It made no difference.

We have bought into the Military Industrial Complex (MIC). If you would like to read how this happens please see:

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/03/spyagency200703

Through a combination of public apathy and threats by the MIC we have let the SYSTEM get too large. It is now a SYSTEMIC problem and the SYSTEM is out of control. Government and industry are merging and that is very dangerous.

There is no conspiracy. The SYSTEM has gotten so big that those who make it up and run it day to day in industry and government simply are perpetuating their existance.

The politicians rely on them for details and recommendations because they cannot possibly grasp the nuances of the environment and the BIG SYSTEM.

So, the system has to go bust and then be re-scaled, fixed and re-designed to run efficiently and prudently, just like any other big machine that runs poorly or becomes obsolete or dangerous.

This situation will right itself through trauma. I see a government ENRON on the horizon, with an associated house cleaning.

The next president will come and go along with his appointees and politicos. The event to watch is the collapse of the MIC.

For more details see:

http://rosecoveredglasses.blogspot.com/2006/11/odyssey-of-armaments.html

As for monetary wealth, making money is not necessarily an “evil” thing, nor is it necessarily a “good” thing. Motivation is the key here “for the love of money is the root of all evil.” The point is not to make “making money” your sole purpose in life. After all what good does it do if a man “shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

Men who have embraced God, men who have accepted Jesus Christ as God, Lord and Savior who have then followed the precepts of the Bible when building their businesses have become extremely successful. Without, I might add, making “making money” their primary objective. Ping Golf is a great example of this.

While I’m not actively seeking to be the richest man in the world, I’m also not sitting at home waiting for a billion dollar check from God to show up in my mailbox either. If it is God’s purpose for my life that he makes my efforts prosperous, then that’s great. However if not, that is fine too. After all being “wealthy” is more than just money; and quite frankly I’d rather God make my spiritual efforts much, much more prosperous than my financial efforts.

Just don’t use credit cards unless you can develop the disipline to pay them off in full each month. Have great credit…. so if you ever want a loan you can get one on great terms. Banks love to lend money at great terms to people who don’ t need the money. Glad you brought this up. Hey another post; FICO - How to improve them without driving youself bonkers. R Begley

Cut up your credit cards… absolutely… but do NOT close your accounts. Just DON’T USE THEM. This also pertains to credit card companies you HATE.

WHY? Because OPEN, aged credit card accounts are a tremendous part of your FICO credit scores. Closing these accounts will most certainly negatively impact the scores.

Sure, we don’t want to use credit if we don’t have to… but there are times when you will want to… you need a new car, and can pay it off in a year, but don’t have the cash right now. Or a new house… until you can pay cash for $200K home, you’ll need a mortgage.

Credit is not necessarily evil - you just need to be informed as to the best way YOU can use it to your benefit.

People take responsibility for yourself. The system is set up for the uninformed to depart with their wealth as quick as possible and from many different angles. Watch Learn and Listen R Begley

If it makes you feel good for yourself - groovy - I may not get the same feeling - does that make me evil and unkind for not caring about someone half way around the would that I don’t know? Actually to be honest, I don’t care… my caring is limited to my family and friends… or I may have a position that helping people sometimes can have the opposite effect…. and I don’t really know if the cash will help or harm.

The butterfly story. If you see a creature struggling in a cocoon and decide - oh poor creature, - look it’s struggling to get out, I’ll just help it. You have now condemed this creature to death! The struggle is what helps the buterfly develop it’s wings and without the struggle will have week wings and won’t be able to fly. “Good intentions” can sometimes kill.

Now, we can’t develop wealth without helping our fellow humans. This is not a contridiction because that help is a mutual trancaction with both sides benefiting or the transaction does not happen. From helping your girl you feel good…. that’s what you get from the transaction. Please watch your global shoulds. Develop your personal philosophy for yourself and yourself only. I’m not that smart to tell the world what to do. R Begley

While I agree with you that altruistic thoughts can hinder your progress in achieving wealth - the real question is should you give back once you’ve ACHIEVED the wealth?

From a purely spiritual point of view, shouldn’t we help people less fortunate than ourselves? As I write this, I sit in a nice house, having just had a nice meal, with a nice drink nearby, dressed in nice clothes (well, OK - you know me to well… ADEQUATE clothes), and typing on a killer computer. At the same moment, there’s a child somewhere in the world who hasn’t had a decent meal in three days… hasn’t had a roof over her head in years, and can’t afford to go to school to improve her chances. I can help her - isn’t it incumbent upon me to do so? Or, put another way - “There but by the grace of God, go I”?

BTW… if you want to help somebody like the girl I just mentioned, you can go to Plan USA and sponsor a less fortunate child for less than $25 a month! You don’t have to be “wealthy” to do that, but it sure will make you feel like you are!