Texas GOP Gets Aggressive: Physical Confrontation and Moving Texas Far Right

From a sociological perspective what has happened in GOP in Texas is interesting. It appears there was a big movement to the right.  ( I'm taking a somewhat neutral stance on these issues but I do have my own personal beliefs which creates a type of bias and that is always toward the rational center where logic, values, and compromise come together. The acceptance of that bias in science also makes me a little more logical. Its those who do not accept their bias that lead to false understandings and interpretations. Not that anything I say is correct. ) 

There appears to be many beliefs that relate from abortion rights, prayer in school and homosexuality. These are not issues I need to go into because they are personal beliefs and any legislative actions ( or no actions) are discussed through our current political process (Its also not the point of why I writing.). 

Where I find concerns are three things that appear to be moving outside of our processes 1.) booing of Republicans working on compromise (possibly meaning less future ability to compromise), 2.) intimidation of lawmakers by Proud Boys (I think this would violate some laws. One can't just claim themselves to representatives of the GOP and use threats of violence against other members. It gets back to our ability to hold extremist type behaviors accountable. I have no idea what actually happened but if true that is a significant signal that violence will be a future tool to politically control others.) 3.) reversal of laws that protect voting (hinting at a level of white supremacy and a return to pre-slavery perceptions of values. Maybe not...but let us see what other things come out over the next year to see if it leans in that direction or another direction.). 4.) Legitimacy of voting (If we go through the process and it doesn't verify the votes then the rest appears to be political manipulation that focuses on the illegitimacy of the voting system itself. That is fundamental to democracy; at least our current form of it.)

Some of the behaviors likely raise red flags in terms of national, racial, religious based justifications for extremism (We have to wait to see what happens in other states and locations.). If these articles are correct it would appear there is a larger acceptance of hard uncompromising value systems. Rigidity in thinking has become popular. That will make it difficult to rationalize with the movement. It starts a break in society (Perhaps something like 25% of staunch followers that are not willing to work with others and perhaps willing to overstep to force others to accept their way.). 

There also appears to be two different GOP's forming. MAGA and what I would call "Old Guard" Republicans. It would seem that MAGA has moved far enough right to possibly be seen as a new party. At present they also appear to be overshadowing the larger "Old Guard" GOP due to lack of coordination and willingness of members to voice their opinions (I think that will change soon as it appears that some Republicans are distancing themselves from Trump and the MAGA movement. RINO seems to be loosing its value as roles are reversed. i.e. pot calling the kettle black. One could make an alternative argument that MAGA has used the Republican name to gain membership but has turned far enough right to no longer represent the larger Republican base. It makes an assumption, which can be wrong, that the larger base hasn't moved further right but is more silent. That is not an argument for or against movements but one of simple observation based on terms used a few years ago and terms used now. It almost seems as though there is an acceptance that Trump is a fad that after the "ride the wave" hype he will be a liability for candidates. Its not there yet but there just seems to be a sense of it.). 

This is where it gets pretty dangerous for the GOP's future. They run the risk of permanently changing the fundamental nature of the party through a nationalist movement and then being dissipated completely in the aftermath (i.e. taking on current movement beliefs that won't have long term appeal. Some movements do change once they are in power so that is something that we will just have to see what happens. It may be a non issue after the election or it may be a national thorn in our foot.). Rising nationalism only works for so long and there are so many people opposed to it (Think of the Democrat half of society and a portion of the existing GOP that are not happy with MAGA. The full percentages remain to be seen. I suspect one can pull them together from polls and publishing. A quick rise to power is possible but also chaos and a quick decline.) that it will not be the sweeping up of an entire nation (Like we have seen in Nazi Germany). It will create major shifts and splits of which some could lead to group violence (i.e. the potential threat to Congress during the Capital Riots and the use of Proud Boys to threaten lawmakers at their own party function. It should make us think a little.).

Time will tell what happens and of course those who like history and political analysis will wait and see. I only seek to understand and have not veered from my political perspective (I'm a light right "Old Guard" Republican loyal to the Constitution and 1.) Freedom of Speech and 2.) Freedom of Worship (Any religion). Thus I view things from that perspective with the acceptance of a slight bias. The rest is just observation and a little logic. It could be wrong, it could be right, and it could be something else. That is the nature of history and analysis.)

