For everyone’s convenience:
the reminders / explanations about Sunday’s
meditation-clearing
are
here;
a simplified blogiography of posts related
to this work is
here,
a list of themes I have identified
here;
my changing the personality of oppressors
and other world leaders post is
here;
(see here for some
investigation into evidence of the effectiveness of this type of work … and
also here and here are interesting); a range
of information on emotions is
here,
and suggestions on how to work with emotions is
here;
this
copy of a speech to one of the Parliament of World Religions has excellent,
helpful insights on generational transmission of harm, the cost of war, and
ways to heal our hearts;
and
this
post reminds us to be patient and persistent, like a “speeding oak”
(and I like the comment about a sudden
“shift” being just another form of apocalyptic thinking).
Now, the
purpose of posting these news
links
(and,
incidentally, these posts are the equivalent of a re-tweeting service, or, at
best, a commentary site: I am NOT a journalist,
and make NO claims to
objectivity or freedom from bias or trying to cover all [there are often more
than two] sides of an issue – see here) is not
only to inform:
it is also to
stimulate a connection
to non
BPM units that
need
to be cleared and BPM
units that
need
to be strengthened,
so that you can do the clearing / strengthening
that is required.
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.
Further to that, 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.
There are some notes at the end of this
post about other options for those who do not like this way of working,
opportunities for healers, and the default plan for any time I am late getting
my Psychic Weather Report up.
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):
(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;
(d) accountability for power
remains key – and compensating the victims of abuses of power is necessary as
PART of ensuring justice;
(e) constructive management of
emotions is also needed – especially fear, and that expression of emotions
known as anger;
(f) small-mindedness and fear
are leading to “everyday” people doing the work of violent extremists for them
– such people need to consider the “birthright lottery”;
(g) the world needs leaders who
are like JFK, Robert Kennedy and Mandela;
(h) neoliberal conservatism has
been a failure;
(i) the cycles of history are
with us to this day;
(j) the cronyism of political elites is
particularly damaging;
(k) tribalism is increasing becoming obvious as
a problem in politics and societies;
(m) peace is powerful, but it is a process
requiring patient (not impatient!), persistent and nuanced nurturing,
and a blend of conventional spiritual work, clearing nonBPM units, and physical world activism;
(n) where problems exist, advocating for BPM responses, and being as BPM as one can be,
and constructive solutions - as is clearing nonBPM units;
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, and may they have all the BPM opportunities and assistance (so-called “good luck”) for them to be
BPM effective at influencing the world’s direction, development and unfoldment,
all as is for the Highest Spiritual Good;
- Permanent issue: may all humans recognise,
irrespective of the appearance of difference, the essential shared humanness of
other people, the inherent resilience, the dynamic power, the strength of BPM
collaboration, and the opportunities of having a diverse, inclusive and
welcoming population, and may all people choose fairness, when such decisions
are before them;
- Permanent issue: may all humans choose to
live modestly – to forgo outdoing others, or trying to have more than they need
- for the sake of an easier, more manageable life, if they cannot do it for the
sake of the planet;
- Events warranting particular attention, or fitting into
too many categories:
the
damage done by having a society on “permanent alert” (“Trust is vital for individuals to flourish”, but “suffers in a world
on permanent alert”); as walls
go back up, Europe is reverting
to “Fortress Europe”; the changes in the nature of work that
employers have been pushing for (greater
insecurity, reduced wages and conditions, etc) are also constraining those employers’ markets, as their workers are also – ultimately –
customers; despite 25 years of economic growth, Australia’s poverty rate has increased; an examination
of the political tactic of diversion by blaming minorities;
How far back
do the causes of these political problems go – to the disbanding of the Iraqi Army in 2003? The election
of George Bush as US President instead of Al Gore, in 2000 (I have always considered there
was a personal element in Bush’s reaction to 9/11, which may be the alleged
assassination attempt on his father when the father was President, but perhaps
this wouldn’t have changed anything .. or perhaps his
management of events afterwards would have been different … )? The colonial
thinking shown by the Sykes-Picot a century ago? The rabid bigotry of the
Christian Crusades? I consider all of these events contributors to the current
mess, and thus a PART of what has to be acknowledged politically as part of
getting to an adequately informed position to enable sensible decisions about
what to do (and the abusive behaviour of the USA’s TSA needs to be added into
the mix). From a spiritual point of view, I can see the karmic pendulum
swinging back and forth, forth and back, until it gets hypnotic and people
think that is how things naturally are – which is rubbish. From that point of
view, the “cure” is to lift oneself, one’s perspective and everything one
thinks, says or does, to a higher level – everyone, as we all contribute
psychically to this the psychic soup the planet exists within.
