THOUGHT FOR TODAY

ABRAHAM LINCOLN - Quotations

“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”

‘Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.”

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

“As President, I have no eyes but constitutional eyes; I cannot see you.”

“When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion.”

“The Bible is not my book, and Christianity is not my religion. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian dogma.”

“Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.”

– Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). 16^th President of the USA 1861-1865

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

THOMAS JEFFERSON - Quotations

“The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.”

“The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object.”

“War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong; and multiplies, instead of indemnifying losses.”

“A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public debt…If the game runs sometime against us at home, we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at stake.”

“The flames kindled on the Fourth of July, 1776, have spread over too much of the globe to be extinguished by the feeble engines of despotism; on the contrary, they will consume these engines and all who work them.”

“I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power.” –

“No man will ever bring out of the Presidency the reputation which carries him into it. To myself, personally, it brings nothing but increasing drudgery and daily loss of friends.”

“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.”

— Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). Third USA President 1801-1809

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

BLOT ON CIVILISATION

–Another peep into history. – By: Randall Butisingh

Letter sent to the Guiana Graphic around 1960 when Apartheid was in its highest degradation of Black South Africans while a neutral world passively observes.

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The monstrous policy of Apartheid in South Africa which aims at dividing humanity is a blot on civilization and an insult, not only to the coloured race, but to every seeker of truth in this age.

If the conscience of the world is not awakened to this outrage on humanity, and if this state of affairs is allowed to continue with no pressure being to brought to bear on it by world opinion and the custodians of democracy, then our avowed democratic institutions will be made to suffer.

It behooves us at this time to remember the prophecy of Haile Selassie when he witnessed the attitude of the Western Powers in the unprovoked invasion of Abyssinia by the Italians led by their fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. That prophecy was fulfilled in the Second World War. Dante said “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those, who in a period of moral crisis maintain their neutrality.” This applies to individuals as well as to groups.

It is heartening; however, that the Church in South Africa is taking a courageous stand in this matter, and it is hoped that the Church in the entire world will give its moral support. Loyalty to country is a good thing, but loyalty to heaven is far worthier. Humanity is of far more importance than Race. The former which is indivisible embraces all races; the latter is the result of geographical influences and can be divided by artificial barriers and also of prejudice.

At this critical period of world history, such a situation should exercise the minds of all Truth seekers. It is especially a challenge to Christians, whose duty it is, at any place, at any time, to defend fearlessly the rights of the individual and the dignity of the Human Race. In so doing they will be helping in securing Harmony and Peace.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION.

In 1935, Mussolini invaded Ethiopia (then Abyssinia). Haile Selassie, its emperor was forced into exile in 1936. He appealed to the League of Nations for help, but received none. During World War II, the British helped to reinstate him. He ruled until 1974, when he was deposed by the army and imprisoned in his palace because of famine, unemployment and political unrest.

Mussolini, on the other hand, against advice, joined Hitler and declared war in 1940. After his defeat, he tried to escape but was pursued by Italian communists and executed with his mistress Cllaretta Petacci. Their bodies were hung downward in the Piazza Loretto in Milan. The mass of Italians greeted his death with no regret.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

CIVIL SERVANTS OR CIVIL MASTERS

(Another peep into history)

Letter written to the Guiana Graphic when Kwame Nkrumah. The Ghanian president was removed by a coup in 1966.

I am in thorough agreement with your leader on Tuesday last – “Civil Servants or Civil Masters”. I would like to add that I am disappointed in the attitude of the Ghanian premier..

In this age when good relationships are necessary for international peace, I consider his remarks uncharitable and of bad taste. It must have been humiliating to the Britons present who served the country in its Colonial Status. As a leader who practiced some Gandhism for the liberation of his country, he has not learnt the lesson.

