Only man seems to take pleasure in destroying life without any reason or purpose other than that of destroying. To put it more generally, only man appears to be destructive beyond the aim of defense or attaining what he needs. Man’s destructiveness and cruelty cannot be explained in terms of terrestrial heredity or in terms of a destructive instinct, but must be understood on the basis of those factors by which man differs from any other creature on Earth. Two-thirds of the offenders interviewed could provide confident estimates of the number of vehicles they were stealing per week on average over the course of the year prior to being incarcerated. Excluding the three most prolific offenders and the four expressing minimal auto theft involvement, this sample of persistent young offenders claimed to have stolen almost three vehicles a week prior to their incarceration. These self-reported figures are consistent with other yearly automobile stealing figures reported by high involvement offenders. If the total number of autos reported stolen by this small sample of juveniles were halved to allow for a good deal of bragging and less automobile stealing levels for some portion of the year, it would still account for approximately 7 percent of the automobile thefts known to police in America, or roughly 3 million in direct costs. Offenders’ perceptions of deterrence was gauged in two areas—the prospects of target hardening (alarms, steering wheel and ignition locks, et cetera) and how they viewed the criminal justice system’s response to their offending. #RandolphHarris 1 of 20

Notwithstanding the possibility of functional displacement in the form of “car-jacking,” or displacement to less protected vehicles, target-hardening appears, on the basis of interviews with these offenders, the best prospect for reducing automobile theft. If the car is equipped with an alarm, or an alarm goes off while attempting to steal a car, 75 percent of offenders said they avoid these cars. Few had encountered many mechanical anti-theft devices such as the “Club;” however, 66 percent said they would avoid a care equipped with such a device. Several offenders expressed their dislike of being encumbered with special tools needed to defeat anti-theft devices: “It’s easy to get a car [equipped] with a “club”…you can saw through the steering wheel in 30 seconds, but it’s too big of a heat score carrying around a gym back with a hacksaw…Why go through all the hassle when you can just steal another one with a pen knife?” (17-year-old.) The findings offer little encouragement for the deterrent value of the Combat Auto Theft (CAT) sticker program as intended. The CAT program attempts to assist police in the identification of stolen autos by having owners who do not routinely operate their vehicles between the hours of 1.00 and 5.00 AM place a brightly colored sticker of the inside of the rear window where it is visible to patrolling police officers. Among other things, the sticker grants police blanket permission to stop and search a vehicle bearing this sticker whenever it is observed in operation during the proscribed hours. #RandolphHarris 2 of 20

Only three offenders correctly identifying a CAT sticker said they would avoid a car so marked. The majority of offenders believed the sticker indicated the car was equipped with an alarm, so presumably, three-quarters of these young offenders would avoid cars marked with CAT stickers in order to avoid the assumed alarms. The rest of the offenders did not recognize the CAT sticker as a police signaling device and said the presence of the stickers on a car would not influence their automobile stealing decisions. Because the majority of offenders believe the CAT sticker indicative of an alarmed car that most said they would avoid it, it may be advantageous for the true nature of the CAT sticker to remain obscure. If more offenders knew what the sticker signifies, they might be more inclined to promptly peel them off once they gain entry to a vehicle so marked. On average, offenders in this sample stole their first vehicle at age 13, and were passengers in stolen cars an average of two and a half times prior to their first theft. Nearly a quarter of the sample identified auto theft as a “starter crime” leading to their involvement in other crimes. Sixteen percent indicated that they had curtailed burglary in favor of auto theft in the last year as “judges are getting tougher on B&Es.” Several articulated a perception that they stood less chance of being incarcerated for automobile theft: “I told my friends they were stupid for doing robberies…I’d make $500-$2000 a pop [for a stolen car]; they got chump change…If I get caught I may get a month or two, they’re gonna get 18.” (15-year-old.) #RandolphHarris 3 of 20