- With regard to democracy (which requires protection of minorities and the vulnerable), freedom
and governance (e.g., here, here, here and here):
- a thoughtful article (e.g., "Arguing that you don't care
about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different
than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to
say", “A loss of privacy is almost always a sign of an absence of both
rights and power” [with powerful examples of intrusion into indigenous people’s
lives], and “the architecture of our privacy laws, it's not for the right now,
it's for the future” [with the powerful example of the Nazi’s use of Holland’s
social security data to deport Jews[ and details of the staggering hypocrisy of
people like Mark Zuckerberg) on privacy; an article on “Trumpism fever”
– which I would put slightly differently, as Trump has tuned into a powerful
vein of populist fear and anger; the short-sightedness
of reducing paid parental leave; the “birthright lottery”;
an analysis
finds that a right-wing, xenophobic political party in Australia gained most
support in areas that are experiencing problems, fewer people have tertiary
education and most people are white; “greater
investment in greener, more efficient and sustainable transport can save trillions of dollars and help achieve the global
sustainability goals”; an examination of the
possibility that a new constitution could bring peace to the Ivory Coast; an examination of the key role that ethical leadership in the military had in
promoting the transition to democracy in Tunisia and Burkina Faso; the possibility that US presidential
candidate Trump could set the USA on the path to fascism; supportive housing is the most
cost-effective way of dealing with homelessness
- which has doubled
in the UK because of conservative policies;
a conservative commentator in the USA has described US presidential
candidate Trump as a “legal
alien”;
- US
presidential candidate Trump will go on a vindictive rampage
if he is elected
(although the proposed restriction on White House officials later becoming
lobbyists is potentially good, as is the possibility of term limits on
politicians – provided the limit is more than two terms); New Zealand has cowardly betrayed both the
ANZAC spirit and democracy by caving in
to Chinese pressure over democracy activists from Hong Kong; more than 60% of US voters do not
feel represented by either major party;
- Venezuela's
government and its opposition will meet for crisis
talks (Parliament has voted to put the President there on trial for
violating the Constitution), and people have been injured in
protests – and one police officer killed; where globalisation
has had a big (adverse) impact in the USA, even Democrat voters are moving
towards notorious US Presidential candidate Trump;
-
a centrist, agrarian party has won elections in Lithuania; for the first
time, the US has abstained from an annual vote in the UN on the embargo of Cuba; President Mikhail Gorbachev, former leader
of the Soviet Union and recipient of the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize, has appealed
to world leaders to reduce
dangerous tensions;
- an explanation
of why the Tasmanian Governor’s recent comments against the hate and bigotry of
Senator Hanson were cause for concern (over
detachment in situations such as hung Parliaments); Australia’s Solicitor-General has been
forced to resign
- by the
intransigence and questionable conduct of the Attorney-General, in my and
others opinion, but see also here, and a similar incident here; Australia’s neoliberal government is
attempting to limit
legal action by environmental activists;
a critique of Australia’s hypocritical
attacks on its own civil society;
an apology after an
abuse of power by a politician in my home state (why do they do such things? Power go to
their heads? Slackness? Family pressure? We may understand why, but none of
that excuses or makes it right);
this neoliberal Senator has been a notorious bigot for decades (and is one of
the reasons I didn’t move to that State some years ago): as such it
is an exercise in extreme hypocrisy for him to challenge the credibility of the
Human Rights Commissioner on truth – bigots – and I know the word is over-used
and decried, but it does apply in this instance – are inherently seeing the
world falsely, and propagating lies;
the Australian government has flailed around and latched
onto a technicality to get out of having to compensate people in its
refugee gulags; a call for statutory
appointments in Australia to be made subject
to Parliamentary scrutiny (this steps towards the US approach would politicise
what should be based on merit);
-
this week’s atrocity alert at R2P
lists Syria, Iraq, and Burma;
