Worthwhile Papers from the World

Worthwhile Papers from the World Renowned Tanner Lectures : Perceptions of Caring and "Fairness"

The following Brilliant works are part of the world renowned Tanner Lectures conducted exclusively at the Universities of Cambridge, Harvard, Michigan, Oxford, Princeton, Stanford, Utah, Yale, and the University of California. The goal is to offer a few ideas which will engage people to Think, promote equality and fairness, increase social justice and empower people for positive change! More than anything else... since knowledge is often times power... please feel free to empower yourself... It is said the pen is mightier than the sword... If you should feel so compelled, please share the ideas that follow with others that may find them interesting or beneficial! For more information on the The Tanner Lectures you can visit their home at UC Berkeley. http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/tanner/about.shtml If you should need to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader Here Is The Link: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html Also, please be advised that some of these scholarly works, medical journals and articles are intended for a mature audience. While we have tried to indicate as such before presenting the paper or issue, we would like to preclude any "maturity issues." Thank you. Finally, you may want to have a dictionary on hand; some of these papers are Extraordinary ( hence world renowned ) but also very "articulate," so to speak (www.websters.com ) 1) Social Justice in the Age of Identity Politics: Redistribution, Recognition, and Participation Social Justice is not about a Utopia or a "Dream World," just creating a better and fairer world... as our shrinking world is not so much about "white," "black," "brown," or "yellow" any more --- but more so about green...

http://www.tannerlectures.utah.edu/lectures/Fraser98.pdf By- NANCY FRASER --- New School for Social Re-search.

=================== In relation to the above, certainly Men's rights are important, but we think Men's rights don't necessarily detract from women's rights. On the contrary, we think as Women's rights are addressed and progress is made, this will not only lead to equal distribution of ( Economic, Social, etc. ) Power --- but will more generally benefit Society as a whole... But that's just our opinion. Women's Studies in Religion Brings New Voices, Perspectives http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/1998/05.14/WomensStudiesin.html By Susan G. Parker, Harvard University The 19th-century women's rights movement was a religious movement, even in its own language" ( Parker, 1).

