For everyone’s convenience, I’ve shifted
the reminders / explanations about Sunday’s meditation-clearing
to this
post. I have a simplified blogiography of posts related to this work here,
a list of themes I have identified here,
and my changing the personality of oppressors post, which I am contemplating
expanding to include some key people to work on, is here.
(Also, see here for some
investigation into evidence of the effectiveness of this type of work, which
shows variability [and mentions causes] and cycles in the
energetic/consciousness response … and also here is interesting.) A range of information on emotions is here,
and suggestions on how to work with emotions is here.
The purpose of posting these news links is
not only to inform: it is also to stimulate a connection to nonBPM units that
need to be cleared and BPM units that
need to be strengthened. That only works if you don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by this, so take it
in small chunks if you need to, but remember to actively clear and heal!
… including yourself. Also, it is absolutely VITAL that this work be performed non-violently – which is part of being BPM – on all
levels and in all ways. Always remember (see here): Do
you fight to change things, or to punish? See also here,
here,
here, here,
here,
and my comments about “authentic presence”
in this post.
Also, in the same way that activists used
to argue that “the personal is political”, the energies we use and manifest in
our daily lives contribute to the larger soup of energies that influence world
events. If you want to, for example, improve the communication of nations,
improve yours. To help stop abuses of power, be always ethical in your conduct.
Want peace? Then work in an informed, understanding, intelligent and nuanced
way for peace in yourself and your life.
Finally, remember that many others are
doing this type of work – for instance, the Lucis
Trust's Triangles network (which has been running for many decades), the Correllian
Tradition's 'Spiritual
War for Peace' (begun in 2014, and the website was recently updated
to include many more activities),
the Hope, Peace, Love and Prosperity Spell
(also from the Correllian Tradition, in around 2007 or 2008), the Healing Minute started by the
late, great Harry
Edwards (held at 10Am and 10PM local time each day, and one can pay to
be officially registered. This also has been running for decades); and also
see here
and here,
and even commercial organisations are getting involved (for instance, see here).
No doubt there are many others, so, if you don't like what I am suggesting here, but want to be
of service, there are many other opportunities for you.
Now, the themes – short, medium and long term - that come
to mind for my work this week, after I review all this news, are (and no
apologies if this repeats the themes of any previous weeks – in fact, given the
size of this task, that is to be expected):
Specific energy related suggestions are also provided below, in the Section discussing R2P recommendations for Burundi: - From an energetic point of view, based on the above and the following divinations for this work: rune Ear (and detailed runic examination below – which show there is a lot of ability and will to improve matters amongst Burundians, but there is an excess of Yang aggression), Yi Jing hexagram 36 (illustrated below, which highlights the need for caution and subtlety), elemental energy (illustrated below, and showing fear, insecurity, and nonBPM passion, but the capacity for BPM thought), all acting through the Magickal Principle of Magickal Distance, that the nation of Burundi needs to capitalise on the inherent strengths of its people, and use clear thinking to distance themselves from uncontrolled passions.(a) based on my interpretation of information here and here with Saturn in Sagittarius contributing to finding an authentic balance (until 20th December, 2017), Uranus in Aries contributing to fresh and possibly radical starts (until some date in the Year 2018), and Pluto in Capricorn contributing to a transformation of power and business (and careers) (until some date in the Year 2024), conditions are ripe for a change for the better in world politics;(b) there is an enormous need to clear nonBPM energy – the thought forms, unattached energy and scars of the collective unconscious created by millennia of violence. This need includes rescuing those who have been trapped by that history, and healing the warped views, seemingly “inherent” biases, and other damage done by the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual violence committed on scales large and small in that timeframe;(c) viewing the overall emotional state of the world from an elemental point of view, this week we need more Aether and Air;(d) the deplorable state of politics in the world, with people of the ilk of John Abbott, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump making progress, did not happen overnight – I can trace this back to the mid90s at most recent, and more probably the 1980s. It took time for people like John Howard and the younger George Bush to create a politics of fear and associated decisions that started the self-perpetuating cycle of fear and conservatism – just as it took World War Part One, the Great Depression and over a decade of social engineering for fascist political parties to get a grip of Germany and Italy. It will take time, energy and persistent effort to restore the world to a state of balance;(e) accountability remains of considerable importance, as does addressing poverty and inequality;(f) Russia appears to be committing acts of staggering hypocrisy: more proof would aid in ensuring accountability;(g) personal responsibility is beneficial both personally (reduced chance of becoming a victim of crime), and socially, by the prevention of one’s assets being used by criminals (including terrorists);(h) limited perspective is a ubiquitous problem;(i) the arrogance of the privileged - and of those who want to be powerful / privileged - is also a problem;(j) technology – and politics - has opportunities to be of benefit, and of harm;
I also take
this opportunity to repeat that it is absolutely
VITAL that this work be performed non-violently – which is part of being BPM – on all
levels and in all ways. Always
remember (see here): Do you fight to
change things, or to punish? See also here, here, here, here, here, and my comments about “authentic presence” in this post.
