Where do morals come from?

In my World Views and English classes we're doing things on morality/human dignity.

I like how my school ties together different subjects at the same time, but that's another post.

We, as humans, have a heightened sense of morality. As children we know when something unfair or unethical has been done to us.

Humanists believe that these morals come from past experiences. I forget if it was past experiences in an evolutionary kind of way, like moral values being passed down genetically, or experiences as you are alive. I'm guessing a combination of both?

Post-Modernists believe... well what they want to believe.

Christians believe that after we were created by God, that we instinctively know what good and evil is from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (should I capitalize that? It is a title, right?) after our ancestors ate from it.

Also, it is thought that "morality" genes exist. So, according to Christian theory, that tree would have been  the fastest-acting and first gene-modifying drug :) . According to Modernist theory, that gene is evolving with every human experience. Again, Post-Modernist believe what they want to believe.

But a major thing about morals is upbringing. Would a boy that was brought up in a cannibalistic village think that there is anything wrong with killing another human and eating him/her? No! On the other hand, some of us might feel like puking at just the thought of it.

Still that child may feel like their human dignity has been violated when something dear has been stolen. At our core, we know what is wrong. We just learn to ignore what is wrong through our upbringing. I could give countless examples but that'd be pointless.

I have a project due soon that's supposed to contrast what is wrong with different crimes according to what belief, and I'm having a hard time with Post-Modernism. I mean, everything is different according to the person, right?

That's what is wrong with Post-Modernism. Developed as a response to "there is only one truth" Modernism, most people born after 1970 have PoMo tendencies.

But, even Post-Modernists have to agree that there is something wrong with killing. One Post-anarchist said that it's fine to commit a crime if it makes the offender feel good. But what about the victim? I really doubt that that anarchist would be saying "Hey, it's cool with me if you're enjoying yourself" while being stabbed to death.

I, too, am a Post-Modernist. I identify with that. I want to be tolerant of other people's beliefs, and a result find it hard to share my faith despite the Bible telling me that I should be telling people about Jesus.

But I try to follow the moral code given to me by the Bible, and I know that at least 95% of humans on this earth would agree that the 10 Commandments are a good basis for law, except for ya know, that part about coveting what a neighbor has. It'll be impossible to enforce, and how are we supposed to live out the American Dream without a goal like attaining the wealth of, say Bill Gates, and we are in fact coveting Bill Gates' wealth.

What I'm trying to say: we as humans all have morals. It doesn't really matter where it comes from, it matters that we have it. As a result of experiences we may learn to blatantly ignore those morals, but we still have them buried somewhere deep.

SOPA and PROTECT-IP

Alright, I've been long overdue for an update.

A thing that's majorly p-ing me off is a new (? it's been around a while with different names) bill in Congress called SOPA and PROTECT-IP.

The person that's behind these bills is this dude called Leahy. Apparently some sort of Democrat control freak from Vermont.

What is this "SOPA" and "PROTECT-IP"? It's a bill to attempt preventing piracy. "Wait!" you say, "isn't that what the DMCA is for?" Yes. It is. So why do we need more regulations with the Internet? I have no idea. The idea is to prevent people from ACCESSING copyrighted material.

Access: meaning by clicking on that link on YouTube with your favorite cover, you violated laws set forth in SOPA and P-IP. Yes, even covers are under copyrighted materials.

Oh, and guess what? Google can be sued too just for showing you "infringing" results for whatever movie you just searched. Facebook, Twitter, and blogs can be shut down for posting one link. Think about it: one user out of the 800 million or so on Facebook posts a link, Facebook is sued out of existence (even though they have lots of cash so I doubt it).

SOPA and P-IP also have to potential to break the functionality of the internet.

Because the US is planning to have its own set of DNS list with "approved" sites, it'll break URLs as the list will not be the same as the rest of the world. Still, you can access "infringing" sites by just entering the IP address.

That, folks, is SOPA and P-IP. Totally pointless. It won't stop pirates. It's just a minor inconvenience that will be gotten used to after a couple weeks.

So, US citizens, here's what I want you to do:

First, watch this video;

PROTECT IP Act Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

Then, fill out the form here: http://americancensorship.org/

Till next time.

How I think governments (well, especially the US) should work

Everything posted here will be easier said than done.

But that's pretty much true with anything in life.

I hope I'm not making any enemies with this post, as stating political opinions is (probably) a #1 cause to disputes.

Taxes

• All income tax ought to be set at 10%, without consideration to income level.
• A maximum of 5% can be taken off of taxes through charitable giving or business-related tax deductions.
• There will be no payroll taxes.
• There will be no sales taxes. However, tariffs may be put in place depending on products (e.g. alcohol, tobacco, certain pharmaceuticals) and their origins (imported goods may have a tariff on them).