You may want to read this article. Texas GOP goes full MAGA at 2022 convention

Thinking About the Different Forms of Extremism And Why We Are Not Solving the Problem

It seems as though there may be different forms of extremism that have their own brands. Each based in a deep sense of identity. For example, you have religious based extremism, far right/left political extremism, cultural extremism (ethnocentric, sports, hometown, etc..) and other forms of ism. For example one might be national oriented and another racial oriented but they are going to have similar root strains of dysfunctional thinking.

What makes these similar is that they are deeply held beliefs about self and one's perceived superior right to determine the affairs of others. This is one of the reasons why might or over right is a the key tool many of these groups use (i.e ideology with an aggressive/violent flavor. Can include dangerous rumor spreading, passive-aggressive behaviors, blocking local opportunities, and/or violence. It is about "getting" the targets and raising their status within their social group.). 

Such groups struggle with logical dialogue and as long as they are connected to their core identity group/clan. They are unlikely to develop higher critical thinking skills. Their values and beliefs are anchored to their perceived in-group perspective and without being removed from that group they will continue to support those defunct values. 

That creates a problem for everyone else as poor values and distorted perceptions are often not well managed within the law and such groups often function without accountability (sometimes with the blessing of some law enforcement professionals). This is often why we are seeing a level of social upheaval (I'm 100% for law enforcement and 100% for civil rights. They are not mutual exclusive like our politicians and extremists state.).

The law becomes a type of toy to play with because it has few mechanisms for dealing with aggressive behaviors that aren't necessarily an outright attack but if allowed to persist could either lead to violence or encourage violence among others (...especially among those tied to group identity, with social support, and mental health issues. We also have problems going back and holding such groups accountable for the damage they caused leading to two different kinds of societies with different justic systems within the same society. Local extremism and hate is underreported and often not investigated. Federal investigators will often take such situations seriously because they have greater responsibilities for society outside of their local social networks. True right? )

The people who engage in these behaviors feel no remorse and are willing to lie, deceit, steal, or manipulate to get their way (The ends of harming others justifies their means. Its an ethical issue.). They don't care about anyone outside of their social network. Without a level of accountability they have no real reason to stop (They change form but they don't stop) and until it becomes unprofitable socially for them to act that way they will continue forward. 

I have outlined a Michigan Track and Solve strategy for those who take the carrot to self development but I do believe criminal prosecution for those who don't is warranted (Because I have a Muslim sounding name and have been a target of a group with hate leanings I apparently have NO IDEA what I'm talking about. Yet few others in our socio-political structure have come up with much. Maybe its much better to engage in petty political arguments than it is to solve real problems faced by the American/"American" people. 🤷). This is where moral conscious matched with a proper legal structure can help determine what kind of nation we will be going forward (We seem to be struggling with a vision that ties us together. Worse, some are trying to split us apart. Two doors open and we only need to choose one. We should be careful because as we step through one we can't also go through the other. One might lead to the beginning of our end and the other to a new beginning. Maybe not?). 

“No man ever steps in the same river twice. For it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” Heraclitus

Is Life Supposed to Be Like This? Happy Fathers Day!

Each person chooses their life. Happy Fathers Day. Escanaba Harbor.

Nothing More Frustrating Than Multiple Flight Cancellations and Poor Service

It always strikes me odd when there are massive flight cancellations followed up by even poorer customers service.  This weekend has experienced massive delays across the nation as something like 6,000 flights were cancelled or delayed on Friday (USA Today). To me that just seems a little over the top and it is unlikely all of those cancelations were weather related. Seems like a chronic airline logistical management failures that are too unprofitable to be corrected.

First, while I'm not a flight expert I would think one would build some some slack in the flight chain with an additional pilot and/or plane on stand by per region. If a flight is going to be delayed significantly this stand by flight can get there in a few hours and take people to their destination. 

Second, when things do go bad there should be a level of compensation. proactivity, and general remorse for really messing things up. If its the airlines fault they have totally put their customers in a bind and should be doing their best to take care of all expenses, find hotels, and compensate per day customers are stranded (I'm not sure what that would cost. Maybe too much. Maybe they will learn quickly to fix their long term problems before a donkey and cart seem to be more reliable. 🤷). 

