Tao Te Ching 53

The great Way is easy, yet people prefer the side paths. Be aware when things are out of balance.

When rich speculators prosper while farmers lose their land; when government officials spend money on weapons instead of cures; when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible while the poor have nowhere to turn – all this is robbery and chaos.

It is not in keeping with the Tao.
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Robbery and chaos – is there any of that inside or outside America these days? Because I’m still on a bit of a hiatus from political commentary, I will let this one rest on its own, other than to say that things are out of balance and it's time for us get off the side paths.

Besides, I’m still pondering a provocative comment from a friend and co-worker regarding yesterday’s posting. She gently challenged my offhand comment about rarely being drawn to worshipping an idol. I responded by ticking off a list of classic materialistic idols that haven’t sucked me is, while admitting that I could be accused of worshipping my wife too often.

Then she offered another suggestion – one that had never crossed my mind as an idol-worshipping candidate.

Intelligence.

I’ll be thinking about that for a while.