Exploring Corruption as a Violation of Human Rights (Hypothetical Thought Experiment)

It is beneficial and important for society to think about the need to ensure all systems function in the best interest of the whole society. That doesn't always happen and sometimes people do the opposite. We have been exploring a hypothetical philosophical thought experiment a number of years for learning purposes where blatant corruption and violation of rights occurred to help ensure perpetrators were rewarded for bad behaviors and a larger corrupted network was protected and immunized.

In this example for discussion purposes there was clear intent to enrich, put kids in danger, manipulate elderly, spread false rumors, bully people, target racial/religious minorities, sexual exploit women, allegedly causing the suicide of an underage girl after a rape, secretive hit lists, so and so forth. This group could do whatever they wanted because people were afraid and those who were suppose to protect the community kept giving them free passes through the blind eye. They were more concerned about perception than fulfilling their duties.

Behaviors were reported and whislteblowers came forward but were quicky retaliated against with aggression, false rumors, and violence. The behaviors were well known and perpetrators often bragged about misdeeds and even boldly told the victims why they were targeting them. They were protected and immunized and as more people reported bad behaviors it became increasingly clear there was an embedded network of coordinated Clan members. What is worse is that they had a history of it, it was insulated, and additional victims were created due to gross negligence.

This is an example designed to showcase some of the worst behaviors we can think of. We can learn from these thought experiments about the importance of institutions and justice to society. Behaviors are often goal directed the extent of the misbehaviors, and the skill of coordination helped highlight how widespread the problem was. There were no rights or recourse for victims and relatively low commitment of some decision makers to our oaths, social contracts, and essential beliefs as a people. The vast majority of officials believed in a higher calling and despite fear of rejection also began to stand with their community to do what noble souls do (brave men and women who swore an oath and tried to live by it. "Liberty and justice for all".)

The good news is that the system did start to change as the good citizens of democracy became aware of the immunized group and the illegal protection for misbehaviors. In general, people believe such systems should function for the whole and they should work toward their agreed upon publically stated purposes and oaths. Good stewards of public trust and administrators of those systems should be selected on merit and not friend/clan affiliations. While democracy and moral conscious was actively thwarted the people began to restore its essential purpose in their own subtle way with little to no support from those who were supposed to be protecting the integrity of such systems.

When one thinks of any system or organization they should think of purpose/mission, effectiveness, efficiency, and general support. Well run organizations do what is in the best interest of everyone and that is important to support in word and deed. The vast majority of good people doing good things should be encouraged and those who act in self-interest should be penalized and eventually removed. Because justice is a root fundamental aspect of society it naturally has an impact on trust, social cohesion, economic performance, patriotism and so much more. The best and brightest know why these systems exist while the most connected and least qualified often use these systems as a tool.

You can read this article which is sort of interesting. Corruption and Human Rights

Ask yourself a number of questions,

1.) Is there a relationship between a level of corruption and violation of norms, laws, and human rights?

2.) Should there be a universal perspective on how we treat people and make little differentiation between race, religion, political affiliation, friend network, etc.?

3.) Is there a moral and business responsibility to ensure that systems are run effectively, efficiently, and in alignment with mission/purpose? Does that help business and good governance?

4.) Do decision makers have a responsibility to correct when they discover corruption? Does that indicate that only the best of us should be in positions of authority?

5.)  How does corruption impact the functioning of the whole and how does restoring justice support fundamentals of social and economic interactions? Why when corruption is challenged and starts to be removed does economic health start to return?

6.) Should victims have a level of recourse or is it easier and more convenient to stick them with the bill? What does that say about values of decision makers?

7.) Is it possible that people see "their own" or in-group as less corrupt but "others" or out-group as more corrupt?

9.) If we removed the moral conscious from corruption how might the tolerance of corruption impact economic growth on a fundamental level? Think about microtransactions that make up a community, society, and economic growth and how those are based in basic exchanges of trust in commerce and life (economic and quality of life transactions that foster exceptional performance). Leading to...

10.) How does high or low trust by many people influence the environment?

11.) Is patriotism loyalty to a social network or to principles of a people? Why do some people stand for the principles of their nation and health of their community and peoples despite the amount of crimes committed against them? What is integrity and loyalty oaths in this context? (One☝️nation under God)

*This is a hypothetical philosophical thought experiment for learning purposes so take with a grain of salt. It has uncovered 5 stages thus far that range from default to community resilience. It is meant to generate discussion so feel free to share your thoughts and opinions. Doing so positively, politely, and in the best interest of knowledge is most helpful. 

