Outrage Against Injustice (Dehumanizing Stage of Thought Experiment)

We are continuing to think of the hypothetical thought experiment on how gross misapplication of justice could occur. The goal is to explore hate, corruption, and extreme bias in the application of justice in ways to find better methods of protecting the public and strengthening the justice system. There are markers that would indicate where injustice is most likely and that includes places with good old boy networks (clans), misuse of position/corruption, lax oversite, deep seated bigotries, higher crime rates, cultic social networks, social influencers with dark triad traits, histories of bullying and ostracizing others could occur. 

What we have thus found is that the bigger laws written into the Constitution, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion are looked upon with some disdain in such places where clear in and out groups have formed. Human and civil rights of less importance among some judges and officials (The vast majority believing in a higher moral conscious and their purpose of position but silenced through unwritten codes.). Where these issues occur, the environment is right for exploiting and harming those not seen as worthy of similar rights or as valued through a nationalistic perspective (anchored to race, religion, etc. and not longevity, patriotism, service, etc. -a shallow perspective.)

I thought it was very interesting on how people can be denied certain rights and perpetrators seem to continuously come out on top. Few checks and balances thereafter as though laws are misapplied to help some at the expense of others. No/few reversals even when corruption was found.

To further what it might look like from the perspective of the victims they may find that systems are inadequate to protect some members of society. Reform to improve outcome performance would be helpful in such places. Those that were clearly rewarded through corruption have more rights and are seen as more worthy than out group members. Others being categorized as racial and religious difference but certainly can be any out group. 

Conflicts of interests, social connections, and identity politics seem to be major influencers in choices. It would appear to such victims that there is little desire to improve the system or reflect the diverse nature of society. They could be right or wrong but to understand we have to include the perspectives of a wide range of people. If it has been experienced by others then it has a level legitimacy.  Sometimes those who have done the most for society and served a higher principle are considered the lowest and least valued-dehumanization.

*This is a thought experiment for learning purposes so take with a grain of salt. It has a positive ending but we are sort of just exploring the deeper worst case issues that lead to individual and possible collective mistreatment. Stage 1 was Default in Justice and Stage 2 Dehumanization. Stage 3 hasn't been defined yet.

Anchoring to Hate and Poor Values (Dehumanization Thought Experiment)

Imagine if you were the victim of hate-based behaviors and those who engaged in such activities were rewarded for inappropriate actions. Most of us would be horrified by the idea and would encourage greater protections for victims. Let us explore a hypothetical philosophical example of in and out-group members to see if we can learn about the risk and solutions to hate. 

The Thought Example: 

You are an out-group member and people have exploited hate to harm you or others. There was clear misinformation and falsities that led to greater mistreatment that included group bullying and misuse of official positions for self-gain. Investigations found that there was corruption involved, and extremism were present in a way that created serious threats toward targets. Victims were forced to accept the outcomes of extreme prejudice because of convenience and lack of commitment to higher ideals (It’s not necessarily true but only an example for learning).

How Does Anchoring Impact Hate Thoughts?

One of the key issues of root hate assumptions is how it acts as an anchor that each new thought about a target is evaluated against. Thus, it warps all other thoughts about others i.e. out-groups. For example, two people of which one believes all people different than them are lower in status and should not be included in the same society. The other believes that race and religion don’t matter and that measures are on character and beliefs in core societal values.

The first type of person are entitled and only those who look like them or worship like them are worthy of fair treatment (nationalist perspective). The other has just as long of a history and served their nation many times over and feels that one's value is not based in a specific religion or race (a patriot). There is very short lens based in anchored symbolism and a wide lens based in root principles.

When your anchor is wrong and misguided it warps all the decision making thereafter. That can occur among groups if misguided (intentionally or accidently) authority figures intentionally warp laws to ensure their world view is dominant. Yet that is against the very core laws, values and rules. Such people put others at risk for being more patriotic and loyal than themselves. (We would have to read the Constitution and generally about freedoms to accurately differentiate the two.)

You can view the morality and hate research. Keep in mind the concept of "moral conscious" that has been an ongoing theme. 

The psychology of hate: Moral concerns differentiate hate from dislike.

Pretus, C. et. al. (March 2023). The psychology of hate: Moral concerns differentiate hate from dislike. European Journal of Social Psychology, 53 (2) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ejsp.2906

*This is a hypothetical thought experiment for learning purposes. Take with a grain of salt. There is a positive end.

Military Pay Increase and Internally Motivated Leaders (Military Life)

It is important to enhance our military and make it the strongest in the world we can. There is a discussion within the video on the "spirit of the military". Pay is one motivating factor and internally motivated people who want to serve and protect their nation are another.  Thinking about leadership we can see why some people who join the military are good candidates for military leadership development. If you are seeking to develop yourself and are trying to find a pathway consider joining. 

You can review a study on leadership motivation and public service  Leadership and public service motivation: a systematic synthesis

A few articles you might be interested.

Raises 12.5% DOD

U.S. Military History

Hameduddin, T. & Engbers, T. (January 2021). Leadership and public service motivation: a systematic synthesis. International Public Management Journal, 25 (1).

