Starbucks, Straws, China and Plastics

   
     Plastics are destroying the oceans and will harm human life far worse than can be imagined. Starbucks will phase out plastic straws. (Plastic straws everywhere need to become a thing of the past.) However, the strong Starbucks push into China will more than undo any good that will come from this change. China is the number one source of plastic contaminating the Pacific, followed by Indonesia and then the Philippines. The sad reality is that these countries and many others lack the ability to properly remove and dispose of plastics, styrofoam and other oil based contaminants. Starbucks in China and in these other countries only adds to the plastics and other non biodegradable trash that ends up in the oceans.
       It is too bad the day is long gone in which there were thousands of small coffee shops, now replaced by Starbucks, where people were served coffee and tea in cups that were washed and reused. The convenience of the fast food and beverage industry exacts a cost that none of them bear. Their trash ends up in the oceans.
       It is not enough to stop the use of plastic straws. Starbucks and all the players in the fast food industry must be held accountable for the packaging materials they use, and where it ends up.

Religious Diversity, Not Religious Domination, Makes The World A Better Place

     If the day comes in which the whole world submits to one religion, that will be a terrible time to be alive. The world is a more interesting place when there are diverse religions, faiths, ideas and beliefs. Religion should be the road to better character; kinder, braver, more compassionate people. It should not be the road to mindless conformity. The more religion turns people into mindless slaves, the more the slaves can easily be turned into hate filled violent animals.
   

Puppy Mills, Animal Abusers And The Lucrative World Of Animal Organizations And Shelters

      There is a well funded animal organization that is claiming getting a dog from an animal shelter is the way to stop puppy mills. Many nonprofits make all kinds of unchallenged claims. Although there are small scale and other animal shelters that are not money making, greedy enterprises, this cannot be said for a number of animal organizations and shelters. They have helped make animal cruelty and dog fighting some of the easiest crimes to commit (refer to previous blogs for details). The no kill movement and many animal activists and animal organizations have trivialized animal cruelty and proven themselves to be better friends to animal abusers than to man's best friend. They have made sure that a dog fighter, for example, has a greater chance of getting struck by lightning than ever getting arrested.
        Untold numbers of puppies are pouring into the United States to feed the insatiable demand for shelter animals. It is big business, and it is fueling puppy mills abroad, and surely in the United states. There is little to no tracking, no monitoring, no accounting regarding these animals.
        Shelter adoptions does not decrease puppy mills, no matter what propaganda an organization may spin. In fact, the opposite is occuring.
        There needs to be oversight in the very lucrative business of animal organizations and shelters. Too often the only difference between a pet shop and animal shelter is that the former pays taxes.
     

Nursing Homes And How To Save The Government A Fortune, Create Jobs, Reduce Suffering

      There are many people living in nursing homes where the government is paying a fortune through medicare or another program, and where the care is of a low quality. Often, the only one benefiting is the nursing home. There are many times in which a friend or family member is more than willing and able to take care for the disabled, aged and/or infirmed person living in the nursing home, but cannot do so for financial reasons. The government does not mind paying nursing homes a fortune for the poor quality of care the nursing home often provides, but is unwilling to pay what would be a far lesser amount to willing and able individuals to care for people outside of nursing homes. Many spouses would gladly remove their loved one from a nursing home if only they were paid, and therefore could afford to do so. If the government did pay the willing and able people to care for people that would otherwise be in nursing homes, the government would save a fortune, employment would be provided to many, and the quality of life would dramatically improve for many aged, infirmed and disabled people.`

        There would have to be oversight to ensure patients living outside of nursing homes are receiving proper care. This is necessary regardless of whether or not patients live in or out of nursing homes.
         Unfortunately, many times friends and family members are unwilling to take care of disabled, infirmed and aged friends or relatives. But there are enough times in which capable friends and family members are more than willing to provide such care, but cannot do so for financial reasons, as already mentioned. Providing full time, quality care is a full time job, and many people cannot commit to such an endeavor without receiving monetary compensation. (Caregivers, just like the cared for, must be adequately respected. Their labor has to be recognized and rewarded, regardless of the circumstances, and not exploited.) 

         By changing the dynamic in which aged, infirm and disabled people too easily end up in nursing homes instead of in warm, loving homes, an enormous amount of money will be saved and an enormous amount of suffering will be reduced. To top it off, countless jobs will be added to the economy. 