- With regard to violent extremism (aka, terrorism - e.g., Da’esh) (and, incidentally, 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 the acronym ISIS (see also here), which is actually the Greek name of the Egyptian Goddess Aset – and others (see also here and here) - and actively perpetuates the
patriarchal and sacrilegious evil that violent extremists 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. I also am
inclined, personally, to include here the last two millennia of neochristian
and colonialist social engineering, which has led to suppression of women,
child abuse, the Crusades, the Inquisition, etc, as violent extremism, but that
would take too much explaining. As a final point, I am deliberately avoiding
the use of specific names of violent extremist groups as much as possible to
reduce the publicity they get – I’m not
a primary news source, and thus consider I can do so: any names that are needed
are in the articles I have provided links to):
- violent extremist attacks/acts have occurred this
week in Pakistan, Kenya, Somalia,
Kenya,
Spain
(Islamophobia), Kashmir,
Somalia,
and, according to this
Wikipedia page, 5 attacks in Iraq (out of a total of 26); violent extremist threats are or may be
developing in Canada,
Pakistan;
prevention
has or may have occurred in Tunisia, Burkina
Faso; and actions have occurred against violent extremists in India, Yemen,
Somalia
(rehabilitation), Indonesia; some of the remaining hostages of Somali
pirates have been released,
with harrowing tales of the struggle for survival (which possibly
also reflects their captors’ situation: see also here, on ways to beat the pirates); Islamophobia
in Canada; links
have emerged between two violent extremists groups in a recent attack in South
Asia;
- a Swiss court has ruled against an employer who fired a long-time employee after she
started wearing a headscarf; the
experiences of boys fleeing
violent extremists in Iraq; the UN has negotiated the release of 876 children in Nigeria, who were being held
by the army over possible links to violent extremists; concerns
that the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia could allow more violent
extremism;
- a rebuttal of calls to set aside humanitarian law; a suggestion for a “foreign fighter” amnesty
scheme; an analysis of a prevented case of domestic terrorism in the USA,
including the support it gives to US President Obama’s use of the broader term
of “violent extremism” and the potential value of some contentious FBI
investigative techniques (which still need to be balanced by appropriate oversight
[e.g., judicial warrants – it doesn’t have to be members of the public], in my
view);
- With regard to refugees (noting the New York Declaration):
refugees in the camp in Calais, France
have been urged to give up their dream of going to the UK ahead of demolition
of the camp; the death rate for
refugees in the Mediterranean Sea has increased from 1
in 269 to 1 in 88; Canada’s Parliament has voted unanimously to resettle Yazidi people from Iraq; the “birthright lottery”;
a Sudanese-born lawyer who grew up in a refugee camp in Uganda has won an industry award for his contribution to criminal law in Western
Australia; the Australian
government has flailed around and latched
onto a technicality to get out of having to compensate people in its
refugee gulags; more than 90 refugees
are missing
in the Mediterranean Sea; Lily Allen
has said she was verbally
abused by a black-cab driver, who told her to “find an immigrant to drive
you, you stupid tart”, following her call for the UK to take more refugees;
- With regard to human rights and discrimination (including
associated violence / crime):
-
religious bigots in Northern Ireland have lost their appeal;
the
recent revelation of the bisexuality of a contestants on a TV show has led to
this thoughtful article on discrimination against bisexual people and the emerging – and GOOD
– “sexual fluidity” of younger people (and I consider that change, that opening of
opportunities for younger people the greatest success of the last half century
and a bit of sexuality and gender identity activism – let the bigotry die out); a survey shows most sports fans would welcome gay players; the USA’s latest batch of insanity has
reached the US Supreme Court; Taiwan is poised to become the first Asian country to legalise
same-sex marriage after the death of a
prominent gay professor;
-
the terrible history
– and illness inducing energy - of what eventually became a resort for whites
in Western Australia; indigenous
children in government care are isolated
from their culture; Australia will investigate
the reasons for indigenous incarceration rates being so high. Again … (what
answers are the neoliberals angling for? Weren’t they happy with the truth?)