January 2nd, 2024 Unemployment Claims Drop 9K (Economy and Labor)

The economy continues to move forward at a descent pace and that is likely to impact future interest rate cuts. Overall, it is good news that the U.S. economy stays resilient. There are some challenges we face because other nations are likely to start building their capacity as well. However, we are more advanced now in terms of infrastructure and that opens a few possibilities. US Dept. Of Labor Jan. 2nd, 2024. 

From my perspective I just want to know if we are working off a higher economic platform then we were prior to the Pandemic. We should be able to compare pre and post Covid performance benchmarks to see if there are clear differences (statistical analysis).

An argument is that Covid along with infrastructure investments potentially sped the economic transactions which improved GDP. That occurs through manufacturing and investment (theory development).

However, it’s not over yet. The next leg/stage of U.S. Renaissance appears to be here, and our steps may be important. There are many ways to look at the same problem.

With unemployment low we will likely see a combination of two routes of which one will add to the labor pool in key areas (international recruitment of high demand skills) and the other increase innovation and productivity (investments in technology, human capital, operational methods, etc.).

While reading the U.S. Dept. of Labor report or the news keep in mind that one data point doesn't represent the whole economy but can represent what might be going on with one aspect of the economy. Thus, ensure you read widely and different benchmarks that include factory orders, interest rates, investment, consumer spending, etc. 

In general, I would look at data that is updated regularly to understand what might be happening now but put that information within a broader historical trend (indicating an economic shift)

You can read Reuters article that provides a pretty strong analysis about other factors that are used in the assessment of the health of the economy. 

US weekly jobless claims hit eight-month low as labor market remains resilient

Mutikani, L. (January 2nd, 2024)
US weekly jobless claims hit eight-month low as labor market remains resilient. Rueters. https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/us-weekly-jobless-claims-unexpectedly-fall-2025-01

Escanaba City Council Meeting (December 19, 2024) What Makes A City Attractive to Investors? (Civics and Governance)

Keeping up on the local news is important for understanding the growth and development of the city.  You can tell from the discussion that there are good things happening and they are taking great care to build the fundamentals of growth. Below you will find an article on what investors want from a city and you might find some parallels with what is going on here. They have attracted multiple larger investments in the past couple of years so there is clear upward momentum.

December 19th, 2024 City Council Meeting Agenda

A couple of Agenda items of interest.

-Electric update

-Water updating

-Light manufacturing investment (unanimous in vote). Possible development 6th and 9th avenue. What kind of jobs? 100+. 

What makes a city attractive to investors?

MacDonald, R. (July 19th, 2017). What makes a city attractive to investors? Center for Cities. https://www.centreforcities.org/reader/investors-want-guide-cities/makes-city-attractive-investors/

What is Self-Actualization and How Does it Help You as a Person? (Personality and Self-Development)

Self-actualization occurs when you move into the final stages of human development. As far as theory is concerned it is unknown if there are higher stages beyond that, but I suspect that would be based on species evolution and capacity. Let us discuss what it means to be self-actualized and how one gets there. It is something that can happen naturally for some but for others it is often a goal even if they are not fully aware. We are designed to strive to something greater and that is part of our development. 

Higher States of Development

First, self-actualization is the highest known stages of development based on understanding yourself fully and your environment more deeply. You become yourself and while outside perspectives are a source of knowledge you have moved beyond the purely socially constructed sense provided society. That is important for minorities and non-minorities who struggle with their full potential because less enlightened souls gave them misleading feedback. 

Developing human capital means freeing people to be the best version of selves they can. Philosophers become philosophers, engineers become engineers, artists become artists, etc. because those are their God given talents and interests. Society reaps the rewards when people contribute based on their ability the best they can. 

The Struggles to Get There

Second, it is not possible to grow and develop unless one has faced struggles of some type that forced them to adapt. People just don't change as much as they should. Some of that is from lack of exposure, knowledge, educational, social exposure, etc. However, sometimes people change because they are faced with struggles and in order to survive, they must adapt upward. Solving problems until the day we die is the name of the game and you will get better at it if you put the effort in.

According to research, there are actual defined stages of growth and each one forces the person to adapt or go back down. Only the strongest can adapt to the top and they are a small few. Gifted people and geniuses are known to adapt better because of the hardwiring of their brains. While many people think they are self-actualized and have wisdom that is hardly the case when the ego is part of that discussion. One must smash the false ego for a more realistic one and only then after experience and insight can they say they have made it...and then they understand the greater responsibilities to society.

You can read the following to gain more insight....

Self-Actualizing People in the 21st Century: Integration With Contemporary  Theory and Research  on Personality and  Well-Being.

Interestingly, A philosophical sense of humor was presented as correlated with self-actualization.

