By: Ken LaRive

It is said that Liberty cannot be granted by men, but is an inalienable right given by God. Is truth also an inalienable right, inspired by God? It is also said that any question asked will be answered in like kind, a universal law, and that is what some consider to be truth. But as you read the last words of this essay, you might not only question if truth is at all possible, but that you have any right to it at all. Or perhaps it is just the opposite. Let us look…

The following is an open-ended journey. It is designed to have you think, and to make your own decision. It seems both simple and so profound; you might even question and answer your reason for being in the process. After all, no one can answer this or any question but you, as it is your responsibility entirely. Truth seems to be a gift from God, one of many, but perhaps it is a misunderstood one. It was something that created the idea, a concept called responsibility. It was given to us in the light of truth, your consciousness, where free will resides. Remember, how you ask this question will determine the quality of the answer, and perhaps it wasn’t a lie after all, but truth in its purest. At that moment Eve, and all of her children and their children exclaimed, “I am.” But there are many who believe this a curse, and that our intellect was from the devil, and it was a lie.

Black and beautiful

Two hundred years ago a man named Goethe had a profound revelation while contemplating the meaning of the word TRUTH. He found that in his world errors were constantly being expressed as truth, and for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons were gross misunderstandings of facts and the fault of those interpreting them, and others were intentional distortions given to them from an external source, and yet with time, both might come to be regarded as true. Goethe wrote:

“Truth has to be repeated constantly, because Error also is being preached all the time, and not just by a few, but by the multitude. In the Press and Encyclopaedias, in Schools and Universities, everywhere Error holds sway, feeling happy and comfortable in the knowledge of having Majority on its side.” –Goethe

It seems that most all human beings would rather the reality of their life be based on Truth, because without it life just cannot hold any intellectual meaning. So important is it, that it actually holds our mind in check from the insanity of fear. You see, we have in us the ability to conquer anything, to overcome any adversity, any misfortune, but if we have no truth, we run blind. Blind, without a sense of purpose or direction. Without truth there is nothing on God’s green earth that can have any meaning, and yet if you yell a lie loud enough, and long enough, it will ultimately be regarded and accepted as truth. Hitler wrote: “Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.” And so, this duality must be considered, as one or both may be our damnation or salvation…

What kind of person would intentionally lie, knowing the price of it, the value of truth? Who would distort history, bend a fact, withhold information, or conspire with others in the shadows to deny truth in the light of day? It has to be someone with no conscience. It has to be someone who cares nothing for anything but themselves, and their safe microcosm. But is that the truth of this matter? Is it that simple?

It takes a pretty naive person in this so-called information age to trust another to tell us truth, and how terrible is that for a person who thinks they have no control of their destiny? What does it do to a gentile and trusting heart when one realizes that we have been betrayed by the daily news, our history books, advertisements, movies and music and newspapers, and that it was all intentionally done. What cold duplicity, as coercion subverts the masses’ confidence, and that it was empirically driven by the world’s elite. Driven, driven like cattle to be slaughtered, slaves to be used or abused at the lash of control and power, the power of might is right.

It seemed that the internet might finally be the virtual salvation of man’s need to find truth, but now it is quite evident that just the opposite is true. Goethe’s word’s are a haunting reminder of this, as we attempt to understand ourselves in the face of political, social and economic forces who have the veritable power to reshape not only our world physically, but our reality as well. And in the process, we grapple, we wrestle for our minds to be free, our life to have liberty, our will to be our own volition, and there are those who would take this all from us. They would take it all, and even lust for our very souls.

I remember a Tony Robins’ seminar once were he questioned our perceptions of reality by asking the audience what was the meaning of life, i.e., our reality. He said “The meaning of life is anything you want it to be.” and so, trying to grapple with the concept of what is truth, can we also assume that TRUTH is anything we want it to be? No, some speculate that truth is truth. Truth cannot be divided, and we cannot taint it, or white-wash it. If we do, even the attempt to do that, and all of life is a farce. That is where belief comes in. Belief, and the creation of faith and trust. Faith is trust in what we cannot validate as truth.

It is like denying Liberty to another. Another who is so different from you, so dissimilar from your reality, you feel constantly at odds. Still, when you deny Liberty to them, to express themselves in any way, so long as they do not step on your ability to express yourself…, live and let live. If you do not, then the Liberty movement is nothing but a farce. Can you see that?

