By Alex Hutchins

It is conservatively estimated that the global revenue from the distribution and sale of illegal drugs is $600-800 billion with $180 billion in the US alone.  more

It is conservatively estimated that the global revenue from the distribution and sale of pornography is $90 billion with $13 billion in the US alone.  more

It is conservatively estimated by the DOD that sales of arms outside of the US will reach $103 billion or greater this year.  more

It is conservatively estimated that the sale of firearms and ammunition inside the US will reach $4 billion or more this year.  more



Chinese symbol
 for
LISTEN



Hard to believe that selling drugs to Americans generates more revenue than selling firearms to other countries.

Hard to believe that selling pornography to Americans generates more money than selling firearms to Americans.

What I want to know is who is buying the porn and who is buying the drugs?  I hope it is not all the unemployed workers . . .  of course not;  it is all the survivors who are trying to escape from all the extra work that they are being asked to do - that's the real answer.

BUT, who is listening?

Who, wants to listen?

A full moon is rising over America and while it is offering us plenty of light to see, it appears to me that no one wants to see.  No one wants to admit that we have a drug problem.  No one wants to admit that we have a porn problem.  No one wants to look at our 50% divorce rate problem because we need to watch the Super Bowl or report on an impotent Congress or fuss over the contributions made to Super PACS.

We have all made a conscious decision to ignore so that we can make sure we have our boarding pass for America's Ghost Ship.

Americans working in Shanghai

Dreams found in China

After six months of looking for a job in America, Ben and his wife, Arcelia, gave China a try.  It was the right decision to make.  Arcelia was in high demand as a therapist for autistic children despite having no Chinese language skills. It took Ben just a month to land the senior position he always wanted.  The couple had looked for work for 9 months in Los Angeles and had not even been able to get companies to answer their letters and emails.

This may not be the answer for everyone but it certainly is an answer for some.  But, mind sets have to be changed as well as pre-conceived ideas about other people living in other countries.  Americans can no longer live in isolation, expecting the rest of the world to come to them or to simply visit these countries on vacation.  Just as we openly embraced America, moving out of Great Britain and/or Europe to the land of opportunity, so too must we now move into other parts of the world, to work, to learn, and to live with other cultures.

This could be a true test of American prejudice.  A chance for us (Americans) to put our money where our mouths are.  Are we as open-minded as we claim to be to ourselves, our neighbors, and to the rest of the world.  This has nothing to do with Christianity, although some might argue that it does; but it is more of an American idea than a Christian idea to embrace cultural diversity.

How will we be seen by the rest of the world now and do we really care?  Another question might be:  is this too liberal for the liberals?