I used to think that real estate taxes were the most unfair in the world. Eventually I realized that they are actually very fair. We individuals must pay the public an annual fee for the use of a piece of property. If there were no such taxes, rich people would end up owning all land and most of us would be serfs.
I just read a chapter in "The Tau of Abundance" about money and interest. It twisted my head. It is forcing me to try to see with fresh eyes from outside of a culture and financial system that all of us are immersed in.
It lead me to contemplate the concept that real tangible property rights shouldn't be treated any different from intellectual property rights. Ownership of money and goods should eventually time out and revert to the public.
Because it doesn't, in the US CEOs get 400 times the average workers pay. The richest 1% own 34.6% of all private wealth. The wealth gap keeps getting bigger because we allow people to keep assets forever. Then, like feudal lords, they charge us (their serfs) huge percentages of our income for the privilege of using that property.
(The average household pays about 18% of disposable income just to service debt.)
A MORE FAIR SYSTEM...
We could tax people based on assets that they own. For example...
If your net worth is 100% of the median net worth, you would pay 1% of your net worth as tax.
If your net worth is 200% of median, you pay 2% tax.
If your net worth is 5,000% of median, you pay 50% of it as tax.
The dynamics of this tax method are fascinating...
This lets you be substantially better off than average, but not by ridiculous factors.
It also decays wealth at a fair and reasonable rate, keeping an incentive to work hard while preventing undue concentrations of wealth.
It lets you pass a reasonable amount of wealth to your kids, but prevents situations like Paris Hilton.
To get large capital, a company would have to be owned by large numbers of stockholders, or be a co-op or non profit.
Later maybe we will explore how this would reduce debt and lead to lower total taxes.
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Monday, January 04, 2010
Empowering dream
Running around naked
war decision
flying, playing with kids
We were working on a river; a common theme lately. So common that I can't sort out the river details of this dream from other river dreams.
The setting is a kind homestead/campus/resort. Lots of people there, very much a sense of family and small community.
The work evolved into a council. We were preparing for some kind of war. It was coming. It was inevitable. At some point in the meeting, we decided "Wait a minute! We are in charge here. We can just say NO to war." It felt good.
Next scene we were doing homestead and resort type things around the campus; playing and working. I was so used to being naked that I was running around doing my regular meetings and work and playing without even realizing that I was still naked. Pretty much nobody cared. It was freeing to be honestly me. Eventually an in-law was stressed out by my nakedness and I started to feel naked.
Next scene I was playing with kids. Trying to surprise or impress them by flying around; jumping to their treehouse or attic fort. This was a little different from my normal flying dreams. Instead of being infatuated with the fact that I can fly, it is just matter of fact. I have accepted it and I am not afraid to show it as I play with the kids. They weren't terribly impressed either. They just accepted it.
The common theme seems to be acceptance of who I am, and the powers that go with that.
war decision
flying, playing with kids
We were working on a river; a common theme lately. So common that I can't sort out the river details of this dream from other river dreams.
The setting is a kind homestead/campus/resort. Lots of people there, very much a sense of family and small community.
The work evolved into a council. We were preparing for some kind of war. It was coming. It was inevitable. At some point in the meeting, we decided "Wait a minute! We are in charge here. We can just say NO to war." It felt good.
Next scene we were doing homestead and resort type things around the campus; playing and working. I was so used to being naked that I was running around doing my regular meetings and work and playing without even realizing that I was still naked. Pretty much nobody cared. It was freeing to be honestly me. Eventually an in-law was stressed out by my nakedness and I started to feel naked.
Next scene I was playing with kids. Trying to surprise or impress them by flying around; jumping to their treehouse or attic fort. This was a little different from my normal flying dreams. Instead of being infatuated with the fact that I can fly, it is just matter of fact. I have accepted it and I am not afraid to show it as I play with the kids. They weren't terribly impressed either. They just accepted it.
The common theme seems to be acceptance of who I am, and the powers that go with that.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Another building Dream
The phone woke me up in the middle of a dream, so it was easy to remember. In character, this was a somewhat unremarkable dream because it was processing concerns that have been on my mind lately. The interesting part was the setting.
It was a rather large building overlooking a valley. Hunt Technologies occupied the ground floor. We were no longer involved with Hunt Tech, but they were the amiable neighbors below us. Our current business was having a meeting of about 20 salesmen and managers on the main floor. I was concerned that the sales people didn't fully understand some basic principle of their job.
Wrapped around our business space was a school that was operating successfully. We apparently had been instrumental in founding it. I was currently mad at Lynn for donating another $120,000 to it without even consulting me.
