Did you know being a golf caddy can be a pretty vigorous cardio affair? We walked a short course today. While it wasn't being a caddy you can see the point. Golf Caddy Cardio Study Next time someone asks what your doing? You can say your exercising first and second golfing.
Trust in the military has declined 60% and that saddens me because our military produced some of the finest people on the planet. They are fair, they treat people well, they raise the standard, they provide opportunities, they teach important values, and the military protects our nation and it's liberties.
What I think gets mixed up is the political aspects of those outside the military that shadow the important benefits our military provides for society. That can help us learn about co-mingling of different concepts and confounding variables.
There are two articles and two charts to ponder.
Confidence in U.S. Military Lowest in Over Two DecadesThere is a difference between our political views as a nation and the military itself and I would like people to differentiate that. Our military is diverse and it encourages people from any background to be the best they can be. It's a merit system. Politics has its own systems.
Politics can be good or bad but it is often driven by influencers who have a political stake in the game. The youth that join and serve our military have none of that...but they do have belief in our important values and are willing to support that with their lives. They are a cut above the rest.
We should understand that political leadership influences the perception of our institutions. It could be our military or any other institution in the nation. While political leadership can influence these institutions we should also ensure that we differentiate it with political movements, ideas, and activities.
Two charts highlight some of the findings of two polls. Like most Americans, I support the Military and Small Business. I wonder what everyone else supports? For that, you have to look at our political activities and how the average American views them. i.e. the stakeholders of such processes.
A few questions you want to ask yourself might be 1.) Is it a decline in trust in the military or is it actually a decline in the perceptions of another institution? 2.) How might perception of the military, political process, and other factors get comingled into polls?
Further research and investigation will help determine more closely what the factors are and what they are not. The second chart sort of helps put the different institutions in order of trust. Things could have changed since the last time the poll was concluded. It's a good poll for discussion.
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Hate groups mix morality with the extreme sense of dislike of their targets that leads them down all types of aggressive and immoral paths. When researchers reviewed hate groups online they found their perceived moral violations by the "out group" were much more frequent in their discussions. Thus, somewhere along the way they connected their negative view of others, with their own moral superiority or "rightness" The psychology of hate: Moral concerns differentiate hate from dislike
A few thoughts on hate and the bigger picture (They are meant to be free flowing and not conclusive. Could even be spelling and grammar errors. It is just a story for moral and mental consumption. A learning opportunity about hate and how it works.):
-Such groups have a history of mistreating others.
-They are open to rumors against people they dont like, spread them and act on them.
-Individuals within these groups seek to create conflict with the targets and engage in microaggressions to provoke larger conflicts (i.e. justifications for further hate crimes).
-There is lots of gamesmanship and lying.
-They exist in environments with lax oversight that are susceptible to corruption i.e. 'culture of corruption'.
-There are often different rights and laws for different people applied in different ways.
-Dehumanization is part of a process that lowers moral inhibitions of other crimes.
-Lax laws and misunderstanding of extremism allows these behaviors to continue.
-The personalities involved are often toxic and shallow.
-Some fields and occupations seem to draw more hate supporters than others. Most of the people are good people but unfortunately leadership can sometimes be lacking a culture forms where they cannot report wrong doing. I encourage restructuring of positions to ensure that good people can come forward and report wrong doing. It could have helped nip the problem fairly quickly but culturally its opposed. By logic there may be a reason why some oppose and it may have little to do with law abiding. Let us protect the institution and its important role in society by encouraging good public servants to move forward and in turn remove bad apples that do not respect our American values or the laws that come with it. Its not fair for these good public servants to deal with poor actors that make their jobs harder. I respect these institutions so much that I once thought of becoming one and helping them but I found a different way to serve. That doesn't change my opinion on the need for reform and change. I want these institutions to be the best they can be and the most effective in their roles; hard to ague with that. They will and they will act on that! Its where we are at this time in history. All systems must adapt and improve to ensure they are best fulfilling the needs of society.
-The perception is might over right and it becomes a numbers game of intimidation and social support.
-Because you are dealing with hierarchical perceptions of human value do not expect justice nor accountability where these behaviors have been normalized.