Humanity is indivisible and it is our duty to welcome all regardless of race, colour or creed as equals. Colonialism is an important stage in the development of some countries. It is only hazardous when it fails to raise the standard of living and the quality of life of the individual. It is the childhood stage of a nation in the making and has many advantages. Nkrumah himself is a product of what he calls Colonialism, and he is no mean product.

Life is made up of the bitter and the sweet, sorrow and joy, the rose and its thorns. If Ghanians had paid for their Independence, as India did, with Blood, Tears and Sweat, it would have meant all the more to them, and they would have all been stronger for the experience.

A struggle-less existence results in a moral namby-pambyness which is degenerating and disintegrating. Let Guianese too learn this lesson.

Randall Butisingh

Background Information:

In 1950 Nkrumah initiated a campaign of “positive action” when he practiced Ghandism by involving non-violent protests, strikes and non-cooperation with the British Colonial authorities. In 1952, he became Prime Minister of the Gold Coast. In 1957 he became Prime Minister of the Gold Coast and British Togoland when they became an independent state within the British Commonwealth.. It was here where he made the tactless utterance: “You may remain here as civil servants but not as civil masters”. By a plebiscite in 1966 Ghana became a Republic and Nkrumah its President with wide executive powers under a new constitution. Nkrumah did well at first and the country prospered, but later he became involved in campaigning for the political unity of Black Africa. He began to lose touch with realities in Ghana. He became involved in magnificent but ruinous projects, so that a once prosperous country became crippled with debt.

In 1966, when Nkrumah was visiting Peking, the army and police seized power. Nkrumah found asylum in Guinea. He died of cancer in Bucharest in i972.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

INTERNET NEUTRALITY

The Internet was created some 15 years ago and its real effects are now being felt around the world. It has literally overturned the way we communicate and do business and its democratic influence threatens the vested interests in business, governments and repressive entities. Internet neutrality must be maintained if the Internet is to achieve its fullest potential. The plan for Humanity Lobotomy has to be prevented.

The following video discusses this important issue of “Internet Neutrality”, which is the democratic use of the Internet by all users based on their connection speed. In today’s Internet the Internet provider (telephone or cable company) supplies a connection only and does not control the content with fees to large users, however the large media corporations see the effect of the democratic media on their monopolies and are in the process of locking down the Internet by establishing various levels of service.

This issue of Net Neutrality which threatens to lobotomize the communications future of the Internet has become a hot issue in the USA elections in 2008, where members of Congress are being queried and measured on their stance on this most important subject, as it is the Congress that will give the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the power to allow a tiered Internet to become a reality.

This could spell the end of the Internet as we know it as speed limitations are put on “free services” not paying the premiums. The Internet could then follow the way of the printing press, radio and television back in the hands of monopolies and oligopolies. If the USA implements any laws that affect Internet neutrality other nations will surely follow, and therefore this is a very important issue that has to be addressed to ensure a democratic Internet in the years to come. Here is the Video entitled “Humanity Lobotomy” - Second Draft:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP_3WnJ42kw

I do hope you find this content interesting and would pass it on to your friends

.– Cyril Bryan

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

INDIA’S POSITION IN THE COMMONWEALTH

— Another peep into history (1947)

When Nehru the Prime Minister of the British dominion made history by advancing the country to the status of a Republic within the Commonwealth, political diehards thought that such a situation was, if not undesirable was impracticable. The bond was too frail, they thought, to hold together these two nations who appeared so geographically and ethnically in contrast. Many thought that a final break would have been the normal thing, but Nehuu who towers head and shoulders above most of the best statesmen of our time and is politically far advanced for this age, in a stroke of policy shattered the misconception of friend and foe.

Nehru is no hot-headed political opportunist; he is a cool, able statesman with a remarkable capacity for self-suffering. Lacking a genius for religion, agnostic in outlook, he sees the wisdom of following the advice of that great spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi who did not believe in isolation and race segregation. The fact that he was in and out of prison for fourteen years did not blind him to their intrinsic worth.

