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Real Terrorism: Operation Eternal Darkness
[ DISCLAIMER ] When serving in the United States (U.S.) Marine Corps (1996-2007), I was taught that terrorism was the use of violence against noncombatants to achieve political or ideological aims. Generally, such terroristic action involves intention (a determination to act in a certain way). To draw a meaningful distinction, I invite you to consider two hypothetical scenarios. Scenario one: A U.S. Marine expeditionary force deliberately targets a village of civi
Deric Hollings
Apr 910 min read
The Problem-Solution Dialectic: A Wicked Problem
[ DISCLAIMER ] The late German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel proposed what is often referred to as the Hegelian dialectic . For context, the American Psychological Association thusly describes three uses of the term dialectic : 1. in general, any investigation of the truth of ideas through juxtaposition of opposing or contradictory opinions . 2. the conversational mode of argument attributed to Socrates , in which knowledge is sought through a process o
Deric Hollings
Apr 612 min read
Every Time Someone Tries to Win a War Before It Starts, Innocent People Die
[ DISCLAIMER ] * Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) spoilers contained herein. Screenshot from Avengers: Age of Ultron , property of Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, fair use In Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Steve Rogers and Tony Stark discuss the latter’s mistake that results in artificial intelligence (AI) supervillain Ultron coming into existence. The former states, “Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people di
Deric Hollings
Apr 19 min read
Fog of War: Are Your Family's Affairs in Order?
[ DISCLAIMER ] Photo credit (edited), fair use Regarding daily practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), by which I search for at least one undesirable event for use of the ABC model and unconditional acceptance , I recently discovered a Reddit source , an X source , and a Substack source which all address the same topic. A letter purportedly by United States (U.S.) Marine Corps Lieutenant General Leonard F. Anderson IV to Marine reservists (an exp
Deric Hollings
Mar 289 min read
Propaganda: War Machine
[ DISCLAIMER ] * War Machine (2026) spoilers contained herein. Photo credit , property of Roadshow Films and Netflix, fair use In Propagandizing to the Lazy , I stated, “I’ve observed a growing trend for just under a decade whereby some people spread misinformation, disinformation, or malinformation while relying on lazy individuals not to question the propaganda.” This matter involves rhetoric (the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasio
Deric Hollings
Mar 89 min read
Blowback and Knock-On Effects: Subjectivity of Beliefs
[ DISCLAIMER ] My primary job in the United States (U.S.) Marine Corps was military police , as my secondary billet was as a Marine Security Guard (MSG). Regarding the latter (above photo), I was ignorant about how my diplomatic mission supported the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Nevertheless, when guarding the U.S. embassy in Lima, Peru , I became disillusioned when realizing that my military service supported CIA activities and wasn’t an honorable matter. That’s
Deric Hollings
Mar 312 min read
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