Crash Course Ideas on the Philosophy of Justice (Reaching High With Empathy)

Allegory or The Triumph of Justice
Hans von Aachen
1598
The picture represents
what each person in a nation owes to 
the other in terms of
justice.

Here is a crash course on justice. Philosophical discussions are philosophical and they keep things on a very high level. When it comes to the details of justice things get a lot more murky. This is also likely why it seems to be a hot topic of discussion as of late. When we learn and understand about ethics and justice we become to gain a better understanding of how that works in our lives, relationships, human resources, and society.

As always we should seek the higher moral order. We want to ensure we are not neglecting our bigger laws and contracts for lower order values. I guess in many ways we could say the same thing about ensuring our laws strive toward the highest sense of justice. Its a mater of lofty over the hill thinking but also a necessary one for the next generation.

(Bigger laws and contracts might include, Constitution, Bill of Rights, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, so on and so forth. Most of these were written by gifted individuals that had both high critical thinking and moral sensitivities. They had a deep sense of justice and thought about these things regularly.)

Empathy allows us to reach to the higher values more easily than is possible by those who lack empathy (Empathy has been in scientific studies and it has been used historically thematic in our artifacts such as ethics, religious texts, movies, music, poetry, sagas, etc.). Empathy can better see how injustice impacts other people and how it fundamentally creates feelings of mistreatment. To avoid that we must always seek the higher order. Justice higher then injustice, empathy higher than intentional harm, truth higher then lies, so on and so forth. 

Encouraging justice means being truthful and objective in a way that leads to higher levels of integrity that further builds trust. When integrity is consistently high it means accuracy and objectivity lead to increased fairness (i.e. must have empathy first to truly understand fairness). Do that long enough and you have trust. Have enough instances of trustworthy acts and you have credibility and what others perceive as integrity.

Inability to act with integrity consistently would indicated that one must adjust the processes and procedures to better ensure the higher order concepts are much more likely to be repeated/encouraged. It makes no difference what kind of entity you are discussing. Empathy allows us to seek higher forms of justice and it also allows us to change to meet those expectations of trust. It is through the process of self reflection and change that we create consistency of justice so as to support long term trust.

• 'The measure of intelligence is the ability to change' -Albert Einstein.
• 
  

Why we Love the "Artsy Fartsy"?: Escanaba to Host Veteran Art (Its a Special Place!)

The Legend of Escanaba

Ok Artsy Fartsy people we got lots of art coming to the area! Go ponder the art, get a glass of wine a few blocks away, walk around downtown and buy something. Perhaps you want to eat supper or you would like to stroll through the park to soak in some fresh Great Lakes air and sunshine (The ocean has a smell and the Great Lakes have a smell.). Most important review the deep soulful art that comes from veterans and their adventurous lifestyles (Art from vets is likely going to be different when compared to art from college students based on vets unique experience alone.). While vet art is hosted in other places, this show is a unique blend of a high concentration of somewhat isolated, UP and our cousins Northern Wisconsin vets, who went and traveled the world. Their impressions are going to be different than other places and one can delve into the emotions and the outward artistic display of such emotions as they relate to symbolism of a background (Foundations of Creativity). In other words, these are not stick figures! They have deep meaning from the souls of our vets. So much so they are probably not aware either!

Here is the art show info,

 Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain is hosting an exhibit at the Bonifas Art Center Escanaba. MORE THAN A UNIFORM: Veterans Art Exhibit Planned In Escanaba

"The grand opening for the event is Thursday, Sept. 21, from 6:00 until 8:00 ET at the Bonifas Art Center, which is located at 700 1st Avenue South in Escanaba. The exhibit will be on display through November 2nd."

Art is one of those things we think society can discard in lieu of more profit making ventures (Money isn't the only thing in life.). However, art is woven into the nature of our species much like poetry or music. One might say that art is older then poetry and music but follow the same strain. When people delve into art they are actually tapping their subconscious to create something new and that is why it has regenerative purposes for wounded warriors (Learning to balance strength of physical abilities, and others, with the depth of connection to self is one of the higher forms of human development).