See also here; racist violence in France (France, vous
ĂŞtes mieux que cela!); an appalling incident – a mock lynching – at a school in the USA;
concerns over racist
double standards in how protestors are treated in the USA;
- awards for
business women in Papua New Guinea; more protests against
reactionary changes against abortion in Poland; radio station
has been trying to give women equal air time;
analysis of data to show the gender bias
in print media; a campaign to protect women and girls
from forced ritualistic sex in Malawi;
statistics on domestic
violence in Indonesia are inaccurate;
a woman has stood
up to an online blackmailer – see also here, for the extent of
that problems in conservative nations;
a peak women's legal group has pushed for an
end to victims being directly cross-examined in court by their ex-partners
at a national summit on family violence;
my nation is falling
behind other OECD
nations on gender issues – particularly safety; the gender
stereotype busting
world of roller derby – which has just overturned
an accidental problem
for LGBT players; sexual harassment of female MPs is widespread; a review
of attitudes and facts in relation to gender discrimination; the Australian Commonwealth government has reversed
its decision to cancel a discussion about family violence during a meeting with
state and territory counterparts in December;
-
a
call for compensation for the victims of human
trafficking; Saudi Arabia is using its position on the UN Human Rights Council to cover up its abuses; Kenya’s
President has commuted all death sentences to life imprisonment;
Amnesty International has confirmed that the South Sudanese army has committed atrocities; Kenya has started to investigate alleged abuses by security forces; an Azerbaijani activist has been jailed on trumped
up charges - see also here; questions about Russia’s bid for a seat on
the UN Human Rights Council over its role
in Syria – and its behaviour at
home isn’t so good either … ;
Australia’s neoliberal government is attempting to limit
legal action by environmental activists;
this neoliberal Senator has been a notorious bigot for decades (and is one of
the reasons I didn’t move to that State some years ago): as such it
is an exercise in extreme hypocrisy for him to challenge the credibility of the
Human Rights Commissioner on truth – bigots – and I know the word is over-used
and decried, but it does apply in this instance – are inherently seeing the
world falsely, and propagating lies;
children have been found to often not
report abuse or feeling unsafe. This is not a new problem – I’ve known the problem from
my personal life, and organisations like Bravehearts have been
pointing this out for years as well; two Yazidi women activists who escaped
violent extremists in Iraq have won the European Parliament’s prestigious
Sakharov human rights prize;
- With regard
to crime, judicial matters and policing:
further allegations
of misconduct against regional police in my home state; as drug crops prosper and finance violent extremism
in Afghanistan, a rebuttal
has been made of the claim that each kilogram of a drug in the USA has cost six
lives – although it has unquestionably cost some lives; Kenya’s President has commuted all death sentences to life imprisonment; an Azerbaijani activist has been jailed on trumped
up charges; a reminder of the dangers
of policing; a Sudanese-born lawyer who
grew up in a refugee camp in Uganda has won an
industry award for his contribution to criminal law in Western
Australia; a woman has stood
up to an online blackmailer; a peak
women's legal group has pushed for an
end to victims being directly cross-examined in court by their ex-partners
at a national summit on family violence;
body cameras are NOT a panacea for poor policing;
a former
police officer has come forward over preventable police shootings;
- With regard to press aka the media, and freedom of
expression (keeping in mind that claims of presenting “both sides”
of a debate can be WRONG if the other side is RUBBISH –as is the case
on LGBTIQ issues):
Google is cooperating
with the Thai military regime to remove material deemed offensive about the
former king
(what about matters which are not offensive, but critical?); a
thoughtful article (e.g., "Arguing that you don't care about the right to
privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't
care about free speech because you have nothing to say", “A loss of privacy is almost always a sign of an absence
of both rights and power” [with powerful examples of intrusion into
indigenous people’s lives under this item], and “the
architecture of our privacy laws, it's not for the right now, it's for the
future” [with the powerful example of the Nazi’s use of Holland’s social
security data to deport Jews] and details of the staggering hypocrisy of people like Mark Zuckerberg) on privacy; claims that Turkish journalists who are
presenting themselves as champions of the freedom of the press have previously targeted
investigative journalists; analysis of
data to show the gender bias
in print media;
- With regard to overcrowding and “modern” lifestyle issues (is YOUR smart phone free of conflict minerals, environmental harm and child labour? I was recently pleasantly to find IT
manufacturers now making at least some effort in this regard. Do you suffer from FOMO? Are you being duped by modern mantras? Does your AI use ethics? Does your corporation misuse
mindfulness as a distraction from working conditions? Do you understand
embedded emissions?):
- Spain has committed to a target of all energy being from renewable energy, as young people in the Latrobe Valley push for
renewable energy to replace Hazelwood power station; CO2 concentrations are now above the
critical 400 ppm level; the installed capacity of renewable energy sources now exceeds coal powered energy generation; Australia’s neoliberal government is
attempting to limit
legal action by environmental activists;
the current state of climate