On Evading the Police Offenders were aware of the policy constraints under which police operate and expressed an eagerness to exploit them: “[c]ops pull their guns out but I know they can’t shoot at me for joyriding” (14-year-old); “We can drive anyway we want…up on the sidewalk, down a one-way street, cops have to obey the rules…police can’t wreck cars so they won’t follow you in the bush.” (15-year-old.) The heat [police] won’t chase you during the day when there’s a lot of traffic cause they’ll get sued if they hit someone.” (17-year-old.) “I never use the middle lane during rush hour because that where cops have to go get it while you are running the other way. They can’t use dogs on you if it is only a stolen car.” (15-year-old.) “If they get you in the car they got you. If you get away from the scene they’ve got nothing.” (16-year-old.) Keep in mind that these are just the opinions of teenage offenders and may not be facts. On Evading Punishment More than half of the sample was confident of prevailing in court once charged, and almost 60 percent said they did not worry about being punished by the court. Consistent with other findings regarding persistent property offenders’ perceptions that offenses resulting in probation are “free crimes,” young offenders in this sample were nearly unanimous about the uselessness of probation. Virtually all the offenders characterized it’s a “joke.” They did not abide by the conditions, especially the curfew imposed, and no one every checked up on them: “It’s a joke! I’m going up for bench [probation violation] for the first time since age 12…I never obeyed.” (15-year-old.) #RandolphHarris 4 of 20

Reflecting on his involvement in automobile theft, another 15-year-old remarked: “I think it’s pretty much worth it. I’ve only spent two and a half months in jail and I have gotten away with hundreds [of automobile thefts].” Many respondents identified the leniency of the juvenile system as a factor in their offending, though several expressed the view that a more punitive criminal justice system would not make a difference in their offending. While several offenders displayed an obvious lack of moral development, for example indicating that they thought it was great that lawyers work to get them off even when they committed the offense charged, most possessed a sense of the unique position in which the adolescent finds himself in Western society, hinting that they were involved in crime because they could do so without much repercussion. Q: Did you ever think about getting punished by the court? A: No, it was worth the risk…nothing happens…you get community hours or probation…I never abide by my curfew. (17-year-old.) Q: What do you think about getting probation? A: It’s a joke…for four car thefts, a B&E and three breaches, I got seven days in closed custody, most charges were dropped. The juvenile system doesn’t’ scare anyone, it just bores people to death…coming in here means nothing to me. (17-year-old.) #RandolphHarris 5 of 20

Many of the young offenders in this study asserted that they did not consider the consequences of their actions, however this appears to be mostly situational. Based on our interviews, it becomes evident that many offenders do weigh the costs and benefits of their actions and conclude that crime is worth pursuing so long as their young offender status insulates them from what they themselves would see as meaningful sanctions. The obvious conclusions to be drawn from these findings involve the use of target hardening technology, including alarms, and steering wheel and ignition locks, and increased likelihood and severity of punishment. Consistent with the findings in the burglary study, the extra time and “hassle” required to overcome locks and alarms often discourages young, nonprofessional criminals. And, as many of the young offenders stated, the relative lack of punishment due to their status as juveniles encourages many to engage in offenses which they otherwise might not. These destructive explosions are not spontaneous in the sense that they break out without any reason. There are always external conditions that stimulate them, such as a need for money, coming from an abusive homes, poverty, extreme boredom, and insignificance of the individual. There are subjective reasons: group peer pressure, a certain predisposition to crime, lack of authority. It is not human nature that makes a sudden appearance, but the destructive potential that is fostered by certain permanent conditions and mobilized by sudden traumatic events. Without these provoking factors, the destructive energies in these populations seem to be formant, and not as with the destructive character, a constantly flowing source of energy. #RandolphHarris 6 of 20

Each of the component aspects of competence in interpersonal relations can be considerably elaborated and investigated. The decision as to how far to go in any particular instance depends on the particular project in mind and the amount of resources available. Here it is deemed suitable only to outline roughly a recognizable conceptual definition of each component, and not to attempt operational definition or the construction of any measures. We can then go on to consider some hypotheses about the purposeful development of each of the six components of competence. Health—In this component we include much more than mere absence of disease. Rather it signifies the progressive maximization—within organic limits—of the ability of the organism to exercise all of its physiological functions, and to achieve its maximum of sensory acuity, strength, energy, co-ordination, dexterity, endurance, recuperative power, and immunity. A popular synonym is “good physical condition.” In some medical research circles, there is, in this positive sense, considerable discussion of the better operational criteria of health to take the place of such crude indices as, for example, gain in weight among children. Research in psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine has been finding not only that sexual competence and fertility depend on psychosocial development, but also physical health in general. However, the relationship runs in both directions. Without good health, interpersonal episodes often diverge in outcome from wanted ends. Fatigue is a common example of this. While it can be and often is a symptom of complications in living, with certain other people it may also originate new difficulties. #RandolphHarris 7 of 20