 

Escanaba City Council Meeting March 20th, 2025: Sustainable Energy, Firefighting, Fiscal Management, Indiana Jones/Committee, Water, Opioid Money, Apps

Another exciting day in Escanaba as we blaze a trail in creating one of the world's best communities! (That is my opinion and there are many who may agree.). Over the past few years, we have seen the local cities/communities and county really come alive to create positive change and upward trends that have thus far bucked some national trends. Below is a discussion on a few things being discussed. You can read the agenda for Escanaba Meeting March 20th, 2025

MPAA Sustainable Energy:  Energy diversity can help create resilience. Localizing some energy is also important for any location to better protect from rolling blackouts, outages, industry stoppages, etc. While we will likely need to rely in the near and midterm future on traditional sources one can see that multiple local and national inputs could create resilience under various circumstances (There are lot of opinions on this.)

Ludington Stree 1905 Escanaba
Some improvements near park coming in.
Boulevard
Source: Esky Post Cards

-Improving Firefighting through Hydrants: Standardization does help because everyone can use the same fittings. A few dry hydrants might help (The only problem during the winter is freezing unless they are pressurized. Maybe a solar/electric warmer tape of some type might work.). You want multiple departments and trucks to be able to use the various sources of water with ease.

-Vocational Training Center. Research helps to further the idea that vocational training does impact local industry growth as well as improve the economy overall. Vocational Training Research G20. Dang! We be serious about getting the people the skills they need. Partner some of that training to local industries (i.e. Billerud, warehousing, etc.) and participants might have high employment rates while contributing to the development of their community. It could also have an impact on the tax base and by extension improve employment and reduce crime.

-25/26 Budgeting: Notice how the city goes out of its way to encourage active participation and comments on budgeting and finance. It helps for transparency and ensure citizen issues are heard. We can teach other locations the importance of strong fiscal management. So far, the city (I think also the county) are fiscally solvent which indicates they do well staying in the black. If I was an investor I might take notice.

-Water Development: Escanaba is considered to have some of the safest water around. This helps our kids grow strong and people to live long healthy lives. Notice how they invest in their water proactively and avoid delaying decisions. Our water has become a model for some other places. Perhaps better than bottled spring water considering that bottled water is known to have more micro plastics than faucet water. In this case, our water is pure. Our Data Clean Water and Nanoplastics. As a personal preferences I would rather live in a community with clean water versus one without. 

-Planning Committee and Historical Committee: I should really get involved in the Historical Committee. If I had lived my other two live possibilities one would have been get a library card and be a contractor and the other an archeologist like Indiana Jones

-Drug Money and Mediation: There is a free service for mediation if needed. Also if you are a non-profit you may be interested in Opioid Settlement at DeltaCounty.org (I was looking for a grant for somethign else but this might be good for your local organization.)

You may be interested in this article 7 Advantages of Living in a Small Town. A few of us were talking about this the other day. Escanaba/Gladstone are places where young entrepreneurs should really consider. Generally low costs, people who care about each other, opportunities, and an upswing in economic development. We have a downtown that someone could buy a building, improve it, and do well with relatively low outlay costs. Especially true for tourist related business, micro manufacturing, exporting, firms, stores (fruit, butchery, cigar lounge, specialty, etc.) I keep thinking about buying a building down there.

Two Good Resources:

Escanaba Daily Press: If you are an investor consider getting this application. We have our own local newspaper and it has a great new column on local businesses. There is a cheaper online subscription or a delivery option. Escanaba Daily Press App.

City of Escanaba App: If you want to keep up on local happenings, governance, activities, etc. consider My Escanaba App. Staying ontop will help you make business and investment decisions. Welcome to the Digital Era. Also notice the discussion in the meeting on fiber optics. Digital nomad destination location. So much fun in the summer and the other 3 seasons. Fall is beautiful and crosscountry skiing in the winter.

National Debt and Treasuries January 2025: Long-Term Risks Remain

Your credit cards are maxed out, you have a car you can't afford, your house is too big, inflation is eating as your savings, heating costs are on the rise, and you haven't got a raise in years! Yikes! We are not talking about your personal finance but about national debt!

Running so close to the line means there are some things we will need to give up to get our budget to move from red to black. Maybe right now isn't the time for the diamond bracelet and Lamborghini (Sorry I have been watching the show Ballers and let me say it is interesting to watch young people with money but not the experience to save.)

National debt has some risks and it reduces our capacity to invest in things that create net positives and improve on our financial position (I was playing around with this idea of Perpetual Sustainable Systems and allocating some money back to national debt. It was more for theoretical discussion.)

This article indicates that in January we did ok and didn't add to foreign purchases of debt. Foreign Holdings of National Debt Steady in January.

Consider that we want people to purchase our debt at a cheaper price because they trust our ability to repay but we have a responsibility to reduce the amount of debt in total and balance our budget. What is the National Debt?