News and other matters
from this week include the following (opportunities/good news are shown in green; comments are shown in purple; WARNING: some of these
links may contain triggers around issues such as violence, sexual assault,
discrimination, etc).
- permanent issue: may all actual and potential BPM [1] Leaders be kept BPM safe, including keeping them undetectable to the nonBPM and keeping all their Significant Others inviolable against being used for indirect psychic attack, all as is for the Highest Spiritual Good;
- with regard to democracy, freedom and governance: an article on the “growing assault on the democratic rights of Australians”; a critique of the lack of practical knowledge of economists advising governments, and how that results in government incentives leading to greedy behaviour; US politicians are giving Iranian President Rouhani’s hardline opponents more ammunition as they try to undermine the recent nuclear deal; Europe’s failures before and after the Arab Spring; a former Israeli Prime Minister has been sentenced to jail for corruption; two former Argentine transport ministers have been jailed for a train crash which killed 51 people in 2012; the UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) has reported that political parties and candidates continued campaigning, with few electoral related incidents, and training of polling agents has been completed in 15 prefectures and in Bangui – see also here, for an assessment of key challenges. Later in the week the Head of MINUSCA said that the presidential and legislative elections yesterday in the country had been an “undeniable success”, with polls closing in a positive atmosphere and without any major security incidents, with preliminary reports suggesting a large voter turnout; the UN Secretary-General has warmly congratulated Roch Marc Christian Kaboré on his inauguration as President of Burkina Faso, and commended the country’s people and political leaders for their exemplary conduct and peaceful and responsible participation during the recent elections that successfully marked the end of the transition period. He said that this was an historic moment for Burkina Faso, and also for the Sahel region, where socio-economic hardship and contested electoral processes continue to be a source of tension, and terrorist groups, illicit trafficking and irregular migration continue to threaten regional security; in his most confrontational comments yet on a mounting political crisis, Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza has threatened to fight any African Union peacekeepers; India’s Electoral Commission will link its data base to that of the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages to enable automatic deletion of the names of those who have died (what will they do about multiple names / prevention of mistaken identity? If those- and other [e.g., security] - issues re properly addressed, this could be good for the world’s largest democracy, as it removes one possible source of electoral fraud); a call to release the advice governments receive, to help Parliament better assess legislation; articles on accountability, appointments and conventions here, here, here, and here; Australia’s so-called “Liberal” party has set a goal to increase participation by women or become increasingly irrelevant; some Poles may be regretting voting for a conservative government; a new Speaker’s more inclusive approach appears to be improving the operation of the US Congress; a South African “traditional king” has begun a 12-year prison sentence for arson, kidnap and assault of his subjects;
- with regard to Da’esh and violent extremism generally (and I consider ALL people advocating hate or discrimination in response to violent extremism to actively be doing the work of violent extremists. This PARTICULARLY includes those cretins [including in the media, and Amnesty International] who use that acronym ISIS, which is actually the Greek name of the Egyptian Goddess Aset – and others - and actively perpetuates the patriarchal and sacrilegious evil that Da’esh are trying to accomplish in this world – which will be countered, in part, by the sort of approach advocated by “Cure Violence”, and, in part, by addressing real and perceived disempowerment and acknowledging the variety in what provides genuine, BPM fulfilment as a counter to fanaticism as a source of meaning): Da’esh sells half it oil to the Assad regime in Syria through Russia, which is claimed to deliberately intending to empower extremists to discredit the rebellion against Assad; attacks by female suicide bombers in north-eastern Nigeria have killed at least 50 people; a suicide bombing in Pakistan has killed at least 28 people; a suicide car bombing by the