Kaufman, S. (2018) Self-Actualizing People in the 21st Century: Integration With Contemporary  Theory and Research  on Personality and  Well-Being. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 1-33. https://scottbarrykaufman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Kaufman-self-actualization-2018.pdf

Protecting Civl Rights and Institutional Integrity Through Learning Examples (Dehumanizing Thought Experiment/Civil Rights Discussion)

There is an ongoing discussion on the nature of rights in society and their fundamental moral conscious and capacity. Our nation started on freedom, and it started with rights fundamental to who we are. The pilgrims came here for freedom, we broke from England for increased independence, and the struggle for freedom continues forward. It is different now; it is the battle for the minds of decision makers and the encouragement of younger decision makers to come forward to keep the system adjusting. I have thus come up with a hypothetical philosophical example for learning purposes to explore this ideas so take it with a grain of salt. The greatest thing we can do is learn...that's it because that creates positive change. The example presented is one of grotesque bigotries and provides a type of analysis seeking to create a valid logic of understanding (We will continue to explore until that logic is fully created. Currently it has a closed loop and a basic model created.)

Let us say it was well known that the initiators of bigoted narrative enriched themselves off of rumors and group aggression based on hate. It was well known by decisions makers and encouraged and protected. The application of law clearly violated human and civil rights. Perhaps even coached on how to create the most harm. One might see that this would be a horrendous display of callousness and violation of what we consider sacred in this country.

In this example, such outcomes are part of an unwritten local code that certain clan members are treated with preference and out group members rights dismissed with intentional bias. The more difference between in and out groups socially, racially, religiously or politically the more extreme the outcomes. This was once illegal but is becoming more normalized in recent times.

Victims that raise concerns, or a whistleblower who lodges a legitimate complaint (later found to be true) are retaliated against quickly and swiftly (Eventually others came forward, but they did not investigate, and they did not protect the victims.). The bigger concern is that there was almost no recourse throughout the rest of the system to correct such gross injustices. Degradation of social contracts that has led to individualized dehumanization and hinting at the ability to create collective dehumanization under similar circumstances. 

A sad state of affairs for any justice system is to increasingly lose trust with wider and wider groups of people.  It should be avoided but at this time in history rights are sometimes subjective to whom they are applied. Some are rewarded by misuse of law, and some will not have rights under the law. It is the trajectory that if not corrected may someday crack a society (Sociology, psychology, economics, history help us understand the necessity of high functioning institutions.). Improving and correcting is the most moral pathway to restoring trust (It must be done consistently.)

How do you explain to the next generation the gross misuse of authority and intentional rewarding of the worst behaviors? (It’s not about law...its about the foundations law is built on.)  Is it possible to tell your grandchildren that your generation, grandfathers and relatives fought for freedom but still fell short...destroyed from the inside because they did not change. I'm not sure I would be able to do that without feeling a sense of horrific sadness at what once was and what could be (over the horizon thinking.) While the vast majority of people treat each other well and are wonderful there are some who truly hate others in society and will misuse authority to help those they see as most similar to themselves. Violations of rights where the ends justify the means. Checks and Balances non-existent (Perhaps this race or religion has historically been scapegoated so it’s now easy to do that.).

You can forgive such hate and corruption. It is possible but not easy. To do this you must break through the narrative, understand yourself, understand others, and the aphrodisiacs of life that have broken so many good people before. You can understand how selfishness and self-gain can lead to atrocities in this philosophical example but also elsewhere (People in history have been put in ovens, pits, forcibly removed from their ancestral lands, given diseased blankets, slavery, and much more. It happens and it starts with the increased frequency of injustices like this. Silencing it is just silencing.). Forgiving does not remove the responsibility to protect future victims and encourage our leadership to find new ways to ensure our freedoms.

People attend churches, mosques, and synagogues and sometimes learn almost nothing. Some do the opposite within hours and days of attending services (Religion teaches good and not to teach hate. I am a Catholic, Muslim, Jew and have studied many religions. I would like to learn more about my Jewish ancestors so I'm starting to put together a portfolio to pass on family history. These religions all teach good but people distort them for bad. No amount of retaliation or suppression of certain religions can change that.)

Checks and balances to limit intentionally poor decisions can be helpful to society. We truly do owe that to the next generation to give them a fully functioning system. This full functioning is sometimes opposed by decision makers but that only highlights the necessity of change. You do not have to be of a particular religion to understand the words of one of the highest philosophers of Heaven (depends on the faith you adhere but you can respect its deep meaning and man's lack of insight), 

“Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ 

I found this publication sort of interesting. I'm not a softy on crime but I'm also not a softy on blatant disregard for the lives of others or extremism, hate, and bigotries making it into our decision making or court rooms (Keep in mind the perpetrators in our example were immune before they started, smirked while crimes were being committed, were rewarded for immoral/illegal behaviors. People have complained that clan members receive preferential treatment. No one needs to get in trouble as it is much bigger than that. A type of lawlessness with no checks and balances. Civil rights should not be a dirty word as it is central to the health of our republic.)

If you don't like the philosophy of heaven above and the potential judgement of those who misuse our laws, let us consider a fundamental one to our nation (No one should be able to steal that from the next generation.),

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal. Thomas Jefferson

Checks and Balances in the Criminal Law 

Epps, D. (2021). Checks and Balances in the Criminal Law. Venderbilt Law Review, 74 (1). https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/vlr

*This is a hypothetical philosphical learning example. Take with a grain of salt. You will notice that much of what is being presented to find a model and logic of hate filters back to the essential principles in which the republic was created.