There is some good explanations on the dangers and risks of high national debt at IMF Risks of High National Debt and Slow Growth

The House Budget Committee indicates that national debt is around 122% of GDP and influences things like credit cards, inflation, mortgages, etc. that reduce spending power and contribute to crisis. House Budget Committee on National Debt

Finding ways to streamline some processes, improve effectiveness, maximize benefits of money spent, and improve economic output through manufacturing/technology will likely be helpful. As always it is a complex system with lots of different opinions and competing interest. Have any thoughts on the topic? Feel free to leave a comment.

Research on Protecting and Rewarding In-Group Hate and Corruption (Hypothetical Thought Experiment)

Over the past 5 years we have been sort of exploring a concept to help consider ways in which we can maximize the outcomes of systems and reduce waste of corruption. It has led to the discovery of 5 stages as well as deeper knowledge of how such things work and some of the best ways to improve functioning. We know that trust has been declining and that in general is not a good thing. Consider two articles Feeling Bummed? and Why Unhappy?

If you’re asking me, I generally trust the average person and I do so because they for the most part seem to treat each other well (cross race and religion as a single people). There are those outliers and there are people who do bad things. Such people do create chaos in our cohesion and cause all types of issues for justice. Generally, only when something goes out of wack or someone makes extremely poor decisions then I might raise my eyebrow (In other words we shouldn't prejudge but be aware of choices and behaviors as goal directed).

Corruption takes away from trust and pushes people into the extremes socially and politically. Pulling people back to the center is important for creating long term trust. People on the fringes or who have something to gain financially or socially can engage in all types of poor behaviors. There are times when people do not act with integrity and then we must make changes to improve functionality that leads trust and happiness. How we do that is an open discussion.

Let us continue this hypothetical philosophical discussion on hate and corruption. Hate and corruption create dividing lines where they are not needed, reward bad behaviors, warp pro-social values, and clearly show that certain people are rewarded for bad actions. It wouldn't be wise to trust where these behaviors have occurred or there is a history of such behaviors occurring (One could trust and be open to trust but if outcomes are an indication of poor beliefs and behaviors then on deeper level trust would not be warranted. One should make a differentiation between good actors and poor actors. Good actors trusted and poor actors encouraged to find a less important occupation.).

In our philosophical learning example a group of people had a history of taking advantage of the sick, spreading rumors, and using employment to enrich themselves at the expense of others. Group aggression, corruption, and the protection thereof led to a default in decision making. Improving trust means we might consider accountability for bad actors, making adjustments to improve outcomes, reversing poor decisions, and standing up for shared values (hypothetically).

This publication seems to help understand a little deeper why such in-group behaviors occur and are often protected despite the poor outcomes they create. Keep in mind there are many ways to look at the same problem and this is a theoretical discussion on how to improve systems. It is important to not be complacent in one's values least they be forgotten to the annals of history. In-Group Loyalty and Punishment

 *This is a hypothetical philosophical thought experiment on hate and corruption for learning (freedom of speech and religion are part of that concept). It is meant to generate discussion, and different people will view these things differently. Take with a grain of salt

Could Mining be Coming Back to the UP of Michigan?

There is greater emphasis on mining and extracting resources American Mineral Production. New mines and other activities are likely to increase domestic supply versus relying heavily on foreign producers. As the country seeks to improve domestic production it will need to think about developing its own metals and minerals. 

Nations are competing for rare and natural minerals in an effort to fund growth. Due to changes in economic conditions and global trade it appears important for the U.S. to balance its domestic production with its international imports. 

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan has opportunities to capitalize on such opportunities. 

What many people might not know is that the U.P. has a lot of resources. It was a place where mining was cutting edge and world leading until its collapse. Mining Rush UP.

You can read a little about Timber, Ore and Copper Mine Museums UP. I have visited a few of them and they were informative. Take the tours! Back in the day people didn't live long (I think it was like 40 years old but things are different now) but they were paid a lot of money. Many mined for sometime and then went into lumber and farming. 

You can see some increase in mining activity and interest in Michigan Approves $50 Million Mine. It makes sense that mining companies could once again look to start operations in the U.P. Time of course will tell if this is true but a few discoveries could help. Copper-Nickle Discovery Near Marquette Michigan

In the Escanaba area there is rail, airport, connection of highways, and access to water and other resources. Potentially a good transportation and distribution hub. A good port might be something that would be feasible considering not only the need to improve mining but also the need to build ships. While mining and ship building are two different things they do interrelate in terms of supplies and infrastructure needs (Two potential clusterable industries that would likely impact a number of other local existing industries that range from paper production, metal stamping, downtown businesses and a few others.) . 

Kind of interesting.... Mine Shafts of Michigan

Remember this blog is about exploring ideas. Feasibility is a different thing and that takes time and expertise. Ideas however sometimes generate new economic opportunities.