change in Australia; wildlife has decreased
across the planet by 58% since the 1970s;
old oyster shells are being used to rehabilitate shorelines;
biological
warfare has been launched against
the Zika virus … a unanimous decision from the Commission for the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) will create the world's largest
protected area – land or marine – in the
Antarctic's Ross Sea; a review of
growing food in the backyard (which is very much needed, in my view);
- a
thoughtful article (e.g., "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy
because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care
about free speech because you have nothing to say", “A loss of privacy is almost always a sign of an absence
of both rights and power” [with powerful examples of intrusion into
indigenous people’s lives under this item], and “the
architecture of our privacy laws, it's not for the right now, it's for the
future” [with the powerful example of the Nazi’s use of Holland’s social
security data to deport Jews] and details of the staggering hypocrisy of people like Mark Zuckerberg) on privacy; Sweden has implemented restrictions
on drone usage; home webcams that were
hijacked to help knock popular websites offline recently have been recalled in the USA; an examination of approaches for personal cybersecurity; IBM says restarting
a router may have prevented the Australian “census fail” … ; a woman has stood
up to an online blackmailer; the
story of the attempt to create an internet in the USSR
during the 1980s; a reasonable review
of the potential
role of complementary medicines (although it needed to mention the arrogance and poor
communication of doctors, which drives many people away from conventional
medicine);
- despite
25 years of economic growth, Australia’s poverty rate has increased; widespread
abuse of horticulture workers in my home state; I am inclined to disagree with the judge and
agree with the nurse in this
instance:
the drive for cost cutting in the modern world has led to people doing more
with less, and that DOES cut down on time to do things properly. In this
instance, it MAY have contributed to the tragic death of a patient, more
broadly, it contributes to stress, uncertainty, fear and walls – I can see it
at the moment with engineers working on major projects, who are being forced by
political pressure to fast track that, and so are working long hours under high
stress (which harms their families as well) and shortly will be out of work. It
is illogical – and all because political leaders cannot effectively communicate
the benefits of patience … ;
the UN’s agricultural agency has launched
the first phase of a new, 15-year global programme to eradicate a highly contagious viral animal disease affecting more
than 70 countries in Africa, Middle East and Asia, which account for about 80
per cent of the world’s sheep and goats and where millions of families depend
heavily on these animals for nutrition and livelihoods; Uber and the like may have to treat their
workers decently;
- as drug crops prosper and finance violent extremism
in Afghanistan, a rebuttal
has been made of the claim that each kilogram of a drug in the USA has cost six
lives – although it has unquestionably cost some lives; older
women are at an increasing risk of homelessness; perceptions
around sleep;
- With regard to education:
30% of teachers in the UK leave within five
years; Finland is getting good results with a more
holistic approach to education that has fewer class hours and less
homework; an appalling incident – a mock lynching – at a school in the USA;
- 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):
violent extremists are putting gains
for democracy at
risk; as drug crops prosper and finance violent extremism
in Afghanistan, a rebuttal
has been made of the claim that each kilogram of a drug in the USA has cost six
lives – although it has unquestionably cost some lives;
- With regard to Africa, the Africa
Center for Strategic Studies (and other sources) also has:
-
a campaign to protect
women and girls from forced ritualistic sex in Malawi;
-
Kenya’s
President has commuted all death sentences to life imprisonment; Kenya has started to investigate alleged abuses by security forces; Kenya’s youth have urged an end to tribalism in politics;
-
more people have been killed in the Central African Republic – this time
during a protest
against the presence of UN peacekeepers;
-
the Zambian opposition will boycott
independence celebrations;
-
Uganda has supported
South Africa’s decision to pull out of the ICC
- see also here; the African
Union (AU) has said African nations can
put their leaders on trial (where they have the freedom to do so – that would not
be the case in Zimbabwe, for instance);
-
Morocco wants to come back in
to the AU;
-
Gambia will also withdraw
from the ICC,
but at least ten nations will stay
- see also here
and here;
-
more attacks
on oil pipelines in Nigeria; the UN has negotiated the release of 876 children in Nigeria, who were being held
by the army over possible links to violent extremists; Nigeria’s President wants $30 billion in
foreign loans for infrastructure and other projects over the next three years
to overcome
a recession in Africa’s biggest economy;
-
a conference in Angola is seeking to end
the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Great Lakes region –
see also here
and here;
-
many African Presidents are struggling
to meet their ambitious anti-corruption targets (but should, in my view, be commended for
having them: on the other hand, South Africa’s President Zuma is actively
trying to stop release of a report on corruption);
-
an examination
of the possibility that a new constitution could bring peace to the Ivory
Coast;
-
an
examination of the key role that ethical leadership in the military had in
promoting the transition to democracy in Tunisia and Burkina Faso;
-
ongoing concerns
about justice in Burundi;
- With regard to China and East and South East Asia:
-