-Art can be used to help veterans through physical, social and emotional development for healing and life quality initiatives. The National Endowment for the Arts provides something called Creative Forces: Research that you may want to peruse and see some of the supportive research. It is unrelated from what I can tell from this initiative but still some great information that will give you a broad view of the art.

-Escanaba supports veterans. Not all cities are supporting their veterans as much as they should. Even locally we have recently took a big step in the direction of our vets. We enhance our funding and resources, we were working on Navy ships (underdeveloped ship building industry per market data) and we have gained a newer perspective on our warriors. 

-62% of veteran care are serviced outside Federal Health System leaving some of that rests on the support of our communities. Supporting Military Service Member and Veteran Well-Being Through the Arts

-Art is also good for Escanaba tourism.  2022 art industry was $43 billion. It would be nice to draw some of that here to our hotels, restaurants and other local businesses. 2022 Art Market Report

If you want to learn more about what is going on Visit Escanaba

Some other random stuff about vets. They have my support. 

Honor Our Warriors

Changing Military Honor

Marking a Point in History

Honor Codes and Honor Eras

Bigger Than Self

Past and Future

Answered the Call

Mount Solidad

We the People

Shout Out Louisville Firefighters! 100 Firefighters Battled the Blaze: What Makes a Firefighter Resilient?

Just giving a shout out to the Louisville Fire Department! As a person who has done some firefighting I appreciated the work they do. Coordinating all those people to battle the blaze is an amazing thing. It makes me wonder how it was all organized. Good job! 

(p.s. feel free to send someone to teach us up here in the U.P. MI.) 

More than 100 firefighters battle a fire in downtown Louisville

This is one field that could use brights and smart minds. If your not sure consider training at a volunteer firefighting department and/or at some point making the jump to full time. Your doing a great service to your community. 

Do you know what makes firefighters resilient? Consider this study, "Exploring the criteria and factors affecting firefighters’ resilience: A qualitative study"

CPI Rises .6% in August 2023: CPI, Federal Reserve, Prices, and Credit Cards

New CPI numbers came out so you can read those and sort of gauge where we are in terms of our economic position. Different analyst's will view things in different ways but in general there is an expectation that the Federal Reserve will hold off on interest rate hikes (In this market that may change tomorrow so we should be aware of the general trends.). The Federal Reserve often considers how they are going to approach the market to manage the economy. i.e raise, lower, or hold interest rates to adjust the availability/cost of money. 

Source: History of MI. Paper Money
Read: A Time When Anyone Can Issue

The expectation is that there will not be a rate increase so as to give time to see where the market is heading. That means the Fed Reserve has other things going on and/or are not exactly sure how some fundamental shifts are working (i.e. one possible explanation is new economic assumptions based on an increase in digital influences on the fundamentals of the economy. Things just take time to understand. Even more so if there isn't research to support decisions with large scale ramifications.) 

According to Reuters, "95% of economists, 94 of 97, in the Sept. 7-12 Reuters poll predicted the U.S. central bank would hold the federal funds rate in the current 5.25%-5.50% range next week, in line with market expectations." Fed to leave rates unchanged on Sept. 20; cut unlikely before Q2 2024: Reuters poll. 

Keep in mind The Federal Reserve believes that 2% interest is ideal for stability and growth. So we are significantly higher then that but some of that depends on what we do with other aspects of our economy like technology, wages, etc. In other words, a sense of direction in post Covid emerging economic phenomenon is difficult. You can gain a little more knowledge of why that is the case in. The History and Future of the Federal Reserve’s 2 Percent Target Rate of Inflation (Maybe in the future they will say some other numbers is our new normal.)

Likewise, you can read this article by USA Today. I like it because, with lots of colorful ads, it provides a good overview of CPI and how it impacts our lives and the other things government is doing about inflation. Anway, take a look at it and sort of peak at their ads because they need to pay for the authors and that comes through advertisement. If you really want to help them just click a few because AI is putting pressure on the industry and authors (Thats actually a little scary because we need original and creative content. So one is borrowing to make money without citing and we humans are creating with lower pay. Innovation and human capital is the name of the game going forward so we must make sure creative content is rewarded throughout the system if we want to encourage it. Otherwise, we run into a situation where it isn't lucrative to create because someone else is getting the proceeds. Creativity and capital innovation decline. Come on Humans lets help our own! If it is written by a human and is carbon based lets support it! Ok sorry I thought it was funny. AI Innovations 😂) 

Sorry, I digress....