Someone might say why should the airlines do this? They are a business not a charity. I think it would help them to sort of develop strategies that don't include putting customers at risk. Some industries learn from the school of hard knocks and as long as they are not required to "make it right" then the customer is the one who eats the costs and inconvenience.

If your consistently running too lean I think that your just begging for problems. If you don't have enough pilots or don't expect a few to call off from time to time one is engaged in gambled wishful thinking where the customer always gets the bad hand  (We have lots of smart people who can calculate what it costs the airlines during call offs/pilot sickness but are way less concerned about the customers costs. We might consider requiring them to calculate the total costs to customers.). When you don't schedule well and everything turns into chaos that seems to be an airline problem.

We are not talking about someone being a little inconvenienced or waiting an extra few hours. We are talking about being completely stranded with no place to go but sit in the airport. Some with kids, pets, important meetings, etc... New cities and unsure of where to stay for the night or being too late to do anything. Some might not have the money to pay for hotels, cabs, and food. 

That won't stop natural disasters and weather related cancellations because those are unforeseen but it might put a dent in poor management practices. It will tilt a little more toward the customer stakeholders versus the airline bank accounts (I have been told that some seats are even sold 2X in hopes that some don't show up.)

Now, on the flip side of that argument someone could argue the cost would rise for customers if airlines had a stand by plane/crew per region. I think a reasonable profit and a few dollars extra for more guarantees would be ok. Yet, I would trust my accounting versus the industry's accounting as I suspect $20 more a flight versus $200 a flight would seem more reasonable. I would have to ask an economist (Someone independent would have to calculate the total profits, costs, and market potential.).

For now it looks like the consumer is stuck eating the costs of inconvenience. We will see what everyone comes up with. I travel a lot so I'm cringing at my next flight. My last one was terrible but the airline did make an attempt. An extra $200 a day for related expenses would have been reasonable. Instead I had to chase them to pay for the expenses. grrrrrr 😬

The Importance of the Soo Locks and Great Lakes Infrastructure

 We haven't been mining much as a nation but there is renewed interest in finding ways to hedge our strengths and resources (We gave too much away I think in the name of a few pennies of profit.). There is also some desire to return a portion of manufacturing back to the U.S. (That won't happen with expensive old models of mass investment to the same interested parties. We need to have focused investments to create new products that shake industries. We should be able to build the right infrastructures to create synergy and growth but policies must be focused on change. ) As a nation we don't have a solid understanding on how infrastructure can interact with new investment models and the creative & labor class to develop whole new industries. We are stuck in old world/Industrial Age thinking (Like the Delta County innovation model with shipping hub. While it may not serve many political interests it is something we should sort of consider for regional development. Take it, throw it in the trash, or whatever but I'm sure there would be a good prototype size/market that would work.) 

I applaud the effort to strengthen the Soo locks but am yet disheartened that good ideas are often discarded without enhanced redevelopment of advanced manufacturing in Great Lake communities. We need to be smarter and think about where we are going to be as a nation in 20 years. Rethinking our economic approaches is important. We need methods of enhancing innovation and making the U.S. the place where new things are built. Disruptive technologies can have butterfly effects throughout industries if done well and the right parties are brought to the right locations to enhance, speed and spread innovations. 

Putin Rebuilding the Soviet Union: Why Ukraine Has Become Important

It appears that Putin has a plan to rebuild the Soviet Union and has been engaging in "Russification" of prior territories. You can gain more in the CNBC article Putin Lashes Out. With some of the movements in the area, speeches and the way they are trying to re-navigate the socio-economic culture I would say there may be a few things going on.

1.)Putin trying to create a hard split between West and East (He likely sees it as a long term strategy).

2.) Pitching the U.S. as the unipolar global leader (This is more propaganda stuff to rally their base and those with grievances).

3.) Reaching out to any other nation that wants to do business with them (Trying to place themselves in a leadership position and gain resources.)

4.) Winning in Ukraine is their primary strategy (If they win in Ukraine they will have regional superiority i.e. Black Sea). There are likely political and economic strategies to this acquisition for shipping and regional influence.