The execution of justice by fallible and selfish men which often obscure the brilliance of Democracy is no fault of the system, but of its interpretation and implementation. Again the ties which bound these two peoples and which could not be severed by the stroke of a pen, could not possibly have failed detection by a leader as astute as Nehru.

At present, language has a strong hold on the people. Nehru himself was educated as a lawyer in England. He speaks fluent, polished English, and though the Government is reverting to Hindi as the official language, the fascination with English among the educated cannot be outlived.

Cricket, too, has played and important part in binding these two nations together. India, on account of its huge population has millions of fans, and if the true significance if the game could be grasped, Britain will endeavour to select, not only skilful men, but men of moral worth to play into the hearts of India and Pakistan,

It might have been evident to the Prime minister that breaking away from a nation to whom India has learnt much, notwithstanding the blunders of British statesmen in dealing with the Indian situation, would have been tactless and drastic. So by retaining the Sovereign as the symbol of a free people, he has not only shown vision and superb statesmanship, but has quite appropriately paid tribute to one of the finest evolved democratic institutions in the world.

British statesmen erred in not believing that India was no politically ripe for conducting her own affairs, but Indians proved their ability by running the gauntlet of restriction, imprisonment and lathi charges. They, like the cultured people they are, refused to be bitter or to evince hatred or malice, but have shown a willingness to cooperate in the interest of humanity.

India’s mission is peace and the brotherhood of man. Her independence of Britain gives more status to their relationship. Here is a friendly and spiritual bond which transcends the geographic and ethnic ties of the other members of the Commonwealth.

— Randall Butisingh

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

ONLY A BREATHING SPACE

Article written when the Venezuelan Government made its preposterous claim to the whole of the Essequebo county, in Guyana.

It is to be regretted that a final settlement concerning the Venezuelan claim to two-thirds of Guyana’s soil could not have been made. As the situation is at present, our delegation to the Geneva conference has only achieved a breathing space, after which we are likely to be faced with another preposterous claim by our neighbour.

The anticipation of this possibility by loyal and responsible Guyanese will surely cause some uneasiness.. It is sad that at this stage of the human race when education and the achievements in science are removing geographical and cultural barriers, short sighted nations should try to extent territory. Mankind is one and indivisible and prosperity is not to be found in national surfeiting, but in the use of all the resources of the world for the whole human race.

It seems, however, that man’s political advancement has not kept pace with his remarkable scientific mind. He has failed so far in his quest for a happy and peaceful coexistence simply because his politics lags behind his scientific progress.

Let us hope that our neighbour will realize the vanity and futility of their aspiration, and try to achieve, instead, peaceful coexistence. And let us also hope that this momentous matter will help to weld Guyanese of every ethnic group into a united nation, using our own mistakes of the past as lessons for tolerance, goodwill and harmony among ourselves.

— Randall Butisingh

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

CHOOSING A LEADER

Christian ministers and their flocks, people who profess to follow Jesus, but are only acting contrary to His teachings, and hundreds of millions whose sweat and tears are funding this devastating spree of murder and mayhem, and are doing nothing to stop it. It is true: the people get the Government they deserve.

No one is fit for leadership who is born with a silver spoon in his mouth, who wallows in luxury, never knows hunger and is oblivious of the suffering of the poor and needy; and has not been burnished in the crucible of Adversity.

It was Abraham Lincoln, that great leader who had to walk twelve miles to get an education and split logs for a living who said: “Am I not destroying my enemy when I make him my friend?” and Woodrow Wilson when he said: “Friendship is the only cement that will hold the world together.” But born again Christians think otherwise. You don’t have to turn the other cheek; you don’t even have to wait to retaliate after an attack, you only have to act on suspicion and preempt an assault. It doesn’t matter how many of your soldiers you put at risk, or how many innocent civilians get slain. Did not the God of the Old Testament order his chosen people to slaughter a whole nation, men women and children and even animals? Were not those His children also?