CPI Live: Inflation rises for second straight month in August on higher gas costs

Source BLS
CPI Inflation Calculator

Up: Food, Shelter, Energy, Medical

Down: Cars, Commodities

12 Month: Fuel down, Gas down, Transportation Service up, Food up, Services Up, Shelter Up

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX - AUGUST 2023 You can read the rest at Bureau of Labor Stats.

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.6 percent in August on a seasonally adjusted basis, after increasing 0.2 percent in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.7 percent before seasonal adjustment.

The index for gasoline was the largest contributor to the monthly all items increase, accounting for over half of the increase. Also contributing to the August monthly increase was continued advancement in the shelter index, which rose for the 40th consecutive month. The energy index rose 5.6 percent in August as all the major energy component indexes increased. The food index increased 0.2 percent in August, as it did in July. The index for food at home increased 0.2 percent over the month while the index for food away from home rose 0.3 percent in August.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.3 percent in August, following a 0.2-percent increase in July. Indexes which increased in August include rent, owners' equivalent rent, motor vehicle insurance, medical care, and personal care. The indexes for lodging away from home, used cars and trucks, and recreation were among those that decreased over the month.

The all items index increased 3.7 percent for the 12 months ending August, a larger increase than the 3.2-percent increase for the 12 months ending in July. The all items less food and energy index rose 4.3 percent over the last 12 months. The energy index decreased 3.6 percent for the 12 months ending August, and the food index increased 4.3 percent over the last year.

A Little Tid Bit on Credit Cards

We spend entirely too much on credit cards, save too little, and invest almost nothing. At least that is the way it is for some people. To get a handle on your credit card debt means finding new patterns of spending.

-Stop spending except on things you need.
-Opt for a debit cards or cash.
-Cut out a few expensive activities and apply to your balance monthly.
-Put together a budget and designate a percentage you can use toward paying your balance.
-Use savings to pay off your balance and save the interest rate.
-Use your credit card for emergencies.
-Sell items you don't need or are cluttering your garage and you don't use to apply to the balance.
-Get a second job.

September 12th is Just as Important as September 11th (Challenging Extremism)

September 11th was a terrible day and that was a day that shook our souls and we vowed to build something stronger, better, and hold to account those that would use religion to harm innocent people. September 12th is the day after as the surreal situation sets in and we have to decide what our path is going forward (In some ways we are still deciding 20 years later.) As I have promised in the past,  and how based on feeling of alignment with my oaths, it is best to pull people together to focus on the next rung in our journey as a nation.

(The next stage will require us to be together as a single people with respect for each other and to ensure we support that togetherness. There really is no other logical way. It maximizes our economy, political structure, and our outputs.)

Religious and political extremism is on the rise and similar mechanics have led to nation altering behaviors (i.e. September 11th and January 6th) We also have a rise in extremist based violence and an indication that influences some adherent's decision making. Sometimes there are not enough backstops because the recognition of that behavior was relatively sparse and not well enforced. 

Things have changed now and we see the danger of allowing these domestic groups rise, target people, and spread false narratives against our politicians, judges, intellectuals and civilians. There are some attempts by these groups to hamper the protections of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion (Remember people are calling others and making all types of threats both direct and applied as well as in some cases acting on them. See Rise in Threats Lawmakers)

Any type of extremism is any good for our nation in a short run or the long run. There are people who have lost their lives for these "isms". No matter your race or religion put down the aphrodisiac of an "ism" and focus on critical thought and togetherness. We should let no distorted perception dictate to us our path forward. It is America's path and for us alone to decide (All of us!)

We are one people and we should act like one people and feel it within our souls that we are one people. The Pledge of Allegance states "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." If we allow those who follow toxic politics and narrow minded perceptions to dictate our path we are going to have a bumpy ride in the future. 

My overall advice and suggestion is that we come to accept the beauty of religion in our lives and the power it has to transform us and the world around us in a positive way. i.e. in God we Trust.. It was always meant to be a way to bring people forward and together to shared perspectives. That comes from understanding the intent of the text in much the way as the intent of our laws. If you cherry pick out one word or another it leads to incorrect interpretations.

