Note: I am NOT a journalist, and make NO
claims to objectivity or freedom from bias: 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, 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. Also, the energies we use and manifest in our daily lives
contribute to the larger soup of energies that influence world events, so
address those as well. The reminders / explanations about Sunday’s meditation-clearing
are here; see also here, here, here, (here and also here and here are interesting), here,
here, here, and this
post reminds us to be patient and persistent, like a “speeding oak”. Finally,
there are some notes at the end of this post about other options for those who
do not like this way of working.
The themes that come to mind for my work this week, after
I review all this news, are:
(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, including spirit rescue, and healing the warped views, seemingly “inherent” biases, and other damage created. Also, remember that:
1. the counter to fear is genuine EQ and clear thinking, expressed through calm, de-escalating speech,
2. where problems exist, advocating for BPM responses, and being as BPM as one can be, are constructive solutions,
3. peace is powerful, but it is a process requiring patient, persistent and nuanced nurturing, and a blend of conventional spiritual work, clearing nonBPM units, and physical world activism;(c) viewing the overall emotional state of the world from an elemental point of view, this week we need more of the personal security, stability and confidence of BPM Earth, and the tolerance that can lead to in BPM Water;(d) For this week’s work, I am going to use two bindrunes, the Nobility of Earth, and the Compassion of Water:
(e) dealing with the current US President, for whom I use the alias Voldemort, requires:
1. eroding (i.e., slow, patient and persistent clearing of the little bits one can SAFELY cope with – remember, you are but one of many) the nonBPM influences feeding his arrogance and mind-set, and strengthening Voldemort’s BPM Guides and giving them whatever BPM help they need to present a BPM alternative – for which my “changing the personality of oppressors” post is useful – with a view to promoting what would seem to be a change of heart,
2. lifting the nonBPM influences from the shoulders of Voldemort’s marginal supporters, allowing them to “come to their senses”, which may result in them feeling bewilderment/shame, and simultaneously strengthening the BPM influences around them (e.g., their BPM Guides) to counter them backsliding,
3. to address the others, physical world activism (especially education) is required. As well as doing what one can there, help those who are doing this work (e.g., sending them “positive vibes”) and look for nonBPM blockages that can be cleared (e.g., setting up a BPM vortex above meetings to draw away external nonBPM influences/energies/units, so that the audience can listen as they are, without any obsession/possession);(f) the major events this week are: the continued bullying and blustering and business tropes of the current US President – particularly his direct attack on preparations for climate change (which is being resisted) and his impending collision with China; continued suppression of dissent and access to accurate knowledge, and enforcement of conformity in dictatorships like China and Russia, and places heading the same way, such as Turkey and the USA; the world continues to fumble its response to refugees and current/impending humanitarian crises, and war continues in many places – Syria (over 20,000 deaths in 2016), Iraq (over 5,000 deaths in 2016), Mexico (the drug war; over 2,500 deaths in 2016), Turkey (against the Kurds; over 2,000 deaths in 2016), Somalia (over 2,000 deaths in 2016), Nigeria / Niger / Cameroon / Chad (against a violent extremist group; over 1,500 deaths in 2016), Sudan (over 1,000 deaths in 2016), Libya (~500-900 deaths in 2016), Egypt (insurgency in the Sinai; over 600 deaths in 2016), Afghanistan (over 600 deaths in 2016), Yemen (~ 400 deaths in 2016), South Sudan (over 400 deaths in 2016), Pakistan (almost 400 deaths in 2016), Ukraine (over 200 deaths in 2016), and 37 other places listed on this webpage;(g) there has been some good thinking (and writing) on democracy, technology, and the dangers of disproportionate responses, as well as some good – or, at least, valid – holding to account, this week;(h) as blatant discrimination continues to confound this world, some people are showing that they need to learn “the hard way” – especially with regard to compassion/not discriminating. That is bad enough within a single lifetime, but it bodes poorly for future incarnations of those people – which is even MORE reason to try to educate them NOW, to prevent future suffering, for them, and those around them in those future lives;(i) workplace abuses, at a wide range of scales, continue, as do other abuses of power, from a combination of moral blindness, ineptness/incompetence at being human, and the more widely known addiction to power;(j) attempts at negotiation are being obstructed, as people doing wrong attempt to continue either denying that they are doing evil, or attempt to continue receiving whatever it is that they get from doing that;(k) economic rationalists aka neoliberals continue short-sightedly to wreak their havoc;(l) education continues to fail the world by, amongst other problems, failing to address the student as a whole person;(m) ideology continues to taint thinking, and block observation.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;