The overworked mother will lose her patience unless her reserve of energy, her ruggedness of physique, can carry her through the critical periods. The ailing person of either gender may find one’s dependence is not only a burden to others but means that one cannot complete the tasks that one formerly could. Endurance of strain makes physical demands, but the capacity to bear strain is not a constant; it can be cultivated in advance of its use. A striking example is the frequent recovery from despair and breakdown of interpersonal relations through vacation and rest, hygiene and recreation. On the beneficial, nontherapeutic side—in terms of optimal development—a benevolent spiral seems to extend from radiant health to a cheerful mien, from a cheerful mien to a friendly response, and back again to competence. The physiological substrates of interpersonal acts have been little studied within each social context; the body-mind dualism lingers on in the choice of research problems; by treating health as an element of competence, fresh possibilities arise, for the physiologist as well as the social psychologist. Efficient criteria of health which are appropriate to the various development periods are needed, and so are economical devices for measuring these criteria. Also needed are hypotheses where the health component is regarded as a consequent as well as an antecedent, and finally there should be programs to test these hypotheses. Such hypotheses can of course range over the entire social, biological, and physical environment. For purposes of this report, we limit our definition of the field to the relation of families or quasi-families to the development and maintenance of this component of competence. #RandolphHarris 8 of 20

Intelligence—Since this component has been studied continuously and widely for over two generations, it would be presumptuous to elaborate upon it here. Scope of perception of relationships among events; the capacity to abstract and symbolize experience, to manipulate the symbols into meaningful generalizations, and to be articulate in communication; skill in mobilizing the resources of environment and experience in the services of a variety of goals; these are the kinds of capacities included in this category. It is significant that the construction of measures of intelligence is as controversial as ever, and that in any particular research project, the appropriateness and validity of the measure adopted is always a question of judgement. The research implications of this component are toward appraisals of the findings of past research within the competence frame of reference and the design of research to fill the gaps in relevant knowledge. Of special interest will be the study of the interrelations of this component with others we list. In the planning-action context, the most promising line will be the appraisal of the effectiveness of present programs in creating the relevant antecedent conditions for maximizing the intelligence component, and the design of new sets of conditions which will strengthen or replace those currently operative. The conception of intelligence as a variable subject to planned development is exemplified in certain previous research studies, and a number of ambitious experimental programs of action, exempli gratia, the X. G. project of the New York City public schools. #RandolphHarris 9 of 20

Health and intelligence have been far less often assumed to be variables subject to change through experimental programs than the remaining components of competence, yet they are no less psychosocial in their development. Research and action in respect to the following four components of competence may be less hampered by the weight of previous assumptions. Empathy—People appear to differ in their ability correctly to interpret the attitudes and intentions of others, in the accuracy with which they can perceive situations from others’ standpoint, and thus anticipate and predict their behavior. This type of social sensitivity rests on what we call the empathic responses. Empathic responses are basic to “taking the role of the other” and hence to social interaction and the communicative processes upon which rests social integration. They are central in the development of the social self and the capacity for self-conscious behavior. No human association, and least of all democratic society, is possible without the processes indicated by this term. For this reason, we must include empathic capacity as one of the essential components of interpersonal competence. The sign of its absence is misunderstanding; to measure its presence in the beneficial sense is a task now being attempted by a few investigators. The kind of interaction experienced in the family as well as in other groups appears to depend heavily upon the degree to which empathic capacity develops, but experimental research on fluctuations in this element of competence has hardly begun. #RandolphHarris 10 of 20

