Preservation of America's Wildlife

Tag: ai

  • Exploiters & Bottom Feeders – A Cultural Anomaly

    Written and Research
    by
    John Cox, M.A. C/M

    Throughout history, the existence of people who profit from the misfortunes or vulnerabilities of others is a near-universal sociological constant. Someone who uses other people’s troubles, defenseless beings i.e. humans or animals alike, exploitation of ignorant people, entire groups of conditioned-people via propaganda / advertising, weakness, disinformation campaigns, etc., as an opportunity to make money.  Indeed “bottom-feeders” create chaos by reducing clarity, preventing growth (except for their growth, and stirring things up causing others to compete for resources.

    Anthropologists and historians suggest that as social hierarchies and wealth emerge, opportunistic individuals inevitably find ways to exploit structural weaknesses for personal gain. 

    In the past, just as today (tremendous amounts of examples do exist), the “patterns throughout history”, and within reality, still exist.  Public Lands here in America, for example, the Wild Horses, wildlife, waterways and rivers, to name just a few, and administered through exploitation by use of previous cultural heritage exploitation methodology in communication.  The dynamics of Wilderness has changed, to exploit rather than enrich our Society and Cultural Development positively.

    A look at the ubiquity of exploiters across different eras:

    • Classical & Feudal Eras: Elites, warlords, and nobility often extracted disproportionate wealth by monopolizing land and leveraging taxes against impoverished agrarian classes.
    • Colonial & Expansionist Periods: Profiteers frequently built fortunes on forced labor, the displacement of Indigenous populations, and uneven, extractive resource trade.
    • Slavery & Human Trafficking:  Yes, a blight in our World History, and almost every country has developed this, in one way or another throughout history, within many types of exploitation – even today.
    • Modern Markets: Contemporary equivalents persist through predatory lending, insider trading, and corporate practices that prioritize short-term profit over fair labor practices or environmental sustainability.
    • Global Plunder:  Throughout history, imperial powers have enriched themselves by extracting minerals, labor, wildlife sacrificed, lands sacrificed, for the few, from territories meant for the general public, wilderness, and preservation of Natural Resources, and for social elitists to enforce the legitimacy of it all, even though morally and ethically questionable.

    You and I can also discuss Global Supply Chains and transportation, as well as Market Opportunism, but rather, in this discussion, I have covered and exposed the Exploitative as well as “Bottom Feeder Mentality”, and the extreme lengths they will go to, for favorable monetary outcomes.  Taking advantage of people, animals, and circumstances abusively, which indeed, has been a cultural travesty, and remains troubling within many societies. 

    The Greedy Win – The Honest Lose, which is a contradiction to almost every ethical and moral, as well as religious standard, we humans like to assume we live our life in harmony with . . .

    The alternative term I use here, also applicable, “Bottom Feeder” within this context an idiom, describes people who are scavengers, or prey upon the base, unwholesome, or unfortunate aspects of society.  Profiteering from Slaughter of Wildlife (i.e. Wild Horses, Bear, Wolves, Cougar, et al.) or the Overpopulating / Overkill ratios of Livestock, legal or illegal, within an unnecessary capacity, or overabundance, lack moral or ethical characteristics.  While the specific mechanisms and legalities have evolved over time, human nature and economic incentives have continually created environments where these dynamics thrive.

    These historical developmental aspects remain troubling, and one has got to be concerned about how Evolution can assist us, into something far better than exploitation of humans, and the destruction of our Natural World & Resources, we all live upon and within. The necessity is to make it a better place for all, not just a few.

    Left “as is” becomes troubling.  We seem to be evolving, as a “culture” into a deeply intertwined development of coercion, violence, and the unchecked-exploitation of power. 