- Matters warranting particular attention:
the current US President has wiped out former President Obama’s climate change initiatives; “The only way to achieve socially sustainable supply chains is if human rights are protected and respected”; a criticism of being divorced from reality by being excessively online: “ “Very brave behind a computer screen,” these people are “absolutely unequipped to deal with any suggestion of real-world consequences.” ”; “Either we own political technologies, or they will come to own us” – with links to debunking of the terrifying claims made by Cambridge Analytica here, here and here; With regard to democracy (which requires protection of minorities and the vulnerable – and remember Gandhi’s question about whether one is fighting to change things, or to punish, and the list of 198 methods of nonviolent action), freedom and governance (e.g., here, here, here and here, and see also here):
Note: I have a section specifically for the current US President below
- analyses this week include: who can ask politicians questions; a rebuttal of calls to tax payments by migrant workers to their nations of origin; criticism of a proposal to allow “deal making for development”; the challenge of achieving necessary bipartisanship; the authoritarian threat to democracy, with lessons from Germany’s past; a radio interview with a journalist who has critiqued an Australian far right party, including the nature of its supporters; a critique of economic modelling (which brought to mind the disasters of economic rationalism in the 80s, and a lot of stupid attempts to equate everything to a dollar before the adoption of triple bottom line assessments); an examination of “collaborative consumption” aka “the shared economy”, including its problems and history; a call for economic considerations to include equity; an article on “engaged scholarship – the practice of doing scholarly work that matters for the real world and actively getting it out there”; “Either we own political technologies, or they will come to own us” – with links to debunking of the terrifying claims made by Cambridge Analytica here, here and here;
- of concern this week: a Putin critic has been jailed and hundreds of protestors arrested; Hong Kong police have arrested democracy movement leaders (so much for the one nation, two systems lie); an article on China’s “soft” (media) power; an opposition figure in Belarus has been jailed and beaten; sedition charges against media staff in Fiji have been criticised as politically motivated; China will ban veils, “abnormal” beards and refusing to watch government propaganda on state TV; the UAE “has jailed a prominent economist and human rights defender for 10 years over tweets that criticised Egypt”; Paraguay fears a move towards dictatorship; Transparency International , which does the respected Corruption Perceptions Index, says that the “governments of Australia, Canada, the UK and the US need to close glaring legal loopholes to prevent the corrupt elite from laundering the proceeds of grand corruption in their local real estate markets”;
- in the grey area or neutral this week: the Australian Federal Police have been ordered to return documents seized from a Senator and his staffer which are protected by Parliamentary privilege, but the private company staffer who – questionably - attended still has photographs (why, and does that comply with the decision about Parliamentary privilege?). The private company will continue its actions against whistleblowers; Scotland’s Parliament has approved another independence referendum; the partner of a French Presidential candidate is being investigated for possible unethical behaviour; the UK has begun the formal stages of “Brexit”; South Korea’s former President has been arrested on charges of corruption; Brazil’s former speaker has been jailed for corruption;
- good news this week includes: Ghana has a successful political system based on trust and accountability; Portugal's leftist government is raising wages and gaining popularity and yet delivering the lowest budget deficit in living memory;
- and in my home nation this week: a call for a Minister for Youth to be (re)appointed; values are the best way to sell aid to Australian voters; youth underemployment is at a four decade peak; based on evidence, more low paid work is exacerbating economic problems, not solving them; a critique of the dichotomy in Australian values (I dispute the comment that progressives are intolerant, on the basis that those who are intolerant of gender and sexuality diversity are ACTIVELY KILLING PEOPLE); growing injustice in Australia’s increasingly punitive welfare system; an unusual call for the opposition to run on economic management; a proposal to ban gambling ads looks likely to fail; a political deal will give pensioners and companies more money (see also here);
- this week’s atrocity alert at R2P lists Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen and Iraq; - With regard to the current US President (who I
consider seriously dangerous, and NOT at all a buffoon) this week:
I deliberately avoid using the current US President’s name for valid psychic reasons: however, to both simplify my typing and remind people that he is dangerous, I will use “Voldemort” – in this section, at least - as alias.