Women's Labor Force Attachment Patterns and Maternity Leave: A Review of the Literature http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0032/twps0032.html#Abstract It is only consistent that if "women's work" should be valued equally in the private sphere and domain of the household, then they should progressively have equal participation in the public sphere... depending on people's personalities, education, circumstances and so forth. It would only be "equal" and Consistent to have undefined gender roles where either the man or the woman can take on the roles of a breadwinner / home-maker. Certainly any person who is looking out for their own Best Interest will say I want equal respect at home but not in the work place, ( you do the work, make the money, and I enjoy the fruits of women's equality ) but women certainly have the choice not to be selfish. For the sake of consistency, among other things, there should be equality in Both the private sphere ( domain of the household ) and the Public sphere ( depending on the talents, opportunities, education, inheritance, social justice and many other ideas and values ). Certainly it is only our opinion but we are proponents of the Practice of equality amongst gender roles. If male's Egos and pride really are tied to how much money they make (especially relative to their heterosexual spouses), we are a sorry lot indeed --- as Mr. Einstien would say. Equality in gender roles means equality and equal respect in both the public sphere (either person being the breadwinner) and the private sphere (either person being the home-maker)... depending on circumstances, personality, who has which talents, more money, inheritance, or simply put, more POWER in the relationship; hence the need for that person to use their power "justly" to reach equality of gender roles. Certainly we must be fair if there is to be equality... Even if we don't live in a utopia or a "dream world" we can still strive for equality and fairness to create a better world for ourselves and for others. While maternity leave is progressive ( certainly for working women ), adoption will always be a wonderful option in our view. We don't really prescribe to a aristocratic philosophy of a "blood line," or a purely selfish interest motivation for having kids only for social security, survival of one's race, religion or class! We've always compared this type of thinking to a playground where children only associate with their "kind," or teenagers associating only with their "cliques;" be it because of their cultural background, racial background or skin color.... Even in this context of "saving" one's race one could consider adoption, hopefully with the long-term intention of having a class-less society! http://www.azcentral.com/12news/wednesdayschild/articles/0924wedchild0924Z5-CP.html By: Andrea Christy-Glover -- writer The following story is very interesting.... It does not necessarily depict a "normal" circumstance for a working woman, but it does provide a somewhat realistic example in regards to perils of relatively recent maternity leave provisions for women in the United States (especially where both parents are working). On a broader note, a completely government subsidized social daycare system is probably not going to happen in the US any time soon, which is probably a good thing according most economists. On the other hand, hopefully A Lot more resources will be spent on a private daycare solution that seeks to provide childcare/daycare as a social good (like schools and water)... The benefits of a such a system for women's equality and men's equality are Tremendous. Not only IS the more "talented" person able to share their talents with society, but women in general ARE able to express their professional talents and make a mark in shaping societal history. The reason we use the present tense is because in more socialistic democracies like Sweden, Norway or Switzerland policies are very close to the alternative reality. For example, "Sweden provides 15 months of parental leave at 75 per cent of salary" ( Steve O'Neill , 2 ; from articles below ). We don't agree with a completely socialistic view, but in places like "Finland and France, a choice is offered between a funded childcare place And a home care allowance of equivalent value for up to three years of job-protected parental leave" (Manne, 1). In the Capitalistic states hopefully daycare/childcare will be highly government subsidized and tax-deductible for working mothers and fathers. Certainly, such a system would allow for respite, as was explained in Mrs. Glover's article above. Further, any "inefficiency looses" an economist might argue are More than made up in increased productivity by women being able to express their talents in the workforce, and the equality for Both Men and Women that ensues from such public policy. But that's just Our opinion! Perhaps this issue will be debated in the upcoming election as Maternity leave is progressive, especially in the Capitalistic states. Paid maternity leave just a start http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/12/20/1040174389114.html By: Anne Manne -- Melbourne writer ------- The United States ( http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/pregnantatwork/449.html / http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/pregnantatwork/457.html ) VS. Australia ( http://www.aph.gov.au/library/intguide/ECON/maternity_leave.htm ) & Canada :) ( http://www.workrights.ca/Taking+time+off/juris/Maternity_Federal.htm ) ------- Even though the US is ahead of hundreds of countries, it is still lagging behind others many others... In particular, they have to stop calling maternity leave "temporary disability" --- that implies the second class citizenry of women's labor, de-values Motherhood, Womanhood and more generally the role of women in the workplace... To achieve unbiased gender definitions it is up to WOMEN as much as men to attain equality And fairness... even when it comes to unfortunate circumstances like divorce ( where the man or the woman should be seen as equal caregivers)... To that End, there needs to be a lot of work done to attain gender equality in this area. In