UNCOVERED: What causes corruption?

Thinking about the hypothetical corruption-extremism example and possible long term resolutions. As the political spectrum becomes more polarized its going to influence people within institutions and how they think, decide and act. In the fictitious example presented,  there appeared to be a connection between ethnocentric social groups, awareness of "how things work"  and knowledge of how to manipulate such systems for gain. Also, some expectation they would be protected in those behaviors as a perceived entitled beneficiary of such systems [vs. their wider purpose.]. Other aspects came forward such as disappearing money, prior complaints, civil right violations, intimidation, stalking, etc. [One might wonder if its possible to map all incidents and complaints and track them back to an embedded group/network as key corruption stakeholders? Maybe not.]

One thing that is possible is that corruption and extremism political leanings may be associated/correlated in some way [Someone would have to study it to know it more surely.]. Perhaps the willingness to use short cuts with self-gain rationalizing would also somehow be related to short cut thinking politically or ideologically. [There likely is some research that supports thinking style and corruption as well as thinking style and extremism. Thus, one might wonder if there are similarities between the two styles of thinking making people prone to corruption also prone to extremism? Maybe not? By extension different possible ways to solve the same problem. If corruption is seen as a drag on GDP could extremism also lower GDP? Detractive versus optimistic thinking normalized. This is why from a practical standpoint working together to solve problems is often the most advantageous way forward. Philosophical dribble dribble...can be discarded.]

The Science Behind Hate [Underlining Cluster Characteristics of Growth or Decline]

Thinking about mass human capital development and how hate may be limiting the ability of people to fully flourish and develop their talents that contribute positively to society. In this endeavor it is beneficial to look at hate and where it comes from. The video is pretty good and gives a snap shot of some of the roots of hate through MRI. What it seems to indicate is that hate may have been created in order to take things from others [Its possible as an explanation . There are others.]. It makes hate a negative detractor in most circumstances. Thus, hate would seem to be something based in things like loss, fear, jealousy, out-group, etc. that seems to flourish more in people with dark triad personalities.   

[Note: I'm working on a innovative transactional cluster theory and the underlining human psychology is important for determining interactivity and basic trust components that lead to increased economic behaviors. On a human capital level we want to spur full economic engagement. Hate, bigotries, discrimination could be a limitation to that development in some places. Other research seems to support the idea that where there is hate there has been economic decline. Where there is a sense of community togetherness there has been growth. It could also shed light on other aspects of characteristics for growing and shrinking communities beyond the concept of resources alone. In other words, there is more to development then just money. If one where to invest, one might want to invest in locations that are creating a sense of community because it could also be a sign that other economic precursors exist. Maybe not...just a thought. While such ideas are often discounted with all of the formulas we must consider that economics is nothing more then calculating human behavior through a value like money. Thus, anything that impacts the fundamentals of human behavior and creates more connectivity from a cluster standpoint also likely impacts they amount and type of transactions among elemental actors. Feel free to discount quickly. I think most people already have the answers. I have few answers so I continue to wonder the philosophical desert looking for an oasis of insight. ]

  

Why Morality and Humanity are Still Important in Leaders?

People sometimes believe leadership is a power over paradigm but sometimes miss recognizing the deeper mechanics behind human behavior. The softer aspects of leadership don't always come through and such values should come through more often. Leaders that make a positive impact on society understand the need of being a humanitarian and ensuring the highest moral standards within their organizations. Not to mention, that prosocial behaviors have a general positive effect while anti-social behaviors have had the opposite effect.

Moral conscious and the ability to think strategically holistically about society and inclusive performance pathways leads to stronger development through human capital maximization. You might like The Correlation between Human Capital and Morality and its Effect on Economic Performance: Theory and Evidence . It helps shed some light on how morality can lead to greater income and economic value a it relates to human capital.

Schumer, Johnson Announce New 2024 Budget Deal

Compromise is good and now lawmakers will need to go through and look at all the details for each department and area. There are many thoughts on this but I will say that there is always a need to improve the systems we are funding so as to maximize the value of societal expenditures. Taking a good look at processes and outputs, even if its just tweaking, keeps the wider system adjusting to the market. Thus, looking at how money is being spent and actively utilized is important for adaptable environmental adjustments that keeps the system nimble and pliable [Sorry I was creating philosophical dribble, dribble].