Taliban has killed two people at a restaurant in Kabul, Afghanistan; in a clear attempt at intimidation, Da’esh has murdered a Syrian journalist in Turkey; the problems of growing militancy in Bangladesh; a Kurdish group- once linked to the banned PKK - has claimed responsibility for an airport attack in Turkey that killed one person – although the validity of the claim has been questioned (I have not seen the full article in that last link, as I am not a subscriber / client); claims that extremists in UK jails are trying to recruit; warnings of a possible terrorist attack in Europe before New Year’s Eve, and Belgium arrests six suspected terrorists; Muslim Twitter users have reacted with ridicule to a call from Da'esh to rise up “urgently,” with many detailing their alternative plans and complaining that the call comes at an especially busy time of year; a driver was shot and wounded as he drove a car at four soldiers guarding a mosque in south eastern France; al-Qaeda is trying to be more populist in Yemen; a Da’esh leader with links to the ringleader of the recent Paris attacks has been killed in Syria “as he was plotting additional attacks”; Indonesia has arrested three Da’esh suspects, and the US has arrested one; a New Year’s Eve event in Belgium’s capital has been cancelled because of a terrorist threat, and specific threats led to the closure of train stations in Munich, Germany; India’s “enforcement Directorate” has launched a major campaign against funding of Da’esh by sympathisers; a terror financing investigation has uncovered about $500,000 in Australian cash sent to Indonesia to arm and train extremists and support their families; the more than century old history of Muslims in the USA (around 20% of slaves in the 1600s were estimated to be Muslim), including a mosque in the early 1900s in an area called “Little Syria” in New York, and the recent spike in hate attacks by domestic violent extremists (i.e., home grown terrorists); three years after a “white supremacist” (i.e., domestic violent extremist aka ., home grown terrorist) killed six members of Oak Creek’s Sikh community, left another in an ongoing coma, and shot a police officer 15 times, Sikhs in the USA are still living in fear; a London couple who used Twitter to seek targets to bomb have been sentenced to jail; Montreal now has an anti-radicalisation centre; one US Muslim’s comments about being bullied and who the main victims of terrorism are; Da’esh apparently get a fair few of their Twitter accounts by stealing inactive ones with weak passwords. Use proper password protection, cretins!; an examination of “America’s Islamophobia industry” which comes across – as the heading suggests – as being a little on the conspiracy theory side, but has some stats on hate crimes; a comparison of punishments for crimes by Saudi Arabia and Da’esh; a critique of the existing ways of thinking (analytically) about Da’esh which suggests it is better to think of it as an evolving process rather than as a thing; the challenges of sharing intelligence;
- with regard to refugees: a call to free refugees from detention centres; Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged Germans to see refugees as an opportunity; the origins of Australia’s abuse of asylum seekers in 1992; lifesavers are volunteering to help refugees in Greece;
- with regard to human rights and discrimination (including associated violence / crime): an Emirati political dissident has been secretly deported from Indonesia to the United Arab Emirates; concerns over the dismissive / condescending aspect of calls for calm after police officers who killed a 12 year old black child were not indicted; China has passed its first anti-domestic violence law, but in line with its usual stupidity has excluded LGBTIQ people; 400”doughty” women plan to occupy a temple that has been barring their participation in India; a Turkish court has fined Turkey’s national soccer organisation for sacking a gay referee; former disability care workers have commenced legal action over the extreme and ongoing violence they suffered at the hands of a former patient – which is an unacknowledged problem – mostly with lesser levels of physical, as I can attest to, having been in a similar situation with an ex-; concerns that changes to Israeli gun laws may increase domestic murders;
- with regard to crime, judicial matters and policing: social media is causing major problems for witness protection schemes; a teenager who was on the run after a fatal drink-driving crash – subsequently arrested, with his mother, who planned the escape - held a farewell party before fleeing to Mexico; social engineering based fraud;