5.) Putin calls for investment in an effort to draw new capital and create allies. 

6.) Ukraine is likely a launching site for a much bolder plan that is not specifically military but likely has military components. 

7.) Resocialzing people to the Russian lifestyle is an attempt to recreate the cultural iron curtain that will go along with the economic curtain. 

Here are a few ideas I encourage our leaders to do.......

1.) End the small time political squabbles and solve problems in a bi-partisan manner. 

2.) Move on from the Trump situation and find a new leader for conservatives and work with Democrats. (I personally think Pence would be a good choice for conservatives. Its not personal against Trump but there would be significant issues with him managing the entire country and maintaining that support.). We must end the toxic nature of extremism (It seems to be hyped by foreign influence along with far right manipulation. I'm an "Old Guard" Republican that believes in our institutions and Constitution.).

3.) Develop our military capacity and industry through innovation systems. That will mean moving away from the "connected" to get things done and often done in new ways (I would think a type of split % to ensure new thoughts and ideas bubble up.)

4.) Develop our infrastructure for shipping and plug and play energy (I had a plan for a Delta County regional shipping center.)

5.) Develop Rapid Innovation systems to ensure we innovate our industries and return much of the manufacturing back to the U.S. (An unfinished theory. I have lots of other things going on so it not finished and hard to find the time to finish it. Its theory structure and basic tenants are valid.) 

6.) Universalize our American values so they apply to everyone in a way that ties us to our essential beliefs. 

7.) We must continue to build our international coalitions and support with other nations. This is why integrity and focus on higher principles in leadership is necessary (We can't play games with politics or each other. It reflects negatively and gives the wrong signal. The world is watching. Let us be smart on how we solve problems and interact with others.)

8.) There are so many things like education, resource use, etc... that would make a difference. It would be hard to list them all. However, people need to think about national competitiveness. We must ensure our people are competitive and that requires human capital development.

I think our leaders have a responsibility to make the most competitive nation they can. We will have to wait to see if they can overcome their challenges and focus on solutions. I think they can but they may end up waiting until the general population is fed up with lack of solutions over important issues (A third pressure that impacts both parties.). Fingers crossed they focus on the bigger picture. This is more of a sociological viewpoint more than personal opinion. Something can change and it changes everything else. Some of the problems stem from not understanding their bigger role in creating the context for our next level in development. We adapt or we risk further divisions. I like to understand things and see if there are potential solutions and how those turn out in history. (...and yes I do have a Muslim sound name but that should not be associated with perceptions of patriotism. Patriotism is more than surface symbols. If the two are still associated you might still have some issues.)

Day 3 Capital Riots: Why We Still Struggle with Domestic Extremism?

I guess I'm confused by the whole thing. I have to admit while I'm considered smart but I don't quite understand the logic (Maybe I'm a little slow). For example, if there is the possibility that something was miscalculated it is recounted.  

Fine...no issues....we recalculate and the recount showed nothing (There may be slight variability but from my understanding It would be rare to have so many states wrong across many different voting districts.). There was a written policy for it I believe.

Instead of accepting the process results there seems to be an attempt to create pressure to change it. If one wanted to work within the system someone would have said ok let us recount and see what happens. 

I guess we have a hard time understanding extremism and the desire to use pressure and/or violence to control others. In this case, entering the capital and using violence isn't the right solution and is an intimidation tactic. 

I'm not sure why we seem to increasingly use power and aggression to "get one's way". I do understand the toxic nature of current politics, COVID change of patterns, new digital transformation, international competition and lots of other pressures. 

Yet why does one feel more entitled to use violence against others? I'm not sure. I'm trying to understand it from a hometown grounds level (May have different values/goals but the irrational group hate is the primary issue.)

Conservatism isn't about breaking long established traditions. In my understanding, it is about protecting certain institutions and essential values in society (They would be stronger if universalized). Freedom of speech and freedom of religion being central to many of those values. None of this seems related but it does appear related to the game of elections but not to the fundamental principles of conservatism (I'm not saying I'm right I'm saying I'm trying to understand why I have a break in logic. That means there is an extra thing going on that would better explain that break. That likely sits in the extremism and manipulation realm.)

 Day Three Highlights Video 

If you want to watch the full version it is below....