- an assessment of the effects of Voldemort’s nomination and election (e.g., “unseats the habit of our minds to believe that whatever happens had to happen. To borrow a word from Philip Roth, it “defatalizes” things”), which begins with the description by Paul Soglin, mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, that this “will be recognised with slavery and the Civil War. It will be recognised with World War One and the Great Depression. It will be recognised with World War Two. It will be recognised with the 1950s, and the red baiting and the witch hunting. It will be recognised with the tragedy of Vietnam, as a period of confusion and disaster”;
- Voldemort has wiped out former President Obama’s climate change initiatives – but there is an existing momentum of action;
- an assessment that Canadians probably live longer than US citizens because of better health care – particularly for the poor;
- anger as Voldemort prepares to scrap internet privacy laws;
- Republican resistance to Voldemort’s request for funds to build his wall along the Mexican border; police unions have warned Voldemort that proposed cuts to sanctuary city funds could put public safety at risk;
- Voldemort’s former security advisor is discussing possibly testifying about (alleged) links of Voldemort’s campaign to Russia;
- Voldemort has set himself on a collision course with China; - With regard to violent extremism (VE) (aka, terrorism - e.g., Da’esh)
(ALL people
advocating hate or discrimination in response to violent extremism are actively doing the work of violent extremists, including those who use the acronym ISIS (see also here, which is actually the Greek name of
the Egyptian Goddess Aset) and actively perpetuates the
patriarchal and sacrilegious evil that VEs are trying to accomplish in this
world (see also here, here and here). This 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 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):
- violent extremist attacks/acts have occurred this week in Pakistan, Ukraine, and, according to this Wikipedia page, there have been 1 attack in Iraq (out of a total 10); violent extremist threats are or may be developing in the southern Philippines; hundreds of children were abducted in Nigeria in late 2014 – which has not been acknowledged by the government;
- a right wing British MP who supports the US travel ban has rejected calls to ban Islam; anger as the current US President prepares to scrap internet privacy laws; Uganda will continue hunting for the notorious leader of a violent extremist group; in the UK, “The High Court has ordered a pro-Israel organisation to pay £140,000 ($174,000) in damages to the founder of the Islam Channel after it wrongfully labelled him a “convicted terrorist” ”;
- a media panel discussion has covered the damage of disproportionate responses to violent extremism; an assessment that “The Guantánamo Bay detention camp presents one of the great political, legal and moral dangers of our time … the single greatest danger these tribunals pose is the fact that they are built upon a form of apartheid”; - With regard to refugees (noting the New York Declaration):
the UNHCR has made 8 recommendations to change the refugee situation in Greece from crisis to long term sustainability; a review of Australia’s forcible return policies for failed/rejected asylum seekers; the UN has pointed out that supporting Syrian refugees is not only an act of generosity, but also enlightened self interest; mobile technology is being considered for education – and empowerment - of refugees and displaced people; a call to ensure aid for refugees also reaches those with disabilities; Libya has asked Europe for ships and radar to stop refugees crossing the Mediterranean – with an initial response that not all requested materiel will be supplied; - With regard to human (and other) rights and
discrimination:
- on homophobia/transphobia this week: trans activists are fighting archaic laws in Guyana;
- on racism this week: a media panel discussion has covered the damage which could be done by proposed changes to the (Australian) Racial Discrimination Act, which has been defeated, and a list of 100 things that are more urgent; cultural clashes have led to ethically charged tensions in a small coastal town; a TV show has relatable characters for indigenous kids; Australia’s Prime Minister has “overturned his Government's staunch opposition to establishing a target for reducing Indigenous imprisonment rates”; how a hospital for indigenous health went from worst to best (support staff and listen al round); ethnic fears have been shown by a police killing in France and the reaction to it; a trial of an indigenous pastor who claims he fired a rifle to protect culturally significant sites is proceeding; India is reportedly “shocked” by attacks on Nigerian students – and a Tanzanian; compensation will be paid to survivors of child abuse at a notorious home for Aboriginal children; indigenous stand-up comedy: the “Deadly Funnies”; “leading” companies are hiring and promoting to increase diversity; a call for greater cultural engagement with Africa to counter Indian racism; a First Nation in Canada has been recognised officially, several decades after they were declared extinct;