- with regard to media and freedom of expression: a Turkish court has freed two opposition journalists charged with “plotting a coup” over a magazine cover criticising President Erdogan's November election win, pending their trials (is anyone in Erdogan’s government thinking rationally? Do they know what damage this sort of absurdity does to their international standing / credibility?); death of journalists in 2015 is now up to 69; some street children in Delhi are producing a newspaper;
- with regard to overcrowding and “modern” lifestyle issues (is YOUR smart phone free of conflict minerals?): a call to consider the issue of those injured, rippled or maimed in road accidents, not only those who die; conservative voters in Australia have rejected a push to reduce workers’ conditions; a survivor of the deadly 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires says improved technology and warnings made residents better prepared for bushfires; phytoplankton in the western Indian Ocean has declined by 20% over the last six decades; gonorrhoea may become "untreatable" due to growing antibiotic-resistance; agricultural improvements in the USA; emergency measures have been taken in Tehran, Iran because of air pollution; social engineering based fraud; academic journals have begun withholding the geographical locations of newly discovered species after poachers have used the information to collect newly discovered species;
- with regard to education: a call for Indian Universities to make better use of alumni; Indian states are moving towards a more performance-based assessment of students;
- with regard to the conflict in Afghanistan (noting that Afghanistan was once a peaceful and modern society, even allowing women in miniskirts, before the Russian invasion – see here): the UN and its partners have distributed humanitarian aid to more than 100 families affected by the recent fighting in Afghanistan’s Kunduz area; the need for a political solution in Afghanistan; a suicide car bombing by the Taliban has killed two French people at a restaurant in Kabul, Afghanistan;
- with regard to Africa generally, in addition to mentions elsewhere: the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) learned on 29th December of an allegation that two members of its military personnel were involved in a possible case of serious misconduct - the beating of a teenage boy – and has dispatched a preliminary fact-finding team, led by the highest ranking member of the military police; Rwanda’s President will seek a third election in 2017, now that the constitution has been changed;
- with regard to China and East Asia: China has sent warships to the disputed Senkaku / Diaoyu / Tiaoyutai Islands; China has legalised overseas counter-terror operations by its military - as it races to follow the imperialism of other nations; China’s military continues to build its capability – see here and here; Filipinos have protested China’s actions on disputed islands in the South China Sea; China has passed its first anti-domestic violence law, but in line with its usual stupidity has excluded LGBTIQ people; China’s first Premier, Zhou Enlai, was probably gay; China's Xi Jinping has ordered his colleagues to 'strictly supervise' their families for corruption; Australian businesses have been urged to protect their intellectual property in China, following an incident of brand theft; China’s growing influence in Central Asia is of concern to Russia; a call for China to break the impasse over trust and help the USA, Israel and Palestinians find a way to peace;
- with regard to the conflict in Iraq (noting that Iraq was once a peaceful and prosperous society, before the USA / CIA backed revolution – see here): the Iraqi army has declared victory in Ramadi, but damage is slowing the return of civilians – hundreds of whom may still be trapped until mopping up is completed, as others describe the horrors of living under Da’esh, and Da’esh counterattacks at a nearby army base; the US and its allies have conducted over 20 air strikes recently;
- with regard to the Libyan civil war: concerns over the ability of the new government in Libya to be effective without support of the militias, and “lingering opposition”;
- with regard to Russia (see also Syria): the possibility of a Russian attack on Sweden – and the shortcomings of Western analysts who have no personal memory of what the USSR was like during the Cold War; Da’esh sells half it oil to the Assad regime in Syria through Russia, which is claimed to deliberately intending to empower extremists to discredit the rebellion against Assad; Russian investigators claim a Chechen security officer ordered the murder of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, but he is believed to have fled abroad; accusations that Russian police brutality and abuses of the legal system are being used to intimidate Russians into not attending protests; China’s growing influence in Central Asia is of concern to Russia;
