there anything I can do to make this blog better? If you like what you see, feel free to follow this blog; and by all means, feel free to comment on the posts. I would love to hear your opinions!