- on sexism this week (keeping in mind the overblown influence given to testosterone): a single mother’s learning curve; scorn for a UK tabloid trash’s “moronic” and sexist front cover; a critique of the business case approach to gender diversity, which “seems to stifle passion, belief and commitment, and close down imagination”, and is symptomatic of “the “relentless economism” that pervades public life, together with its bedfellow, managerialist language, which “strips away all feeling”, “reduces everything to technical calculation” and “leaves no room for passion or belief or commitment” ”; myths on domestic violence in the UK; progress in my home state on the implementation of recommendations aimed at addressing domestic violence is “on track”; “leading” companies are hiring and promoting to increase diversity; my home state’s first female Supreme Court Chief Justice has announced her retirement; an examination of anti-feminist tropes; - a Mexican judge has been suspended over a sexual assault case, as a confronting seat on public transport highlights the sexual assaults faced by women; “when sexual assault goes viral”;
- on other forms of human (and other) rights this week: a call (in Australia) for a Minister for Youth to be (re)appointed; an article arguing that people with intellectual disabilities are now locked away in suburbia, rather than asylums; an extradition treaty between Australia and China will be blocked over human rights concerns, as the two nations discuss China’s detention of an Australian critic of China; a Putin critic has been jailed; Spain will investigate Syrian officials for torture; the speech of Beyond Blue’s imminent new leader (I had major ethical problems – e.g., see here - supporting their previous [still current] leader); anger as the current US President prepares to scrap internet privacy laws; “Pakistan's media regulator has ordered a controversial televangelist to apologise on air for hate speech”; the abuses of working backpackers in Australia; the increase in numbers of overworked, underpaid, cash-in-hand workers; growing social inequality may give unions a boost; growing injustice in Australia’s increasingly punitive welfare system; a call to ensure aid for refugees also reaches those with disabilities; “Adults who are child molesters are often popular members of the community, and do not behave like predatory monsters”; “Australia's Defence community must change its culture and end negative stereotypes about mental health to ensure members and veterans get the help they need, a national report has found”; Russia has gone back to locking activists in mental asylums; - With regard to crime, judicial
matters and policing:
an interview with the CEO of the Australian Catholic Church’s response to child abuse on matters such as the corruption that allowed the (terrible) “abuse of power” of child abuse to occur, and the institutional fear that corrupted (my term) the response; more horror stories from the Royal Commission into youth detention, with claims calls for change were ignored being dismissed a attempts to avoid blame; some police in the “Democratic” Republic of Congo (DRC) have been decapitated; ethnic fears have been shown by a police killing in France and the reaction to it; a trial of an indigenous pastor who claims he fired a rifle to protect culturally significant sites is proceeding; police unions have warned the current US President that proposed cuts to sanctuary city funds could put public safety at risk; a coroner has found that a journalist who spoke at length to a criminal under police siege exploited a dangerous situation and interfered with police negotiation efforts; “when sexual assault goes viral”; - 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):
an article on combating fake news (remember propaganda); scorn for a UK tabloid trash’s “moronic” and sexist front cover; the murder of a Mexican journalist has been condemned; criticism of freedom of expression campaigners for being selective; an article on China’s “soft” (media) power; more pressure on the media in Kyrgyzstan; a Lebanese activist has been charged for criticising politicians; sedition charges against media staff in Fiji have been criticised as politically motivated; the UAE “has jailed a prominent economist and human rights defender for 10 years over tweets that criticised Egypt”; concern over suppression of free speech in Lebanon; a coroner has found that a journalist who spoke at length to a criminal under police siege exploited a dangerous situation and interfered with police negotiation efforts; journalism in Nicaragua is under attack; - With regard to overcrowding and “modern” lifestyle issues (is YOUR smart phone free of conflict minerals, environmental harm and child labour? IT manufacturers are making some effort
in on those. Do you suffer from FOMO? Is your social media making you