- with regard to the conflict in Syria: more than 30 people have been killed by a car bomb and a suicide bomb; bombing of restaurants by Da’esh have killed 16 people; 3 small agreements to allow the evacuations of rebels have proceeded, but a recent larger agreement to evacuate thousands from Yarmouk has been derailed by the recent killing of a rebel leader – see also here; the USA has expressed “concern” at the heavy civilian toll – which Russia continues to deny - of "indiscriminate" Russian air strikes in Syria; Syrian government forces are making military gains in the south – see also here for an assessment, which reports that limited numbers of troops limits the gains by Assad’s forces; an assessment of the political expectations of the various opposition groups against relevant international frameworks; a common sense caution that local truces will not lead to a wider ceasefire; Syrian authorities have released two prominent members of the domestic opposition who were arrested as they travelled to Saudi Arabia to meet other government opponents in connection with negotiations for peace; confusion and threats around risks of the hydro-electric rock fill Tishrin Dam either collapsing, or being damaged by a Da’esh cell;
- with regard to Turkey: Turkish President Erdogan, who wants to change the Turkish constitution to turn the ceremonial role of president into that of a chief executive, has cited Hitler's Germany as an example of an effective presidential system – and see also this (I will do an assessment of what to do from a psychic energy point of view to bring Erdogan back to state of balance in the near future); Turkey has begun a criminal investigation against the leader of the pro-Kurdish HDP party for raising the possibility of autonomy for the Kurdish minority; a review of the PKK’s return to violence, and the need for the government to avoid “giving them what they want” by overreacting in their response; a history of Turkey’s views towards northern Iraq (it considered Mosul to be part of Turkey, and has since Turkey’s formation in the 1920s), its history of military operations and occupations in that region over the last quarter century or so, and strategic assessments - including VERY apt comments about Turkey’s “PKK myopia in a region with multi-layered security threats”, and the damage Turkey’s civilian casualties arising from its actions against Kurds is causing to its standing with NATO (and at what point does Turkey cross the R2P line?); a Turkish court has fined Turkey’s national soccer organisation for sacking a gay referee; Turkey claims 3,100 “militants” and 200 police officers were killed in 2015 - see also here;
- with regard to the conflicts in Ukraine, particularly in the east: the problem of PTSD in those who have fought in Ukraine’s east;
- with regard to the war in Yemen: schools are being converted to military training camps by the government, as humanitarian aid is finding its way onto illegal markets and the vicious cycle of revenge becomes apparent in Taizz; al-Qaeda is trying to be more populist in Yemen; Kuwait will now contribute troops to the Saudi-led coalition; the World Food Programme (WFP) is deeply concerned about the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the city of Taizz, where people have been going hungry for weeks, and appeals to all parties to the conflict to allow the safe passage of food to all civilians in need. WFP has delivered food assistance - a total of 225 trucks loaded with 6,600 metric tons of food - to Taiz governorate, but so far has not been able to reach most of the people; Houthis missiles from Yemen have killed 2 children and 1 adult, and injured 9 children and 2 adults, in Saudi Arabia (are the Houthis trying to ensure their territory and culture will be subject to a scorched earth policy? They cannot win militarily, and the consequences of this sort of attack have clearly not been thought through – either that, or they are trying to make sure everyone “goes down with the ship”);
- with regard to natural and other catastrophes: drought is leading to a loss of waterbirds in eastern Australia; flooding in Australia’s Northern Territory and in Queensland; “unprecedented” flooding in the UK, which will get worse as the storm that caused a week of tornadoes and floods that have killed dozens of people in the USA (and blizzards are now expected there) connects to other systems - and this weather system has caused a heat wave in the Arctic; phytoplankton in the western Indian Ocean has declined by 20% over the last six decades; the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has been linked to microcephaly, has now reached and is sweeping through Brazil;
