Russia Seeks to Increase Forces: Fatigue Setting In and Why We Need Innovative U.S. Strategies

Russia seeks to increase its forces which could be an indication that casualties are higher than reported. In war time nations don't want to release its casualty data because it inadvertently tips off the other side (137K Kremlin Recruit). Thus intelligence becomes increasingly important so nations use video, eye witness accounts, counting supply chain orders (i.e. body bags or other markers from other countries and/or supplies that create those items), size of troop movements (left behind refuge like food packaging, refuse, etc..), satellite and drone images, etc... 

What this could indicate is that there has been a draw from Ukraine and war fatigue setting in (What was expected to be a quick war ended up being drawn out and costly. Sanctions and push back from the international community appears to be taking a toll. They were likely not prepared for this and scrambled into Plan B). That is fairly normal in a conflict/war of this size. Culturally Russia often uses size versus skill. There are likely layers of skill and abilities (highly trained units mixed with lower trained teams) but a preference for bulk size goes all the way back to the use of relatively low trained peasants during Peter the Great and WWI.

This is a matter of strategy. The U.S. should focus on highly trained nimble/mobile/versatile soldiers, great support staff, and the use of wearable technology and advanced robotic technology. That includes new space race development. We would sort of need to develop advanced manufacturing and innovation that can comes from purposeful clustering (Something we should really try at least once! I got a great idea on how that might work! Maybe a dumb idea but it could help perhaps. 🤷)

The Existential Risk of Free Pass for Hate: Why we should encourage our leaders to stand for the Constitution

 Muslims, Jews, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and others are sometimes seen with disdain among some peoples in our society. Even when crimes are committed we sometimes turn a blind eye and support hate groups through cultural, racial, social and religious familiarity. Standing for the Constitution and what makes Americans "Americans" is important for the long term health and development of our democracy. 

First let me say I don't actually advocate for special treatment  of minorities or anyone else; regardless of background (I recognize the pain of the past but have my eyes on the horizon toward the future.). It's about equal and fair treatment with equal rights for all citizens. A wiser and more universal system of management and existence.

We won't compete effectively as a country against our enemies/challengers if we treat our population disparity (Think about it for a second regardless of your bias; assuming you have some. Not everyone does!). We must encourage the best and brightest in our society to rise if we hope to develop the human capital that will push our innovative and economic capacities to maximum performance.

This becomes increasingly important as extremism rises in our hometowns and on a national level as our leaders and officials fumble with a course of direction. We are beginning to understand the hate phenomenon and developing tactics to deal with it. That takes time, honesty, science and evidence based decision making (Party politics will only exacerbate the situation.)

My family and I have been targeted by a hate group (Its a real grey area as some of the members just engage in poor behaviors and some actual hate behaviors.) that for the most part was giving a free pass until it became untenable to continue without serious consequences to themselves (Few cared about the targets but more about whether the perpetrators were going to get in trouble. See how we sometimes use the wrong anchors in our decision making. Implicit issues.). False police reports, blocking opportunities, parking and following home with undercover cars, pulling over kids, ostracism, defamation of character, picking fights, name calling and general group mischief. 

Even though the misinformation was discovered to be false a minority of members continued forward in support of their good old boy networks (Based in their once mediocre sports playing 20+ years ago. Some were a little better but most were just ok.). It isn't as blatant as before but continues forward in microaggressions (i.e. the cackling lady that doesn't want people like me part of "her" clubs so encourages the local "stud muffins" to get upset. Of which one almost caused a conflict and is likely the same person that was staring/intimidating my kids in the parking lot at the local Menards .).

Such group behaviors eventually led to a default across two institutions through these social connections (possibly three) so I have earned the right to talk about it. Not to mention I'm probably inadvertently one of the most knowledgeable people on such topics in the country; maybe globally (It depends on how you look at it. Yes I have a Muslim sounding name so I likely seen by some as knowing nothing. I.e. a low IQ or abilities. Please see above for description of why that perception exists. There is more to it than that would solidify that awareness/knowledge.)