-It makes no difference if you are a good person, you help your community, you do the right things or where you have gone in your life. Even serv8ngbyour nation mean little. What matters most is who likes you, what race you are, what religion you practice and whether or not you bend a knee to partisan politics as a tool for hyping these groups. Herd animals.
-In the example hate rumors blocked a part time local job and the same network of people are seeking to block any engagement in public service. Its segregation at work. Encourage a universal democracy with broad based capitalism where people are judged and get ahead on merit and not by superficial reasons. Some of these people and their supporters will do anything to block 60% of society and you can tell that by the demographics. It has nothing to do with freedom.
-Victims have no recourse in corrupted systems so you find large groups of defectors of the status quo. Good people will encourage positive reform and change. In other words, more and more people will want a higher functioning system. They know people are intentionally violating the laws and getting free passes for those violations.
-Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Speech exist on one level but do not exist on an actualized level. You are judged by your religion and you are judged on superficial things like race. If you don't say what such hate networks want to hear, there are no backstops. In this example, I am using a person who is religiously open and has basic adherence to Catholic-Muslim-Jewish perspectives. Such groups have been known to violate laws on religious holidays to ensure only certain religions feel safe practicing in the area. It has become practical legal corruption and practical lawlessness on a level that only further corruption promote. Even though they don't respect these laws and rights you should respect them because our nation deserves law abiding people and they deserve laws that are applied fairly in the best interest of communities and the nation. The root of these laws are based in those freedoms; no matter if they are used well or corrupted in application.
-Nothing has changed and we are not yet willing to universalize our values or our laws which shows a deep lack of respect for our nation and the freedoms many generations of our parents and grandparents struggled to promote. Have respect for the challenges of prior generations and those who lost their lives and freedoms for preserving our rights.
-In these systems expect to have no rights as there are people who will ensure that you have no rights. This is why they roll their eyes when you say things like, "People have a right to voice their opinion" or "This nation was built on civil rights.". They roll those eyes because they exist within networks that disrespect those rights and in some cases they work in occupations where they have the ability to do that with no checks and balances.
-Report hate crimes but expect no one to take action. Its not for this time but for the next generation to understand what this generation has gone through. Because the young grew up in diverse schools and locations they have a much better grasp of what it means to be an American and what freedom looks like.
-Where laws are subjective, people talk openly of armed militias, where extreme bigotries reside, open acts of aggression or potential violence, free pass for any crime against "others", multiple community complaints with direct retaliation, and general brutal dishonesty one must accept the end game if you stand for your nation, its people, and the rights of a diverse new generation. These people hate fair treatment and will warp the intent of the laws for their own benefit. On an individual level they are afraid they can't compete when the playing field is level so they will do anything to maintain that unfairness.
-Also, accept that your reputation will be ruined, people are going to make up stories, expect that you will be ostracized, and accept that they will brag about the chaos they cause. To them being accepted by their social networks means being a jerk. The rudeness they display is trying to belittle you to raise their own inflated sense of existence-an underdeveloped mans/woman's game. All to common in groups of underdeveloped people who have become accustomed to bullying others. Despite that pressure stand tall because you didn't sell out your people, your community, or your country. These people never had those type of values. They compare themselves to you and come up short.
-Under all circumstance be positive, be polite, be peaceful and be helpful...its a long term game and where there are different rules for different people. Keep in mind they are trying to provoke conflict and local authorities have given them the right and ability to do that. If you react to their behaviors they will justify more hate and aggression. Let them be more of the cause and you can be more of the solution. Eventually it will change because most good people are aware these things exist and how destructive they are to society. They know how these networks work and who gives them a free pass. Just recognize, understand, and create an environment of change. We as a people of any race or religion will overcome. Its a natural course of our national development.
-On a deep, unfettered, no game level, this is part of who we are because if it wasn't it would have been discouraged. We can correct it because we know our nation has some of the best values through its social contracts the world has ever seen. Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, and Universal Human Suffrage. However, that doesn't mean all of the people believe in those central values or will make an effort to support those ideals. It is about 50/50 out there but the younger generation is 80/20 and its possible they will make a much bigger difference in the next 5 years. Never give up on the concept of freedom or liberty because our nation has gone so far and with a little more could make it to the goal post; no matter what these hate groups do.
One cannot be sure where we will go now as a nation but I encourage us to believe in "one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.". If we still believe in those things and whom it applies. Time answers all questions.....