- campaigns and actions this week you may wish to consider: a campaign to protect domestic workers in Indonesia;
- the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the end of Ebola virus transmission in the Republic of Guinea, as 42 days have passed since the last person confirmed to have Ebola tested negative for the second time. Guinea now enters a 90-day period of heightened surveillance to ensure that any new cases are identified quickly before they can spread to other people;
From other sites (note that
articles from these sites may have already been provided):
- the Global
Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
(R2P) also has:
- an occasional report, aiming to give background, offer analysis, track international response and suggest necessary action, for five nations in immediate crisis (“mass atrocities are occurring and urgent action is needed”: Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Lake Chad Basin, and Burma), one nation at imminent risk (“the situation is reaching a critical threshold and the risk of mass atrocity crimes occurring in the immediate future is very high if effective preventive action is not taken”: Burundi, South Sudan and the Central African Republic), and five nations for which there is serious concern (“significant risk of occurrence, or recurrence, of mass atrocity crimes within the foreseeable future if effective action is not taken”: Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya);
Recommended actions from the occasional report for the nation of Burundi, where 240 people have died and over 200,000 have fled in recent months as growing political violence threatens to further destabilise this nation that had suffered 350,000 deaths and more than one million refugees between 1993 and 2005 in a conflict that has left ethnic divisions – including between the Tutsi dominated military and the Hutu led government (I will work through other nations from the report in coming weeks) are:
- immediate steps must be taken by the government and opposition to de-escalate tensions and avoid any further militarisation of the current political conflict. Security forces must exercise maximum restraint. Allegations of violations and human rights abuses by all parties should be subject to thorough and independent investigation and prosecution;
- all individuals must refrain from using inflammatory language or inciting violence. The use of such language should be immediately and publicly condemned by the government;
- the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU) should enhance their presence in Burundi to support mediation and monitor and report on human rights violations. The AU Peace and Security Council, UN Security Council and individual nations should immediately impose sanctions on any individuals deemed responsible for inciting violence or breaching the Arusha Peace Agreement which, in 2000, ended the civil war;
- From an energetic point of view, based on the above and the following divinations for this work: rune Ear (and detailed runic examination at the start of this post – which show there is a lot of ability and will to improve matters amongst Burundians, but there is an excess of Yang aggression), Yi Jing hexagram 36 (illustrated at the start of this post, which highlights the need for caution and subtlety), elemental energy (illustrated at the start of this post, and showing fear, insecurity, and nonBPM passion, but the capacity for BPM thought), all acting through the Magickal Principle of Magickal Distance, that the nation of Burundi needs to capitalise on the inherent strengths of its people, and use clear thinking to distance themselves from uncontrolled passions. - the US-based and -centric “War on the Rocks” blog (which I have found may also have other articles that I have concerns with - and thus do not provide links to, unless I want you to think … :) ) also has: some of the massive impacts of 3D printing;
- the Political Violence at a Glance blog has: in common with many other people who pay attention to the news, I knew that the USA has had a plethora of mass killings – at a rate around one a day, it seemed. The figure for the year 2015, as of a day or so ago, was 329 mass shootings. What I did not know, was that the total gun-related deaths in the USA was over 13,000 – and more than 26,000 injuries. I discovered that from an article on this problem in the USA, attempts to address it (do morons like Trump, who advocates everyone having a gun to – in effect – “shoot back”, understand that MOST people have a problem killing others or even shooting at people – and that effective – including no “collateral damage” - use of a weapon by a terrified and UNDRILLED civilian is going to be even MORE problematic – even if the attacker doesn’t take the victim’s gun off them and use it against them?), and, in particular, the problem of 3D printing of guns and the subsequent ethical and legal challenges of shipping a printer to specifically manufacture unregistered guns (and full kudos to those organisations which refused to ship the weapons), which had obtained the statistics from, and linked to, the website of an organisation called the Gun Violence Archive;