miserable or envious? 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 and contributing to the problem of financialisation?):
- the current US President has wiped out former President Obama’s climate change initiatives – but there is an existing momentum of action; textile runoff is colouring rivers in parts of China and India (this article starts well, with a comment about farmers predicting the colours of coming fashions. I can back them up in terms of the potential colour of textiles as I saw that in the sewers feeding a treatment plant I worked at in the 80s [yes, sewers, not rivers, showing the lack of sewers which is one of the problems in these areas – not to mention the absence of trade waste management], but it has become less of an issue with modern dying practices [which also use less salt]); a call for better management of marine resources in parts of Africa; “Large-scale solar looks to be on the cusp of an Australian boom”; Papua New Guinea’s biodiversity is at risk; a study has identified people’s reasons for not challenging climate change deniers; China is planning a massive reserve for pandas; “El Salvador has made history after becoming the first country in the world to ban [all] metal mining”; Indonesian farmers are using “conservation agriculture” (e.g., minimal soil disturbance – sounds like Permaculture) to prepare for climate change;
- lights in footpaths for so-called “smart” phone users; misuse of children’s cartoons on YouTube – and a looming content control crunch facing a few major internet companies; some companies are withdrawing advertising from YouTube in response to their ads are being linked extremist content; mobile technology is being considered for education – and empowerment - of refugees and displaced people; cardboard gliders might revolutionise aid delivery to disaster zones; anger as the current US President prepares to scrap internet privacy laws; infrastructure additional to mobile phones is needed to help the poor in remote regions; concerns about doctors breaching trust by doing internet searches about their patients; “when sexual assault goes viral”; a criticism of being divorced from reality by being excessively online: “ “Very brave behind a computer screen,” these people are “absolutely unequipped to deal with any suggestion of real-world consequences.” ”;
- a critique of an unsuccessful extreme bonus scheme; a quality crisis in apartment construction;
- a UN report has found the “quiet revolution” towards sustainable urbanisation could benefit from inclusive food systems; an opinion that a four day working week could work; a call to not feed the banks fees and re-think our attitudes to housing; the stories of four people who have moved from desk jobs to working outdoors; a playground for all ages; - With regard to education:
charity is being used to eliminate disadvantage in schools (why isn’t the government doing this?); concerns over the extent of a University’s trigger warning policy (I support having trigger warnings, but some of these proposed are, to me, concerning); mobile technology is being considered for education – and empowerment - of refugees and displaced people; - 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):
Afghanistan is planning on doubling the number of special forces it has; the USA is concerned about Russia’s presence in Afghanistan – and contact with violent extremists; - With regard to Africa, the Africa Center
for Strategic Studies (and other sources) has:
- some police in the “Democratic” Republic of Congo (DRC) have been decapitated; the UN “and regional partner organizations [have] expressed deep concern about the situation in the central Kasaï region of the [DRC] where at least two United Nations experts disappeared two weeks ago and dozens of police officers were … found dead”; the USA has pressured the UN into cutting back the peacekeeping force in the DRC, as key parties have withdrawn from peace talks;
- “Visiting a traditional fishing community in Senegal, the President of the United Nations General Assembly has called on the countries in the region to prioritize conserving and sustainably managing their marine resources”;
- Ghana has a successful political system based on trust and accountability;
- “the current US President has eased combat rules aimed at protecting citizens in Somalia”; concern that declining fish stocks may lead to more Somali piracy;
- South Africa’s current President is trying to control succession – see also here and here;
- Ethiopia has extended its State of Emergency for another four months;
- Uganda’s complex relationship with the ICC; - With regard to China (may her growing middle class bring a
love of peace and freedom) and East and South East Asia:
- Asia-Pacific region is making good progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals;
