Calm...


When you run after your thoughts, you are like a dog chasing a stick: every time a stick is thrown, you run after it. Instead, be like a lion who, rather than chasing after the stick, turns to face the thrower. One only throws a stick at a lion once.

Milarepa 

“Just as it is known that an image of one's face is seen depending on a mirror but does not really exist as a face, so the conception of "I" exist dependent on mind and body, but like the image of a face the "I" does not at all exist as its own reality."   Nagarjuna
"Thanks to impermanence, everything is possible.  Nagarjuna


 


Comments

Post a Comment

RN USA no longer accepts comments. The information presented is for reflection, contemplation, and for those seeking greater understanding and wisdom. It is for seekers and those with an open mind and heart.

Namaste


Top Posts

A Liberals View of OWS... From the New Republic

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Liberty -v s- Tyranny OWS, the movement lacking leadership as well as defined objectives having a reasonable chance of success. The longer it grinds on the more it look like a bunch of misfit radicals looking for the free ride. However, on the other hand there are certainly those who have a clear vision as to what and why Wall Street needs to change. The reasonable people supporting OWS are doing so to end crony capitalism, corporatism, the unethical practices of banking executives and mortgage lenders, as well as government bailouts of businesses. They also recognize corporate lobbyist must become a extinct group. Given the majority of people would tend to agree with the above someone ought to be asking the question, why doesn't the reasonable Tea Party folks and the reasonable OWS folks come together and pool resources so to speak? Tea Party individuals want more fiscal discipline and restraint so as to bring balance to national fis
Read more

Our Biggest Creditor {China} Tells Us "The good old days of borrowing are over"

Image
by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace o Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny As the chickens come home to roast... Unbelievable we have been this stupid. ( Reuters ) - Global leaders on Saturday arranged a round of emergency calls to discuss the twin debt crises in Europe and the United States that are causing turmoil in financial markets . After a week that saw $2.5 trillion wiped off global stock markets, they are under pressure to show political leadership and reassure markets that Western governments have both the will and ability to reduce their huge and growing public debt loads. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who chairs the G7/G20 group of leading economies, conferred with Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron ahead of a call planned for this weekend by G7 finance ministers and central bankers. "They discussed the euro area and the U.S. debt downgrade. Both agreed the importance of working together, monitoring the situation closely
Read more

The Debt, The Debt Ceiling, and Leveler Heads... Will they Prevail?

Image
by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny Fiscal conservatism is about a lot more than just cutting spending, reducing taxes, and passing a balanced budget amendment. Which, by all indications is where republicans in Congress presently find themselves. Fiscal conservatism is about maintaining control of spending while providing the revenue to fund the necessary functions of government. It is about acting responsibly so the government's fiscal house stays in order and solvent. Not unlike a well run business. The federal government has certain critical obligations that must be funded. Obligations such as national defense, maintaining a federal judiciary, insuring the strength of our national infra structure, maintaining our borders, maintaining the safety of our federal highways and bridges, maintaining diplomatic relations with foreign states, and yes, maintaining the social net known as social security and medicare
Read more

Thoughts for Conservatives/Libertrians With Open Minds...

Image
by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny Intellectual honesty... A concept worth aspiring to. Unfortunately the philosophic regimen and discipline to achieve this lofty goal has been lost on the current generation of self serving and single issue driven politicians. Make no mistake folks the preceding statement applies to both parties. Neither can get past ideological differences to solve common problems. This site markets itself as an Independent Conservative/Libertarian blog with a strong focus on Constitutional and Randian principles. Understanding the full depth of either requires a bit of study as well as an open mind. Both are attributes that our founding fathers, and the principles that they stood for, require. Maybe this site was naive in its inception as it launched its maiden voyage. It believed, incorrectly so, that conservatives and liberal alike understood the basic and central concepts that lead to the birt
Read more

Race Baiting Andre Carson Style

Image
by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Libe rty -vs- Trya nny Rep. Andre Carson - Democrat Indiana Allegations of racism being leveled at the Tea Party have been there since the beginning. Anyone who denies the existence of racism, whether from the right or the left is either naive or blind. Both conservatives and liberals should come together and denounce any form of racism, wherever it rears its ugly head. However, the use of race baiting to further the political agenda of an individual or group is as reprehensible as actual racism. Rep. Andre Carson recent remarks with respect to the Tea Party amount to nothing more than over heated race baiting at its worst. From Politico : A top lawmaker in the Congressional Black Caucus says tea partiers on Capitol Hill would like to see African-Americans hanging from trees and accuses the movement of wishing for a return to the Jim Crow era. Rep. Andre Carson, a Democrat from Indiana who
Read more

A New Oppurtunity for Progressives and Leviathan

Image
by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -v s- Tyranny I am again wondering, as I often do... Really, this "wondering affliction" is a curse. Perhaps the psychological association, the sociological association, the AMA, and Leviathan might find a way to push, and ultimately pass legislation that will grant privileged special class status to those suffering from said affliction. Of course this would allow for special consideration (employment and otherwise) for those so afflicted by this damaging psychological/medical affliction. Naturally much of the cost would be at tax payers expense. But I digress. Being a strong advocate of the right of peaceable assembly I shall take the liberty of assuming the majority of American citizens are also advocates of peaceable assembly for the redress of grievances. Being a strong advocate of orderly conduct when in the pursuit of protesting perceived grievances I must ask the following. G
Read more

The Inconsistencies and Hypocrisy...

Image
by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -v s- Tyranny Okay, call me confused, or whatever the F anyone would like to characterize me. It really doesn't matter. You see, the the right is full of sh*t and the left is even more full of sh*t.. To which I have determined to say... SO WHAT. It's a game people. And the name of the game is who who will gain the upper hand and ultimately have  control   of the people. It is sickening, it is unethical, it is immoral, it is life sapping, it is irrational, and it is contrary to the principals this nation was founded on. To which the MODERN day democratic party, as well as the republican party respond by saying... So What? Both parties feel they must force acceptance of their statist anti individual and anti liberty agendas on the people. What is interesting,  putting all the hyperbole aside is this... Our country will continue to accept the same old BS from both parti
Read more

Ayn Rand's View of Conservatives...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -v s- Tyranny For the purpose of clarification with respect to Ayn Rand's view of conservatives... and why I find it so utterly amusing that most conservatives fail to recognize that there is little relationship, if any between her views and theirs. In her on words... “Conservatives” Objectivists are not “conservatives.” We are radicals for capitalism; we are fighting for that philosophical base which capitalism did not have and without which it was doomed to perish . . . Politics is based on three other philosophical disciplines: metaphysics, epistemology and ethics—on a theory of man’s nature and of man’s relationship to existence. It is only on such a base that one can formulate a consistent political theory and achieve it in practice. When, however, men attempt to rush into politics without such a base, the result is that embarrassing conglomeration of impotence, futility, inconsist
Read more

Obama on the Campaign Trail...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Liberty -v s- Tyranny For a President that has talked about unifying in the past it certainly seems this segment of the Presidents recent remarks focus more on divisiveness than unity. I guess politics are, after all just politics. It is more about building a base, telling people what you think they want to hear, and getting reelected than it is about telling the truth. Unfortunately this can be said about both party's. The President: "The Republican plan comes down to this, ‘Dirtier air, dirtier water, less people with health insurance.” h/t: Real Clear Politics "My plan says we’re going to put teachers back in the classrooms, construction workers back to work," President Obama said at a campaign event today. "Tax cuts for small businesses, tax cuts for hiring veterans, tax cuts if you give your workers a raise –- that’s my plan." "The Republicans plan, Obama says, boils down to this: 'Dirtier a
Read more