- the Middle East Eye also has:
Saudi Arabia, currently fighting a war in Yemen, has posted a $98 billion deficit;
in a move damaging to hopes of peace, Israel is secretly continuing its plans to build near East Jerusalem, after previously abandoning the plans in response to international pressure – although officials have subsequently stated these plans were unauthorised; Brazil has rejected Israel’s proposal of a settler as its next ambassador; the damage being done to children in Gaza; a review of right wing extremists in Israel (including their link to Ariel Sharon); Israeli police have arrested four Jewish men suspected of being among gun-waving extremists filmed celebrating the killing of a Palestinian toddler in a firebomb attack; Israel has released the bodies of 7 Palestinians after trying to force the families to have secret, night time funerals; a poll shows most Israelis consider their nation is less safe; a critique of the use of the phrase “national security”, particularly since 1967 in Israel; Israel is adopting a bullying approach in its “diplomacy”;
Egypt has arrested four leaders of a youth movement that led the revolt against Mubarek in 2011; Egypt’s Parliament is seeking a Speaker; “militants” have shelled a home near a security checkpoint, killing a family; Egypt has demoted judges accused of supporting outlawed political groups;
Iran has implemented security measures to address the threat of terrorism; ageing oligarch and former President Rafsanjani is pushing for fundamental changes to Iran’s political system; the USA is preparing a fresh set of sanctions against individuals and companies for their alleged role in the development of Iran’s ballistic missile programme, but the White House has delayed these for the sake of the nuclear deal; - Also on West Asia / the Middle East:
a Gazan who may have been mentally ill but was desperate after seeking medical aid for a year and was clearly not capable of harming anyone has been killed by Egyptian security forces; an Israeli group is helping Gazans deal with Israeli bureaucracy when seeking permits; a call for China to break the impasse over trust and help the USA, Israel and Palestinians find a way to peace;
Iran has fired a missile near international navy ships – although this is disputed by Iran;
Pakistan and Afghanistan have established a hotline between their respective military commanders to reduce frequent cross-border tensions; - The Hindu also has:
a favourable editorial on Prime Minister Modi’s summit-style approach to relations with Pakistan, and the benefits that can bring – and favourable reactions in Pakistan; India and Pakistan have exchanged details of nuclear installations and prisoners from the other nation; criticism of a recent Supreme Court decision upholding one State’s exceptions “for tourists” to its ban on alcohol (to which I can add, from a past relationship with an alcoholic, that when alcohol becomes more expensive, those who want to drink simply stop spending on other things – like food, rent, etc) ; Israeli and Palestinian leaders may visit India in 2016; State governments will now have a say in the selection of judges, in a move by the judiciary to address problems (will this diminish the separation of powers?);
29 Indians have been detained by the Sri Lankan navy while fishing off Sri Lanka; 700 acres (just under 300 hectares) of land held by the Sri Lankan army have been released for resettlement;
more violent clashes in Nepal’s south over its new constitution;
criticism of facebook’s attempts to take a key role in providing wider access to the Internet, including (very valid!) concerns around creation of a monopoly, the past proven benefits of competition and that the best way to improve access is to lift incomes – see also here;
a declining market and climate change are resulting in extreme hardship for tea farm workers, with several dying of malnutrition; an infrastructure fund which will be supported by the government is also attracting international interest; financial assistance for the drought-hit States of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh has been announced; welcoming of the decision to limit LPG subsidies to the poor only (no subsidies for the well-off), as Qatar lowers the price of LNG for India; exports will suffer the 2nd worst decline since independence; Indian crop productivity lags behind global norms, and needs to be enhanced;