To answer the question on why bullies and bigots are so rude? Bullying: Training for Adult Bigotry & DiscriminationLet us continue on with our hate group example to fully understand more of the dynamics involved in growing partisan and extremist networks. When I discuss hate groups I do so in the spirit of strengthening a nation of minorities. Meaning that any race or religion can be part of the problem or part of the solution, but if our nation is to survive we must all be focused on the same goals. Its not a particular political side nor is it advocating for any particular kind of person. White, Black, Arab, Jewish, etc. or any religion Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, etc.
The first observation about hate groups is that they work in large groups to intimidate people they view as "outsiders". Even if you are an "insider" they will hate you for any difference whatsoever and they will hate you more for disagreeing with their bad behaviors. Such groups often utilize corruption and corrupted networks in official positions to protect against accountability. Therein is a huge reason why we need to reform and universalize some of our institutions (In this example locally).
Read an older U.S. Department of Justice article on Hate Groups
Let me give you a hypothetical example for illustrative and learning purposes only. A person wanted something and used their connection with some corrupted and extremist leaning officials to launch hate narrative against a family (Pick a religion or race, anyone you want. In this example I used a Catholic Muslim Jew who is open to multiple religions and that didn't sit well with some people who committed crimes on religious holidays to send that person a message of what religions are acceptable in "their domain". Not to mention that one of their leaders came and told the person they were being targeting for their religion and used racial terms to belittle their lives to this network.). Local judiciary systems protected this hate and failed to hold perpetrators to account because of identity and social Good Old Boy networks. Over time numerous other people came forward and challenged the hate and corruption they experienced and they were quickly retaliated against and sidelined. The hate network continued to grow using partisanship to support their hate cause.
If you are a victim of such hate and corruption, remember that you have a greater responsibility to society than they do to engage in such criminal and immoral acts. You are a free person even if they don't believe that to be true (Slavery is gone but segregation lives on!) Likewise, you also have greater responsibilities to stand firm no matter how corrupted and dishonest the situation gets. They will throw everything they can at you to dehumanize you and dismiss your equality. They will utilize politics to protect and support such behaviors (Which political party does not matter in this example). Expect everything from hate narratives, to violence, to rumors, to gamesmanship, misuse of authority/power, rejection from jobs, ostracization, to wholesale in your face corruption. Do not expect justice!
Let us say that 100+ people grew to 1,000+ and some tainted officials who likewise felt much of society shouldn't have rights. They are higher and everyone else is lower. Don't be intimidated. Accept the end game because you are doing your duty to society. Smile, refuse to be intimidated, stand tall despite the rumors, and most of all continue to support your oaths of "liberty and justice for all" because the situation will change no matter how many dark souls they attract and can muster (There is no promise you will make it but it is better to support something you believe in that is helpful for the next generation, our society, and liberty. You have a responsibility to protect our future and the young.).
Be involved in your community, don't let them push you out of you work, your activities, don't let them block you from public service, and stand for your God given rights. While they may talk about God generally as an observation they know little about the history of God nor the many different ways of seeing him/her/it/being/power. I believe good people will win in the end no matter how large the network...because there are others who still believe in that freedom and have not sold out their values. When faithful Americans stand for their oaths against all odds, you know they actually believe in it. Those on the sidelines will stand for what is right or there will be sweeping generational change.
Remember they failed to manage the problems they created and they failed to stand for what we believe in as a nation. They are sell outs to the greater cause of a universal nation with universal freedoms that our forefathers created (You have to read the whole history, the personalities involved, the gifted people who came up with our social contracts that lasted 250 years and will continue to do so, and their ability to think beyond the past kings to create the greatest experiment on earth.) Their oaths and the Constitution mean little to those who dip into hate. Yet they will continue to mean much to those who served, those who care, and those who have hope in the future. Hate Crimes Explained
What about that large network that support hate and continues to create chaos? They are on the wrong side of history even if they have a green light to engage in these behaviors. Remember, they made a choice and you choose to be better than them through quality of character (You might be better than them in many ways but quality of character is a universal one that counts.). 💁
What we learn:
1.) Hate networks use intimidation and numbers.
2.) It exists where there are other markers of corruption.
3.) Many others come forward with similar complaints.