Moral Commitment to Limit Hate and Corruption (Thought Experiment)

We are continuing to explore the concept of freedom by discussing hate and corruption and its potential impact on the environment. This learning story is a hypothetical philosophical discussion on the power of democracy to overcome even the most entrenched bad behaviors. It isn't immediate and there are many people who must make decisions based on their personal values but eventually the will of people realigns to universal values we all share. Below is the continuation of a 5-year discussion about exploring some of the bad stuff we can think related to hate and corruption. In the end we will have a very positive result that adapts and improves the whole.

In this example corrupted officials felt a sense of loyalty to their fellow clan members, ideologies, and in turn did their best to hide corruption after years of harm to victims and the community. Bad actors went out of their way and continued to go out of their way to protect misdeeds in a manner that put members of a community at future risk. Their words and behaviors out of sync. They didn't care about our laws, children, vets, elderly or their town as much as they did about themselves and the Clan. A complete disrespect for human life and blatant violations of basic concepts of freedom.

(Yikes sounds pretty bad but we can learn.....)

What the network didn't expect was the power of democracy and its ability to rally people to a greater cause to nip them where some decision makers couldn't muster the courage and integrity needed leading to a system (...some by fear of rejection, some by confusion, and some by personal choice). Good officials and local community members felt a deeper sense of loyalty and patriotism and begin to report corrupted officials while strengthening and supporting good officials who were serving their community honorably and nobly every day (Small acts of collective support that have bigger outcomes. It is a protective survival system built into our culture, species and nature. Theoretically anyway.). 

Interesting in this learning example, as more people reported, more victims came forward, community concern rose, and the network became further exposed. Denial and the dehumanizing hate-based narratives were simply not something that would work anymore as people had seen enough and became fed up. Decision makers refused to investigate perpetrators but did allow for targeting and threats to concerned citizens (...good officials reported but clan officials blocked.). Some of these behaviors could bump into a different category (...keep in mind willful coordinated aggression.).

The choices we make over our lifetimes helps determine not only our own personal values but also the social values that make-or-break futures. For example, if you socially teach that corruption is ok it will have a different long-term impact when compared to if you hold to account/reverse corruption. Strong communities ensure there are mechanisms in place to overcome corruption and lack of faithfulness to shared oaths and principles. Those who protect and reward serious misbehaviors show little loyalty the purpose of position or the sacrifices people before them made (even their own parents and grandparents). They are selling outs to society.

This is where the problems lay and have always laid....in the value systems of the decision makers and not necessarily in the people (Yes, there are good and bad people, but mostly collective society strives upward.). The very choice to protect/reward or stand for higher principles is fundamental to the soul of a person and its good or bad influence in the environment. Both good and bad can spread as ideas are shared, changed, constructed and reconstructed. If leaders and officials regularly stand for what is good, noble and essential to our collective purpose, people will know it and trust will rise. They don't, they lie, they act in aggressive ways, and through natural human psychology people won't trust. (This is why I sort of advocate for strong moral conscious and commitment to oaths around core values such as "liberty and justice for all".)

There are differences between good officials who do what is right and corrupted officials (and decision-making supporters) who do what is wrong. The study below found that moral commitment is negatively associated with corruption. Thus, those who have certain beliefs of a higher value are much less likely to engage in corruption, take bribes and by extension protect corruption. When we pick leaders, put people in positions of authority, or make decision it is important to understand that we have greater responsibility to all of our community members and not just the activities of our friends, groups, religions, races, politics, or clans.  Moral Commitment and Corruption. 

*This is a hypothetical philosophical thought experiment for learning purpose on hate and corruption so take with a grain of salt. We will write in a positive ending where the whole gets more effective and in alignment with stated missions/oaths/values.. It has discovered 5 stages that ranged from default in justice to community resilience. Freedom of religion and speech where covered in prior writings and its importance in encouraging higher critical thinking.

Art Infusion and Its Influence on Purchasing Products

Art, business, creativity and science are interelated in the ability to make breakthroughs or see something entrepreneurs can capitalize on. Art serves another purpose and that is sparking emotions that lead to sales. 

Art is a deeply subconscious process that taps symbolism, memory and emotion. One often feels something with art and research has supported the idea that most purchases are emotional in nature. Much of our understanding and communication patterns are under our awareness.

This is my little art hobby. I used to give 50% of profits away to charity but have decided for the time being to give 100% after supplies/expenses. I like giving to orphans, organizations I belong, and to local causes in Escanaba and San Diego. I'm not talking a lot of money but the little I sometimes make off my hobbies. Consider buying this one. My art isn't perfect but I do it a few minutes here and there until I finish something. My photography better I think 🤔 

Purchase Coastal Yellow Ocean

This study discusses how emotion can play a role in pushing consumers to push a product. The concept of art infusion effect impact the perceived value of a product. 

The Value of Art in Marketing