(btw philosophically. They say man's laws follow behind God's laws. I'm not sure that is a religious statement. I sometimes think of God's laws as those laws that apply to almost everyone. i.e. laws against theft, abuse, violence, etc. have some reflection in our official laws. Thomas Jefferson on Law)

How we decide to go forward is a big one. I encourage our fellow Americans, our politicians and those who make decisions over others to think about the bigger picture and be active against "isms" in our decision making and in our lives (Maybe its like a little like a prayer for our future). Like I said many times before, two wrongs don't make a right. The path forward is to see each other as single people, single community, and single nation. No matter your politics and no matter your religion, our fellow Americans should stick together. The only lesson that needs to be learned here are the lessons of unity and striving.

The next generation has no ideas the trials and tribulations our nation and people faced during that time. We should teach them what we have learned. No matter the politics.

The Link Between Emotional Intelligence and Wisdom: A Few Important Sayings

Wisdom is something that many of us want to gain but most people never can gain. We keep thinking of the wise old man or woman who tells us about the nature of life. Perhaps we view them as ancient philosophers or the female shamans living on a mountainside (There probably is a reason why they live alone and that might be the ability to be self reflective.). I believe that every society has wise people who try and impart wisdom and that comes from personal development.

What I keep thinking about is what is wisdom and how does one get it?

 An interesting report on 'Two studies show a link between emotional intelligence and wisdom'  the report might be saying the same thing but to me the reason why emotional intelligence leads to wisdom is because you can take your time to think about things and make decisions that have the best outcomes.  If you are emotionally driven you are likely to make poor decisions by knee jerk reactions and not reflecting on the possibilities with a clear mind. 

"The researchers found that recognition of a changing world, self-transcendence, consideration of diverse perspectives, and search for compromise — all components of competency in emotionl management, a branch of emotional intelligence — are related to wise reasoning." (Steimer, 2021 para 2)

 

Delta County Michigan Commissioners Meeting (09/05/2023): Trash, Budgets and Bonuses!

There was a lot to this meeting and county business is still going forward and getting things done even while other issues are arising. There is a significant investment of dollars needed in solid waste landfill management to ensure we are managing trash well. You can watch the video and see the debate between trash that is shared by counties versus going it alone. There are cost differences. As one hedges with others they lose control over management but do gain economies of scale. That is the trade off. Sometimes its just best to partner with others on projects unless one can find a better and more cost effective way to deal with it.

-Just FYI. The EPA says, "2018 was 292.4 million tons (U.S. short tons, unless specified) or 4.9 pounds per person per day.)"  National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling

There was also some discussion on grants and the terms of easements. Apparently it was an issue of public access that was blocked by a gate and someone mentioned handshake deals that motivated citizens felt concerned about. There was also some issue of some monies that allocated to employees of a company/entity managing the parks that others indicated the company/entity weren't entitled to it (per the video). 

Furthermore, I believe there was a referral to the State Attorney General's Office. So we will just have to see what happens with that.

Remember, that doesn't mean anyone did anything wrong. Sometimes things happen, and sometimes people make mistakes from lack of knowledge. What happened hasn't been officially determined but the allegation was made with some professed support. Bringing to light concerns is helpful, investigating reveals new insight, and in turn being wise about all things leads to positive outcomes.  

A Few Notes:

-Solid waste landfill recycle and composting operations. EGLE is working with Qpad to create a multi county landfill. egle/mmp. Cost concerns were brought up.

-Concerns on time length of meetings and those who violate general civility. They are talking about the last meeting. I'm not sure specifically what they are talking about but there have been some discontent by local residents and some flare ups. I will have to look at what they mean. County meeting or committee meeting? Towards the end I guess if this is the same one. 08/15/2023 Delta County Michigan Commissioner Meeting

-Grants and other issues are relied on balance funding. Its just an observation. However, in the long run I think the county should seek ways to generate revenue. I guess if we think about it, we might find ways the county can raise revenue.

-State of Michigan has some discussion on Solid Waste Programs