4.) Much of society doesn't believe in hate and does believe in our universal values.
5.) Freedom requires we stand for that freedom in the face of all odds. You can do so positively, peacefully, and politely...but let your voice be heard.
6.) In history there has always been movement toward a more just world and a stronger society because it biologically and psychologically woven into our species.
7.) You are judged in the next life by quality of character and not the hate networks that do not understand our nation, its history, any one else religion/race, or even their own religion/race. Truly ignorant in the full sense of the word. Be polite and take pity on them.
*This is a hypothetical example for learning purposes only. Take with a grain of salt.
We have greater and lesser responsibilities to society. Those who engage in hate and corruption (and protection thereof) have used their positions to further the lesser in society at the expense of the greater. Because power is a sacred oath and should be used for the purpose of good we must ensure there is more integrity where protections and support for behaviors that are antithetical to ethical, moral, constitutional, and human rights. It is a duty and oath for people to always push society to grow and develop to its highest state and removing and correcting poor behaviors is important.
The Greater and Lesser Responsibilities:
Failure to correct is a sign that a system has become weaker and has become increasingly compromised in terms of its values and orientation (That is any system on the planet) When there are aspects that function for personal, religious, social, and political gain while neglecting the greater good of society it creates a net negative and steals from our shared futures. Tackling extremist leaning corruption and violations of civil/human rights is central to our national identity and long-term growth.
Those that cause these issues appear to have less commitment to the rest of the nation (can augment with the term society) because they have allowed ulterior factors into their decision making (Trace back the logic of why they would free pass criminal behaviors if they are against certain type of people based on superficial reasons no matter the race or religion we are all free and I stand by that.). Worse, if they are in positions where these distortions can continue to infect the rest of society we have risks that will continue into the future. The wake of prior victims and their complaints seem to fall on deaf ears.
(What I find interesting is that hate has few bounds. The people have such little experience in life seem to know all the answers and know things of which they have no experience. Its an observation on the deep distorted identities of those who create these stories, those who join the hate group and those who protect such behaviors. The more different a person the more they can justify their hate with likeminded homogeneous followers. While the report discusses one common type it really can be any race or religion. Understanding the Psychology of Hate)
This study is sort of interesting because you can see the self interest in corruption and you can see how poor values and beliefs are often precursors to bigger issues (Failure to uphold our most cherished laws and values comes from many compromises along the way.). If people become corrupted, power oriented, arrogant, etc. it creates a profile of those more susceptible to these dark arts. Notice also they seem more prevalent within organizations that lack accountability. You can trace back poor values and behaviors when you have enough information and fully grasp the depth of such partisan corruption. The cognitive psychology of corruption Micro-level explanations for unethical behaviour
The Example:
In this hypothetical example for learning purposes only I have been using, someone wanted something and spread hate rumors among their large homogeneous friend network and corrupted officials to put pressure to cleanse the person and their family out of "their community". Threats of violence, attempts at violence, enrichment of perpetrators, damaging kids, defamation, putting people in dangerous situations, elder abuse, and lots of other behaviors were the result highlighting some important divisions in values (Dark triad behaviors impact any arenas of life such people touch.). Even though they are now seeing these divisions grow broadly they lack the insight and wisdom to sew it back together. Solutions don't come from self interest or political gaslighting.
Some people including those we see as authorities rolled their eyes....but why?
Potential violations could include using position to silence political expression (freedom of speech), direct retaliation against legitimate community concerns, corruption, targeting based on race (civil rights), targeting based on religion (freedom of religion), involving minors, threats of violence implied and direct, misuse of official equipment/position, and more. Justice became a dirty word. It comes from seeing others has half citizens and dehumanizing them in word and action. As a people the vast majority are against these things but the few seem to create most of the problems and do most of the damage to society.
To further this silly over the top extreme insane example....
Other victims of corruption came forward and were quickly retaliated against. The community began to rally but had to press against corrupted officials. In this example, the victims still deal with hate networks and the perpetrators were given a wink and nod free pass. Documented complaints were quickly rejected to protect the clan network and perhaps some of the crimes they committed. Meaning, some officials were aware during and after and refused to hold the perpetrators to account indicating that their duties to society/community/nation were not their primary concern (In theory).