the mean time guys.... Treat your wives as queens... otherwise You're going to get Creamed In Divorce Court... and they say character is not important...lol (as a quality in both men And women). No really, it's quite unfair...At bare minimum fathers should only be obligated to pay a "reasonable" amount of money, as the mother is suppose to be contributing to the financial well being of the child as well -- or visa versa if the man has custody of the children (very unlikely unfortunately). It is a very important and serious topic to be considered --- both for men and for women --- please get your parents permission :) On Men's Rights and Issues By- Paul C. Robbins, Ph.D. http://mensnewsdaily.com/archive/r/robbins/03/robbins122003.htm If you don't believe me, just Read the census data: http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/statbriefs/chldsupp.html And for the Feminists ( which we actually support for the Most part -- though not all of us appreciate their means... specifically their male bashing tactics ) -- What is interesting however, is the flavor of feminism which has prevailed. It is not the version that encourages men to be more sensitive, but instead the version that accepts sexual promiscuousness on the part of the woman as a component of women's equality --- This quote has been modified for mature language :) --- please refer to the article for complete language. Thank you. A woman's perspective: http://www.american-partisan.com/cols/2002/alexander/qtr3/0809.htm By- Rachel Alexander J.D. / Editor - Intellectual Conservative The Unfortunate state of Men after divorce : Men's Right Are as Important as Women's Rights... This article bring to light yet again the importance of character and the need for re-thinking what it means to be a "man..." The Sad State of Men After Divorce http://www.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/03/15/divorce.suicide.wmd/ It is our hope that men will be able to express both their strong and companionate sides, such that men are perceived to be intelligent, companionate creatures, rather than just macho brutes --- as a result, we hope men will have equal rights as mothers and that these character traits will go a long ways in ending the horrendous 50% divorce rate! On A Broader Note: Human Rights and Women: The Beijing Conference http://www.law.northwestern.edu/depts/clinic/ihr/display_details.cfm?ID=43&document_type=commentary by Douglass Cassel - Northwestern University School of Law Because this is a broader view of women's rights "it therefore commits governments to nurture key economic and Social Rights, by introducing maternity leave with pay, promoting child care, and ensuring health care during pregnancy." A practical application of theory : The new Afghan Constitution: Will it respect women's rights? http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/01/20/findlaw.analysis.sunder.afghan/ Rather than giving false hope to people, these measure work to objectively and specifically improve the welfare of women around the world: "While False hope may be the most cruel of things, Hope in itself is perhaps the Best of things.... because "if people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed." [Albert Einstein] 2) The Origin of Satan in Christian Tradition http://www.tannerlectures.utah.edu/lectures/Pagels99.pdf BY- ELAINE PAGELS --- Harrington Spear Paine Foundation Professor of Religion at Princeton University "But who prays for Satan? Who, in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most?" ~Mark Twain Dogma or Religious Belief? To me it sounds a bit like a dogmatic witch-hunt... But I guess I shouldn't judge so quickly as everyone has their "interesting beliefs"... sometimes to a deadly extent. Personally, I think Freedom Of Thought ( to be able to think in more than one way --- ie. not making everyone think in the same way without their consent and know how ) is perhaps THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL Of Freedoms...which leads us to freedom of speech and the diminishing role of organized religion. "The purpose of the separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries." [James Madison, 1903] "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." [Abraham Lincoln] ************************************************************** "What I have done is to show that it is possible for the way the universe began to be determined by the laws of science. In that case, it would not be necessary to appeal to God to decide how the universe began. This doesn't prove that there is no God, only that God is not necessary." [Stephen W. Hawking, Der Spiegel, 1989] The no boundary proposal predicts that the universe would start at a single point, like the North Pole of the Earth. But this point wouldn't be a singularity, like the Big Bang. Instead, it would be an ordinary point of space and time, like the North Pole is an ordinary point on the Earth, or so I'm told. I have not been there myself" ( Hawking, 2 ). The interesting thing is that according to the "No-Boundary" proposal we are going to "collapse again," that doesn't leave much room for a caring and companionate "god," but perhaps we can work together by that point and time to come up with a better solution! "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." Albert Einstein The Beginning of Time http://www.hawking.org.uk/text/public/bot.html -- A Brilliant man in more ways than one. It is ironic that Mr. Hawkings uses an economics idea to express the beginning of time! Stephen William Hawking - Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics / Lucasian Professor of Mathematics It is very possible that "god plays dice," but it seems that the honest answer MayBe, "I'm not sure." Hopefully a "unifying theory" will shed some light on the subject that can explain how the universe functions or doesn't function. In particular, in the concept of Euclidean space-time, it is not proven ( for now ) whether the gravitational field that allows matter to form into universes is indeed a steady state, or if it is in-itself expanding / contacting... I wonder to what extent our actions can influence the expansion /contraction of the Universe!