When Stocks And Politicians Mix. Congressman Indicted

      A Republican congressman from New York has been indicted on insider trading charges. Many other politicians have become enriched from stock deals that are not illegal, but that are not available to the average unconnected person. Politicians prove time and time again that they cannot separate their personal financial interests from their politics.
      The few firewalls in place are not enough. During the time congressmen, congresswomen, senators and other leaders are in office, they should not be allowed to hold individual stock positions, and their assets should go into blind trusts. This will help prevent conflicts of interest, make for better governance, and disincentivize politics as the road to riches.
       

Animal Rescue And The Animal Organizations Helping Dog Trafficking And Puppy Mills

     Previous blogs discuss extensively the way many animal organizations and animal advocates have helped make dog fighting and animal cruelty some of the easiest crimes to commit. This blog will not revisit that. Nor will it address how the animal no kill movement has trivialized real animal cruelty, and helps serve the interests of animal abusers and animal hoarders.
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      Years ago, a prominent, well funded animal organization euthanized three healthy pit bull puppies. A badly burned pitbull female was kept alive. Why, one of the veterinarians was asked, were the puppies euthanized, but the suffering, burnt dog was kept alive? He sheepishly responded that he did not know why, but had to go along with what he was ordered to do.
      Later, the organization received extensive free publicity for saving the burnt dog, after she underwent painful surgeries. The puppies, which had been promptly euthanized, would never have generated that kind of free publicity.
      Shortly thereafter, when a three legged dog was recovered, a number of organizations fought to get her - because playing on heartstrings, a huge source of money- is the name of the game.
      Because of the American love affair for dogs- the mindless manipulation of heartstrings and sentiment- animal rescue has become big business. The more pathetic and moving the story an animal shelter or organization can make up, the more the pull on heartstrings, the greater the contributions.
      The shameless exploitation of animals and animal cruelty has led to fame and fortune for many animal organizations and advocates. Not only has it contributed to the dysfunctional approach to dogfighting and animal cruelty (again, discussed in previous blogs), but it has opened the door to the massive inflow of dogs and puppies from outside of the United States. Animal rescue has become big business for not only a number of so called animal advocates and animal organizations, but also for the hidden industry, inside and outside of the United States, that provides these shelters with the so called rescue dogs and puppies that feed the enormous demand.
       

Islam And Christianity Are Not The Only Religions. Tolerance In A World Of Trash

        The world is drowning in plastics, other trash, poisons and contaminants, and while it becomes increasingly degraded, some of the world's religions, instead of addressing this destruction, instead are devoted to domination and proving other religions wrong.

        The arguments that a number of people make that Christianity or Islam are the only correct religions or path for the whole world conveniently forget that even those these two religions are the world's largest and most dominant, they are not the only religions on the planet. Hinduism, Buddhism, Baha'is, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Judaism, Jainism, just to name a few, conveniently get drowned out.

        There is not a single person walking the face of this earth that knows for sure what happens upon death, or what is God. People can only say what they believe or were brainwashed into believing. The religions that originated from the middle east are not the only valid ones, despite what many of their adherents think. The religions that originated and exist in what is now India, the rest of Asia, the Amazon jungle, Africa and other places are no less valid. Fortunately, not all religions in the world seek worldwide expansion and domination.

         No one can say for sure that Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Jainism, or another religion is true and correct. Again, people can only say what they were taught to believe or what they were brainwashed into believing. 

          No religion should preach hate, intolerance, and the demeaning of other people. No religion should resort to the use of violence to expand or maintain its membership. If religion is not promoting kindness, compassion, courage, goodwill and tolerance, then it is useless. No one can know with certainty what is the true religion or faith. But it is easy to know with certainty that when religion promotes hate, intolerance, greed, selfishness, violence, domination, mindless conformity, the subjugation of others, then it is following an evil path. 

           Religious tolerance means tolerance of people of other faiths. This does not mean rolling over when people of different faiths try to shove their beliefs down the throats of others. No religion should be above scrutiny and critical examination, especially when it insists only it is correct and true.

           Imagine if religions, which have spread like wildfire while earth turns into a sewer, spent  time and effort having their members pick up the massive amounts of garbage that now poison the oceans and lands.