In our world, mainstream media is used as a tool, and it has nothing to do with truth. Our government too is a farce, a dog and pony show, designed to steer you, to coerce you, to dominate you, and they are almost to the last man bought and paid for. It is smoke and mirrors, and owned by international corporations and international banking intuitions. It is used to promote an agenda, to hide a fact, or to twist the TRUTH to favor a biased schema. The government is also involved in promoting their own brand of truth, and the CIA has had a long association with media outlets to propagandize and promote their various agendas. And we have made life and death decisions based on their distortions of truth, and blamed ourselves when we failed. Blamed ourselves, felt guilty, as rules changed in the last minutes, and we lost our savings, our jobs, our future, our liberty, our constitution, and our country. We could not win, because truth was not given, and the cards were stacked. You were not privy to that truth, but does that negate your responsibility to seek it?

We thought we did not have the aptitude to understand it, that it was our decisions that were flawed, and at fault. And little did we know it was all a grand scheme, an illusion designed to fail. And the blood and sweat of our ancestors, the sacrifices they made, the dreams that they had, is taken by the lie. A lie, intentionally and premeditated, and for all intent and purpose, unaccountable. Unaccountable, because there is no amount of education, no amount of preparation that can foresee a power elite that promotes an error as truth. Our Christian standard prohibits and inhibits our ability to comprehend this evil intent. It is something so dark, it is beyond sensory ability. Never the less, it exists, and there are men with a black mindset capable of anything, and their control is nearly complete. All that is left is the cap-stone.

Know this, there is an absolute truth, and men have had the need to search for this since he was first able to understand concepts like accountability, responsibility, love, honor, and all of the finer and higher ideals that have taken us from the mentality of the animal to the mind of consciousness. And truth, it seems, cannot be denied.

Without truth, what can we consider ourselves to be but slaves? Slaves, and we are considered so, even within the folds of our own Holy Bible, who some take verbatim, and others a metaphor. Perhaps the errors, the lies, are justified according to our own scripture? Perhaps we put these Old Testament words in the mouth of Jesus?

Deuteronomy 7:1-2

When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations . . . then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.

20:10-17

When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you. If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city. When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. . . . This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby. However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you.

Is our destiny as a nation to be enslaved? Are those who are in charge of our nation attempting to enslave the world? Or is it possible both are going on simultaneously? Or is our Christian destiny the quest for the light of truth? The quest to find God? Is that the truth? Isn’t it up to you to formulate your destiny? Isn’t that the knowledge of good and evil? The knowledge that Eve sacrificed her immortality for, her understanding that we die?

My suggestion in this liberty movement of the intellect, if truth is held in any regard, is to read both Kant and Hegel, instead of focusing on dogmas and speculations. Perhaps then, with your intellect, truth will be revealed. This revolution is said to be one of intellect, so perhaps we should get to work. Maybe if we can question, and finally separate ourselves from corporate-controlled mainstream news, whose only objective is to serve their corporate masters, truth may finally be won, and so too the Liberty movement.

See original here: http://www.examiner.com/article/the-link-of-truth-with-both-liberty-and-the-slaver-s-lash

By: Celine James

Selecting a major is rarely a linear process. Many students don’t know their strengths, weaknesses, or even interests by the time classes begin, let alone their long-term job prospects. So what if the government wanted to help out with the decision?

Policy makers are exploring several recent proposals to subsidize colleges and universities with federal money on the condition that academic programs better reflect job market trends. Many are advocating incentivize high-demand fields in the wake of the recent financial crisis, skyrocketing tuition bills, and record levels of student debt. This article will explore some of these programs and potential implications for students.

The Role of the American Government

The government itself is a major employer that also drives private sector companies who provide the supplies, tools, and resources enabling the government to function. Throughout history, the government has also played the role of investor in an effort to stimulate job growth.

For example, the New Deal and the programs of the Great Depression helped lift the U.S. out of the Great Depression through massive government expansion and job creation. More recently, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funneled millions of dollars into education and training programs including nearly $4.8 billion in job training, unemployment, and workforce development funds.