Second, it is incumbent on any leader in this country to stand for certain principles if they wish to be seen as leaders in our history books. Having a positive outcome in hindsight means have foresight to stand for something greater than yourself. Historical artifacts often tell a different story than the way people perceived issues at that time (Sorry I like history). 

As extremism rises we see some of our leadership struggling with their own personal values (Supporting poor candidates, following/encouraging bad behaviors, and in many cases working counter to their own deeper religious/personal values because they are expected to do so for political/social reasons.) This is why we shouldn't be giving important positions to people who are "connected" despite not having the moral fortitude, intelligence, foresight and qualifications to be in those positions (See need for best and brightest above.)

Extremism is about forcing ones will on others without regard to the laws or values of a country. The more they can control through fear and intimidation, and the more officials they can convert to their support, the more power they can amass (See downing of two institutions above through social networks. Think about how that can happen on a national level. Think of the dangers to the "wrong type" of Americans)

So it is an important moral imperative for myself, any "other" that visits/invests, potential prior victims, and in some ways our nation to find a way through such hate behaviors to find a positive outcome.  This is why I advocate for those two institutions to reform and the perpetrators who launched the network to be required to have mental health help and a review of the financial incentives. I believe this to be reasonable and fair request for such behaviors (There was signs of mental health, distorted logic, and uncontrollable rage that didn't care less of the consequences on others. It still continues on today.).

We can hope our wider institutions can correct the distortions if there is further default of local institutions. Without these checks and balances hate is given a free pass where it can grow like a disease in a way that makes good recruiting ground for other hate based extremists (i.e. read about attempt to kidnap and execute Michigan Governor. I know the group member don't see themselves this way and as far as I know not this way but their words, comments and actions can spark lone wolf radicals. There are some within this group who do lean a little more violent. They are teaching others that such behaviors are acceptable and "normalized". To them, the person they call "the bitch" and the mixed race kids they call "nigga babies" are the problem; of course not themselves. A lack of insight into their own miscued values. It should be noted that most are good people but have a distorted sense of self and low boundaries so they are in many ways required to have strict social adherence to their group and any hate opinions/values it holds.). 

So I seek to find a win-win situation that not only resolves this problem but ensures that other people within the community (or minority visitors or anyone one of their members don't like) don't fall prey to these types of group behaviors (If it can happen once it can happen again! It likely happened in the past based on some community complaints.). That is really hard for some of our leaders and institutions to overcome as decisions seek to placate hate. From my knowledge, hate cannot be placated as it simply grows and festers through the percolation of social opinion.

What is the best solution here? That is really tough but what we can say is that there existential risks to the targets of such behaviors in the long run without some level of accountability (Think of how threats to IRS, judges, politicians, intellectuals, etc... could become worse if our politicians and institutions don't stand united. Placation breeds further use of such tactics as fear tactics gain power/utility.). That accountability can be very light and with empathy but it shouldn't be a free pass (I don't think it was a total free pass but it doesn't appear that it was taken seriously be some local officials. Some actually did the right thing and I applaud their foresight and knowledge of the bigger purpose of their positions. It goes to show you that a silent majority want a better world and they want things to be done in an inclusive way. Most are too afraid to speak up or encourage a better world for fear of retaliation. See how this can create a downslide in our democracy?)

Some might wonder what my strategy is going forward. I will be polite (not passive), kind, developing a learning opportunity that might be worthwhile to apply in other places, and encourage those who are struggling with self-identity and mental health to seek the help they need before they damage more people (Remember they put kids intentionally in harms way for personal gain and then bragged about it in many ways to their friends.). It will also be a good opportunity to improve on our systems to develop stronger methods of management and training to ensure such institutions don't default again in the future. 