This lack in research is paralleled by a lack of explicit programs in action agencies aimed at the development of this type of skill. Yet it is so fundamental to social life of every kind that some social psychologists have come close to defining their field as the study of empathy. Autonomy—In the conception of the competent personality which we are defining in terms of its components, one essential element is perhaps best denoted by the word “autonomy,” though the ordinary usage of the term does not include all the significance we shall assign to it here. Our present referents, expressed as aspects, are: the clarity of the individual’s conception of self (identity); the extent to which one maintains a stable set of internal standards and self-controlled in one’s actions; one’s confidence in and reliance upon oneself; the degree of self-respect one maintains; and the capacity for recognizing real threats to self and of mobilizing realistic defenses when so threatened. That is, autonomy is taken to be genuine self-government, construed as an ability, not a state of affairs. A narrower definition, close to operational, is ease in giving and receiving evaluations of self and others. The attempts to deal with autonomy has been growing steadily, but the process of making clearer what is meant by this term (or its near-equivalents like ego-strength and integrity) had as yet produced no satisfactory agreement upon its referents. Autonomy may be considered as a trait, or as a value, or perhaps as a set of rules for behavior, and it could also be a highly subjective, desired of affairs. #RandolphHarris 11 of 20

If definition is sought for autonomy, in terms of an acquired ability for handling those kinds of problematic interpersonal situations, where self-esteem is threatened or challenged, we believe that progress in definition and measurement of this obviously very important, though subtle complex, will come most rapidly. Judgement—While critical judgment has long been understood to be acquired slowly with experience, more or less according to age, its operational definition and measurement is still a difficult task. Certain of the educational psychologists have perhaps gone furthest in differentiating this ability from intelligence, and in analyzing the conditions by which an educational or other agency may cultivate judgment among its pupils. Judgment refers here to the ability which develops slowly in human beings to estimate and evaluate the meaning and consequences to one’s self of alternative lines of conduct. It means the ability to adjudicate among value, or to make correct decisions; the index of lack of judgment (bad judgment) is mistakes, but these are the products of an antecedent process, in which skills is the important variable. Obviously neither small children nor incapacitated adults can make sound decisions in the sense indicated; and it is equally obvious that among normal adults there is wide variation in this ability. Some persons acquire reputations for usually good judgment, and some others become conspicuous for the opposite. It is therefore highly proper to conceive of judgment as an acquired critical ability differing in degree among individuals. #RandolphHarris 12 or 20

Currently among several of the social sciences, though notably in economics, the study of decision-making and of value-choices is receiving much emphasis. Generally speaking, however, the various studies and seminars under way focus upon the outcome or the product of this process—upon ethics, logic, or some highly abstract calculus of contingencies and relative utilities; rarely do they focus upon the choosers, their identities, and the conditions under which their critical abilities develop. A thoroughly interpersonal concept of judgment, appropriate for studying its development, probably therefore must include the skill involved in getting others to be reasonable in discussion, and to handle criticism in a way that utilizes its value. Creativity—This component is perhaps the least amenable to precise definition and division into manageable variables which can be measured. It is ironical that the so-called tough-minded scientists and hard-headed practical people are inclined to look askance at this category as a proper object of scientific study, and yet all of these people demand appraisals of this quality in prospective associates on whom heavy responsibility for leadership and initiative will fall. The idea of creativity is commonly associated with artistic and intellectual activities. We define it here as any demonstrated capacity for innovations in behavior or real reconstruction of any aspect of the social environment. It involves the ability to develop fresh perspectives from which to view all accepted routines and to make novel combinations of ideas and objects and so define new goals, endowing old ones with fresh meaning, and inventing means for their realization. #RandolphHarris 13 of 20

In interpersonal relations, it is the ability to invent or improvise new roles or alternative lines of action in problematic situations, and to evoke such behavior in others. Among other things it seems to involve curiosity, self-confidence, something of the venturesomeness and risk-taking tendencies of the explorer, a flexible mind with the kind of freedom which permits the orientation of spontaneous play. While this is a none too satisfactory delineation of creativity, we can begin here and invite help in the search for a more satisfying one. In interpersonal relations, the uncreative person is continually found in dilemmas and impasses—“at his wits’ end”—but the valid indices of creativity are harder to discover. Rigidity obtrudes upon attention more than flexibility, for obvious reasons, but that is not to say it deserves more scientific attention. The religio-cultural relationship is culture, and there is a union between the two. The juncture is achieved in theonomous culture, a culture in which religion is profoundly operative. Theonomy is a solution to the structural unity of religion and culture. Man has a “head” which is religion and a “body” which is cultural form. The head has already been drawn. However, the complete sketching of the important data about culture entails: its definition, functions and elements, cultural style, and cultural types. After the universal extension of religion as ultimate concern, it is not that culture is the realm of spirit. There it is the conditioned forms of meaning while religion looks to unconditioned meaning. Culture is the medium of the unconditioned in the life of the spirit, just as things are the medium of the unconditioned in the World. #RandolphHarris 14 of 20