Further, it is conceivable that particles from an energy field could give way to matter forming in a random way and resulting in the planets and billions of variations of objects and phenomenon we observe in the universe. This fits with the current observations of how the Earth itself formed. "4.6 billion years ago, the Earth formed when gravitational forces caused interstellar matter to accrete. The process continues today, although at a slow rate, as the gravitational force of the earth draws in meteorites and dust" (Argonne National Laboratory, http://www.aps.anl.gov/aps/frame_home.html). Current observations about star formation also fit this model. "Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and William A. Fowler received the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physics for their works on the evolution of stars and formation of the elements in the universe" where Energy is converted from matter ( http://www.nobel.se/physics/educational/energy/fusion_2.html ). This is further supported by Einstein's famous equation that stipulates that "Everything in the universe is either energy or matter. Einstein realized that one could become the other and vice versa, immortalized in his famous equation E=mc2" ( http://www.aip.org/history/einstein/essay.htm ). This is a Very Thoughtful Essay!

As the "unifying theory" becomes more objectively proven, people might be more inclined to believe in continual learning and growth rather than an all knowing or companionate supernatural being. Personally, I am quite skeptical about whether a Caring and Companionate supernatural being can exist... For even if a super-national being exists, I don't think she or he functions on the premise of karma --- as "good" and "bad" is defined differently due to people's perception, even within a particular organized religion. Another way of saying the same thing is that we all thought the same way, there would be no conflicts in the world! For example, the moral set of "good" and "bad" in "Islam" is different by some people than the moral set of "good" and "bad" in "Christianity" -- One reason for this may be that political philosophers had intended people to believe in caring and compassion and yet their so-called followers have "manipulated" the "good" moral teachings! This is likely true of the Hindu caste system, which was originally intended to serve a purpose of "fairly" dividing work amongst people of different talents and making their rewards "equitable"... As time went on the caste system, because of corrupt people/many Brahmans, become used as a tool for institutionalized slavery and the "uneducated" people were either to naive/unaware/unable to do anything about it! http://dharma.hindujagran.com/dharma2.htm.

As a matter of moral philosophy, there is a problem with a static definition of organized religion in that "good" and "bad" changes as ideas and values change... be it thru environmental changes, the conceptualization of new ideas/technologies or simply changes in people's circumstances! This of course begs the question, how can a supernatural being reward you for doing good deeds when the definition of "good" deeds changes? As a result of this dynamically changing definition how can there be a "heaven" or "hell" if "good" and "bad" can not be firmly established and hence rewarded in these "perfect" places --- assuming that everyone wants different things! However, at the same time, I don't believe the original intention of organized religion was to define set notions of "good" and "bad," although malicious people have used thought reform to manipulate and take advantage of others --- for example the manipulation of the caste system from it's original intention. Moreover, the original intention of the moral philosophy was probably to instill character traits of caring and compassion, although it may be wiser be altruistic only with consent and understanding... This greatly precludes the ability of those with malicious intentions to manipulate and take advantage of anyone unfairly...

As a matter of objective reality, many people prefer heaven here on earth rather than heaven after death, especially if "god" indeed is indifferent, and each of us has a different definitions of heaven! Even though we may be here Completely out of randomness, chance or luck, we should at least be grateful for what we have in creating a better world for ourselves And for others, lest we depend on the likelihood of an indifferent "god" when we have only One life to live. Death may not be the opposite of life, especially if you believe in the life-cycle of matter and energy, but many people do prefer Life over death --- at least a life that allows them to seek happiness for themselves in this particular lifetime and leaving a better world for future generations to enjoy!