Services

• At the core of the government, there should be no entitlements other than being entitled to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
• No government aid shall be given unless one has paid into a system like unemployment insurance.
• Unemployment insurance will provide a maximum of three month's worth of pay of the previous job.
• If there is a global economic downturn, this period shall be extended to six months.
• All extension claims for periods thereafter must be inspected by a social worker with a background in financial things.
• The social worker shall spend at least one hour a month with each claimer as to the progress of finding a job.
• If the claimer clearly shows signs of not wanting to find a job, insurance shall be cut from that month on.
• Welfare shall be provided to those who are deemed to really require it, as determined by government guidelines and social workers.
• Again, said social worker must visit receiver of welfare at least one hour a month to talk about living situation(s) and also visually confirm that the standard of living hasn't dramatically increased over a short period of time.
• If a receiver of welfare is the head of a family or shares headship of a family, and is convicted of any criminal activities as deemed by a court of law, shall immediately have their welfare ended.

Loans to companies or individuals/government contracts

• As a basic rule, the government shall not lend money to any private or public institutions or individuals for the aim of a business.
• When a proposal is made for a loan, the plan must be carefully reviewed and if deemed beneficial to the world as a whole, may be granted.
• The loan will always provide less than requested, as there are always small things that can make processes or products cheaper.
• There shall be an interest rate, and is to be determined by a board of government members with a background in finances
• Military development funding shall be put on hold. Instead, as a required project for graduation in all higher educational institutions, students must have some sort of idea that is carefully thought through, put on paper, reviewed by a teacher/professor, and then submitted to an "ideas" department of each part of the government. Designs and ideas may be of anything, from bicycles to computers to weapons.

A new educational system

• Required courses in elementary school: 5 years English, 5 years maths, 5 years sciences, 5 years history, 4 years basic foreign language(s), 3 years creating something (art, industrial arts, computer programming etc.), 5 years PE.
• Required courses in middle school: 3 years English, 3 years maths, 3 years sciences, 3 years history, 3 years intermediate foreign language(s), 3 years creating something, 1 year basic economics/basic financial responsibility, 3 years PE.
• Required courses in high school: English major - 4 years English, 2 years maths, 2 years sciences, 2 years foreign language(s), 2 years economics/financial responsibility, 4 years history/world religions, 2 years PE. Science/math major - 2 years English, 4 years maths, 4 years sciences, 2 years foreign language(s), 2 years economics/financial responsibility, 4 years history/world religions, 4 years creating something, 2 years PE.
• Required courses undergrad: Depends on major.
• Required courses grad: Depends on major.
• Sports etc. -- all schools should provide sports/physical activities as an extracurricular activity. Students or their parents are required to pay for uniforms, split the pay for the coach(s), and any other fees that apply. Basic things (balls for soccer, volleyball, basketball, football, hockey sticks for hockey, field hockey etc.) shall be provided by the school.

Military

• 2 years minimum unpaid military service required for both males and females -- within 4 years after high school graduation or if individual decides to go to college, 2 years after college graduation.
• If individual wishes to stay more than 2 years, soldier shall be paid from the end of the 2nd year on.
• All weapons shall have a "standard" version that all soldiers are given, depending on specialization, as determined in the first few months of training.
• Soldiers may chose to purchase after-market equipment for their weapons if the modifications are approved by higher-ups and does not affect weapon performance in a negative way. There shall be a blacklist of aftermarket equipment for every standard-issue weapon that list equipment that has been proven to work badly with said standard-issue weapon. Modified weapons with parts not yet on the whitelist must receive final approval with a demonstration of how the modification(s) have improved use of said weapon.
• All individuals, after military service, are permitted to keep their weapons. All serial numbers will be recorded just in case said weapon is used in some sort of criminal activity.
• The weapons must be maintained properly, as in taking preventive measures against theft or other negative things. Neglect of these responsibilities will result in criminal charges.
• Bases shall provide education for children of soldiers as outlined in the "education system" above.

Financial responsibility of the government

• Always assume that the minimum amount of money will come in -- 5% of all people's income from income taxes because of tax deductions, and a certain amount of tariffs can be kept by the local governments for basic operating expenses.
• Adjust budget so that (average income * 5% [or .05] * taxable population) is going to be the national budget.
• Save the extra money that comes in -- not all income has to be used.
• Use saved money for investing and growing its value.
• 10% of all government income shall be given for charitable purposes.
• Never, ever borrow money from other governments or individuals. If there is some form of debt already, use at least 20% of annual income for financial obligations.
• The use of the other ~90% is to be determined depending on various situations.
• Military spending shall not be a priority.
• Welfare and other services are not to be considered part of the 10% charitable purposes budget.
• Social Security shall be put back in its own fund, not a general fund.

Well, that's all for now.

Long list, but I think most of these things should set the US back in a straight path.

I know all this stuff sounds really conservative but with finances we must always be conservative. As the world revolves around finances, naturally everything else becomes conservative.