Institutional trust declined and continues to decline. The solutions are still being formalized for such behaviors and dereliction of duty.
The problems were there in the past, it caused problems in the present and it will continue to damage the community in the future unless there is reform and change. That will require commitment to a higher moral order. One must question the commitment to our oaths and values when there are intentionally two different rules and systems for different people. It becomes clearer that some get free passes and some have their rights quickly violated thus making sharp divisions in society.
Listening to Hate Rumors:
One should wonder what created all these flying monkeys and hate based corruption. It appears based in their social networks mixed with ethno-centric misperceptions of how low others are. When challenged they turn to bullying and threats of violence and that behavior is supported and protected by some officials. Maybe even alot with no accountability whatsoever. The brazen un Americaness of the behaviors opened a can of worms. Its hard to put the genie back in the bottle when people are so reckless and sure of there self-confirming superiority. In this example it was a lie upon a lie to circumvent what is a moral duty.
Let us pretend they had a history of treating others differently and hate supporters were allowed to behave anyway they wanted with complete immunity in the past. A type of lawlessness. Let us say that they had little oversight and did these things to others at different times and places. Hate violence would become a useful temporary tool that was wielded against fearful victims to silence them. The facts, evidence, witnesses, and laws make no difference. The rumor mill runs all things!
Those tools are weak and can be easily broken. They are short term solutions can highlight, not mask, the issues at hand. It likely had a counter effect in this hypothetical example.
Those that listen to these rumors and act on them risk breaking the law and becoming wrapped into a hate network that could have legal consequences (As soon as we get everyone from every party and background to stand for our shared oaths and universal free democratic society). If we consider that poor behaviors occur in a social context and in turn that social context furthers a hate agenda then it is natural to seek to resolve and hold to account those who further their distorted social perceptions on conjecture (Rise of Hate Crimes Remember that we should make no distinction on race and religion.).
Do people who willingly listen to hate narratives/rumors and then act on them in a way that damages institutions change? What are the long term costs? This study seems to highlight the issues we face when we are not able to correct or find a course in which to navigate the bigger ship. The Polarizing Impact of Political Disinformation and Hate Speech: A Cross-country Configural Narrative
"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." If there are places where that is not true, we must correct. It is of greater importance than the lesser personal, religious, political, social or racial considerations. Not all people believe that or stand by it. We need to encourage and bring forward leaders who do.*This article is a thought experiment on freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the commitment to democracy. It is meant for illustrative learning purposes only and one should take it with a grain of salt. By exploring these hypothetical situations we begin to see possible solutions to bridge the gaps in divergent perspectives.
Like many others I like to watch the big metrics and what they can potentially mean (Its a little like an economic puzzle with lots of moving pieces.). An advanced estimate of real GDP slowing to 1.6% raises some eyebrows. There has been some slowdown in the U.S. economy but for the most part it was expected there would be some slowdown by most economic forecasters. If we add on top of that geopolitical issues, inflation, partisanship & decision making (entertainment and critical thinking are different), and slowing worldwide economy one could envision that the U.S. would be impacted in some way. We don't live in a vacuum.
Now, that doesn't mean it has to be this case or we are going to for sure mirror the rest of the world. We do have opportunities to think about how to maximize productivity by maximizing immigrants onto the tax rolls and productive work (This is going to be a big political discussion and we kind of all know how that goes.), improve productivity through technology, maximize human capital through learning, and improving innovation in many industries to improve the market value of American products (I have been working on a rapid innovation theory for a while that I recently decided not to work with my 300+ pages of resources developed during theory construction and more or less just write under 100 pages of easy to understand connected concepts. I think I'm going to start this weekend. I'm not near a beach so I won't get distracted by my other great calling in life and that is beach bumming. Alas, I'm stuck with theoretical dribble that is just as likely to be untrue as true.🤷)
The question then becomes what would happen if recent immigrants were put into tax paying positions, we improved productivity through new technology, advanced human capital, and improve innovation in a synergistic way beyond recent infrastructure development? Not sure.....something to think about. 🤔 It could be like typing Google into Google or it could be a beneficial activity with helpful outcomes (Its not the end result but setting on the path that makes the difference in our national goals.)
A Few Productivity and Inflation Articles:
-Productivity does improve capacity and reduce inflationary pressure. Productivity 101