Cultural areas reveal the vast range of human activities which are grouped under the term “culture”: science, technology, art, philosophy, law, economics, politics, morality, personal and social life. Consequently, this definition of culture must be elastic and comprehensive Culture is the self-creativity of life under the dimension of spirit. Culture creates “a universe of meaning” as it actualizes the potentiality of the human spirit. Man, the microcosm, is the point at which and the instrument through which a universe of meaning is actualized. The macrocosm, the universe of being, is fulfilled as a universe of meaning at least in an anticipatory and fragmentary fashion through man’s cultural creativity. The German Kultur refers primarily to the fulfilment of man and nature under the drive of the human spirit, while the French culture denotes the characteristics of an educated person who possesses good taste, critical sense, and sound judgment. The English “culture” regularly takes on either meaning according to the context. Kultur’s, English equivalent is perhaps more accurately defines as “civilization.” What we have in view when we deal with Christ and culture is that total process of human activity and tht total result of such activity to which now the name culture, now the name civilization, is applied in common speech. Culture is the artificial, secondary environment, which man superimposes on the natural. It comprises language, habits, ideas, beliefs, customs, social organization, inherited artifacts, technical processes, and values. #RandolphHarris 15 of 20

In a word, culture is the spiritual creativity manifest in every area of human life and institutions. The truth to be emphasized is that the ultimate concern never wills INSTEAD of man, and whatever a man does, he is himself responsible for his actions. The believer whose will has become passive finds, after a time, the greatest difficulty in making decisions of any kind, and he looks outside and all around him for something to help him in deciding the smallest matters. Should he become aware of his passive conditions, it is because he has a painful sense of being unable to meet some of the situations or ordinary life. If spoke to, he can hardly listen till a sentence is completed. If asked to judge a matter, he knows he cannot do it. Should he be required to utilize his imagination, he knows he is unable to. He becomes terrified at any proposed course of action where these demands may present themselves. The tactic of the enemy will now be to drive him into situations where these demands will be made, and thus torture or embarrass him before others. Little does the confused believer realize that in this condition he may, unknowingly, rely upon the assistance of evil spirits—the deceivers who have led him into passivity for this very purpose. His unused volitional faculty lies dormant and dead in their grip, but if used it is an occasion for them to manifest themselves through it. They are only too ready to will instead of the man. They will put within his reach many “supernatural” props to help him in any decision—especially Christian Bible texts used apart from their context and “miraculously” given—which the believer, seeking so longingly to do the will of the ultimate concern, seized upon, and firmly grasps as a drowning man does a rope. By this apparently “divinely given” help he is further blinded to the principle that the ultimate concern only works through the active volition of a man, and not instead of him in matters requiring his action. #RandolphHarris 16 of 20

In the wake of the crisis, the end of capitalism became a popular theme with Western politicians, economists, journalists, and the general public. As the governments were bailing out and nationalizing leading banks, insurance companies, and even some manufacturing firms, there was a lot of argument about the growing economic role of the state and the need to strengthen it in the longer term. However, this anticapitalist rhetoric had no sound conceptual basis and began to fade as soon as Western economics started recovering. There is no medium- or long-term trend toward increasing state involvement in economic activities. The main pillars of the Western capitalist system: private companies as dominant players, market-based resource allocation, profit maximization as the major goal of company management, and market prices freely set by producers depending on supply and demand, remain intact. The government bailouts and nationalizations of the past were a temporary step, an emergency rescue operation. As targeted financial institutions and companies were restructured and put back on track, they were again sold out to private investors, and the state was even making profit on it. Government loans were also repaid. Much of the USD $700 billion fund, established by the U.S.A. government to help ailing banks, AIG, GM, and Chrysler, was not actually disbursed. According to the Government Accountability Office, about $385 billion in cash had been handed out as of September 30, 2010, and almost $204 billion had been paid back. The fund made $28 billion on interest, dividends, and profit on investments. About $180 billion was outstanding. #RandolphHarris 17 of 20