As a matter of public policy, each of us has to decide whether "fairness" entails short-term gains over long-term heavy losses... It's a matter of choice, hence I hope people choose to exercise perceptions of caring and "fairness" beyond the present moment, rather than systematically "torturing" others... Equally important, the more knowledgeable the society in which we live the more "just" the definition of "fairness" that prevails! This is especially true since we can greatly reduce the role of luck/ "god's grace" in attaining our physical and social needs via learning from the objective world! Technological progress gives us the capacity to end hunger and create a more equitable society, but it also gives us the power to kill each other 5-times over! While our preferences may be somewhat different, we can all benefit from research/learning/conceptualizations from the objective world in attaining our "happiness," especially if happiness entails meeting your physical and social needs! Rather than falling into the perils of apathy extending from an indifferent "god," I hope that people will surround themselves with those that help them attain their happiness, while creating a better world for themselves and others...all sentient beings... for the purposes of attaining and maintaining perceptions of caring and "fairness...." For on an individual level we can only try, but together we can move mountains with our collective efforts!

"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are "evil", but because of the people who don't do anything about it." Albert Einstein "Science may have found a cure for most "evils"; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all- the apathy of human beings." --Helen Keller "I have a very strong feeling that the opposite of love is not hate -- it's apathy." Dr. (Felice) Leo(nardo) Buscaglia (b. 1924), American Professor of Education at USC Does God Play Dice? http://www.hawking.org.uk/text/public/dice.html Stephen William Hawking If you'd like to know more about This Most Fascinating subject / as these brilliant people forge the future of humanity... please e-mail me... I will be happy to send you information on quantum theory, wormholes and related topics. Theoretical physics is not just science fiction... The theories are not completely in the dream world; Rather they represent the powers of imagination and the ideas that have come to form your electronics, medical devices, cell phones, nuclear power, and the very computer you are using to read these words!! ************************************************************** "When lip service to some mysterious deity permits bestiality on Wednesday and absolution on Sunday, cash me out." ~Frank Sinatra "I have repeatedly said that in my opinion the idea of a personal God is a childlike one, but I do not share the crusading spirit of the professional atheist whose fervor is mostly due to a painful act of liberation from the fetters of religious indoctrination received in youth. I prefer an attitude of humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual understanding of nature and of our own being." [Albert Einstein] "Lady killers" http://www.townhall.com/columnists/monacharen/mc20040123.shtml By- Mona Charen -- B.A. Columbia University / JD George Washington University "You're basically killing each other to see who's got the better imaginary friend." [Yasir Arafat; On Going TO War Over Religion] This is only Dr. Charen's opinion, but one that many people agree with... She is by all means a "westernized" woman, but her views resonate as her perception of caring and "fairness..."

In considering the means, while community service is a selfless act everyone should partake in, the broader rationalization for doing community service should not come from personal gain, ie positive karma points in this life time or the next lifetime, but rather from selfless service. Where are the intention of organized "religion" was to incentivize selfish people to do "good," the truly selfless act is done selflessly and without reward or punishment in this or the next life-time. For example, mother Teresa's work with the poorest of the poor is unmatched, and exemplifies the essence of TRUE RELIGIOSITY, but here reasons for doing "good" are unclear; whether she did "good" for her own benefit in the next life-time or if she selflessly cared for the poor and needy. While all of our intentions should be so good as Mother Teresa's, on a broader scale it is a folly to "good" only for some benefit in this life-time or the next lifetime. "If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed" (Albert Einstein). Having said that, since it ultimately comes down to our intentions and what we value... let our ideas and values be formed via perceptions of caring and "fairness..."