The building is quite the metaphor for our current life. Hunt Tech is both beneath us and supporting us; sort of a foundation. The view over the valley is reminiscent of where I grew up and of Hunt Tech's location. Our current business is just beginning to get sales oriented. A school is wrapped around our current business, not the center of it, but much of the outer face of it.
It was a rather large building overlooking a valley. Hunt Technologies occupied the ground floor. We were no longer involved with Hunt Tech, but they were the amiable neighbors below us. Our current business was having a meeting of about 20 salesmen and managers on the main floor. I was concerned that the sales people didn't fully understand some basic principle of their job.
Wrapped around our business space was a school that was operating successfully. We apparently had been instrumental in founding it. I was currently mad at Lynn for donating another $120,000 to it without even consulting me.
The building is quite the metaphor for our current life. Hunt Tech is both beneath us and supporting us; sort of a foundation. The view over the valley is reminiscent of where I grew up and of Hunt Tech's location. Our current business is just beginning to get sales oriented. A school is wrapped around our current business, not the center of it, but much of the outer face of it.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Dream about house.
When you dream about exploring a house, it usually means that you are exploring yourself.
Last night I found myself in the basement family room of a big old house that was reminiscent of my parent's house in Fargo. Walking out the door of the family room you enter a little ante room made of old bricks. To your left is the door to Dad's shop. I had gone that path countless times before, but as I glanced left into the shop, for the first time I noticed there was a door straight ahead too.
The path through the doorway straight ahead goes down a short hallway, then expands into a large underground urban area of residential and artisan shops. Further down it gets wider and more commercial, with handy stores for anything I might need. I am thrilled to discover that my house is closely and conveniently connected to this whole community.
Last night I found myself in the basement family room of a big old house that was reminiscent of my parent's house in Fargo. Walking out the door of the family room you enter a little ante room made of old bricks. To your left is the door to Dad's shop. I had gone that path countless times before, but as I glanced left into the shop, for the first time I noticed there was a door straight ahead too.
The path through the doorway straight ahead goes down a short hallway, then expands into a large underground urban area of residential and artisan shops. Further down it gets wider and more commercial, with handy stores for anything I might need. I am thrilled to discover that my house is closely and conveniently connected to this whole community.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Dreaming in blue
This morning while I was still dreaming, I began to realize that my dreams were basically in black and white with certain features highlighted in blue. At some point I started to realize that this was weird and wondered what was going on.
Then I thought; maybe this a communication technique. Maybe something inside me was trying to get a message to my consciousness. As soon as that thought became conscious, there was a rapid fire series of pictures with blue highlights; too many to absorb. Kind of like someone excited at finally getting your attention and then talking so fast that you can't follow them.
Some of the pictures looked like DNA sequences, highlighting interesting segments. I waited too long before writing this down so many of the other pictures have faded. I hope there are more such communication opportunities.
Then I thought; maybe this a communication technique. Maybe something inside me was trying to get a message to my consciousness. As soon as that thought became conscious, there was a rapid fire series of pictures with blue highlights; too many to absorb. Kind of like someone excited at finally getting your attention and then talking so fast that you can't follow them.
Some of the pictures looked like DNA sequences, highlighting interesting segments. I waited too long before writing this down so many of the other pictures have faded. I hope there are more such communication opportunities.
New board member?
Yesterday I was lying face down on the massage table. Karlene was almost done; doing the final touches on my shoulders. Suddenly I was clearly viewing the scene from above the table. Next to Karlene, to my right was the spirit of an old black indigenous woman with long white kinky hair.
Seeing her as I did from above and behind her left shoulder, her hair was most prominent, and I could only see her face as an outline; a caricature of an old crone with a rather bulbous nose.
At a glance she looked like a shaman or a witch, very old and wise. She was mostly spirit. Whatever body may have been under the long kinky white hair was nondescript.
Suddenly she jumped inside of me.
That move was unexpected, but welcome. I feel that her skills are needed as the next phase of life unfolds.
Seeing her as I did from above and behind her left shoulder, her hair was most prominent, and I could only see her face as an outline; a caricature of an old crone with a rather bulbous nose.
At a glance she looked like a shaman or a witch, very old and wise. She was mostly spirit. Whatever body may have been under the long kinky white hair was nondescript.
Suddenly she jumped inside of me.
That move was unexpected, but welcome. I feel that her skills are needed as the next phase of life unfolds.
Monday, October 05, 2009
Well said
The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth.
Niels Bohr
Niels Bohr
Monday, September 07, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Hugs and tears all around
Kate drew her last breath at 10:57 this morning.
No one has ever had more loving people to spend their last hours with.
No one has ever had more loving people to spend their last hours with.
Sent from my iPhone
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Are microbes God?
