Lost and Not Stolen Report by "Old Guard" Republicans

"Old Guard" Republicans are starting to reclaim their party in a coordinated manner.  It might not seem that way but what you find is them coming out definitely on certain values and beliefs. Let us be honest, it took a while. That is because no one wants to loose their job and people were targeting those who were not 100% falling in line with the more radical opinions. So this new report suggests a completely different shift from the past and is likely going to start impacting the party in big ways.  🤷

Anyway....read the report Lost Not Stolen in support of the older conservative values as they relate to the belief that the election was not stolen. Their essential values are "limited government, liberty, equality of opportunity, freedom of religion, a strong national defense, and the rule of law". RINO is a highly subjective term based on who is saying and who is receiving. It has been misused as a way to sort of siphon off of more traditional values and silence opposition within the party. The above mentioned concepts are more central to Republicanism (Executive Character). 

Either way....I may be Republican in values but I'm still going to struggle because of my name and not having the right connections (Why these values should be universal and not apply to some and not to others.).  I'm not sure I really want to be in politics. One side of me says its a duty for me to help because so many of our politicians are super smart but not qualified to make judgements about things (As shown in recent history). The other side says, I don't have the heart to listen to all bashing, arguing, and character damage. Whatever...whatever......turning pages in our lives...for now a passive observer.

Ships in the Bay Photo Black and White

Working on that online gallery. 
Ships in the Bay. Purchase Here.

 

Ukraine and Russia Agree to Allow Grain to Leave: Good Idea

Grain and food, just like medicine and life necessities, are essential to human life. When we can limit its restriction because of conflict we are all better off. This is also why I encourage lots of locally produced food and food mechanisms for emergency situations. Still lots of steps and hoops to go through. Too bad they couldn't truck them to other ports in the area. 

5 Important Characteristics of Coordinated Group Hate (...and the need to develop more cohesion)

Here are a few aspects/characteristics of hate that people might consider. Its not really finished but this is sort of some characteristics of smaller groups that seem related to larger groups. It likely doesn't make a difference in based in a small town, nation, or international. There will likely be some similarities among them.  The biggest danger being characteristic #2 mixed with #3. Fostered through #5 but often sparked by #1 and #4. (I haven't completely thought through it all so I might switch them up and see how they flow together as a little system)

1.) Its not about the target. Its about the perpetrators/initiators perception of the targets and that is often based in their own distorted view of the world (Related to #4). They will see to sell that version to others to gain support (#2,3 A type of mapping of relation).

2.) Use of aggression and intimidation (A numbers game).  Boundary violation, stalking behaviors, misuse of power, harassment, spreading of false information, are part of the game of trying to control and damage the target(s). The more people involved, the more emboldened. (#1,3,4,5 Notice the relations and how aggression and intimidation or key components that turn "cool"/ in-groups into something more.)

3.) Acceptance in racial, religious, or identity based groups. Most of these groups are going to have an identity type connection (racial, religious, gangs, sports, and other identity) that determines who is in-group and who is out-group. When you tap the identity fears you can heighten group fear/anger (i.e. why parties shouldn't be racial or religious oriented.) (#2, 4, 5)

4.) Leadership has high likelihood to have comingled mental health issues. There is necessary aggression and unnecessary aggression. Necessary is that which defends while unnecessary is that which harms (from an animal biology level). Distortion switches them in the minds of their blind followers projecting themselves as victims and soliciting support for group action. (#1,2,3,)

5.) Low boundaries within the group. Group members follow based on many different aspects (#2,3,4). Much of that is related to how dominant figures socialize and manage their group for control, the personal development of the members, and the capacity to say "no" to leadership without being ostracized or attacked (As a side note. While they are projecting their "superiority" they are actually enslaved to their group.)

We in this nation have given a lot of free passes to hate and we now see how that is operating on a national scale. These groups don't often stop but transform their behaviors into new methods. If groups stay in tact they will further seem themselves as "victims" which will create further justifications. Our laws and methods should update to help ensure we are besting these challenges before they become bigger issues. This is why I created a mental health oriented track and solve strategy that helps with empathy but also allows us to understand the deeper mechanics of hate. While some targets may be more sociably acceptable than others at our present time we should think more broader and universal than this for more robust national development.

