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Despite the US spending more on its military than the combined amounts of 10 countries ranking below it in terms of military expenditure, the country has nothing to show for it , apart from a crumbling infrastructure , poverty , inaccessible healthcare to the majority of the population , widespread indebtedness etc etc. The opportunity to reap a peace dividend when the Soviet Union collapsed was squandered when the US Military Industrial complex and its lackeys in the government double crossed the Russians and expanded NATO eastwards . In many ways the US has brought this disaster on themselves, and this will further hasten the collapse of the US Empire. Clearly all the defence spending is a waste of money and it should be put to creating a prosperous USA and lifting the world out of poverty. This is the only way to achieve everlasting peace and sustainability .

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Marianne's comments reflect the sad truth that we have lost our moral compass. War is soul destroying business. Sadly, the military has become one of the only jobs with benefits that is available to young people seeking a middle class life in America. Therefore, the military industrial complex owns our soldiers as much as it owns our politicians. How can America represent a model of democracy and virtue, when we have become the most profitable killing machine on the planet?

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Feb 24, 2022·edited Feb 24, 2022

Well said Jennifer. I feel the same. How. How is making America good again going to happen. What can those of us who are not part of the 1%, who are caring thinking people, unlike the extremists of Jan 6th, who are funded and fueled by the 1%, actually do ? The weathy dont care.

The extremists dont care. They have their own agenda, and do not care about anyone but themselves. I wonder every day whether there is any country in the world that cares about the wellbeing of their citizens on a whole. The level of greed and lack of humanity is overwhelming. So, yes, I relate to your email, but how do we make people wake up? Our country can no longer be run the same as it was 60 years ago, yet our government keeps trying to do just that.

How? How do you make those in power care, and more importantly how do we get those that care into power without compromise?

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…and a former President of the United States and Secretary of State are praising Putin as a genius! What have we come to as the world (including Putin) watches?

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I felt moved to start back at the beginning of Part 2 of the workbook of ACIM in January this year. My lesson today was #265. It's an interesting thing to read in this context. It can be hard not to make the separation real by reinforcing it in the face of seemingly strong evidence. But miracles come from conviction, and there is no order of difficulty in miracles. Correction comes at the level of thought and we have to be vigilant not to confuse the levels. ❤😊

Lesson 265

Creation’s gentleness is all I see.

1. I have indeed misunderstood the world, because I laid my sins on it and saw them looking back at me. ²How fierce they seemed! ³And how deceived was I to think that what I feared was in the world, instead of in my mind alone. ⁴Today I see the world in the celestial gentleness with which creation shines. ⁵There is no fear in it. ⁶Let no appearance of my sins obscure the light of Heaven shining on the world. ⁷What is reflected there is in God’s Mind. ⁸The images I see reflect my thoughts. ⁹Yet is my mind at one with God’s. ¹⁰And so I can perceive creation’s gentleness.

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Yes this is so sad. But there is a bifurcation here. The faithful are joining in the churches, in homes and on zoom. I have never seen so many speak of praying together. I have not heard the beautiful word God be welcomed and popular again. The truth of the matter is that this is God's world. Not Putin's, not Bidens or the US for that matter. It is a place created by Spirit and governed by Spirit. Have we listened so long to the news chatter that we have lost that small voice within? God is a miracle maker. We are as well but not if we are sitting in fear , anger, helplessness. Consider that manifestation is none of our business, our business is that of God. Pray and see peace happen and to me that is the best we can do. We also have power, given to us by our father God., we have choices. Now more than ever we could choose to shift our perspective to that of healing and love. God bless everyone, thank you.