an interview with a sustainable transport expert on how to improve Mumbai’s transport system – which the expert considers to be currently similar to the mistakes made in Los Angeles in the 1950s; India will improve fuel quality standards; several engineers have been murdered in north eastern India, apparently for resisting extortion demands;
a National Park in Mumbai is becoming popular;
The Hindu’s most read editorials from 2015; - the BBC also has: fires damaging ecologically significant areas may have been lit by arsonists; the Indonesian government will appeal against a court decision that rejected a half billion dollar lawsuit against a plantation company accused of causing forest fires; the problem of suicide amongst black youth in the USA;
and from a range of other sites:
- attributes of ethical leaders;
- more on the absurdity of the US gun culture – specifically, in the state of Texas;
- the Roosevelt Institute’s Chief Economist Joseph Stiglitz - a Nobel Economics prize winner - has come up with a block buster report on the social and economic problems facing American society, and found that misplaced rules, laws and economic policies based on faulty economic theory (neo-liberal ideology and orthodox economic thinking) were the core of the problem. Recommendations include bring in rules that penalise risky investments, make full employment the goal, protect vulnerable workers and allow workers to organise and strengthen their right to collective bargaining, a fairer tax system, ensure some reasonable level in the remuneration of chief executive officers with ordinary salary/ wage earnings, overhaul American social security by introducing a universal Medicare and affordable health care, expand Social Security with a supplemental public investment program modelled on private Individual Retirement Accounts, invest in young children through child benefits, early education, and universal pre-kindergarten, increase access to higher education, and create a public option for the supply of mortgages;
- bad management of runoff contributed to the extent of flooding recently in the UK (this is a problem I can vouch that many are aware of – in Australia, engineers have been working on ways to reduce this for at least two decades);
- an assessment of likely political trends for 2016.
[1] BPM = Balanced Positive (spiritually) Mature. See here and here for more on this.
[2] Please see here, here, here and my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. I'm also exploring use of h2g2, although that doesn't appear to be as extensive (h2g2 is intended - rather engagingly - to be the Earth edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy").
[3] I apologise for the formatting: it seems Blogger is
no longer as WYSIWYG as it used to be, and there are a lot of unwanted
changes to layout made upon publishing, so I often have to edit it immediately
after publishing to get the format as close to what I want as possible.
Love, light, hugs and blessings
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear"; ... aka Bellatrix
Lux … aka Morinehtar … would-be drýicgan or maga
... )
My "blogiography" (list of all posts and guide as to how to best use this
site) is here, and my glossary/index is here.
I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue
(see here and here), and it grew ... See here for my group mind project, here and here for my "Pagans for Peace" project (and join me
for a few minutes at some time between 8 and 11 PM on Sunday, wherever you are,
to meditate-clear for peace), and here
for my bindrune kit-bag. I also strongly recommend
learning how to flame, ground
and shield, do alternate
nostril breathing, work
with colour, and see also here and be
flexible.
The real dividing line is not between
Christianity and Islam, Sunni and Shia, East and West. It is between people who
believe in coexistence, and those who don’t.
- If your “gut” (your instinct/intuition) is telling you something is wrong, but logic and the available evidence is saying otherwise, the proper conclusion to draw is that you need better, more personally credible evidence. Your “gut” could be wrong, right, or missing the nuances / “shades of grey” . So could the available evidence.
- All of the above - and this blog - could be wrong, or subject to context, perspective, or state of spiritual evolution ...
Tags: activism, discrimination, energy work, magick, meditation,
nonviolence, peace, society, violence, war,
First published: Laugardagr, 2nd January, 2016
Last edited (excluding fixing typo's
and other minor matters): Saturday, 2nd January, 2016