Classical characteristics attributed to God
Omnipresent; God is everywhere
If we define space as it relates to life as the biosphere, certainly everywhere there is life there are microbes.
Omniscient; God knows everything
Within the biosphere, microbes are the first to know just about anything. Certainly they know when a sparrow dies.
Timeless; Always was, always will be.
The extent of time as it relates to the biosphere started with microbes and will end with microbes long after "higher" life forms are gone.
Lives within you
90% of the cells in your body are not yours, they are microbes.
In some ways our bodies are vehicles designed to serve microbes. We are their cities.
So, have a little respect for the bacteria and fungi and viruses.
"What you do for the least of us, you do for me."
Omnipresent; God is everywhere
If we define space as it relates to life as the biosphere, certainly everywhere there is life there are microbes.
Omniscient; God knows everything
Within the biosphere, microbes are the first to know just about anything. Certainly they know when a sparrow dies.
Timeless; Always was, always will be.
The extent of time as it relates to the biosphere started with microbes and will end with microbes long after "higher" life forms are gone.
Lives within you
90% of the cells in your body are not yours, they are microbes.
In some ways our bodies are vehicles designed to serve microbes. We are their cities.
So, have a little respect for the bacteria and fungi and viruses.
"What you do for the least of us, you do for me."
Friday, August 14, 2009
Birthday present
Now it is bath time at the beach.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Patterns: A day in the life of... Life
The molecular citizens of the primordial soup learned how to get along. They discovered it took less effort, they could be more comfortable, when they arranged themselves into certain patterns. They were even more comfortable if they made copies of themselves, creating a new level of social interaction, and thus more control over their environment. As they discovered these new concepts, they probably weren't aware that they were following an ancient pattern. These concepts had been discovered, and followed, many times before at levels smaller than they were concerned with; the levels that created them.
Eventually, some groups of citizens figured out that they could control their environment better if they put a wall around themselves. Walling off some private space, defending turf, turned out to be a potent concept. It allowed the groups inside to work closer as teams, with little interference from the natural chaos outside. Those teams got efficient. They became ever more sophisticated. The walled in areas became busy cities; each busily engaged running their internal machinery to help them survive better.
Surviving better means conquering space; wrestling it from the chaos and taming it so it can make you more comfortable. The space these cities operated in was a primordial soup of organic chemicals. To conquer it more completely took more size and sophistication than any one city could muster. Soon the cities got together in teams. As they organized, each city became a cell in a much larger machine.
It was efficient. These multi-cell machines developed into tools that could capture nutrients and process them to feed the many cities inside. It turns out that a really rich form of nutrients can be had by raiding other cities; so the machines developed offensive tools to chew up other cities for food. Then of course they had to develop better defense; not only from the chaos, but from the many other competing organizations. A new kind of space was born; competition from other multi-cellular organisms.
Even in our language, we often refer to head space, or cyber space, or the space that a certain business is competing in. It turns out that every time a new idea or type of organization proliferates, it creates new space. Then there is both co-operation and intense competition for control within that space.
Eventually, some groups of citizens figured out that they could control their environment better if they put a wall around themselves. Walling off some private space, defending turf, turned out to be a potent concept. It allowed the groups inside to work closer as teams, with little interference from the natural chaos outside. Those teams got efficient. They became ever more sophisticated. The walled in areas became busy cities; each busily engaged running their internal machinery to help them survive better.
Surviving better means conquering space; wrestling it from the chaos and taming it so it can make you more comfortable. The space these cities operated in was a primordial soup of organic chemicals. To conquer it more completely took more size and sophistication than any one city could muster. Soon the cities got together in teams. As they organized, each city became a cell in a much larger machine.
It was efficient. These multi-cell machines developed into tools that could capture nutrients and process them to feed the many cities inside. It turns out that a really rich form of nutrients can be had by raiding other cities; so the machines developed offensive tools to chew up other cities for food. Then of course they had to develop better defense; not only from the chaos, but from the many other competing organizations. A new kind of space was born; competition from other multi-cellular organisms.
Even in our language, we often refer to head space, or cyber space, or the space that a certain business is competing in. It turns out that every time a new idea or type of organization proliferates, it creates new space. Then there is both co-operation and intense competition for control within that space.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
More than you think
Paul Hunt is wondering if we (our physical bodies) are merely the fruiting bodies of a vast network of cosmic connections... sort of like mushrooms are merely the fruiting bodies of a vast network of fungal connections.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Time to write
I used to have time to write.
I not only wrote on this blog, but I wrote on the HUG blogs and took hours for each entry to choose and edit photos.
What changed?
What am I doing with that time now?
I not only wrote on this blog, but I wrote on the HUG blogs and took hours for each entry to choose and edit photos.
What changed?
What am I doing with that time now?
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