With apologies, but the various demands of living mean
these posts will, for some time to come, be somewhat less comprehensive than I
aim for.
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 nonBPM 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;(c) viewing the overall emotional state of the world from an elemental point of view, this week we need the objectivity of more BPM Air combined with BPM Earth;(d) I’ve created a bindrune for this week’s meditation, based on caring, giving, (BPM) quests and (BPM) vision, which is:(e) major events this week include: ongoing wars and other violence; the ongoing struggle for accountability of leaders, with some successes and some resistance (particularly through populism); growing evidence of the failures of neoliberalism; despair at, and questionable/nonBPM responses, to the successes of populism; the ongoing problem of discrimination, including attempts to hide deliberate bigotry as “unconscious bias”; the ongoing struggle to transform the world’s economy to a sustainable, equitable and just model; conservative influences such as senior military personnel are warning of the dangers of climate change; and young people are still vulnerable to crime and gangs – which needs to be countered by credible TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE jobs and prospects for a decent life;(f) the failure to take a step back and think objectively – and broadly - is enabling violent extremists to recruit people who are ostensibly their targets to do their work of spreading hate and division – others are doing this through their small-mindedness and/or bigotry and/or hate, much of which has been taught by families, peers and other key influencers;(g) in the name of populism, politicians are doing incredible damage to the social fabric of many nations;(h) gains and advances that have been well won (e.g., the independence of the judiciary) need to be explained to those who see problems with them;(i) the counter to fear is genuine EQ and clear thinking, expressed through calm, de-escalating speech;(j) 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;(k) where problems exist, advocating for BPM responses, and being as BPM as one can be, and constructive solutions - as is clearing nonBPM units;I also take this opportunity to emphasise that it is absolutely VITAL that this psychic / metaphysical / spiritual work be performed non-violently and as is for the Highest Spiritual Good – 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, 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;
- With regard to democracy (which requires protection of minorities and the vulnerable), freedom
and governance (e.g., here, here, here and here):
- analyses this week include: spiritual perspectives on responsibility (this newsletter had some good quotations on responsibility which I have copied at the end of the news section – and my blog); an analysis of the surge in hate crimes after the US Presidential election; the UN has released a report on who is being left behind; the list of safety notices at the soon-to-be-closed Hazelwood power station shows one of the problems of privatisation: the so-called efficiency may be just not doing stuff (it also worth noting that (a) the former SECV would have long ago closed and replaced Hazelwood, and (b) we are now going to experience a price hike because of the privatised power industry’s inept planning for replacement of that power station); Australia’s Prime Minister is continuing to disappoint voters; a critique of the inherent biases in a recent Australian Government report on conditions for indigenous people;
- of concern this week: Malaysia’s Prime Minister’s grab for power now includes support for sharia; Indian cinemas have been ordered to play the national anthem, and audiences to stand;
- in the grey area this week: a Hong Kong pro-independence Parliamentarian is fighting to retain her seat – despite sexist and other abuse. See also here; OPEC, with its 14 members (some poorer nations) in fragile economic state owing to the political , has “got its cartel act together”; the attempt to get a recount of votes in parts of the USA is being opposed;
- good news this week includes: the director of the CIA has warned US President-elect Donald Trump that ending the Iran nuclear deal would be "disastrous" and "the height of folly", and to be wary of Russia, which he blamed for the suffering in Syria; US President-elect Trump has kept just over a thousand jobs in the USA, whilst another thousand have gone to Mexico (this counts, in my view, as delivery of one of Trump’s key election policies. I am unconvinced by Bernie Sanders’ warning on this, and the jobs would have helped Mexicans, but shifting jobs around is not creating a sustainable economy, which still has to be done so people in Mexico, the USA and elsewhere have decent jobs giving them more than just survival); aware of his low approval ratings, French President Hollande has decided to put the good of the French nation ahead of his desire to serve that nation, and will not seek re-election; Gambia’s authoritarian President, who has ruled for 22 years, will step down after losing the election to an unheralded property developer;