China has further gagged
lawyers; New Zealand has cowardly
betrayed both the ANZAC spirit and democracy by caving in
to Chinese pressure over democracy activists from Hong Kong;
-
Duterte
has clearly had some success with his realignment from the USA to
China: Chinese vessels have left the disputed Scarborough Shoal and Filipino
vessels can resume fishing;
a Philippine mayor accused
of drug trafficking has been killed along with nine bodyguards in a shoot-out
with police;
-
as Thai tentacles
reach into other nations, Google is cooperating
with the Thai military regime to remove material deemed offensive about the
former king
(what about matters which are not offensive, but critical? What happened to the
“do no evil” precept?);
-
a call to end
the exile of Cambodia’s opposition leader;
-
a detailed examination of the peace
process in Burma;
-
Taiwan is poised to become the first Asian
country to legalise
same-sex marriage after the death of a
prominent gay professor;
- With regard to the conflict in Iraq (noting that Iraq was once a peaceful and
prosperous society, before the UK / USA / CIA backed revolution – see here, and that it needs an emphasis on a secular society and citizenship – but also here, although based in Syria and here):
- a powerful backlash
has erupted against a surprise ban – possibly against a constitutional
guarantee of minority religions’ rights - of the sale of alcohol; reports of more war
crimes (including tens of thousands of human shields) by violent extremists in Mosul;
concerns
– based on prior experience - over how the Iraqi security forces (and allies)
will behave after the liberation of Mosul;
Turkey has claimed a right to take military action in Iraq if it
considers itself to be threatened; Canada’s
Parliament has voted unanimously to resettle Yazidi people from Iraq; health and environmental problems are being
caused by violent extremists who have set oil fields on fire;
-
and
the Iraq Body Count project
reports over 800 people killed in the last week;
- With regard to the Libyan civil war:
an examination of the reasons for a delay
in defeating violent extremists in Libya;
claims of abuse
in prisons run by the violent extremists (although I suspect such abuses do occur, I am wary of
the “found” letter – it seems a little fortuitous);
- With regard to Russia (which is currently actively supporting an
– in my opinion, based on R2P principles - illegitimate regime in Syria):
another assessment of the risks of escalation
between Russia and the USA over Syria;
an opinion piece arguing that Russia and Turkey have effectively divided
Syria between themselves – at the expense of the Kurds; questions about Russia’s bid for a seat on
the UN Human Rights Council over its role
in Syria – and its behaviour at
home isn’t so good either … ;
Russia is unhappy that the UN may investigate more of Assad’s chemical
weapons attacks; Spain is being criticised
for refuelling –Spain subsequently decided not to - Russian
warships on their way to Syria; an analysis of the USA’s “slide
to war with Russia”, and another
analysis of the tensions between NATO and Russia which finds this is NOT a Cold War Mark 2;
- With regard to South and Central America:
Venezuela is targeting
critics; Venezuela's government and its
opposition will meet
for crisis talks (Parliament has voted to put the President there on trial for
violating the Constitution), and people have been injured in
protests – and one police officer killed;
- With regard to South Asia (aka the Indian
sub-continent), The
Hindu and other sources have:
-
accusations of land grabs from farmers in the preparation for
construction of India’s planned 100 “smart” cities; a cinema patron in a wheelchair was assaulted for not
standing up for the national anthem!!! That is an indictment of the
appalling idiots who committed this act, and the issue of “abuse” of the
national anthem has reached the court
system; the problem of
dynastic families in Indian politics; tensions are rising
over a missing student at an Indian University; India’s new “national food security system”
has extended
to two hold-out states; more Indians
are eating beef,
but at a reduced quantity;
-
an examination
of recent cross-border raids by India;
the experience of a Kashmiri teenager who was blinded by a
police “pellet gun” when she looked out a window;
-
an editorial on growing political tension
in Pakistan; police have clashed
with the opposition;
- With regard to Sudan and South Sudan:
-
South Sudan has given Sudanese rebels in its
territory an ultimatum
to leave – and Sudan has threatened South Sudan for allegedly
supporting those rebels;
-
Amnesty International has confirmed that the
South Sudanese army has committed atrocities; a warning that hate speech is increasing; an examination of the significant role of cattle;
- with regard
to the conflict in Syria, where Assad’s regime has, in my opinion, lost all
claims to legitimacy, and it is time to consider partition (see here, here, here and here):
-
the siege of eastern Aleppo
continues. How
many people have died there? This website says over 30,000 – fewer than the one to
two and a half who died in the Siege of Leningrad, but the death
toll is, in some ways, the least of it: it is the suffering, especially the
degradation of humanness, well known from millennia of such sieges, that is so
appalling in such situations – and that degradation applies to the besieger as
well as the besieged: the Russians and the Syrians who are the tools of Assad
are harming themselves spiritually as much as they are others, and would do
well to remember those brave people who refused to be part of Nazi Germany’s
attempted genocide of Jews (see here, here, here and here). See also here, here, and here; rebels have joined
with violent extremists in an attempt to break the siege of Aleppo; another assessment of the risks of escalation
between Russia and the USA over Syria;
some common sense comments about a “no fly” zone over
Syria (the
time for that was back when Assad first starting using barrel bombs, before