- an extradition treaty between Australia and China will be blocked over human rights concerns, as the two nations discuss China’s detention of an Australian critic of China; a review of China’s possible responses to the new US administration; an assessment that China’s construction activity in the disputed South China Sea is nearly complete, and military deployment may be imminent; an article on China’s “soft” (media) power; China will ban veils, “abnormal” beards and refusing to watch government propaganda on state TV; Voldemort has set himself on a collision course with China; China has attempted to bully India into controlling the Dalai Lama’s movements; China is planning a massive reserve for pandas;
- Hong Kong police have arrested democracy movement leaders (so much for the one nation, two systems lie);
- alternatives to relying on China to “fix” North Korea (other nations, enforcement of sanctions, deterrence and direct talks);
- “The Cambodian government has shielded and promoted those implicated in the deadly grenade attack on an opposition party rally 20 years ago that left at least 16 people dead and more than 150 injured”;
- Papua New Guinea’s biodiversity is at risk;
- “Undeterred by the arrest of hard-line protest leaders, thousands of Muslims [have] marched in Indonesia’s capital … , calling for the jailing of the city’s minority Christian governor”; Indonesian farmers are using “conservation agriculture” (e.g., minimal soil disturbance – sounds like Permaculture) to prepare for climate change; - With regard to Europe:
- the UNHCR has made 8 recommendations to change the refugee situation in Greece from crisis to long term sustainability; Libya has asked Europe for ships and radar to stop refugees crossing the Mediterranean – with an initial response that not all requested materiel will be supplied;
- NATO continues to have disagreements with Russia over Ukraine;
- Spain will investigate Syrian officials for torture;
- possible surprises in France’s coming Presidential election;
- Germany is resisting Turkish pressure to spy on opponents of the Turkish President - and Switzerland is investigating claims of Turkish spying;
- pro- and anti- change to the Turkish constitution demonstrators have clashed violently in Belgium, leading to some being hospitalised;
- Portugal's leftist government is raising wages and gaining popularity and yet delivering the lowest budget deficit in living memory; - 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):
- an air strike has killed dozens of civilians in Mosul; the marginalisation of families tainted by relatives connections to violent extremist groups;
- and the Iraq Body Count project reports 496 civilians violently killed in the last week; - With regard to the Libyan civil war:
Libya has asked Europe for ships and radar to stop refugees crossing the Mediterranean – with an initial response that not all requested materiel will be supplied; - With regard to Russia (which is currently supporting an – in my
opinion, based on R2P principles - illegitimate regime in Syria), Russian
influenced nations and eastern Europe, and responses:
- a Putin critic has been jailed and hundreds of protestors arrested; Russia has gone back to locking activists in mental asylums; a series of articles on Russia’s President Putin; NATO continues to have disagreements with Russia over Ukraine; - With regard to South and Central America:
- alarm over what is being described as a “coup” in Venezuela;
- people who were sterilised against their will in Peru during the 90s are seeking justice;
- a Mexican judge has been suspended over a sexual assault case, as a confronting seat on public transport highlights the sexual assaults faced by women;
- Brazil’s former speaker has been jailed for corruption;
- trans activists are fighting archaic laws in Guyana;
- Paraguay fears a move towards dictatorship;
- “El Salvador has made history after becoming the first country in the world to ban [all] metal mining”; - With regard to South Asia (aka the Indian
sub-continent), The
Hindu and other sources have:
- India is reportedly “shocked” by attacks on Nigerian students – and a Tanzanian; an article on the Hindu hardliner who leads India’s most populous state; uncertainty on India’s policy on the use of nuclear weapons; China has attempted to bully India into controlling the Dalai Lama’s movements; the Supreme Court has indicated that there should not be any compromise on air quality; a call for greater cultural engagement with Africa to counter Indian racism; the “ugly truth” of manual scavenging;
- “Pakistan's media regulator has ordered a controversial televangelist to apologise on air for hate speech”;
- Sri Lanka – and other small nations in the region – may not choose to align themselves with only one larger power; - With regard to Sudan and South Sudan:
- a call for Jordan to arrest Sudan’s President if he tries to enter;
- the “violations” being faced by children in South Sudan; aid workers have been killed in South Sudan; “Some residents of a South Sudanese displaced persons’ camp say the head of the group that monitors the country’s 2015 peace deal should be fired ... [for] failing to speak up about government violations of the cease-fire, including alleged killings, rapes and torture committed by soldiers against civilians”; - 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):