This model of government investment in education is used around the world as an economic driver and a catalyst for development. This philosophy has helped many poor and developing countries lift hundreds out of poverty and into the workforce.

The Malaysian government has made education and training a high priority under its five-year development plans. The Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) is one such example. Launched in 1993, HRDF encourages those in the private sector to upgrade their skills through training and retraining. Eligible employers can contribute to the fund, and in turn apply for grants to defray or subsidize the costs of training their workforce.

The Department of Skills Development (DSD) in the Malaysian government helps public and private education and training institutions evaluate the demand for existing skills and plan for future vocational and industrial training needs.

Focus on education is a key pillar of South Korea’s economic development plan, as well. According to the The Economist, many consider Korean schools to be international leaders of standardized education. The government is now working with businesses to ensure graduate skills and training will lead to high-paying jobs and demand in the labor market.

In fact, former President Lee Myung-bak pressed large Korean firms to align education and training to the needs of their workforce — and many firms have followed his lead. For instance, the large Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Company plans to set up a training institute as an alternative to the university system.

Workforce-based academic programs are nothing new. Community and technical colleges have long been regarded as experts in workforce training by offering programs directed at supplying students with the necessary skills for in-demand fields. Baccalaureate institutions, such as the University of New Mexico, have public-private partnerships to respond to demands in the workforce. An Albuquerque-based company donated $200,000 for a new heating and cooling monitoring system at the mechanical engineering building, which will give students first-hand training and opportunity to learn about and develop new technologies.

There is a difference, however, between offering degrees that reflect job market needs and receiving government funds to stimulate the economy by increasing the number of qualified graduates. Government officials across the country are recognizing the need to address workforce training needs as a means of economic development. In Florida, for instance, the state government already provides more funding to community colleges that place graduates in jobs paying $10 an hour or more.

Government officials in New York state are investing in a new approach to help break stubbornly high unemployment rates. The goal of the recently unveiled $5 million Next Generation NY Job Linkage program is to connect job seekers with the estimated 210,000 positions employers cannot fill due to a lack of skilled workers. Through government grants, the program will work directly with employers by identifying specific jobs and skills and designing appropriate training programs through the New York community college system. Down the road, the state may even make funding contingent upon student job placement.

Louisiana Senate Bill 117 would create a similar alliance between the state education system and the job market. Community colleges with higher graduation rates and programs focusing on the state’s workforce needs would receive more funds. Colleges with more science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs would also be rewarded with more cash. The state’s workforce needs would be determined by a board of state officials comprised of individuals like the chairman of the Louisiana Workforce Commission and the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Economic Development.

The level to which government should intervene or influence academic decisions is hotly debated. It may seem simple to just fund STEM fields because they seem to have a higher degree of earning potential. However, there is still a great need for liberal arts degrees and the ability to use ethics and the social sciences to solve some of the worlds biggest problems.

In fact, liberal arts degrees are often a preferred pathway to rewarding careers in high-income fields such as health care. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), medical schools accepted 43 percent of the biological sciences majors, 47 percent of physical sciences majors, 51 percent of humanities majors, and 45 percent of social sciences majors who applied in 2010 — demonstrating the value still placed on liberal arts degrees.

Yet there is a demand for at least some intervention and support from policymakers. Industry leaders such as Boeing are asking for federal dollars to help fill a shortage of highly-trained technical workers, which is threatening their business in the face of growing international competition.

Final Thought

For the vast majority of Americans, academic choices are either directly or indirectly influenced by economic needs and job market trends. This is evident from the prevalence of degrees in traditionally in-demand fields. For example, business degrees are the most popular in the U.S., and similarly the number of bachelor’s degrees in engineering and engineering technologies has increased roughly 20 percent since 2009–2010.

Investing in education and training is a time-tested economic driver, and it’s advantageous for governments to align workforce needs with the programs offered in public education institutions. However, one of the benefits of a strong collegiate system is the freedom of choice — options that provide a means to earn both a living wage across a broad base of academic fields.

As a student, your potential earned income and long-term job prospects should weigh heavily in the decisions you make about majors, degrees and programs. But remember, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer, and you should weigh the research with your own personal interests and needs.

See original here: http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2013/06/17/who-should-decide-your-college-major/