Oh, and I say it again. I hope I didn't make any enemies with this blog post. Yes, that computer that is owned by a government institution that is analyzing my personality and giving me an "F" in conforming to current political ideas, I'm talking especially to you.

ADD time!

Today, I've finally collected enough material to do another blog post.

Well, I have enough material for a few posts. But I forgot what they were about. I seriously should invent like an auto-note taker that attaches to your brains and then somehow makes you recall what you were thinking about.

Anyhoo, more world views.

I've been diagnosed with "potentially" having ADD about, say 5 or 6 years ago? Which from a doctor's perspective in Japan, means I totally do have ADD.

I just had a great discussion about ADD with the family I'm staying with's mom.

I go to a private school and my parents are getting ready to move close by, but in the mean time I'm staying at my friend's house.

I should give some context, I guess.

My friend has this one sibling that is particularly annoying at certain times. My friend tells me that he gives siblings a bad name. Oh well.

Sometimes he has these CRAZY temper tantrums. We were talking about that and what he possibly has medically or physiologically. I was talking about myself probably having ADD and how I can't focus on studying. The funny thing is that she has ADD, too.

We got into a deep discussion about how ADD would have been essential in caveman times. I mean, what if everyone in a hunting team were determined to get that one mammoth and no one noticed the saber-toothed tiger stalking them? They'd all be probably dead.

Since caveman times were quite a while ago, evolution's probably not working.

No, I don't believe that evolution is applicable today.

I'm a Christian and believe in creation. Well, there could be two methods of creation. One is just as it is, creation.

The other is that God created just one species and allowed it to evolve according to his desires, meaning he directed the flow of evolution.

After a certain point, God took away the ability of evolution.

And I know that "coming out of the closet" and saying that I'm a Christian online or even in real life is probably a bad decision because I don't really like angry discussions. I'd have a discussion about anything if I know something about the topic, but I'd leave the second the argument becomes really heated unless I'm really determined to defend my position.

Yes, I know that throughout history, Christians have pulled some pretty bad moves (I'm a protestant by the way, so some [most] of the stuff I'll blame on Catholics). I don't like how internationally, America is supposed to be a "Christian" nation. Please read the Treaty of Tripoli. I am also kinda mad that America likes war so much. Video games are fine, but not IRL.

There goes my ADD again. Off topic :D.

So yeah please Darwin fix my ADD so I can evolve out of it.

My world view on ADD until now: ADD sucks, I should blame it for how I become so distracted.
My new world view on ADD: Hey, I should try to put in policies to combat my ADD. Maybe check in with myself 2 or 3 times an hour to see if I'm on focus with my original intention.

That's it for today.

Looking at details

I was thinking today (yes, I do lots of random thinking) after an especially intense workout at my school's gym. I forget exactly how my train of thought reached this point but I'll post parts of what I was thinking anyway.

Everything's made out of atoms. Basic Physics class, right? And then the atoms are made out of things called electrons, protons, and neutrons. Those are the smallest units of all matter. Wrong. The neutron is made up of even smaller particles called subatomic particles. Look it up if you want to delve deeper into it, I'm just too lazy to look things up any further and post it.

So, the lesson here?

Even when you think that you know the teensy-weency details of things, there are even smaller things behind an action or object.

After zooming in, look again at the bigger picture.

Your perspective may turn around 180°.

Heck, I think this blog will just turn out to be a "note to self" kind of things.

I hope not, and honestly hope that you walk (browse?) away with something more with every post.

First post

OK, first post, here it goes.

BTW, I can't guarantee that my grammar, sentence structure, and other rules of the language I'll be posting in will be followed perfectly.

So, why is the title of my blog "Mein Weltbild"? I was wondering what to call my blog, then I realized that I have a World Views class. What would sound cool that is related to world views? Well, Hitler showed his world view in a book called "Mein Kampf." Of course, if I ever do something that makes the news, the media will take this post out of context and say that I am a supporter of Hitler and anti-Semitic. Well, that is not true at all. So I hit Google Translate and translated "My worldview" into German and POW! there was my blog's title. A quick search on Google revealed that "Mein Weltbild" is also the title of a book by Albert Einstein. I respect Einstein as a scientist, as I am deeply interested in science.

Maybe I'll use this as a reference for what to write in my World Views class. Things like "What exactly was I thinking back then?" I guess it'll just be a big experiment.

Also, I'm open to comments. Who knows, you might change my world view!

Oh, quick note. Trolls will be subject to ASAP (because I probably won't have too much time on my hands in the future) moderation (aka having your comment deleted - wait, can I do that? - or banning your account from commenting after the trolling reaches a certain point - um, can I even do that?).

Anyway, yoroshiku! (That's Japanese for, uh, there isn't really a good English translation. Something to the extent of let's be nice to each other?) If you have a better translation, please put it in the comments section.