- and in my home nation this week: the human face of Lebanese Australians, who were castigated by our Immigration Minister last week; a citizens’ jury has delivered a verdict on how a nearby city in my home state should elect its mayors; an analysis that scrapping the implement the TPP won’t change anything as it hasn’t been implemented, with some good comments on the true purpose of trade deals (in this instance, giving US companies sovereignty over other sovereign nations [my words] and containing China), but any reimposition of US trade barriers would harm us; security concerns may restrict access to the Australian Parliament’s grass roof; proposed Australian anti-union intimidation legislation will now also be broadened to consider the behaviour of employers; sugar company Wilmar International continues to come under pressure from the Australian Government to strike a fair deal with the Queensland sugar industry, as Amnesty International raises concerns about the company's human rights record abroad; in a stunning capitulation to centrist Senator Nick Xenophon, the Australian neoliberal party has agreed to reverse a long-held policy and give Australian businesses an advantage when competing for taxpayer-funded projects; South Sudanese parents in Australia are sending their children to African schools to avoid crime in Australia; disturbing images show female protestors being removed from Parliament by security guards who appear to holding them across their breasts – but not male protestors; a secret Australian government plan to create a class of provisional visas with less access to social services may undermine resettlement of refugees, reduce social cohesion and increase the risk of violent extremism, according to a leaked government document;
- this week’s atrocity alert at R2P lists Burma/Myanmar, Syria and the Central African Republic; - 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 Somalia, the USA, Kashmir, the USA (2nd), and, according to this Wikipedia page, there have been 5 attacks in Iraq (out of a total of 25); prevention has or may have occurred in Germany; yet another warning of the imminent famine in Nigeria – which is due to violent extremists;
- concerns that a captured violent extremists could radicalise prisoners if he is jailed; security concerns may restrict access to the Australian Parliament’s grass roof;
- Victoria Police's Chief Commissioner has warned that terrorism threats are broader than religious extremism, and include people with a focus on particular issues (I would see the Family Court as one such trigger [one political party was complaining about the Family Court, as have some men’s groups: most objections that I’ve seen are unjustified, but some possibly merit further consideration], and also note the violence of some anarchists in the early 20th Century – and the violence of some responses to protest movements, dissent and difference [e.g., the gay bashing that led to Sydney’s Gay and lesbian Mardi Gras]); the European Union’s law enforcement agency says violent extremists are trying to turn EU citizens against asylum-seekers; a secret Australian government plan to create a class of provisional visas with less access to social services may undermine resettlement of refugees, reduce social cohesion and increase the risk of violent extremism, according to a leaked government document; - With regard to refugees (noting the New York Declaration):
refugees who have been palmed off by the Australian government to the USA could actually get help with family resettlement, showing the USA’s more enlightened position of this topic; protests in support of refugees at Australia’s Parliament; the European Union’s law enforcement agency says violent extremists are trying to turn EU citizens against asylum-seekers; Australia’s Department of Immigration routinely ignores medical advice about refugees; senior military officers have warned that climate change is the greatest threat to security in the 21st Century, and will lead to many refugees; a secret Australian government plan to create a class of provisional visas with less access to social services may undermine resettlement of refugees, reduce social cohesion and increase the risk of violent extremism, according to a leaked government document; - With regard to human rights and discrimination (including
associated violence / crime):
- on homophobia/transphobia this week: LGBT Ugandans are fleeing that homophobic nation (this is heading back towards the days of ridicule of Idi Amin!);
- on racism this week: a noted indigenous leader has apologised for offensive language, but other criticisms of bullying and intimidation have been made; this indigenous school has successfully lifted the performance of its students; lack of trust is (understandably) hindering the Western Australian (state) government’s (slow) efforts to provide services, including education, for remote indigenous communities; an Aboriginal Mural on the side of Sydney's Wayside Chapel at Bondi, which has been described as a key symbol of reconciliation, has been destroyed by the Chapel's management – who have tried to defend their action with claims that have been disputed; a critique of the inherent biases in a recent Australian Government report on conditions for indigenous people;