Spain will investigate Syrian officials for torture; the UN has pointed out that supporting Syrian refugees is not only an act of generosity, but also enlightened self interest; the poor state of peace talks; the US is no longer focused on removing Dictator Assad; Syrian rebels have made gains; - With regard to Turkey:
Germany is resisting Turkish pressure to spy on opponents of the Turkish President - and Switzerland is investigating claims of Turkish spying; pro- and anti- change to the Turkish constitution demonstrators have clashed violently in Belgium, leading to some being hospitalised; - With regard to the conflicts in Ukraine, particularly in
the east:
a Ukrainian intelligence officer has been killed by an apparent car bomb; the US Agency for International Development will not engage in more projects with the Ukrainian anti-corruption agency because of the patchiness of Ukrainian efforts to deliver reforms; NATO continues to have disagreements with Russia over Ukraine; - With regard to West Asia (aka “the
Middle East”) and North Africa, the Middle
East Eye and other sources have:
- “An Israeli judge has told a World Vision employee charged with giving millions of dollars to Hamas that he has "little chance" of being found not guilty”; Israel has approved more squattocracy settlements; Palestinian from Israel and the West Bank have commemorated the killing of 6 people in 1976 as “Land Day”; a “culture war” over (possibly amplified?) calls to prayer from mosques at night in Israel;
- a call for Jordan to arrest Sudan’s President if he tries to enter;
- the UAE “has jailed a prominent economist and human rights defender for 10 years over tweets that criticised Egypt”;
- Canada is considering sanctions against Iran;
- concern over suppression of free speech in Lebanon; - With regard
to the war in Yemen (unlike Iraq, 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 risks of the war in Yemen continuing; medical aspects of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen; illegal drugs have become a bigger problem in Yemen because of the war; a call for the UN’s envoy to meet more Yemenis as part of a change away from the view that the war is solely a proxy war; a “peace activist [has] attempted to put a Saudi general under citizen's arrest in London … for his part in the war in Yemen”; challenges and opportunities facing the USA in relation to Yemen; - With regard to natural and other catastrophes:
an avalanche in Japan has killed 7 people; conflict has reduced food security in northern Africa and West Asia; over twenty million children are at risk of starvation in northeast Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen; cardboard gliders might revolutionise aid delivery to disaster zones; Cyclone Debbie has caused flooding (will this ease the current problems with coral bleaching?), widespread damage and one death in parts of Australia; - With regard to peace and/or spirituality generally, and
the occasional nice story:
a call (rejected by the USA) for an end to nuclear weapons on the grounds that they are “fundamentally incompatible with the world’s aspirations for peace”; three assumptions (good things promote peace, need for formality, external saviours) that may hinder achieving peace; a pet went for help after her owned fell; criticism – by a former Christian – of the attitude of Christians/neochristians to unbelievers as an argumentum ad hominem.
and from a range of other sites:
- scientists have found a weak link between faces and names (phrenology anyone? More seriously, this is the sort of “evidence” that needs to handled carefully – if not, well, see here and here);
- the use of sailing and good diet to manage mental health problems – and diet for asthma;
- maybe my next job :) ;
- Japan’s whaling fleet has returned to that nation with this year’s slaughter of intelligent mammals.
(Dear Reader, please remember, I expect you to think when
reading this blog, and I reserve the right to occasionally sneak in something
to test that)
Now, some general comments/information.
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' (see also here,
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 (running for decades);
the “Network of Light” meditations; and
also see here and here –
even commercial organisations (for instance, see here), online groups (e.g. here
and here
– which I do not know the quality of)
and even an app. Thus, if you don't like what I am suggesting here, but want to be
of service, there are many other opportunities for you – including
secular opportunities: e.g., see here,
here and here. Again, activism
in the physical world is also required - see here,
here
and here,
here, and,
of course, here.
(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 :). 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, there is a default
plan.
I apologise for publishing these posts twice, but Blogger
keeps changing my formatting.
No signature block for these posts.
