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Showing posts with label Universal Basic Income. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Universal Basic Income. Show all posts

Mar 5, 2021

Will Universal Basic Income Save You From Eviction? - Thom Hartmann

March 5, 2021: As the US Senate wrestles with President Biden's Covid Relief Bill and I work with some Forensic Astrology horoscopes from 1993, here's a recent segment of interest from Thom Hartmann in case you missed it:

Oct 29, 2017

The GOP Pro Life? More Like Anti Life

Millennial astrologer Kevin Estes writes:

The GOP, Pro Life? More Like Anti Life

by Kevin Estes

Over the last few days, some old Obama era laws have been repealed or are in the process of being repealed, such as removing the regulations on birth control, enabling employers to not cover birth control for religious reasons, and proposing to repeal the Clean Power Act, which would result in an increase of pollution, which would result in a decline in the quality of life for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has also announced the reversal of protections of transgender citizens from discrimination in the workplace, making them once again prone to harassment, which results in a lower quality of life. And the whole year, especially the summer, was known for continuous efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare, which would have resulted in millions losing coverage, reducing their quality of life. Get a pattern here? The Republican party is known as the "pro life" party, because of their opposition to abortion, but does that really make them pro life, when the vast majority of their policies negatively effect the quality of life of the American citizens?

In a word, no.

Any political party that supports taking away people's health care with the replacements allowing insurers to deny coverage for pre existing conditions, that supports cutting programs the neediest citizens depend on in order to support tax cuts for the wealthy, as well as wars where innocent people die, that supports eliminating environmental restrictions, resulting in a lower quality of air to breathe, supports the discrimination of the LGBT community, supports easier access to semi automatic weapons (I do not support taking away of guns in general, as a disarmed population leads to tyranny), and supports restricting access to birth control, which prevents the abortions they're against from taking place, is not truly pro life. You cannot be pro life and support policies like this, that will have a negative effect on the quality of life of the American citizens. Not to be divisive, but anybody who votes Republican and/or supports Trump is supporting these policies.

And the thing is, most people who vote Republican are Christian. If you're a Republican and reading this, do you really think Jesus would be in favor of anti life policies, like those of the Republican party ever since Reagan's presidency? Would Jesus support cutting people's food stamps or taking away people's health care in order to fund wars and tax cuts for the wealthy, when the wealth gap has never been more extreme and is only getting wider? Would Jesus support restricted access to birth control, even though it prevents abortions, which are more risky? Would Jesus support everybody having low quality air to breathe?

From what I've read in the Bible, very doubtful. Yet Christians, by voting Republican, are supporting policies that are so against the very nature of the Christ they worship every Sunday. Jesus said nothing about gay marriage or abortion, yet said that it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich masn to enter the Kingdom of God, chased the bankers out of the temple, and said "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the Children of God". Does any of that fit the GOP's political platform?

The Aquarian Age

In astrology, it is well known that we're in the transition period between the Piecean Age and the Aquarian Age. Christianity is a product of the Piscean Age, as shown by one of its symbols being a fish. The shadow side of Pisces represents illusions, and the Piscean Age has been full of illusions, mainly how our current financial system is supposedly good for us when the rich are getting richer at the expense of everyone else, and how we supposedly have a voice when the elite oligarchs control our elected officials. The conservative Christian mindset, that they are actually following Jesus' teachings, can also be considered an illusion. In this transitional period, new ideas are gaining momentum, such as single payer health care and Universal Basic Income, which would have been considered crazy 15 years ago, and the combination of the truth coming out (Aquarius rules truth), as well as these new energies, has the elite scared of losing their power, and thus the politicians they control are in the process of increasing the suppression, to slow down the inevitable change. This is why both the GOP and the Democratic party have been more extreme than ever the last few years, to divide us.

What should we do to really be pro life? Simple. Treat others how you'd want to be treated. Jesus also said "Love your neighbor as thyself. There is no commandment greater than these", and it is no secret that we've gone far away from that. Going back to doing that is the only way to be pro life, as well as overcome the oppressors, as they want us to be divided and at each other's throats, so we can't unite as one.

Thanks for sharing your views, Kevin! jc

The above article originally appeared October 6, 2017 on Kevin's Left Wing Astrology blog. For more of his millennial viewpoint informed by astrological considerations simply type 'Kevin Estes' into the SO'W Search box you'll find in the sidebar.


Jul 22, 2017

The GOP Health Care Bill: Why Health Care Should Be Singlepayer


Here's the latest post by millennial astrologer Kevin Estes which first appeared on his Left Wing Astrology blog:

The GOP Health Care Bill - Why Health Care Should Be Singlepayer

One of the main focuses this summer has been the attempted repeal of Obamacare by the GOP. The current bill would leave millions of people uninsured if it passes, but the biggest eye opener is that Congress would be exempt from the bill if it passes. In what way is Congress making laws that don't apply to them acceptable? While I've been critical of Obamacare in the past, mainly because it's a ponzi scheme to make health care providers richer through a mandate and increased prices, uninsuring millions of Americans is not the answer, as it is only a return to the outdated status quo.

The Answer? Single Payer Healthcare

As I have mentioned before, the country and everyone in it has been under the influence of Neptune in Pisces since April 2011 (the kids born with Neptune in Pisces will have this influence for the rest of their lives). This is significant since Neptune is in its own sign, and both Neptune and the sign of Pisces rule compassion and sacrifice. Therefore, it is no coincidence that since 2011, there's been a push for our elected officials to be more compassionate, and sacrificing their own status (which will be a fight, as many congress members and president Donald Trump have Pluto in Leo, the sign that rules status and royalty) for the betterment of all.