- on sexism this week: a call for women to continue “shouting their abortions”, made in response the neochristian catholic church’s (male) Pope giving its (male) priests permission to “forgive the sins” of women who have abortions. Yes, the Pope’s decision is paternalistic, but it is a step back from the extremism that the neochristian catholic church has had for the best part of two millennia, and still misses the wider issues (some mentioned in the call) of abuse of children – both by priests, and by the failure to acknowledge the effects of lack of money and having too many kids to support, the effect that the neo-christian catholic church’s attitudes have had on women (e.g., being exhausted by childbearing), and on the problem of overpopulation; a call for surgeons committing designer vagina surgery to be treated the same as those criminals committing FGM, on the grounds that it is pandering to the same attitudinal problems. I disagree with this call for the following reasons: (1) it diminishes from the fight against FGM by diluting that forceful, non-consensual crime with a consensual if contemptible act, and thus is unacceptable, and (2) the attitudinal problems are similar, but different enough that they warrant different approaches; a Moroccan TV station is (deservedly) under fire for make up tips for hiding the result of physical abuse; an anti-domestic violence campaign has been endorsed by Australian politicians; bias in science, in the “scholarly reviews of articles; a diagram showing the “funnel effect”; the first woman has been appointed to Australia’s highest judicial role; it has been discovered that the 2016 Australian of the year knew of sex abuse in the Australian military 11 months before he spoke out about it; a Saudi prince has called for the ban on women drivers to be lifted; podium models at a cycling event will be replaced with junior cyclists; a commentary on (disputed) differences between sexes with regard to brains, changes in ratios of genders doing well in maths now that sexism has been slightly reduced, and other sexism matters; actions to increase the number of women police in Afghanistan;
- on other forms of human rights this week: a deaf-blind woman is Western Australia’s “Young Person of the Year”; a presentation from the International Labour Organisation (yes, they of the stupid definition of unemployment) on deceptive employment practices, and how those can trap people (note that this problem occurs throughout the world, in developed and developing nations, in a range of forms); proposed Australian anti-union intimidation legislation will now also be broadened to consider the behaviour of employers; the South Australian (state) government has accepted 256 of 260 recommendations, and will spend nearly half a billion dollars improving its child protection systems; the UK government has been accused of knowingly sending children to abusive institutions in Australia; thousands of Indonesians have joined nationwide interfaith rallies organised by the military in an attempt to demonstrate national unity as religious and racial tensions divide the world's most populous Muslim nation; recognition of disability advocates; the Ethiopian government has been accused of arresting the families of Ethiopians who protest overseas; extensive and severe abuse of workers in Cambodia; “makeathons” to help disabled people; - With regard
to crime, judicial matters and policing:
the cabbie who helped 11 passengers escape during a fatal attack on a Brisbane bus driver last month has been recognised by the taxi industry for bravery. The article also includes a call for mandatory minimums. Now, the argument against that call is that it restricts the ability of judges to take into account extenuating circumstances, and there have been at least two studies that I know of where, when given the full facts of a case, members of the public have given “softer” sentences than members of the judiciary. However, the argument against fails to acknowledge that the public often reacts with genuine fear to such incidents, and wants a way to feel safer. Legislative harshness (“hard on crime”) is a common response to such incidents, closely followed by calls for personal responsibility – some of which are misplaced and constitute victim blaming: neither is really appropriate. My understanding is that evidence –from criminologists and others – show that jobs are the best counter to crime; I suspect that improved (not necessarily more – maybe better directed) spending on mental health would help, as would facing the elephant in the room, which is that our modern, high pressure lifestyle both directly creates stress and inhibits the interconnectedness that some people need in order to cope with life; the USA has shifted millions of dollars in funding for Philippines law enforcement away from police drug control programs since the start of the country's bloody crackdown on drugs; many who served in concentration camps are now open to charges of being accessories to murder; a still serving police has been charged two decades after he allegedly committed an assault; this bloke is a cretin who is denying data on reduced violence, not looking at the problem from the point of view of violence, and clearly has no understanding of the Australian culture of drinking to excess and all that goes with that; a Canadian town is giving people the option of donating to a charity in lieu of paying parking tickets; Rwanda has opened a formal investigation into 20 French officials it says are suspected of involvement in the genocide of 1994; police looking for a murder suspect in Papua New Guinea have deliberately burned down several houses; actions to increase the number of women police in Afghanistan; - 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: having an “equal say”, or a “right to respond” MUST be