"Men will wrangle for religion; write for it; fight for it; die for it; anything but live for it." ~C.C. Colton "A man who regards his own life and that of his own fellow creatures as meaningless is not merely unhappy but hardly fit for life" [Albert Einstein]. On a personal note, what is the point of trying in the first place if god will do what is best... Perhaps it's somewhat of a partnership then between how much you are willing to do and how much "god," as a supernatural being, is willing to do on your behalf. It becomes a very difficult balance to strike in "doing your best" is somewhat derived from competition in school, in the corporate world ( perhaps globally ) or a myriad of other motivations. Further, what if you have a mental illness, physical illness or if you simply grew up in a poor, high-crime neighborhood. I suppose "god" has his own algorithm to deal with these complexities. I'm not exactly sure where to strike a balance with god's grace and Having control of your own destiny ( in the context of considering your circumstances --- hopefully you weren't born in the ghetto, and you didn't go to jail for 30 years for a crime you did not commit) as compared to the likelihood that luck, chance, circumstance, and Randomness Are In-fact the same thing as god's grace. "It is a folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself." [Epicurus, Greek Philosophy] "I do not feel obliged to believe the same God who endowed us with Sense, Reason, and Intellect had also intended us to forego their use" [Galileo Galilei]. In actually, since god is not a supernatural being, but rather a moral code, the different "organized religions" are just different perceptions of the same moral code. As a modern temple that brings people together, I much prefer worship in a community center than an institution that labels people even though people of the same "organized religion" have different perception in-of-themselves. In regards to idol worship, one could prey for hope (and seek faith) from any number of infallible "all knowing" supernatural beings --- be it a blue elephant, a mystical goblin, an all knowing "big brother" ( that is either indifferent or companionate ) as Was and Is used in a communist system, or an all knowing Greek God or Goddess! --- These idol worships are all senseless unless one understands the moral significance behind them, and moreover, keep in Open-mind for continual learning and growth to bring different perceptions of caring and "fairness..." "Religion is comparable to a childhood neurosis." Sigmund Freud. "You can't convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not based on evidence, it's based on a deep-seated need to believe." - Carl Sagan Certainly this does not bar the problem that still exists with False hope, which leads us to the Perils of Apathy. At bare minimum, we feel organized religion MUST encourage, rather than DIS-courage Freedom Of Thought; for without freedom of thought you will always be a slave to the "good" or "bad" defined by a particular moral set, and your realization of a personal "god" will only depend on your mental estimation of reality --- a self for filling prophecy that there might be a "blue elephant." To question god is not to dis-like him, but just to question whether he is indeed a companionate and caring "god" that cares for all sentient beings IN THIS WORLD AND LIFETIME; I'm not concerned about any speculative previous life-times or any possible future worlds from the consequences of "karma." --- assuming you could establish the definition of "good" and "bad" over constantly changing ideas and values, and different moral sets of different organized religions! "The opposite of the religious fanatic is not the fanatical atheist but the gentle cynic who cares not whether there is a god or not" [Eric Hoffer] ""Religious" suffering is at one and the same time the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. "Religion" is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is therefore in embryo the criticism of that vale of tears of which "religion" is the halo." [Karl Marx] "I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute- where no Catholic prelate would tell the president (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote--where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference--and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the president who might appoint him or the people who might elect him." [President John F. Kennedy] 3) The Penalty of Imprisonment We Highly Recommend Reading This One. It not only examines Human Nature and Social Needs, but also the human condition so to speak - at least for some of the less fortunate amongst us... It's really worthwhile, especially for the Lawyers, even though they may already know the ideas presented in this article. It's a bit to much reality, but it is simply intriguing... You may want to get your parents permission --- it's a touchy subject as you might imagine. Although it is very intriguing and makes you appreciate what you have to some degree, those that may interpret it as "negativity" instead of simple reality for the less fortunate, may not want to read all of it. As a matter of public policy, we probably put too much money in the opposite direction; building, maintaining, training, and supplying resources and people to run the Judicial System, instead of spending a lot more money on education and Valuing teachers so that people don't Become "criminals" in the first place... I think it costs something like 55-67K a year to house a prisoner Depending on the circumstance. It's close to 13-17K for housing expenses, plus guards, facilities, electricity & utilities, lawyer & judge fees, transportation costs, Not to mention the productivity lost due to these people being in jail rather than being HEALTHY members of society and the workforce. It is quite ironic that we spend so much money to house a person in jail when by just giving them 50K a year you could save time, resources and money --- as we're sure most reasonable people will not be committing any kind of crime if they received $50,000 ( tax free ) a year for being left alone and not having to live in a prison environment! We hope you find this paper educational and intriguing. Very interesting quote: ""God" is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh." - Voltaire. One of France's greatest writers and Philosophers whose works optimizes the Age of "Enlightenment." He was imprisoned in the Bastille prison for eleven months for writing a scathing satire of the French government. Ironically, his writings become the national symbol of French Philosophy and to this day are part of the French way of thinking... His heart, removed from his body, now lies in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris ( One of the oldest royal libraries in the world ). He also has a library and a city named after him, "Ferney-Voltaire," in Switzerland. Not bad for a gentleman that went to jail! In regards to the above, we think people should focus on and consider the ideas and values involved rather than how many acronyms people have after their name, or the amount of paper in their wallet... some of the most "educated" people, be it Hitler, the nazi doctors, Stalin, Ossama, Bush, the rich business man looking out for his pocketbook and serving his own best interest etc. etc. etc. don't necessarily hold the most guiding of principles.... Let us consider the ideas and values involved... and have a Peaceful discourse that serves as an amicable vehicle for change..... but that's just an pinion! http://www.tannerlectures.utah.edu/lectures/Blom-Cooper88.pdf By- LOUIS BLOM-COOPER Universities of British Columbia, Amsterdam, and Cambridge LOUIS BLOM-COOPER QC is one of England’s foremost constitutional lawyers and one of the most active pro-ponents of penal reform. The following article relates wonderfully to the above article and supports the claims of Mrs. Cooper to some degree. Certainly there is a grey area, but I wonder to what extent people with disassociate disorders can be held responsible for their actions. "Without free will, the concept of "responsibility" makes no sense, and legally, criminals should not be held accountable for their actions' (8). In considering the idea of exonerating those who suffer from DID and have committed a crime related to the manifestations of the disorder, it is not difficult to imagine the potential scope of the diagnosis as a legal tool" (Shah,2). "It is easy enough to be friendly to one's friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business." Mohandas K. Gandhi Dissociative Identity Disorder http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/web1/Shah.html By - Sural Shah Student - Bryn Mawr College Here is some more information on dissociation, what it is, its causes, symptoms and possible cures. It is kind of sad that out of all the places that Mrs. Cooper's need for privacy implies, the mind is the place that is most private and while it's intrusion is the Most harmful, it is Also the least recognized and treated form of invasion ( The Degradation of the mind ). The Sidran Foundation http://www.sidran.org/didbr.html Founded in consultation of Dr. Richard Loewenstein, M.D. Past president of International Society for the Study of Multiple Personality and Dissociation An additional source : http://www.mhsource.com/expert/exp1081996i.html We have always thought it weird that in a aristocratic class-based society there can be any form of "justice," when those at the bottom have little vehicle for equality because of little or no healthcare, expensive higher education and plenty of jails ready to entice them to work at fast food, join a military that aims to use them as pons in a political game of the aristocrats, clothing manufacturing industries border lining sweatshops (eg. in LA ), farming/agriculture and other labor intensive industries that hardly conform to any standard of equality. Certainly their mental health is affected by poverty, drugs and family problems relating to abuse and alcoholism manifested oftentimes out of their circumstances. I suppose inequality among other things drives people to resort to illegal ways of making money ( or creative tax "management," as tax planning laws themselves are favored towards the Rich --- convenient how the system is set up isn't it :) ) On the other hand, there is the equal distribution of misery :) There is a particular paper written by a Canadian economist who claims there are few efficiency loses in a social democracy because the tax system is more efficient. In our estimation a more efficient tax system comes from the fact that people are more willing to pay taxes in a social democracy because they know they will receive the healthcare, higher education and other social goods they deserve; Unless of course you are really rich, then you are better of moving to a Capitalistic system, pay less taxes and receive private healthcare!