(...I'm not as "evil" as some people think. I'm actually a pretty good flawed soul....but the only difference is I recognize it. Beware of those who are "perfect"! and "better than". If you have existing bias you probably won't recognize this. Perfectly imperfect or imperfectly perfect? 😏) In one ear and out the other for those who should be the champions of our values...but history doesn't really cater to ignorance. We have to tackle our issues and consistently look to be an adaptive learning organization/nation by focusing on solutions. Without that we will be bested by others. Wiser minds will understand what I'm saying and how choices lead to outcomes. Blind eyes and placating hate is not the right path forward and strategically leads to no good outcomes in the long run (It only seems that way in the short run. Its a strategic as well as moral failure. If I'm saying something that is incorrect or doesn't make sense I am willing to adjust my opinions but can't do so based on what I know and have seen as of today's date. Unlike those who tried to commit harm, I actually tweak my opinion based on new evidence. I have to admit, it would be difficult to overcome the pieces of data/information based on conjecture and pro-social group opinions alone. I'm typically in the ballpark. Something our leaders should also learn from....evidence based management. )

IRS Receives Threats: As well as FBI and others

We are seeing a growing use of fear to get what appears to be a growing separatist factions strategy (At present they look like a semi associated group of wolves. We risk it not staying that way forever.). Notice there could be similar/related groups launching online threats against different government agencies (It appears that way on the surface.).

While no one likes to pay taxes, and people want government to be efficient with our money, it is still a necessary part of a functioning government (At least until we have so much money in a national interest bearing endowment we can pay for our own services without current taxes...geese would that be nice. Doubtful but certain something to dream about what that would look like. ). You have to get funding from somewhere and as of yet the pot of gold haven't been found.

So we should expect to pay something in and violence isn't going to change that. The percentage of taxes and how money is used is a negotiable political discussion. Even if the separatists successfully hijacked our capital they would certainly change things based on their political agenda (likely for worse) but we would still be back collecting taxes. 

That is why I accept death and taxes as normal in modern civilized life. 

What kind of perks my interest is whether or not its similar social media outlets and from related group sources (i.e. who is behind all this?). We should also consider tracking back these individuals, social media outlets and groups to find their source. Digging into the data to see if one can find patterns. 

Its kind of a sad situation all around. Its situations like this that determine our fortitude. Its not a Republican and Democrat issue. 

Police briefing on postal worker killed by dogs in Florida: Personality and Dogs

I could have taken the Pit Bull!
Have been practicing on socks! There was 
also that Beatle Bug I kept putting
my paw on and barking.

Its not normal that dogs have this level of aggression to come out and kill someone. We are way too lenient on owners and their violent dogs. I have seen irresponsible people with breeds that could be dangerous if not raised properly. I'm not seeing a real reason why anyone would want such dogs and why they are so violent. 

Once I was walking with two friends my Shiatzu on the leash and another dog owner in San Diego was walking their pit bull off the leash. The pit bull came to attack my dog and I had to swing the Shiatzu in his harness to avoid the attack. 

...and the pit bull was jumping and lunging into the air.

When I told the owner to put his dog on the leash he stated "well your toying with my dog" by pulling my Shiatzu to safety. Of course we were horrified that he would say that as his dog crossed a great amount of distance to reach Chewy (Chewy is fluffy and only mean to bugs and socks).

That is the nature of some people and their dog ownership (Its the nature of like 30% of people in our society as well. Its just a subjective percentage). There are people that shouldn't have dogs and they seem to gravitate toward more violent breeds and then don't raise them well. In the Florida case, it appears that there may have been other complaints. 

That brings up an important question. When should we crack down on owners who have violent dogs, don't put their dogs on the leash, or are negligent in the management of the dogs? Looks like we have to wait until someone dies. :(

You can read a study on dog owner personality and the aggressiveness of the dog HERE. When was the last time you heard about a pack of poodles, chihuahuas, or dachshunds pack killing people? 

We find certain personalities sort of gravitate toward certain breeds and then those personalities become part of the dog personality (Maybe not in every single case but you can see the human shelters full of dogs that got too big and aggressive so the owners just let them into the street the next time they moved. In San Diego many places have breed restrictions so when the neglected, untrained dog is inconvenient they just dump it into the street.)