assessed in the context of what is happening overall in society – NOT solely in
one limited incident):
a Malaysian cartoonists has been arrested for allegedly insulting the Prime Minister; it is worth noting that the “Syrian Human Rights Observatory” is a primary media source used by other media outlets, and has been doing a difficult, unbelievably wearing job with professionalism; a Moroccan TV station is (deservedly) under fire for make up tips for hiding the result of physical abuse; in a bid to deal with false feedback, Amazon has set limits on customer reviews. Also, a “plug-in” – currently being blocked by facebook - has been developed to attempt to help identify fake news stories (like this one); - 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? Do you want a bigger, flashier
home/car than people had 50 years ago – which means you are actively abusing
the environment and society’s cohesion?):
- a start-up technology company has surprised scientists by producing a biofuel from old rubber tyres that can run turbo-charged diesel engines while reducing emissions by 30 per cent; Queensland scientists have confirmed the largest die-off of corals ever recorded on the Great Barrier Reef, while some tourist areas showed remarkable improvement; elephants are fleeing to a sanctuary in Botswana (this reminds me of a wastewater treatment plant I worked at in the 1980s which had a lot of lagoons: ducks would flood the place from just before until just after the duck hunting season); Morocco is hoping to one day sell solar energy to Europe; the struggle to save a key forest in Cambodia – and in Papua New Guinea; senior military officers have warned that climate change is the greatest threat to security in the 21st Century, and will lead to many refugees;
- the electronically quiet (no wifi) town of green Bay, in the USA, and the people who are drawn there (I tend to think we pay too little attention to stray electronic energy, but more from the point of view of wasted efficiency, than health impacts – which is why I think some of our scientists’ assumptions about searching for signs of extraterrestrial life are flawed); US school buses are being used to improve internet access; in a bid to deal with false feedback, Amazon has set limits on customer reviews. Also, a “plug-in” – currently being blocked by facebook - has been developed to attempt to help identify fake news stories (like this one); so-called “smart” phones have been hacked;
- a critique of the obsession with having children (which I consider to be an outcome of the combination of “self replicating DNA” and the unexamined life); a World War Part 1 antiseptic that hasn’t been used for 50 years may help deal with “superbugs”; an examination of the reasons adult children don’t move out (and are allowed to stay, by their parents: I consider independent living is vital in the formation of true maturity); suicide rates for young Australians are the highest they’ve been in ten years; I’ve come across the US legislated “benefit corporation”, or B Corp – see also here, here, here, and the year 2012 entry here; a review which suggests the 1976 film “Network” was unexpectedly prescient; some people growing food on the footpath appear to have forgotten that the footpaths are for walking on … and thereby have jeopardised that entire scheme; - With regard to education:
a campaign to reduce exam stress in Singapore is underway; Australia’s education decline in maths and science is continuing (how are we doing overall – i.e., on the “softer” sciences and character development?) – see here for a more thorough analysis, and also here and here; an article on better teaching of maths (" “What's the point of maths?" This is often followed by: "When will I ever use this stuff?" or "How will maths help me later in life?" Maths in schools is largely skills-based — such as learning how to determine internal angles of shapes or using formulas to determine volume or capacity — rather than a study of what mathematics actually is. Mathematics is a study of patterns and a means of representing and describing the world in terms of quantities, shapes and relationships.”); this indigenous school has successfully lifted the performance of its students; a “step-in” grandfather; South Sudanese parents in Australia are sending their children to African schools to avoid crime in Australia; the Australian Government's overhaul of the scandal-ridden vocational education sector has passed Parliament in a bid to end one of the worst chapters in Australian education history; more than 1,000 schools have been closed in Afghanistan this year because of violence; - 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):
concerns over security in Afghanistan; photos from Afghanistan in the 60s and 70s; actions to increase the number of women police in Afghanistan; a record number of Afghanis have been displaced; China has rebutted Indian claims it is patrolling inside Afghanistan; more than 1,000 schools have been closed in Afghanistan this year because of violence; violent extremists, who have driven off foreign investors, are now allegedly offering to “protect” major projects such as mines … ; - With regard to Africa, the Africa
Center for Strategic Studies (and other sources) also has:
- Rwanda has opened a formal investigation into 20 French officials it says are suspected of involvement in the genocide of 1994;