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You say that America must be good again. I have to say that I love America. I am a DAR (although have not officially joined). My ancestors have been here since 1635 and have seen the graveyards with headstones decorated with Revolutionary War medals. I am also listed in a book of my ancestors as 11th generation. I must say that America has always been VERY powerful, and sometimes way ahead in Democratic theories and practices. But there has ALWAYS been the bad elements as well as good. How did we start? By wiping out an entire indigenous population which still suffers the consequences today. We still have not formally made amends or even apologized. And of course, slavery that contributed to making our country strong, to which we still have not made amends. And the far right wing element has always been there trying to sabotage many Democratic institutions and ideals (read "Democracy In Chains" by Nancy MacLean). And I was in Guatemala in the 90's. The home I visited had a poster on the wall of an eagle (symbolizing America) with a gun pointed down, killing the innocent population. Our government contributed in a negative way to their civil war, and also others in Central America. So, my DREAM, and my HOPE is that one day we CAN become a GOOD country. It has not happened yet, but I still believe that it can. I still believe that we have enough good people in this country with the highest ideals of justice and compassion that we still may have the last best chance.

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It takes conviction, deep conviction to write the way you do. I follow you on that path. We are certainly not here for all the 'infractions' you are enumerating. As I was reading the first lines of your exposé I thought something was missing but later on you do not forget to also remind US of our own. If we were (are) supposed to reproduce 'heaven on earth', I would say we are not on the right path :) Nonetheless we have all the tools to get there. It's only a matter of each of us reaching a level of consciousness that would allow this to be. At the pace we are advancing though, it won't be during my current lifetime here. In the other world it's all a matter of retribution, not money, not property rights or nothing that currently makes the socio-political landscape. Unless one wants to reinvent the wheel by going back to a time the discussion consisted of smashing someone's head, there is no such thing as freedom if there is no duty and responsibility towards a modus vivendi and a modus operandi. It is a spiritual journey that is hard to foresee in the forest of misdeeds we are stumbling upon and involuntarily contributing to in the best of case. All that is important is always to do things with the best intention. After alll, the result of what's going on is only the addition of each of us contributing to it.

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This is a sad day indeed. A heavy heart does not start to explain how I feel or how we must all feel collectively. . America has lost its compass … it’s systems of values (even if imperfect). But, it is just not the corporate greed, it is the individual greed or complacency, an immense concern just for our well being…. How can we do less and have more. Our government is a disgrace, our President is weak and tired…. Let’s pray to God for the Ukrainians, for the world, for those committing these horrific acts and for our nation.

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Thank you.

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Very well said, thank you. This is a very sad time indeed.

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You are insane. Make the US a superpower that other superpowers are afraid to mess with? Hey, let's have WWIII.

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Perhaps this is an unpopular belief, but until every single one of us who know better, stop looking "out there" blaming and start looking deeply and honestly within ourselves, peace is not possible. I challenge you all to observe yourselves very closely during the next 7 days. Watch for traces of anger, blame, self-righteousness, pride, envy, lust, greed, anger, sloth, gluttony. Set your fear of seeing these things within yourself aside and watch closely for traces of judgment of others, self-justification, superiority. Upon seeing them, and you will if you're honest, immediately pray, acknowledging, not reprimanding but acknowledging, your own flaws and the energy they create. Admit your own lack of power to change them yourself. This humility invites the TRUE POWER of God to reach into your Soul, granting you deep awareness of any thought, feeling or action that is against peace. Remember on the cross, the criminal who recognized his own faults, was forgiven, not the one begging for Jesus to use his powers to save him. Forgiveness is immediate. We are the ones who judge and decide what's right and wrong not God. God cannot be what It isn't. Give up wringing your hands for peace and take meaningful action. Stop looking "out there" for others to create peace or justice and go deeply within your own Soul. Let your prayers be those of deep gratitude for God's unrelenting compassion, rather than manipulative coy orders for God to do as you believe is right. Refuse to put the responsibility for peace and good will anywhere but within yourself. You have nothing at all to lose but what you don't want.

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Biden could have avoided this by living up to the U.S. promise to never put NATO (U.S.) Nukes on Russia.

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Is it really necessary to list the faults of the US while President Biden is trying his best to deal with the Russian invasion of Ukraine? How is this helpful? I believe that most Americans are painfully aware of our horrific treatment of people of color and involvement in unnecessary and deadly wars. We can't change our history, but we can be better today and in our future. We can elect leaders who want to unite our Country and who are peacemakers. Please pray for that as well as the people of Ukraine.

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