Russia got involved); an
opinion piece arguing that Russia and Turkey have effectively divided
Syria between themselves – at the expense of the Kurds; an assessment that Turkey will not
find victory easy in Syria; Spain is
being criticised
for refuelling –Spain subsequently decided not to - Russian
warships on their way to Syria;
confirmation that Kurds will
be part of the attack
on Raqqa, Syria – see also here,
on the “inevitable” conflict between Turkey and Syrian Kurds; imminent conflict
between Turkey and Assad’s forces; (warning: very disturbing images)
children
have been killed in an air attack on a school;
Russia is unhappy that the UN may investigate more of Assad’s chemical
weapons attacks; an Australian who
fought against violent extremists has challenged
police to charge him. This raises a few issues: the stupidity of the government
warning that travel to such places involves risks (honey to thrill seekers,
plus stating the obvious), and the issue of mercenaries – which this man was. In situations like
Syria, it may seem to be clear enough who id “good” and who is “bad”, but (a)
mercenaries have fought for “bad” sides many times in the past, and have often
been extremely effective in doing so – to the detriment of the nations they
fought in, and (b) often the situation is not entirely clearcut – consider, for
instance, the mercenaries (“private security forces”) of the last decade and a
bit in Iraq, who may have thought they were doing “good” but, in some cases, have
been found not to be – which also raises the issue of people making mistakes
and getting involved on the wrong side in Syria, which was described in an
article I read a few years ago. About the only way to prevent that – and people
who overestimate their abilities - would be to have a licencing scheme that
everyone agrees on – which is impossible. In democracies, I consider the
current ban of mercenaries is, overall, best – but there may well be a good
case for leniency in court cases, if such fighters are subsequently charged; an unintentional near
miss between Russian and US jets at night;
cronyism
has blighted the delivery of aid to government controlled areas;
- with regard to Turkey:
confirmation of torture
following the failed coup in Turkey;
Turkey has claimed a right to take military action in Iraq if it
considers itself to be threatened; claims that Turkish journalists who are
presenting themselves as champions of the freedom of the press have previously targeted
investigative journalists; an opinion
piece arguing that Russia and Turkey have effectively divided
Syria between themselves – at the expense of the Kurds; an assessment that Turkey will not
find victory easy in Syria; an article
on the “inevitable” conflict between Turkey and Syrian Kurds; imminent conflict
between Turkey and Assad’s forces; protests
at the recent arrests of Kurdish mayors for alleged connections to terrorism;
- with regard to the conflicts in Ukraine, particularly in
the east:
a
detailed examination of the current situation;
- With regard to West Asia / the Middle East,
the Middle
East Eye and other sources have:
-
a critique
of “doves” in Israel’s elites, including the military – with some excellent
comments about false perceptions of those in the military and the changes that
occurred in Israel as a result of the 1967 war (also refers to the documentary “The Gatekeepers”);
Israeli prosecutors have charged 13 men with inciting violence and terror for
celebrating the murder of a Palestinian toddler and his parents in a
firebombing that sparked international condemnation; Israel
is denying Palestine’s right to development;
a rare meeting between Fatah and Hamas;
-
Iran has jailed another person dual
citizenship; a child
abuse scandal in Iran;
-
millions of Egyptians are facing a slow death from starvation; Egyptian youth are running their
own conference rather than take part in the dictatorship’s conference; Egypt’s security forces are claiming
they need to do more to address “threats” of chaos … ; fears
over a “mega” dam being built on the Nile by Ethiopia; the Egyptian government will “look
at” revising a controversial anti-protest law; Egypt’s antiquities are being pillaged;
-
an assessment that Saudi Arabia and Egypt have too
many ties to allow their relationship to be irreparably damaged (that is a
valid point, but close ties are not a guarantee of anything – after all, there
are no closer ties than one can have with oneself, and yet civil wars still
occur … );
-
Saudi Arabia is using its
position on the UN Human Rights Council to cover up its abuses; Germany is the
latest nation to be outed as making major profits
by selling munitions to Saudi Arabia;
-
activists have been stopped
from protesting the arrival of Bahrain’s king in the UK;
- With regard
to the war in Yemen (unlike Iraq and Syria, I cannot find a
source of regular information on casualties in Yemen, but the hardship and
deaths from food, water and medical shortages that concerns me just as much –
if not more, and I don’t know if such sites would report that; it is also
important to remember that there are multiple sides in this dispute – and
opponents to the government are not necessarily Houthi or violent extremist):
warning an entire generation
could be crippled by famine in Yemen;
Germany is the latest nation to be outed as making major profits
by selling munitions to Saudi Arabia;
an appeal
has been launched for finance to aid displace people in and from Yemen; an
argument that the civilian deaths in Yemen are being caused by incompetence; Algeria has been asked
to join the Saudi-led coalition in the war in Yemen; Saudi
Arabia has shot down a Houthi ballistic missile near
Mecca;
The creation
of the current situation in Yemen was an example of cronyism: the
international community needs to deal with such situations more effectively –
which is a lesson that should have been learned after the Cold War, although
Said Arabia wasn’t a major player in those events.