- LGBT Ugandans are fleeing that homophobic nation (this is heading back towards the days of ridicule of Idi Amin!);
- the human story behind Malawi’s first hospice;
- yet another warning of the imminent famine in Nigeria;
- the Ethiopian government has been accused of arresting the families of Ethiopians who protest overseas;
- Gambia’s authoritarian President, who has ruled for 22 years, will step down after losing the election to an unheralded property developer; - With regard to China and East and South East Asia:
- China is implementing further repression of Uighur people; China has rebutted Indian claims it is patrolling inside Afghanistan; China has expressed concern over the Houthis forming a government in Yemen;
- US President-elect Trump has spoken with Taiwan’s leader;
- more sanctions have been imposed on North Korea in response to its latest missile tests;
- the South Korean Presidential scandal is continuing, appears to be growing and has led to a conditional offer by the President to resign, but she will face an impeachment vote next week;
- the USA has shifted millions of dollars in funding for Philippines law enforcement away from police drug control programs since the start of the country's bloody crackdown on drugs;
- thousands of Indonesians have joined nationwide interfaith rallies organised by the military in an attempt to demonstrate national unity as religious and racial tensions divide the world's most populous Muslim nation; later in the week, a counter-rally showed that anti-Christian bigotry has become difficult to manage;
- extensive and severe abuse of workers in Cambodia; - 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):
- Iraqi forces are reported to have slowed their advance in Mosul for the sake of civilians; nearly two thousand soldiers were killed in November;
- and the Iraq Body Count project reports 168 people killed in the last week (and 1,586 civilians in November); - With regard to the Libyan civil war:
the heaviest fighting for two years has occurred in Tripoli; - With regard to Russia (which is currently actively supporting an
– in my opinion, based on R2P principles - illegitimate regime in Syria):
Putin is dialling down the anti-West rhetoric, saying he is ready to “cooperate” with US President-elect Trump – for those of you on LinkedIn, see here; - With regard to South and Central America:
concerns over the vulnerability of youth in Mexico to gangs (jobs are the best counter to that); Venezuela has been suspended from a trade bloc for failing to meet trade and human rights rules; the head of Brazil’s Senate faces corruption charges; - With regard to South Asia (aka the Indian
sub-continent), The
Hindu and other sources have:
- the need for improved security in Indian prisons; Indian cinemas have been ordered to play the national anthem, and audiences to stand; China has rebutted Indian claims it is patrolling inside Afghanistan;
- an early drought warning is helping Pakistani farmers to prepare;
- Bangladeshi students are helping their families to prepare for disasters and climate change; - With regard to Sudan and South Sudan:
- more warnings of ethnic cleansing in South Sudan; - 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):
- it is worth noting that the “Syrian Human Rights Observatory” is a primary media source used by other media outlets, and has been doing a difficult, unbelievably wearing job with professionalism; an article explaining that civilians are still in east Aleppo because they have been trapped, and the government’s attempts to create humanitarian corridors have no credibility with them ("If you were with your family, and a robber came and killed your son and daughter and then, after 10 days, he says, 'Come and be a guest in my house', would you trust him?”); thousands are fleeing the Syrian army’s advance in eastern Aleppo, with some civilians saying “death is better than falling into the hands of the regime”; - with regard to Turkey:
accusations of torture in Turkey; - with regard to the conflicts in Ukraine, particularly in
the east:
tensions over a Ukrainian missile exercise which might have passed over Russian-occupied Crimea; - With regard to West Asia / the Middle East and North
Africa, the Middle East Eye and other sources have:
- a review of the Palestinian Fatah party’s first congress in seven years; Israel has killed four violent extremists in Syria; - 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):
the terror of living in Taiz; China has expressed concern over the Houthis forming a government in Yemen; - With regard to natural and other catastrophes:
parts of Australia are facing a higher bushfire risk this summer; a bushfire in the USA has killed three people; yet another warning of the imminent famine in Nigeria; - With regard to peace and/or spirituality generally, and
the occasional nice story:
the random acts of kindness that helped some victims of the Holocaust to survive; seven years after a major bushfire disaster in my home state, ongoing research has shown many people are still suffering mental health problems (the report included findings of late onset PTSD, that children shouldn’t be ignored as they were vulnerable, anger can be both a help and a hindrance, community groups are beneficial);
and from a range of other sites:
- Fidel
Castro, a key player in the Caribbean, a significant part of some US and
some broader politics, has died.