Challenging Hometown Hate and Why We Must Push for a More Universal System: The American Way!

There are people who feel that America is for those who look like them, have similar lifestyles, belong to their political party, and are adhere to particular religions (i.e. the American Taliban). It doesn't take much to figure out there are some people within our institutions who support such beliefs. Challenging hate and its supporters is the American way least we find more institutions and systems default through social networks and clannish support.

First, challenging hate can be done within the system and can be done with system improvement in mind. Stepping outside that makes you just as much the problem as those who circumventing/pervert our Constitution and social contracts in their favor. 

Two wrongs don't make a right!

That leaves some of us in a difficult situation. We want accountability for wrong doing so as to support right over wrong and democracy over third word sectarianism. However, we should also understand that Rome wasn't built within a day and change is a long draw out process. Positive pressure with constructive solutions helps speed the process.

It's a hard sell to many (Even those in powerful positions) and we see the seams splitting in society because those who support hate lack a kind of moral conscious that forces their will on those of the "wrong type".  We don't want their values to bleed more into our institutions as these institutions strive toward universalism (In progression of the democratic system).

We were blind to far right and left extremism because we often didn't take a scientific perspective but one built into symbolism and other misleading subconscious beliefs. Yet here we are learning to deal with it and finding ways to overcome groups that search for dominant positions through power over mechanisms.

I'm in the know of such issues because much of my life has been spent challenging distorted beliefs. When my family and I were targeted by a local group (including a couple of officers) in support of their social networks you have to draw protective red lines (The goal of cleansing their community of "others". It will likely result in the opposite in the long run.)

To overcome these issues we must keep our eye on the bigger picture and ensure there are enough checks and balances to protect against institutional default (i.e. Looks like a few officers associated with the central group and a local college that rejects candidates based on factors unrelated to qualifications even when they recognize these qualifications. I can go into significant detail on who, when, where and potentially why {You know the investigative questions that are important.} I have not done so because I hope for a chance for some level of better judgement by this group and individuals. Likewise, while I have every right to launch multiple lawsuits not everything in this life is about money. Based on what I have experienced we have lots of state, federal and international violations that appear to be blatant and intentional disregard for the safety of others. Let's hold on judgment for a minute.....)

Our institutions are important and the bulwark of our democracy. When they become politicized, influence by social networks, and pressured by "isms" (of any kind) we run the risk of damaging those institutions and our national readiness. That readiness comes from building a stronger nation with more allies through strength and moral influence; walk the talk.

Challenging hate can be done within the system using the current resources available to citizens. While there may be some individuals within those institutions that cause a default, for the most part the wider systems seeks to create a level of self correction (Selfish People Eventually Lose). This is why we have a concept of Federalism and the protections that lie therein. 

"Article VI of the U.S. Constitution contains the Supremacy Clause, which reads, "This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding."

As someone with a Muslim sounding name and mixed race children I have seen my share of injustices and I have seen people rise to the occasion to stand for something greater than themselves. We can get through our current national turmoil with our ability to focus on the core benefits of democracy as a system that self manages for the total American/"American" populace (i.e. no matter the race or religion.)

(...let us go back to that group of 100+ people who engaged in hate, rumor spreading, ostracization, intimidation tactics and caused the downing of at least two institutions. Not to mention some of the community complaints against a few of the members and the use of 'Good old Boy' networks for local opportunities. Not one, from my knowledge, can say that me or my kids have done anything to them. What it looks like is that someone found social, financial, and emotional gain in exploiting racial and religious issues and then sold hate to their homogeneous social group that already had low boundaries, misunderstanding of the sacrifices that made America a great nation {Making American Great comes from practicing greatness}, and a general disdain for those not in their "cookie cutter" world {A 1970's cross between Caddy Shack and Animal House}. 