After all, it doesn't make sense to have to pay money to be healthy, as that should be a right when you think about it long and hard. Single payer health care, through a Medicare expansion, would have everyone in the country insured. So why is it such a bad idea to the GOP? Because it's "socialist"? The current system, designed to make the rich richer and the country dependent on warfare, has the country trillions of dollars in debt and another economic collapse will likely happen in the next few years. With the middle class declining rapidly and the country being close to another revolution (the US Pluto return will happen in March 2022), change is needed that will ensure a better quality of life for all Americans without being enslaved to the system, and single payer health care (along with Universal Basic Income) will be a change that will provide that.

The better question is: WHY are we so scared of that? Change is good sometimes, and this time it's necessary considering the current Pluto in Capricorn (which rules government, institutions, and big business) and Neptune in Pisces transits, as well as the Uranus in Taurus (which rules money and material possessions) transit that will start next year. With the transformer (Pluto) and the planet of unexpected change and rebellion (Uranus) in the two most materialistic signs, and Neptune, the planet of compassion and sacrifice, in its own sign, the outdated status quo that is not in humanity's best interests cannot continue, and the sooner it changes, the less chaotic it will be.

NASA image: Neptune

Jul 3, 2017

Universal Basic Income - Why It Should Be Embraced

Returning to share his thoughts with Stars Over Washington readers is millennial astrologer Kevin Estes in an article that originally appeared on his Left Wing Astrology blog, June 19, 2017:

Universal Basic Income - Why It Should Be Embraced

by Kevin Estes

Similar to gay marriage 10 years ago, one of the ideas that is slowly building steam today is that of a Universal Basic Income for everyone. What is Universal Basic Income? It is an unconditional fixed amount of money, similar to Social Security, but given to everyone in the country. It is an idea praised by people on the left because it combats economic inequality, and praised by Libertarians because it grants freedom from being a wage slave to the state, yet not embraced by people on the right because it's "socialist" and enables people to be lazy. That being said, here are eight reasons why Universal Basic Income should be embraced, and eventually be reality:

Freedom - In order to survive comfortably in today's society, you have to work for an average of 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for around 40 years before retirement, which is a nice way of saying "you're too old to produce for us, so here's a fixed amount every month because you're not useful anymore". Life should be more than being away from your family 5 days a week in order to survive. A work/life balance is extremely important, yet many, if not most, don't have that. Universal Basic Income would allow for a balance between work and family life and give people the freedom to be what they want to be without struggling for survival.

Wage Increases - With a Universal Basic Income, employers would need to implement higher wages in order for employees to feel justified in working for that company or business. If everybody got $5,000 a month, which would equal $60,000 a year, unconditionally (if they save a certain amount every month, they could live extremely comfortably), they wouldn't HAVE to keep working at a job that is unsatisfying if they don't need to.

Growth Of Technology - With cars that drive themselves in the works, it is very likely that technology, mainly in the form of robots and computerized machines, will be doing the jobs that humans have done (Pluto will enter Aquarius, the sign of technology, in early 2023). With humans being replaced by machines, there won't be enough jobs for everyone, hence why Universal Basic Income will soon need to be reality.

The Old Ways Are Outdated - With the US Pluto return coming up in 2022, then Pluto entering Aquarius, a sign that represents individuality and freedom, systems that suppress those qualities simply won't cut it anymore. At the time of the Pluto return, the oldest Neptune in Aquarius natives will be 24 years old, and the oldest Pluto in Sagittarius (another sign that is about freedom) natives will be 27 years old. These people will demand freedom from oppressive systems, just like how us Pluto in Scorpio natives (the oldest being 38 years old at the time of the Pluto return) demand the truth.

Fewer Programs - With everybody of working age having a Universal Basic Income, the rest of the safety net programs wouldn't have to exist outside of Medicare, which should be free for everyone (the doctors and nurses would all have Universal Basic Income, and would be getting higher wages for their services, so they'd be compensated very well). One program and one fixed wage for everyone would mean A LOT more simplicity.

Less Class Warfare - Right now, the middle class is declining rapidly, as a result of the wealth of select billionaires (Koch Brothers, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, George Soros, Walton Family, etc.) ballooning to a point where they can purchase every property in certain cities, which results in an extremely large poor and working class. This is an issue that needs correction, and needs to never happen again when it is fixed, and Universal Basic Income will prevent that from happening.

Less Crime - It's a fact that most crime occurs in low income neighborhoods. With everybody 18 and over having Universal Basic Income, low income neighborhoods will become high income neighborhoods, which will heavily reduce crime in those neighborhoods, making the people in those neighborhoods feel safer.

Better Working Conditions - With a Universal Basic Income for everyone, working conditions would need to be improved in order for people to justifiably work at places that historically have poor working conditions.

Because of these reasons, the positives far outweigh the negatives in regards to Universal Basic Income, which is why it needs to be implemented sooner rather than later, regardless of the fear of it from conservatives due to its being a "socialist" policy. The needs of humanity as a whole trump the need for some to have a higher status than others, which is another result of the divide and conquer scheme.

Stay turned for more coming soon from your West Coast millennial astrologer Kevin Estes!