Since my blood has begun walking the streets again, I've noticed some differences in the management style.

There are a number of unwritten rules for this life. Over time we have gone to greater and greater lengths to enforce these or trialed more efficient ways to handle them. My perception of this is that these rules performed as a safety net to ensure there was a black and white stance when a rule was encroached on or broken. 

I don't see explanations for war any longer.

I don't see protection orders any longer.

I see a mixed approach to pick pocketing and the provoked response of mugging.

I see sleeping associates gunned down during times of war.

I see more generalization with crew and city rules than the clear cut "Do not perform this action" (n.b. not specific to my current crew/city)

I admit, the title of "lax" was to generate some suggestion of controversy and interest, as I don't see all of these examples as necessarily attributed to laziness (Each of these examples have their own individual effects on the world, as explored below). When it comes to protection orders, muggings, crew rules, I feel there is a more common sense/independent driven approach being practiced than that which my ancestors experienced.

I absolutely think some things should be managed with common sense. Approaching this life, there are behaviors we should be conscious of, and expect lessons to be learnt if we fuck it up, irrelevant of if we're fresh of the boat or not. The most clear cut example is shooting something we shouldn't. Muggings are also now a good example of where common sense should apply over the rigid rules that attempt to leave no grey areas. Why is mugging a Made+ mobster as a lower rank a good idea? Just because you can, should you? 

Crew and city rules will also struggle to caveat every possible combination of misdemeanors to breed a better mobster. It makes much more sense if we quote expected and unacceptable behaviors rather than a "how to" of being a mobster.

Now, protection orders, I suppose it really depends on the administration. If we're killing sleeping Goomba's, perhaps we should stop expecting protection orders, or is there another way to capture this? Without digressing too much, I understand that sleeping mobsters are killed during a war as there is a tactic to pretend to be asleep, only to wake at the opportune moment to discharge your weapon. All I'll say is we should probably accept that this is the natural evolution of things, a countermeasure is as appropriate as the cause.

Most people know the historic approach on protection orders. If someone sleeps for seven days they shouldn't be allowed to wake up. Protection orders for me start to fall into a territory that I am strongly aligned to, which is the education and retention of "new" mobsters. How do you follow a rule if you don't know it?

Like the miss-firing gun, accidentally fucking things up in this world is a lesson you will normally only learn once, as the consequences can be severe. The way I see it, at this stage, we're either depending on this as a learning tool for some things, or the final capture point; which is reactive guidance from crew leaders. I'm talking about things like communicating the end of a war to their members, making it clear we should only be shooting those idle enough to stay in bed for seven days. Essentially, staying on the ball.

To summarise, I feel not everything is attributed to a lazy regime or crew leader. There are aspects of this life which are changing that we used to feel can be protested against because they are 'immoral'. Shooting sleeping mobsters, as an example. There are others which yes, are absent or no longer as clear cut as they were, but we should also be conscious that this life is not a picnic. There are situations where common sense should apply.

On the other side of the coin though, our leaders should not be forgetting their responsibilities in the positions they hold. Crew Leader is not just "boss". It's recruiter, educator, role model. Explaining to the masses why a persons mother or father has died may seem like a redundant exercise, but to a select few it is an important learning opportunity. A crew member's experience, especially fresh off the boat, will have a direct effect on if their bloodline stays in this life. And this life will only continue to exist with new blood. 

I hope these observations are taken as I intended to communicate them, constructively and to trigger some conversation on the matter. I'm happy to hear the alternative argument and exchange opinions. Everyone has their own idea of what is right, but in the interests of the survival of this way of life, I hope we are able to agree on a baseline of expectations.

My lazy ass daddy was in the process of formulating some thoughts on this. He ain’t never seen anything like it and was wondering whether it was apathy, appeasement or just plain impotence that has let things get to this point. 

He was trying to frame it in some esoteric manner but never got the chance, so thank you young Mezzo for being here saying this. 
 

Ultimately, I think he was figuring that those at the top reckon there are enough chumps desperate enough to want to be in them shiny bold suits that they’ll put up with any old treatment to get there and if that means communicating less than a sackful of rocks, or treating everyone as though they’re cattle them the price is worth it to end up at the big boys and girls table. 

The sun will come up though at the end of this godforsaken nightmare, I’ve got to keep believing that. And in the meantime there’s always green eggs and ham to keep me going. 

I actually think calling what we've seen so far leadership at all is pretty generous. I'd usually engage with you and discuss what we should do better, but I honestly don't see the point. We lost Thrawn, Chaos, James_T_Kirk, Sabrina, Fath_Thor, Templar, PoshSpice and a couple of others to be met with only the familiar lack of explanation created by total silence.

If they can't even be bothered to let us know why those murders occurred, a significant part of the country and organised crime as a whole, what makes you think they give a shit about our feelings on a baseline expectation for their behaviour? 

It is a bit of a strange "new world" we are in where communication certainly has taken a back seat in the sense of Godfathers/city heads relaying news or protection orders back to the populace, but with that being said here in Las Vegas we are a decent bunch and communication certainly isn't an issue.But with that being said there is a disconnect with the big hitters, regardless of style or personnel i think you should be out in the streets explaining takedowns and arranging pro orders etc but that is my personal opinion.  

Totally agree with Equinox in whats said.

really weird this last war and seems like it came just to damage to many to participate in V-day really, if Im not remember wrong same shit a year ago and also the same ones behind it too :p

There is an issue with that belief as well, Mr. Sneaker.

If we all went to join the, say, three leaders left that do talk, there would be no room for all of us that expect something more from the silent benefactors of our daily hardships. Eventually, some of us would be stuck in the same situation we were all in, waiting for the inevitable demise of those that did not agree with those who were in power. Of course I'm not speaking of all leaders. Mine, for instance, has been nothing but fantastic since I've awakened. Thank you for that, Boss. 

Anyway, with the intervention of the Gods, a lot of this is a semi-moot point anyway.

We've already seen leaders come out and address the situation of new blood flooding the streets, and protection for those who are not with a family. Those of us with family, we've seen the telegrams speaking of getting the world situated again. I want to believe that those taking the reigns after this scorched earth mentality want to truly do better.

We can certainly hope so, and do our best to hold them to a higher standard for sure.

I always save the best for last. Sure you're right Tommy and my bestie Sneaker spells it out with a few words. Decent leaders are far and few. A valued leader does not exist. Their minions jump on board not knowing their lives are unimportant. As the world turns comes to mind and the redundant episodes are quite the bore. 

I for one as an experienced, very successful, loved and hated Don and to boot GF, was not a fan of telling me how to run my business/family. My style is the ticket to true success.

The success we wittness is not the type I approve of in my book. It is nothing but takedowns by paranoid fuktards who fear dying.