(There is no "sociably acceptable" hate target(s) in a universal society which is where we need to go in our next challenges. Such societies will have higher human capital development and bottom up large scale innovations that improve national competitiveness. The highest modern, but still non existent, democracy we can create in the world is a universal democracy where the rules, values, civil rights, and opportunities are applied equally/fairly/justice and life possibilities are open to anyone who sets on the path of development. I have a Muslim sounding name so that often limits my opportunities but maybe we can fix it for the next generation. If you think I'm lying go around and ask people of different backgrounds and you will get a feel for what I'm saying. 🤷 )

Where Michigan Voters Stand on Candidate Polls: Why GOP Needs New Candidates

If your following Michigan politics you might want to read this Poll: Where Michigan voters stand on races for governor, secretary of state, attorney general. What it does indicate is that the GOP is struggling to regain a foothold in the state after a few unfortunate mishaps. I'm a light right Republican centralist who has no problem with good Republicans or Democrats taking office (I lean right as an "Old Guard" Republican. A RINO-DINO combo! Depending on how the terms are used and who is saying them. 😏). So I try and see things as clearly as I can for better understanding which is not so easy in a world political skewed conversations. 

I have no idea if I will ever be in politics. I thought about it once but found out its very difficult and there is a lot of good and bad in it. Not knowing all the answers up front (not that anyone knows all the answers) often would mean I would appear to know nothing. That wouldn't necessarily be the case but it would come across that way (One would need shorter, simpler and more easy to sell answers. How to balance that with the essentials of truth would be difficult sometimes. Can you imaging saying, "I don't know yet but I'm working on understanding?")

What has hurt the Republicans were some mishaps (wrong people in wrong positions) based on association and not qualifications (remember that social class and best and brightest argument I bring up sometimes.). A few investigations, proximity to some radical GOP elements, picking connected over qualified (Yes Dems do this as well.) As a larger state society (from a collective species standpoint in the way we interpret, information, trust and events) that may have stung some people the wrong way. There will always be people who vote strictly party line but the centralists are likely to have much more sway in future elections. 

I believe based on some of these mishaps its an opportunity for the GOP to move more toward the centralist pendulum. I believe there will be a sweet spot in political leanings once the current environment is corrected from misinformation (Misinformation creates polarization and radicalization of the masses). That is where ideas appeal to the most amount of people, bipartisanship is possible, and things are getting passed in an impactful way. Effective government is different than noneffective government and both sides own the problem. 

I liked some things about Dem. Gov. Whitmer and thought that she could have made a good VP. (She might get another shot at it from the Dem side) Of course I have policy differences based on my Republican leanings on some things and again lean right on fiscal responsibility, certain values, and beliefs. That of course doesn't mean I don't respect the person....but could debate all day long about the positives and negatives of certain policies (That would be any governor or person in a position of power and isn't exclusive to her or Democrats in general.). There would have been many things I could see eye-to-eye on (Effective politics shouldn't be all this or that. Politics is the art of influence and compromise in modern democracies. If you can't compromise your not really into politics. Think about it for a second of the essentials of democracy and debate.)

My recommendation for the MI GOP is to move more toward the central position, discuss policies and not subjective perceptions of persons, and focus on solutions that can be sold (Constant bashing of the person from either side reduces the trust of the institution. Skepticism rises.). I would probably give slightly different advice to Democrats but that really isn't my focus (Its not like anyone will listen but you know sometimes I get things right. I have a Muslim sounding name so there are some who debate whether I'm actually America let alone Republican. 😏 Also a hint to our next national challenge of broad based human capital and innovation to make sure the republic is resilient and competitive. National development is a process of choice and mastering sequences of challenges. It is based in group development. Why its important to constantly look over the horizon and find solutions instead of underdeveloped ideologically skewed arguments. Oops I have a Muslim sounding name and am not seen as qualified to comment on such things or move out of my social class from a wider societal perspective. 😬 That may also change someday as we realize our bias is our own worst enemy...mine too...but definitely societies. Implicit and explicit values and messages of socialization. See dissertation. All American or "dirty dirty" Muslim? I'm actually a Muslim, Catholic, Jew who has found wisdom in Hindu and Buddhist teachings. 🤷 The Seal and Oath, Truth, Integrity ). My mental model is national unity and problem resolution above individual party politics. Time will tell......

Interesting reading from a sort of pseudo social science perspective Trump or Not Trump, Neutral in Debates, Pence Rides Elephant, Republican Split, Change in Party Focus, John McCain.