- With regard to natural and other catastrophes:
following the recent cyclone, 800,000 Haitians
need food aid;
- With regard to peace and/or spirituality generally, and
the occasional nice story:
perhaps amazingly, Iraqis and Libyans are the most
generous nations towards strangers, and Burma the world’s most giving.
China is worst; an analysis of the USA’s “slide
to war with Russia”; a call for
greater use of regional partnerships to promote global stability; an examination of the factors which may lead
to nonviolent protests becoming
violent;
and from a range of other sites:
(Dear Reader, please remember that I expect you to think
for yourselves when reading this blog)
Now, some relocated notes and other
comments/information.
Remember that
many others are very capably
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 see also here
and here), 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 10 AM and 10 PM local time each day, and has
been running for decades);
the
“Network of Light” meditations;
and
also see
here and
here –
even commercial organisations are getting involved
(for instance, see here), there are online groups (e.g. here
and here
– which I’m not members of, and thus do not know the quality of) and even
an app. 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. I also point out that more than
just psychic work is required – activism in the physical world, even if it is
“only” writing letters to politicians / the media will help, as will a whole
range of other stuff. To stimulate some ideas on this aspect of service, see
here
,
here
and
here,
and, of course,
here. On more
physical level, there is the
United
Nations Online Volunteering page.
(Please
note that I now specifically have a role for (absent) healers on Saturdays, as
explained in the Psychic Weather Report posts. Anyone who wishes to be
protector has a role every day :) , including – perhaps particularly - the
first permanent issue I list below. At all times, on all levels and in ways, BOTH must ALWAYS be
BPM in the way they perform such roles.)
If I am ever late getting my Psychic
Weather Report up any week, the
default
plan is to build up energy in the
“Shield
of Hope” on Sunday, send energy to West Asia / the Middle East on Monday,
and then extend that to include Europe on Tuesday, the USA on Wednesday, East
and South East Asia on Thursday and Africa on Friday.
Regular sources include the
Daily Briefings
of the
United
Nations,
Human Rights Watch, the
Global Centre
for the Responsibility to Protect,
“War
on the Rocks” (a very US-focused site
which also has articles I have concerns about, but also a surprising number of
gems),
the
Early Warning Project blog,
the
Justice
in Conflict blog, the
Political
Violence at a Glance blog, the
Institute for War and
Peace Reporting, the
International Crisis Group, the
Middle East Eye,
The Hindu, the
Africa Center for Strategic Studies, the
BBC,
Spiegel International,
The Conversation,
John Menadue’s blog, Wikipedia’s
current events portal,
Wendell Williams’ blog,
George Monbiot’s website, the
Campaign Against Arms Trade, the “Cure
Violence”
blog, the
Inter Press Service Agency (IPS), the
Lowy
“Interpreter” blog (which
occasionally has good links about what is happening in the Pacific), and
others.
I apologise for publishing these posts twice, but Blogger
keeps changing my formatting. I can either publish it and then correct the
altered formatting and re-publish it, or save and close the post and correct it
when I reopen it prior to publishing it, but that leaves an extra copy in my
"drafts" folder which I then have to clean up ...
No signature block for these posts.