When reading comments
by Castro’s opponents, I noted that former US President Bill Clinton accused
Castro of murder for shooting down a plane with US citizens on it which had
deliberately and repeatedly flown into Cuban airspace – and yet that is
something other nations do as an act of self-defence. I consider both the
adulation and the criticism to be excessive: yes, Cuba under the regime of the
Castro brothers (the current leader is Raúl) has committed and still is committing human rights
abuses – significantly so, more so than democratic nations (see here and here), and is based on a now well discredited Marxist-Leninist model of
communism (it is not, as Wikipedia claims, socialist: that was a brief initial state
after the Cuban Revolution), but
(a) the Batista regime that was overthrown was repressive and undemocratic – and supported by the USA militarily,
(b) there was some good done by the Castro regime – e.g., according to this, free health care and education;
(c) this is one of those situations – such as China in the 1970s – when bringing a nation at least partly “out of the cold” can help bring about change – or at least open the door for change,
(d) the USA’s attempts to overthrow Castro have probably contributed to the mentality that exacerbated and prolonged the human rights abuses, and
(e) the USA’s attitude has always struck me – and others – as being irrational – a bit like someone taking offence at another person for daring to have a different opinion – which, sadly, the USA has done elsewhere as well, despite its notional claims to uphold free speech (and has done internally, for that matter, on many socially progressive matters).
The key here is that this event, combined with the recent thaw in US-Cuban relations, gives Cuba an excuse to start changing for the better (which does NOT necessarily mean “adopt the US way of living”), and the world a way to start gently nudging Cuba to do so; - the problem of “affective forecasting” (thinking X will make you happy);
- the experiences of some of those who were interned as “enemy aliens” (including 300 indigenous people!) in Australia during World War Part 2;
- an administrator at a University which suffered a mass killing has sparked outrage for calling for compassion for the perpetrator – possibly in response to students celebrating the death of the attacker. A few comments: (1) those students who did the celebrating were dragging themselves down to the level of those they were hating, and engaging in despicable conduct – which needs to be challenged as an issue in its own right; (2) there was considerable naïveté in starting this post with “do not share” (she couldn’t really have thought that would work? Surely not!), and questionable judgement in (a) not acknowledging the need for compassion for the victims of the attacker (and he WAS an attacker), (b) drawing equivalence to the Black Lives Matter campaign, and (c) not being mindful of the possibility that this was a violent extremist event; (3) whilst I consider that there is NO question that oppression and refusing to listen to the oppressed ARE forms of violence, there is ALWAYS an inherent problem in resorting to violence, in that the person who responds to it has given in to blackmail (and thus contributes to the nonBPM forces influencing this planet), which means deliberate use of violence may make achieving what one is seeking almost impossible (the means affect the end) – compare that, in terms of moral position to the non-violent campaign for independence in India, where the oppressed were being ignored. It is harder for minorities who are being oppressed to be taken notice of, but there is still a choice about whether one drags oneself down to the level of the oppressor by striking out against people, or some other act – e.g., power transmission lines, as in South Africa in the early 1960s, or even self-immolation, as in South Viêt Nám in the same era. And when it comes to an individual in pain lashing out … well, this administrator has also just – effectively - attempted to justify a lot of domestic violence: I can understand everyone being pushed beyond their capacity to cope, and lashing out –perhaps even committing murder: it may even be that this was the result of mental illness which needs to be treated, but this also shows that other have rights as well, including to the sanctity of their life and their well-being;
(Dear Reader, please remember, I expect you to think when
reading this blog, and reserve the right to occasionally sneak in something to
test that)
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.