 

U.S. Air Force: An Idea That Matters [The Military as a Pathway to Leadership]

In my life I respect a number of institutions and people. The military being one of them [There are a few others as well.] The military teaches certain values that young men and women can take with them the rest of their lives [Listen to the 'old timers' talk long enough and you will understand.]. It is a pathway to personal development and it connects people together. What you get out of it is up to you, but they will introduce you to the concepts of honor, sacrifice and duty. Not many places in the world teach those values any more [Sounds like ancient worn out words but it is institutions like this that keep them dusted and presented as lessons for others.] 

If your young, not sure what to do with your life, consider joining and finding a place that will help mold you into the person you will be proud to be. With some effort someday actually may become [They may give you the framework but it is you that still must do the work. If you never call or email you will never know where that pathway may lead. Think about what you want to accomplish in life and make steps and a plan to get there. You probably end up somewhere else but that is your fate and its the journey that make the person]. It all starts with a sense of direction and guidance. If you didn't have that in your life, then you need to go find it. Just be open to what you discovery and make sure your teachers are worthy to teach.

I like this quote from the ancient philosopher Aristotle that I think helps me formulate deeper respect for those who have sacrificed for our nation and how that develops leaders. "He who is to be a good ruler must have first been ruled."

In some perspectives, if you are going to lead others you must have first have been humble enough to have followed. If you are going to calculate the value of life you must have almost lost your own. If you are going to be a teacher you must have been at one point a good student. So and so forth...  I guess the alternative to that is an abstract question of how one can most effectively lead or inspire others if they have not lived with, do not understand, nor share their hopes, dreams and aspirations? [Its not impossible, its just difficult to understand the nuances of perspective.] 

In a democracy every man and women is equal but different on earned merit. In my limited perspective, society strives for such values sort in a fumble forward way in general, but the military tries to live it with specific directive purpose [It is strategic and effective]. That is what makes them one of a few proper pathways for those with the heart and the humbleness to serve. True leadership comes from within and money can't buy it. There are no medals or certificates that can capture this concept fully. True leaders, they seek external praise less versus the internal feeling of responsibility and fulfillment [You may not know that until you are older and have seen amazing things to gain that insight. You will also see different people succeed and fail in life and find out what sets them apart. The juicy stuff isn't all in the textbooks. Textbooks give you the important framework of knowledge and skills on approaching issues, yet life cauterizes that formal and informal education into a pointy spear of insight. When Athenian wisdom and Spartan performance are married into the same soul you have arrived at actualized leadership].

Anyways....good speech and good video. 

Jannet Yellen Indicates the Economy is Doing Well [Opportunities to Redesign National Debt Allocations]

The economy is looking fairly positive from multiple arenas which is a healthy sign. We should always keep in mind concepts like national deficit and other things that we need to tackle still as a nation. Positive numbers could also open opportunities to rebalance the budget from a growth versus shrinking resource stand point. Sometimes if we think about how to capitalize on our current upswings we can create new open doors.

There are times when I think that perhaps if we took a percentage of growth and reallocated back to debt it might encourage both sides to compromise to further support economic growth and development. Not to mention the benefits of looking at current systems to ensure they are functioning at their highest state and get the most benefit for their resource allocation. [Its part of this perpetual sustainable economic concept I been mulling over. Most people already have the right answer when they think of the economy so I'll put this on the backburner for now. ]

216K Jobs Report Up (December 2023): Looks Pretty Good-What about Technology, Infrastructure and Human Capital Development?

The job market looks pretty good. 216K Jobs Report Up (December 2023). Employing labor is a positive thing and raising wages in a market rewarding way is the goal. To make that happen will likely come from technology implementation [including new infrastructure coming online] and then we begin to maximize that labor through human capital development [i.e. drawing the most amount of people into full economic engagement, enhancing skills, and using diversity as a market advantage.]. One might wonder whether or not we reach consistent numbers over a sustained period of time to indicate new "normals". [Maybe maybe not, pick an economist.]