I hope that not a single person goes to jail but if someone does it is because of their behavior {I can encourage better minds but can't control their behaviors}. While it may seem like "those people" caused the problem the discoverable facts would not support such an argument. Its easy to blame the victims when their {and kids} lives are seen as less worthy, less American, and powerlessness {In some third world nations everything is about power and moral conscious has little do with it}. In this case I would at a minimum expect the initial perpetrators to have mandatory mental health evaluation and follow up so as not to maintain risk to the targets and the community, a questioning and review of the people/policies of the two institutions that defaulted, a review/audit of the incentives and a general spirit of improving themselves and their community. 

What I can say is that I'm working on drawing investment to this community and I'm working on improving the broken systems to ensure these behaviors never happen to anyone else within the community {or any visitor}. That "local" is no longer defined by race and religion despite the targets having a longer genetic footprint in the area than most of the perpetrators. I would also like to see people build a better community with abundant opportunities for their/our grand children {Notice the word "our" and our responsibilities beyond our social networks}. We have lots of great officers {save for a few} and by and large most of the people in the community are wonderful and beautiful people {save a few}. Our world is in transition and as we move into the Digita Era it is places like this that hold the golden door to our innovative national rejuvenation from a civil and economic vantage point.

What is my plan? Be positive, polite, engaging and willing to stand in the middle of this group without fear. I'm open to apologies, open to amends for long term stability, will treat kindness with more kindness, and hate with patience but will not sugar coat the destructive behaviors that I have witnessed. Any future such behaviors experience by myself or any other person within town will be staunchly opposed; no matter how many people stand to support hate. As with everything in life, our futures our our choice but we must step into it {Free are easy and we must respect the past and build for the future even dealing with what some in this group call "nigga babies".}. Let us see what doors close and which one's open. There is more at stake then the smoke and mirror egos of the self entitled.)

Let us see which way our institutions and leaders will lean; toward or away the torch of liberty.

Arkansas Police Fight: Warranted or Unwarranted? Are we Really Thinking of Reform?

I'm a big believer in improving all systems as much as possible because that creates greater strength as a people, nation, and collective of institutions. This is somewhat of a disturbing video of a police encounter with a suspected violent criminal. We can learn from these situations and improve where improvement is warranted.

Notice that from the surface this doesn't appear to be a race issue (That is why we need to see things from different vantage points and perspectives. I believe race and religion are still big issues but its not the only issue as it pertains to positive reform.). The story isn't fully out so we should always be patient and just sort recognize what we see and some of the potential explanations. Just don't lock yourself into an unsupported position.

The video indicates a fairly severe beating of a suspect. The suspect, according to the video, made threats and acted in a violent manner. The video also indicates that it started in a certain civil discussion when officers confronted the suspect and then got out of hand when the suspect attacked an officer (The goal is to remove violent criminals from the street, help those who have situational issues, and create a sense of order in society. I do not support bad behavior but instead encourage stakeholders to find the most likely solutions to long stemming problems. Sometimes we have to give up our assumptions.) 

First, I'm 100% for police and 100% for civil rights (Politics often picks an arguments and sticks with is for political gain until it can't be support at all without detriment to the political influencers. In many cases there is a lack of divergency in thinking. Its like grabbing at the first solution offered based on social-political influence and then forcing it as an explanation even when its not a full solution. Politicians should be evidence based and change when strategies don't work. I believe this problem could have been resolved a long time ago and we could have avoided current social turmoil. Ask the right questions, generate a hypothesis and work to support and disprove that hypothesis at the same time. If its not working find another or explore multiples. ). There is a way that we can balance these issues. 

Let us think about how people can become highly aggressive in group situations. When the body's fight and flight mechanisms kick in there is a high does of adrenaline that moves through the body. You can read a study on adrenalin and aggression HERE. Group behavior often limits the perceived validity of such behaviors (If it was one officer that acted that way the other two could have stepped in and said "Let the courts figure it out.". That isn't what happened. I'm a little curious if the officer holding someone down but not engaging is from a different department. That would indicate some misgivings but fearful of confronting the two other officers.)

