Sunday, February 14, 2021

How we failed to quarantine correctly for COVID-19

 It is my belief that for some reason, epidemiologists don't understand basic military strategy nor ecology, which is why for the past year we've been subject to frankly insane recommendations from "The Experts".

Given the numbers we were seeing with COVID-19, and the pattern of spread,  I would have separated and done two different lockdowns by population density.

1. Rural populations of under 20 people per square mile:  1000 square mile sections, chosen for essential services such as clinics, hospitals, zip code postal offices, grocery stores and restaurants.  NO closures, but no travel outside of your 1000 square mile cohort either.

2.  Urban populations over 20 people per spare mile- segregated by neighborhood, where a neighborhood contains at least one each of a grocery store, a hospital, a restaurant, a post office, and a grocery store.  No travel outside of your neighborhood.

Shipments between each of these should be handled *only* by semi truck, with a change of tractor at borders, to limit human travel between areas.

If we had done that, early on, say last February, we would have eliminated spread, and we'd likely be eliminated borders by now between adjoining areas where both have not had a case in the last 90 days.

Population segregation and travel restrictions- it's the way to go not only with pandemics, but also with any other invasive species that hitches a ride on human travel and contact.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Why Catholics need to pay attention to providing revenge as a part of justice

 I'm very much a St. John Paul The Great Catholic.  As such, I share the modernist point of view that the death penalty is barbaric, outdated, and for the most part, either too lenient or too bloody to fit the crimes it is called for.  We have good drugs now to keep the inmates quiet and harmless.  Death of personality- a conversion away from sin guided by counsel and drugs to maintain mood- is sufficient to protect the innocent.

Having said that, we have four sins that cry out to Heaven for Vengeance, and to fulfill all justice, victims of these four sins MUST BE AVENGED.  So here are the four sins, and my personal recommendation for revenge given the current constitution of the United States is in Italics.

1) Murder

This is based off what God said to Cain after he murdered his brother Abel:

“The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” (Genesis 4.10)

(This includes abortion)

The murderer- even if the original motive was merely a hired killing- should be subject to Amendment 13 slavery *working at their most profitable skill* with the paychecks going to the family of the victims for their entire life.  

2) The Sin of Sodom
This is based on what God said regarding the sins of the ancient city of Sodom:

“Then the Lord said, ‘The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.'” (Genesis 18.20-21)

What was the sin of Sodom? Scripture explains it in two places:

“Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.” (Ezekiel 16.49-50)

“Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.” (Jude 1.7) (Note, not just homosexuality, but also fornication outside of marriage, and in our day, pornography).

This, I believe, should be split into four degrees.  The first degree, fornication resulting in children, should result in the mother having the choice between marriage or entering an Amendment 13 complaint against the father, with all the requirements a murder charge would have, only the profits going into a trust for the child.  Sodomy in the second degree, fornication resulting in a lack of posterity without benefit of marriage license, should be a fine with 50% of the fine going to the court and 50% of the fine going to plaintiff.  Should the plaintiff be found to have brought this charge without cause- the fine is still due, but the defendant gets half for their time and trouble.  Sodomy in the third degree would be spousal abuse cases, here the assumption should be for the court to look towards an underlying psychological or medical reason for the cause, with involuntary committal to a suitable hospital as a result.  Sodomy in the fourth degree, failing to help support the poor and needy or neglect of children natural or adopted, would be a charge brought either by the IRS or CDS, and should result in either a bump up to a higher tax bracket to provide the state the necessary funds or Amendment 13 slavery until the child turns 18.

3) Oppression of the poor, especially widows and orphans
This comes from two places in the Old Testament:

“Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry.” (Exodus 22.22-23)

“The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.” (Exodus 2.24)

I believe this is best handled in federal income taxes as a special surcharge earmarked for welfare.  Charitable giving up to 80% of one's income should be deductible against this surcharge as well as against the rest of the income tax.

4) Defrauding workers of their wages
This one is found in both the Old and New Testaments:

“Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin.” (Deuteronomy 24.14-15)

“Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.” (James 5.4)

This should be a special C-level executive income tax surcharge, a maximum wage law, capping total compensation at 100x compensation received by the lowest paid employee, thus narrowing the income gap and reducing the incentive to cut costs at the expense of the workers.  Violators should be subject to full audit and back payment of surcharge, to be handed out to workers on record for the year the surcharge was avoided.

Creative Commons License
Oustside The Asylum by Ted Seeber is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at http://outsidetheaustisticasylum.blogspot.com.