It also implies that the more efficient the tax collection process is, the less likely people will be able to practice "Creative accounting," although people can be quite creative when tax rates reach between 40-70%!! - lol. I suppose the equal distribution of misery in social healthcare, higher education and other venues is not always attractive, but it must be balanced at least in some respects to the poverty and unequal distribution of wealth that exists in a capitalistic system. If it is managed properly, then it can work wonderfully as is the case in Sweden... and not to many inputs from poor populations that burden the social services system; basically only let people in the country if you are Going To Treat Them With Respect And "Fairness" --- not as second class citizens! A similar way of saying the same thing is if you are going to educate a populace, if you are going to provide them with quality healthcare, if you are going to provide for their higher-education, you are less likely to send them off in a war, ( that might not be justified ) to see them killed for it is a waste of your resources and time. In this major regard, we much prefer a socialistic democracy. You will only go to war when it is "justified," for the cost of sending troops is extremely high, since you spent all this money, resources and energy to provide for their education!

For example, poor minorities ( class members ) are disproportionately represented in the military...mostly Hispanics and African Americans, while whites are more often than not, the generals ( As Einstein pointed out in his essay, rather than encouraging freedom of thought and then consent fully going into combat, the military often brainwashes people and forced them to accept their ideology, sometimes brutally!) It should rather be a voluntary system that Encourages free thought and then allows people to consent fully participate in wars --- that way solders can NOT use the classical excuse in war crimes and genocide ( as was used in Nazi Germany and in Vietnam )... "That I was Just Following Orders." Most likely it just comes down to Opportunity Cost... where as the opportunity cost of not joining the military in a socialistic democracy is free higher education and a decent standard of living... in the United States the opportunity cost of a poor man is either to join the military or just be poor....considering how expensive higher education is. We just hope the solders that survive with their mental and physical health intact are actually given the college money they joined the military for. It is more of a class issue than it is a Race issue...( though certainly not all black men, Hispanics or discriminating "rednecks" are poor by any means ). You'll have to read this article fully in order to understand what I'm talking about ; http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-01-20-army-race-usat-_x.htm In our opinion, at bare minimum, education in a Capitalistic system should be VERY inexpensive ( and highly tax deductible from taxes-owed ) and a capitalistic system must provide a Decent level of free healthcare to all (ie a bi-lateral healthcare system available to all, including certainly women, for "women's health needs" exist irregardless of healthcare availability. Providing frugal healthcare on the basis of establishing poverty hardly conforms to any notion of equality and simply re-affirms the class system in which we live; If you aren't completely aware of how medical and medicare works; you may educate yourself here: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/states/maag2003.pdf ). Without these basic forms of equality ( that of healthcare and very inexpensive higher education (accompanied by big tax deductions for student loans) "equal opportunity" for the lower class will drifts away to mere randomness and luck (ie the entertainment industry, sports and the "creative economy") as higher education (be it on intellectual discrimination) becomes a luxury for the rich... The most fundamental route to Social Justice in capitalism is likely a Living Wage not based on intellectual discrimination: University of California Institute for Labor and Employment The State of California Labor, 2003 (University of California, Multi-Campus Research Unit) Year 2004 Paper ch06 Living Wage Ordinances in California Michael Reich University of California, Berkeley http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1034&context=ile Here is a wonderful economic's journal for the Economists and those interested in seeking empirical data of our opinions! http://www.bepress.com/cgi/query.cgi?connector_1=and&field_1=lname&op_1=eq&value_1=&advanced=1&del_row_1.x=0&del_row_1.y=0&del_row_1=0&connector_2=and&field_2=title&op_2=contains&value_2=poverty&advanced=1&connector_3=and&field_3=ancestor.link&op_3=eq&value_3=http%3A%2F%2F&hidden_3=1&x_force_carryover= "Education is one of the pillars of Nordic society. Illiteracy is practically non existent from Iceland to Finland, and the free national education systems breed some of the most skilled workforce in the world. Moreover, when it comes to equality between women and men, all the five Nordic countries top the index and score again the highest; Iceland takes the lead in terms of emancipation, followed by Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland on the fifth position" (The UN Council - article presented below). Even adversity is relative to some extent, without regard to considering social costs of these inequalities. Still, we completely disagree with the premise of economic equality that compromises people's mental and physical health for the sake of more "efficient economics" (at least in the short-term perspective) Or a deep-rooted aristocratic philosophy of whiteness. It's highly unlikely that that people who wrote in the constitution "all men are equal," wrote it with implication to non-white males; though more than brown, black or white, today's "fairness" often depends on Green! Hopefully one day this statement of "fairness" will be sincerely applied equally to all men AND WOMEN. "Can we sell American Globalization, Democracy, Human Rights, and Capitalism to the rest of the World, while right in the Financial Capital's Center of the "Super Power America," (New York City) . . . 54% of the Children are born into Poverty! The soup kitchens find themselves in a crises with food shortages and more and more people (citizens) are appearing sleeping on the very streets of New York City. All while the Rich get richer and give themselves deeper tax cuts?" - Tuesday, November 14, 2000 - Dr. Larry T. Gell ( Here are Dr. Gell's minor qualifications - hehe http://www.iaed.org/gell/gellsbio.html if you doubt the validity of his opinion! ) "Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if Labor had not first existed. Hence, labor is superior to capital, and deserves much the higher consideration" [Abraham Lincoln]. "We want more schoolhouses and less jails; more books and less arsenals; more learning and less vice; more leisure and less greed; more justice and less revenge; in fact, more of the opportunities to cultivate our better natures, to make manhood more noble, womanhood more beautiful, and childhood more happy and bright" [Samuel Gompers]. We have always wondered why Capitalism never considers the social costs of their efficient economics, as compared to the social benefits of lower poverty, less crime ( as in Switzerland or Sweden ), more education and less mental and physical health problems that sometimes/oftentimes follow from poverty... certainly no system is perfect ( as socialistic democracies have higher unemployment rates Usually, not always, AND are less welcoming to poor immigrants for government handouts ) but a system that breeds societal altruism certainly has something to offer to the United States. Sweden, for example has lower unemployment than the united states, even while it offer quality healthcare and higher education to all it's citizens. Granted that it has relatively few immigrants as compared to the United States and it is much smaller in size, but it still definitely offers a lot to be learned! Here is a in-depth look at the Sweden's economy. http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Economy-of-Sweden Even thought it is very difficult to make a apple to apple comparison between the the United States and Sweden, for one is much larger than the other --- but a statistical comparison is useful to some extent: United States http://www.nationmaster.com/country/us/Economy Vs. Sweden http://www.nationmaster.com/country/sw/Economy BBC News : "Norway 'best place to live'" http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2149799.stm The United States comes in at #6 according to the United Nations Nordic Countries Best Place to Live in the World WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU READ THIS : http://www.scandinavica.com/culture/society/UNreport.htm Tuesday, Jun 8, 2004 "Sweden ranks first as having the fewest people living in poverty and the fewest illiterate people, while other rich countries such us the United States have the the most, showing that stark inequality persists even in middle or high-income countries" ( Child poverty rate in the United States is 22.4% --