(P.S. that isn't a support or criticism of any current candidates. It just observational in nature and generally non specific for a reason. Your understanding is based in your personal development and my ability to write a good story. Reverse Learning and Eagles Eggs Just Saying. 💁)

**The poll also includes their methodology which I think is beneficial for people who truly want to understand how polls conducted. 

Why I'm Beginning to Support Liz Cheney and Mike Pence as Reasonable Republican Alternatives (Avoiding the Call for Civil War)

Professor Barbara Walter, a political science professor from University of San Diego, indicates that the U.S carries some risk of Civil War. See Insurgency Risk. She states there are risk factors and the U.S. went down low to a 5 and then bounced back to a healthier 8. While each civil war is unique there are some shared characteristics often based on the strength of our institutions and our support of things like rule of law (In my opinion which looks like it aligns with hers.)

Some of the risks we face are that the far right is pushing politics to be defined by racial and religious demographics (See article). When we begin to do that we also run the risk of mixing our politics with very deeply rooted self preservation issues and that can lead to a false perception of justification for violent bad behavior (i.e. replacement theory, popularity of conspiracy theories, stolen elections, etc...).

While I would like to go play golf with Trump (I'm just making a point) and could learn much from him about his big business deals I'm not sure I would want him to be our president. He seems to use the same tools for different problems and we need more cognitive flexibility in a complex global world. A win at all costs is sometimes not the best approach for long term national health. 

What I do believe is that I respect Liz Cheney for her ability to stand up for certain principles and Mike Pence for his capacity to block an obviously dangerous move (If we find she was right she might become a very important person with a shot at future presidency. Not this election cycle but perhaps a few down the road.). You can see many of the other candidates blindly following without thinking about what they are saying, doing or the long term health of the nation (Because it is personality based you will find that once distorted values take hold its not party specific. Its cause specific. Yet in this case the far right has moved really far right so they are self-confirming false information . World Inside-Outside Groups.). Our big GOP donors should probably be supporting these two candidates (Whole Nation Affair).

Do I believe that civil war is coming? No....we aren't there yet. I would suspect about 20% of our society is willing to engage in violence to get "their" way (right and left) but it is enough to create chaos. Such extremist far right groups would engage political hits, try to silence opposition, and coordinate general chaos building (i.e. eating ourselves from the inside). The would be in essence true domestic terrorists (Notice how its not race or religion specific. Dugh!!)

I would suspect that some of these groups have been working with foreign intelligence (I said this the moment we found documents uploading and within a few hours of the non organic sacking of our capital. See January 17th, 2021 Uploading Documents, Russian Election Interference, Capitol Riots FBI, Weapons of Media, US Summit, Cyber Attack, Biggest Threats, Hagel in History ). Its just an opinion with some support. Investigation and time will determine truth (I could be wrong and be ok with that....its a probability and not a fact. Right and wrong means little. I hope I'm wrong.)

No matter who wins in the next elections I would encourage our leaders to focus on solutions, support rational centers, and our current institutions (judicial, DOJ, FBI, and intelligence communities) to work toward discovering and thwarting any groups (whether right or left) that believe in violence as a political, racial, religious, or legal solution. If Trump does get prosecuted it could mean short term chaos but it is unlikely to be able to last long (Its not a fact just a 15% possibility. 99% someone will do something but 15% that it will have any level of sustained coordination. We should protect our national assets.). 

Let us wait and see what happens.....

The Continuation of Hate: When Blind Followership Continues

Blind followership and hate doesn't truly end just because we apply the law. In some cases it turns into micro forms and relies heavily on group perceptions of power (internal dialogue and group numbers). The individuals within those groups appear to feel good about targeting people (Perhaps a feeling of power over others). Somewhere along the line you would think that they would realize that they know nothing of the targets, have been fed false information about how "bad" the targets are, and are being used to fulfill someone else distorted version of the world. Maybe the power they perceive is limited.

In case you didn't know. My family and I were targeted by a group of people who were acting on the behest of a few members within their social networks. I'm unconcerned about how this turns out anymore (I encouraged the perpetrators to get help before they get someone hurt and after serious displays of aggression). As long as that hurt is focused on the targets there seems to be little concern over anything (In many ways I even tried to shield them from themselves. I don't believe they know how illegal these behaviors are in written form. That doesn't mean we apply it that way but in written form they are highly illegal and have big consequences. I kept my fingers crossed they would reform themselves.).