Where was Bob Dole after his defeat by Bill Clinton.? What has he been doing after his defeat? Clinton served two terms as president under many limitations, but he balanced the budget and left a surplus, and now he is spending his money and time in helping poor people in Africa. The world loves him; he gets applause wherever he goes.

What legacy will the current U.S. President George Bush leave? What will he do when he leaves office?

— Randall Butisingh

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

MAHATMA GANDHI - QUOTATIONS

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall - think of it, always.” -

“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is brought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?” -

“Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.” -

“I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.”

“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.” -

– Mahatma Gandhi

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

SPECIALIZATION AND INTERDEPENDENCE

There can be no doubt, that the prosperity of the industrial nations since the Second World War has been due largely to global specialization and interdependence. No one country does all tasks today — products are designed in one country, produced in another and assembled in a third. The increased standard of living resulting from global specialization in turn has led to the growth of the modern welfare state, including an increased demand for economic security and social measures which guarantee politically-determined minimum consumption standards for citizens.

Mervyn Krauss - How Nations Grow Rich: The Case for Free Trade - Oxford University Press 1997

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The following article: “Specialization and Interdependence”, was written by Randall Butisingh and published in the Guiana Graphic newspaper in 1955.

Specialization is an important factor in the march of civilization. In primitive time man was wholly dependent on himself for his living. Whatever he enjoyed had been the fruits of his own efforts. He had been his own carpenter, tailor, cook, boat builder, soldier and the sole provider of all his daily needs and possessions which had been in the main, necessities. Naturally, the standard of his living had been low, as he depended solely on hunting and fishing and he ate when he could find game. But from so humble a beginning, when man’s concept of God was embryonic and narrow and his itineration constricted within a narrow periphery, emerged man the reflection of Divine Personality and the conqueror of time and space.

This progress of his achievement has been built up gradually throughout the ages by his indomitable an unconquerable spirit until it culminated in the highly advanced civilization that appears today.

In this process all his faculties came into play, and from scattered primitive huts appeared villages, and later towns. That was the beginning of specialization with opportunity for leisure and the advance of civilization.

Later as a wider concept of God developed and letters were invented, man’s thinking developed, his amenities multiplied, his standard of living rose and there became a greater need for specialization.

So a state of society evolved with its farmers, carpenters, tailors, brain workers and manual workers, spiritual preceptors, teachers, doctors, lawyers, musicians and the like; and where one occupation may have various branches of specialists; all for man’s cultural advancement - a high standard of living and a good standard of life. This state of affairs calls for a greater measure of interdependence and the refusal of one group to cooperate will cause serious inconvenience or harm to the whole social structure.

Because of this opportunity for specialization, man has been able to rise to great scientific and cultural heights. The specialist is a product of society and exists for the benefit of humanity.

This precarious interdependence in our highly evolved modern society posits the indivisibility of humanity and the unity of spirit. Man then cannot build barriers of racial or national prejudices against his fellow men. Every unit is necessary, however insignificant it may appear by itself, in the whole pattern of the mosaic structure of modern society.

Now that man has overcome time and space by the speed of his inventions, segregated nations have become neighbours, and natural and artificial barriers will now be ineffective against an invader. With increasing population, the need for modern conveniences to keep pace with life and the natural resources not evenly distributed, nations too have become interdependent, and there should not remain the invisible barriers of prejudice and isolationism which divide mankind and frustrate unity.

That spiritual development has not kept pace with scientific progress has been the bane of society through the centuries. All scientific progress in man points to a global unity, not geographic, national or political, but a spiritual and moral one, a recognition of Universal Brotherhood which according to Sir Patrick Renison is not only a general impulse, but a Divine command.

Man the animal is recalcitrant. Dick Sheppard, that bold cleric once remarked that long after the ape has been driven out of man, there remains the donkey. If man does not heed this longing of his higher self for unity, and continues to be led by his baser nature, his own tangible means of self-preservation will prove his undoing..

Randall Butisingh