During the 2008 financial crisis, a rescue package of $182 billion was received by AIG through a combined loan from the Federal Reserve and Treasury, which resulted in a profit of $22.7 billion. The Treasury realized a positive return of $5.0 billion and the Federal Reserve realized a profit of $17.7 billion. Citigroup received the most federal funding during the financial crisis for a total of $476.2 billion in cash and guarantees. However, when the U.S.A. government sold off its remaining shares in Citigroup, along with the money they repaid, the U.S.A. government made a profit of $12 billion. The rescue schemes, after all, for the most part, turned out to be more of a commercial operation than a donation from state coffers. In this sense, the government deserves credit. Yes, Western capitalism failed. However, these structural problems within its own systemic framework are being addressed, especially after the 2020 COVID crisis. All the major parties involved—the state, financial institutions, and households—are trying to improve and act in a more reasonable way. They have no other choice. Western capitalism is still alive. The conflict within the capitalist World will intensity as Japan’s ambitions collide with those of the other main players, the United States of America and Europe, calling to mind these lines written on August 23, 1915: “A United States of Europe is possible…but to what end? Only for the purpose of suppressing socialism in Europe, of jointly protecting…booty against Japan and America.” Their author was an obscure revolutionary named Vladimir Illich Lenin, not yet the master of the Soviet Union. What would he name today’s events? #RandolphHarris 18 of 20

Like the crack-up of communism, the rush to European integration was triggered by the arrival of the Third Wave, with its new system of wealth creation. Integration was the political response to the necessity of moving from an industrial to a post-industrial society. An enormous economic boom was forecasted for Europe, the market economy was extended to Eastern Europe. But the picture is not quite so rosy. The collapse of Marxist-Leninist governments in Easter Europe has given their people a taste of freedom and a whiff of hope. But it also changed the terms of the three-way struggle between Europe, the United States of America, and Japan, creates a power vacuum, and launches Western Europe on a new, unexpected strategy. However, the war in Ukraine has causes thousands of deaths and also major economic damages globally. The Russian rouble has lost half its value and inflation is soaring. Moscow’s stock exchange closed. Many international companies, like Ikea, McDonalds, Visa and MasterCard have left the country. And the Russian economy has shrank by 15 percent. Weakened and isolated, Russia risks becoming very dependent on China in the future, which is setting up China as a superpower because even the United States of America is relying on China. If the United States of America and other countries do not balance their budgets without borrowing, it seems not before long, China will end up taking over the World. #RandolphHarris 19 of 20

Because of the war in Ukraine, we are also seeing significant effects in Europe, with energy and other prices rising and probably set to continue to do so. Inside the EU, people have to accept to pay also a price to stop this war: the future of their security and democracies depend on it. The price to pay is the price of freedom. The war in Ukraine is a third asymmetric shock that the World has experiences in the last two decades after the 2008 financial and economic crisis and the following Eurozone crisis and the COVID-19 crisis. Many countries around the World are also experiencing another crisis due to the influx of refugees and fuel, energy, food, housing, and transportation costs. Many countries need to stop buying fuel from governments they consider their enemies, but the push for electric cars will just make governments around the World more dependent on China, who is already excelling and spreading their dominance globally, which leads many people to believe that China influenced American election because democrats think Green Energy is God, but ulterior motive is that it makes American more reliant on China for money and energy which will help improve their economy and allow them to have more control in American politics and culture and development, which will usher them in as the new World power. However, many people seem to forget about Germany. The merged German military has more power than it did in the past. Germany will, so to speak, call the shots in any Euro-military. For all Washington’s constant carping about European reluctance to “share the burden” of defense, the New Europe is now a major military power all by itself. #RandolphHarris 20 of 20