Once these fight and flight systems kick in it can be difficult to turn them off. So training, department culture, recruitment, and support are important to mitigate natural human mechanisms. In this case anger and prior history seem to have taken over but effective tactics seem to be missing.

1.) Train officers on how to deal with high levels of adrenaline. There are ways to avoid tunnel vision, loss of environmental awareness (Notice it took them a while to notice the video), and the blood changes that force certain physiological responses. 

2.) Enhance department culture away from the use of aggression and more toward tactics. There could have been a history so the culture could impact i.e. "The Code" whether or not problems could have been realized prior to incidents. Culture prompts people how to act in certain situations and part of a general programming of societal behaviors (Some of the problems are not exclusive to policing but to society that is more easily seen/spot lighted in policing. The anchor points of perspective need to be switched around to sort of see the possibility of that.)

3.) Make sure departments are recruiting from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, and thinking patterns (i.e. mental/cognitive diversity. Again...don't listen to me I have a Muslim sounding name. 😏). Part of the issue is related to the type of people we recruit. While that is fairly normal that certain personalities are going to be attracted to certain occupations the diversity issue is an important one (Remember the human capital thing I'm talking about and the need to draw talent on a universal level which will lead to a universal outcomes and better national, economic and institutional performance.)

4. Supporting officers that may be struggling with PTSD, anger, misperceptions, etc. is helpful. Destigmatizing can help along with rotating officers in and out of the street may be helpful (I often thought allowing 6months to 1 year swaps with other departments would create positive change and adaptation of departments.  i.e. small town and city. I know a great department that would benefit from exposing their younger officers to the big city and in turn allowing big city officers to work in small towns for short periods of time. Just saying. 💁)

I think in terms of positive reform. How to build on what we are doing well and create learning systems that changes and adjusts as new knowledge, information, and opportunities arise. Business often changes faster for profit reasons (i.e. Schumpeter.) but sometimes institutions that are not universalized are slow to change because they don't have that daily pressure to adapt. Something big like massive protest, loss of officers, and general societal mayhem force a "correction". We should be making changes on a smaller and more manageable time frame to create easier incremental adjustments. We would also have the leeway to step back adjustments that are not working. (Maybe a police-community-expert panels on incorporating new information and turning that into implemented policy might be helpful? Maybe not...just something to think about. 🤔)

(Like I said I'm 100% in support of police and civil rights. I have seen officers do great things and I have seen a minority of officers intentionally do the wrong thing. Thus, rewarding good officers is helpful and removing bad apples is a necessity to ensure proper functioning. While current recruitment is part of the problem, it has been a long stemming problem. Poor PR can also have an impact on recruitment and candidate quality. Yet that is only part of the story. There are solutions to every problem but we need our leaders to look at the big picture of democracy and then work in a bi-partisan manner to find solutions. They must be willing to listen to each other 2X more than they talk and consult with experts on potential solutions. Or maybe not? Perhaps what were doing right now is perfectly fine but I'm not sure everyone agrees. 🤷)

Car Bomb of Alexander Dugin's Daughter Not the Right Way!

I'm observing what is going on in Ukraine and believe Ukraine has a right to choose their path. I also believe Russia acted in a highly aggressive fashion based on their strategic goals and historical beliefs of regional control. Despite my beliefs/values I do believe there are certain rules that war should follow and there can be honor in keeping innocents out of the fray.

(Innocents are often the first ones to be targeted and hurt in war. We see that in Ukraine and we now see that in Russia.)

No matter where the fighting between Russia and Ukraine goes I do not believe assassinating national intellectuals or their families is the right way to deal with disagreement. Recently Alexander Dugin' daughter was killed in a car bombing after attending a lecture (Who did it is still an open question.)

In the West we believe in something called freedom of speech. I likely don't agree with many Russian intellectuals because they work from their cultural vantage point in the same way that I advocate for pro democracy (There is divergence of basic root values here on governance style). While someone may disagree with an intellectual's perspective no one should be in the business of assassinating innocents.