    While societies continuously develop laws, labor standards, and other regulatory frameworks to mitigate these problems, the desire and drive by the wealthy, to exploit any and all circumstances of our life, remains pertinent, and a recurring element from the negative-side of Darkness, or what we call the human-condition and experience.” – John Cox, M.A. C/M

  • Cognitive Science/Neuroscience – Truthful Wildlife & Human Interaction Exposed – Change Needed

    Article by
    John Cox, M.A. C/M

    I find bias to be a strong motive within our Wildlife Culture, developed through years of mis-guided social relevance, social-engineering actually, favoring Wildlife that is hunted / trapped and killed in reference to Sport, and other Wildlife neglected — I find this with People & Wildlife. Here I discuss Wildlife and Cognitive Science (Peer Reviews would be improved; whereas, bias and often outright bigotry in science (e.g. Special Interest Group Science for Exploitation can be detected easily, through truthful and technical perusal), within given terminology and aspect-generation of choice — i.e. Whereas, Reduce or End Sports Hunting/Trapping, or to develop our Wilderness areas for Ecological Health as a priority, rather than a forethought, or ignored in total, as I observe today.

    Cognitive science reveals that bias, bigotry, and hate are rooted in the brain’s natural, often irrational, drive to categorize, generalize, and protect in groups, which can be exacerbated by social conditioning. These biases, while having roots in cognitive shortcuts for danger avoidance, can be actively managed and reduced through conscious effort, logic, and improved social norms. 

    Key Concepts in Cognitive Science, Bias, and Hate:

    • Implicit Bias: The human mind constantly categorizes to process information, often creating generalizations that, while not inherently bigoted, lead to prejudice if left unchecked.
    • Dehumanization: A critical factor in hate, where one group is viewed as inferior or less evolved, providing a rationale for bias and violent actions.
    • Social Conditioning: Segregation and environment reinforce natural tendencies to categorize, contributing to the development of prejudice.
    • Cognitive Mechanisms of Hate: Intense, irrational, and emotional feelings directed toward individuals or groups.
    • Reducing Bias: Research suggests that using logic and conscious effort to overcome biases is key. 

    Wildlife and Animal Cognition Connection:

    • Animal Cognitive Biases: Animals, like humans, experience cognitive biases that influence decisions such as foraging or social interaction.
    • Emotional Contagion: Studies show that birds, like ravens, display emotional sensitivity and judgment biases, similar to human emotional,, subconscious processes.
    • Peak Shift Effect: Research, including in bumblebees, shows that learned behaviors can create shifts in perception, creating a model for understanding how biases form.
    • Speciesism: Humans often exhibit an instinctual, and sometimes unjustified, superiority toward their own species, which can lead to indifference to the suffering of others. 

    Scientific Approaches to Understanding Bias:

    • Neuroscience and Brain Mapping: Brain imaging is used to understand the neural foundations of implicit racial bias, allowing researchers to study biases without relying on self-reporting.
    • Debiasing Techniques: Scientific methods, such as randomized control trials and double-blind studies, are designed to minimize the impact of human bias in research. 

    Conclusion:
    Cognitive science demonstrates that while humans are wired for categorization and the development of biases, awareness and conscious, logical intervention can mitigate the effects of bigotry and hate.  The time for Special Interest Groups, must come to an end. Our Ecological Habitats, which directly effect our over-all environment we all must live within, will be too harsh to breath the air, or drink the Water — as we all acknowledge, upon this planet in order to survive, we must locate water – good air to breath – a source of food and replenishment – and shelter. This is the very basis of Life upon this planet, as well as in America.

    Myself and others here, are now approaching these endeavors, within a Cognitive Scientific & Nonscientific approach toward Wildlife Management, as should be, and should have been done years ago. The fact that a supposed $-Billions of dollars in taxpayer money as well as some obscure situations with paying taxes for outdoor activities, also going to Wildlife Management, I find it very cumbersome, that when we review the statistics, that only 2.4% of all of these supposed funds go to actual Wildlife Management, i.e. from State to State as well as Federal. The entire Landscape of Wildlife Management Needs Changed — From country, to State, to Federal.” — John Cox, M.A. C/M