- Child poverty rate in Sweden is 10 times lower at 2.6% ) -- In reference to the papers above. 4) Especially for the medical doctors; who's social responsibility extends beyond the patient care room. This is a wonderful quote: "In the past two decades, however, the revolutionary advances in the neurosciences have brought mind and body, emotion and molecule together in ways that tend to give words a new therapeutic currency" ( Bulger, 8 ). Although this article is not the most recent, it is interesting for two reasons. One, the importance of the ideas presented, especially for the time in which it was written and it's impact ( or rather attempted impact ) on policy thereafter. And secondly, it allows us to concretely look at how things have/or have not changed since the time this lecture was delivered. This is probably most keen to a physician's point-of-view. Though it's practically still remains to be determined, the intention are quite significant: "Thoughtful physicians must rally more intensely around the vision of their Hippocratic tradition; they should encourage their leaders to worry less about the governmental threat, less about the threat of the business coalitions, less about the threat of the for-profit chains, less about the corporatization of medical practice, and to worry more about preserving the essentials of the profession of scientific healing, begun by Hippocrates and threatened as never before by our incredible scientific, technologic, and financial suc-cesses and by our own ignorance, inattention, and misunderstanding of the very essence of physicianhood." ( Bulger, 35 ). http://www.tannerlectures.utah.edu/lectures/Bulger88.pdf By- ROGER J. BULGER, M.D. Harvard Medical School President and Chief executive officer of the Association of Academic Health Centers in Washington, D.C., Dr. Bulger has also served as Chancellor, dean of the Medical School at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester. Even though there are likely be more delays in treatment if everyone has healthcare ( ie rationed care ) --- at least 40,000,000 people are not going to be without any health insurance, as is the case in the United States:: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/newcomer/welcome/wel-06e.html "The inherent vice of capitalism is the uneven division of blessings, while the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal division of misery" [ Sir Winston Churchill ]. It is interesting that most people don't consider the social costs of undiagnosed/untreated physical and mental illnesses, especially when considering the cost of emergency care. Consider for a moment the number of people with un-diagnosed or untreated mental and physical illnesses, let alone being able to treat their illnesses properly. What is often over looked are the social costs that arise from these factors. Those with contagious diseases that are undiagnosed, those with mental illnesses that cause violence, involuntary "spacing out" or simply loss of "mature" functioning brings social costs to society not only in terms of their impaired mental and physical function in family, life and society, but in terms of lower personal achievement, greater violence and other social ills. It can fairly be assumed that to some extent these mental illnesses arise from people's circumstances, which often caused the physical or mental impairments in the first play (like living in poverty, in a abusive family, or a society that breeds negative stereotypes of them). I wonder to what extent the benefit of alleviating these social costs from society overshadow (by providing healthcare to 40,000,000) any potential "inefficiency losses"... especially when considering the social costs of the alternative and the benefit of a public/private healthcare system in the long-term mental and physical health of a society. Certainly it's only one perspective, but it is still our perspective.... Nothing is perfect, but we prefer a blending of a public and private care system so 40 million people are not left to suffer "unnecessarily" at the hands of Capitalistic interests. It is quite surprising that Feminists of all people have not rallied for social healthcare in this country, or at least a bi-lateral system. If not for healthcare for all people, then at least for healthcare that address "women's health issues." certainly both men and women utilize healthcare when they get sick, but any definition of practical equality for women can not be established without access to quality healthcare for All women in addressing "women's issues." Be it regular checkups, procedures or a number of "women's health issues," it seems that women will always be in an economic disadvantage in a society that seeks to require women to take care of "women's health issues," via their own private funds rather than recognizing the role healthcare plays in empowering women to be MORE empowered and "equal" members of society. Again, that's just our opinion, because I am a proponent of equality as "sameness." (The following are presented as an informal medical journal so please be advised of the somewhat "mature" content --- please get your parents permission) Specifically, these issues are discussed by the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health :: http://mountzion.ucsfmedicalcenter.org/coe/about.html and their Research On a National Scale : http://www.4woman.gov/owh/ by seeking to empower women in obtaining quality healthcare and by Female Physicians themselves : http://www.amwa-doc.org/abouta.html who will represent 50% or more of Medical Students by 2010! In summary we would like to present the following paper. It is quite short and ends on a note of hope. Perhaps, in our pursuit of materialistic wealth (as he who dies with the most toys wins!) we will Inadvertently be inclined to learn something along the way through higher education and endless learning. And so there is hope for the dignity of humanity and for the love for learning coupled with our character traits of caring, compassion and "fairness," that may allow us to live peacefully together on this blue rock, we call home. Technology is only a tool... Just as applied theoretical physical can produce instrument of destruction by converting matter into energy; http://people.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-bomb.htm technology can also be be used to supports life; http://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power.htm || http://www.space.com/news/nasa_nuclear_020205.html --- it is all a matter of learning, understanding and how one Chooses to use the technology! In the same way that matter is converted to energy in nuclear reactors to produce power or a hydrogen bomb... If E is indeed = MC2 then according to Professor Hawkings and Mr. Einstein it is likely (though not fully understood yet) that energy could also be converted to matter (perhaps in a random way) to create the beginning of universes (from the gravitational field) described in Mr. Hawkings article above (http://www.hawking.org.uk/text/public/bot.html). What is more important is that with continual learning and growth... we (as humans) must control for abuse of power and establish equal distribution of power.... so that there is "Justice" and "Fairness" in society. "Never regard study as a duty, but as the enviable opportunity to learn to know the liberating influence of beauty in the realm of the spirit for your own personal joy and to the profit of the community to which your later work belongs" [Albert Einstein] -- for clarification Beauty as defined by Webster's is "the quality that gives pleasure to the mind or senses and is associated with such properties as harmony of form or color, excellence of artistry, truthfulness, and originality." In this context, you may want to consider continual learning and growth because the beauty of the mind is as important, if not more important in the long-run! "There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread." - Mahatma Gandhi Poverty: The New International Enemy By - OSCAR ARIAS --- former President of Costa Rica Ph.D. Political Science from the University of Essex, England Award winner of both the Nobel Peace Prize and the Martin Luther King Peace Prize http://www.tannerlectures.utah.edu/lectures/Arias96.pdf The other side of the coin, because it's good to look at things from different perspectives ; http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/mar2004/forb-m09.shtml "Forbes report: Billionaires’ wealth grew by 36 percent in last year" By Jamie Chapman

Thank you for your time, and thank you for listening...