How this turns out is not up to me. The system can do the right or the wrong thing. It can choose the path to a stronger society or it can choose a path to third world status. They are all choices and based on the way we think. Our outcomes are highly related to our values and moral conscious. Our ability to build a great nation relates to certain democratic principles and the development of national human capital removed from race or religion. Thus, hate groups are not needed in nations trying to be their best and should be actively discouraged.

Targeting behaviors included rumor spreading. ostracization, local college telling me I'm more than qualified for an adjunct position (ironically labor law) and then retracting it once they found out I was the "dirty Muslim" the HR manager's friends hate (I believe the HR manager is closely associated with this group but it certainly could be someone else within the organization with hiring power.), my child has been damaged, and it looks like money has disappeared. Worse, the initiators put in a false police complaint to cover their behavior and their two close officer friends (part of the inner core of this group) targeted me and my family (parking outside my home, following me, pulling over my kid, trying to solicit other officers, etc...) 

I can't tell you 100% why all this is happening/happened. Really, I have lots of suspicions but don't actually know. For example, at the same moment the group was trying to set me up through a false police complaint I asked them, "Why are you doing this to my family?" and the person who was acting as the friend network spokesperson called their group leader and came back to the table and said, "Because your Muslim." Soon after heightened aggression occurred from some members of the community and law enforcement (There has been some serious community complaints against at least one of initiating officers that includes misusing power, lying on stand, potentially pushing a raped girl to commit suicide and other complaints. I cannot say if they are true but they are in the rumor mill. What I can say is that based on that officer's behaviors and mannerisms, and comments by other officers, it is worth investigating.).

Most people would have ran but I did not. I challenged the third world hate. Freedom isn't always free and sometimes we have responsibilities to society. I thought, "If they do this here that means they have done it in other places and will be emboldened to do it again.". It appears they have significant ability to bully and pressure people within the community based in negative and distorted behaviors (i.e. definitely not healthy for the community or its people.)  That also includes local officials not insulated from this group and their social influence (boundaries between law enforcement and bully networks should be built in.).

Things have sort of turned out ok after the initial waves of aggression. I now have a positive relationship with most of the officers. The false information has been for the most part debunked and life has returned mostly to normal. The school hasn't been held to account (as far as I know) even though it acted in a manner that would be considered highly unethical and against everything people value in higher education as learning institutes. I have no idea if the officers that initiated the hate (and of which one has other community complaints) have been held to account (I really wish they would have used better judgement. Its sad.). 

What I can say is that it wasn't as though nothing happened because everyone at some point became silent. From what I know of the maturity of the individuals involved they wouldn't have done this on their own volition. Something happened. The micro aggressions are still there by some of the group members. Rudeness, snubbing, trying to get people upset, etc... but they seemed to have lost their willingness to step across the boundaries and now keep things in a passive aggressive fashion (It will be unlikely to stay there forever. As with all passive aggressive behaviors its hard to detect and pin point. I have some experience in communication abilities/analysis so I can pick it up but the motives are in the grey areas.). 

From an observational point I can say that most people rejected this groups logic and aggression. Many became even much nicer. That is a sign of the beauty of this town. However, those that haven't changed seem to have a deeper anger inside themselves. Unhappy with their lives, willing to snub or put down others, create all types of false judgements, and ensure others know they are disdainful even though they would have no idea why they are upset (Immaturity in communication. We have seen this in dysfunctional relationships were we must "guess" what the person's feeling but they aren't mature enough to say it. They act rude and you scratch your head. They definitely dont want to be called out on it. If you do they will run screaming how bad you are. We have all seen this at one point in our lives.). The one thing the person who started this problem did was give them a place to project their internal life frustrations (In some ways I wonder if that is also what happened in the sacking of our Capital. How would any rational person go to DC to damage their own country without already having some issues?) 

I think we are going to need to change as a country. If this behavior is happening in other places there will likely be a major societal schism at some point in our future. We don't want or need two different countries. We don't need two major parties constantly at each others throats and hyping up the rhetoric. Likewise, we don't need people raging on others because they want something, have mental health issues, or they are supported through "good old boy" hate networks. I think we can be better than that! Time always answers our questions. Let us wait and see what the next page brings......

What am I going to do? Be polite, volunteer, work on developing economic opportunities for the community, and generally live my life. In the end, I'm not sure I really have much to do with the rest of it.