Information and Summary/Analysis:
Note: I am NOT a journalist, and make NO claims to objectivity or
freedom from bias. Furthermore, I do not hold copyright to any of the articles
I link to, nor do I claim authorship, except for those links to material I have
written for this and my related blogs, and my commentary in
these posts. (I try to make sure quotes
are shown using quotation marks.)
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.
As part of that, note that there are key
uncooperatives
to be cleared (
rescued):
you should
ONLY address those that are within your ability – if you get a
sense
(e.g., through meditation) or are told by your BPM
Guides/
Higher
Self to back off, do so, and content yourself with clearing the smaller
nonBPM units within your capability – which
will weaken those
uncooperatives. More importantly,
there are many people doing this sort of
work, and others are quite likely to be able
to clear the uncooperatives concerned.
That is also one of the many reasons it is OK to take a break or cut back this
work if you need – in fact, doing so will help you deal with the next point,
which is …
… the energies we use and manifest in our daily lives contribute to the larger
soup of energies that influence world events, so it pays to address those as
well, to the extent that one can, or to at least stop oneself projecting them
into the psychic soup.
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”.
There are some notes at the end of this post about other options for those who
do not like this way of working.
Finally, one of the biggest concerns I
have about spirituality in the world now is that the concept of agape type love
has been perverted into both a quest for emotional warm fuzzies, and an excuse
to avoid doing the hard work of improving oneself and
all that one does. On that, it may help to consider the simplification
that one cannot love perfectly until one has learned how to perfect. (And one of the concerns I have about
those resisting change is that they are so shallow / superficial /stupid that
they thing their actions have ONLY the meaning of their [limited] conscious
intention … ) See also here
and here.
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: - (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:
emotionally (astrally), the
stability and BPM strength of more BPM Earth;
mentally, the clarity and
acuity of more BPM Air;
a plot of the elemental
influences on a causal/spiritual level follows, and shows a need for more BPM Earth;
(d) the
rune for this week’s work is:
(e)
dealing with the 45th President of the USA 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 the USA’s CEO’s BPM Guides and giving them whatever BPM help they
need to present a BPM alternative to promote a change of heart,
2. lifting the nonBPM
influences from the shoulders of the USA’s CEO’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. physical world activism (especially education) – e.g., this. 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: - as attraction to violence continues to be
inadequately addressed, the risks of mass atrocities in Burma, DR Congo
and North Korea, and ongoing violent conflicts and crises in Syria, Afghanistan,
Iraq, Mexico, Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Libya,
Sudan (Darfur and South Kordofan), Yemen, Egypt (Sinai), Kurdistan, the
Philippines, Ethiopia, Mali, Burma, DR Congo, Burundi, Kashmir, Baluchistan
(Pakistan and Iran), India (Maoist and other insurgencies), the Maghreb
(Africa), Ukraine, and elsewhere; - refugee and humanitarian crises; - the political madness of regimes with
authoritarian leaders; - and escalating
political tension and emotional incompetence amongst some politicians
(particularly the USA’s 45th President, who is as economically blind
as he is personally); continued fear,
including xenophobia, and grasping amongst citizens in all social classes; reactiveness
(pushing problems out of sight, especially refugees); the growing chance of war in West Asia and starting
on the Korean Peninsula; continued
simple mindedness given a more noble sounding name, lie “patriotism”, or “nationalism”; relying on personally comfortable actions in
political and other spheres (e.g., liking “norms”, or using social media
unwisely) leads to a range of problems, including inappropriate political
structures; confusing vengeance and
justice, and the abuse of power (silencing of victims) that leads to it; workers remain under attack from blind and/or
stupid managers, who are attacking their purchasers; small mindedness and smallness of spirit
continues to afflict many, particularly conservatives when they consider
welfare; abuses of power and attempted
abuses of power continue; the
desperation of those who feel powerless continues to lead to unwise, harmful deeds; violent threats continue to be seen as
acceptable by some; thinking of
consequences and generosity of heart continue to be too limited, especially in
the fields of foreign aid/intervention;
being overwhelmed continues to lead to lack of care for others; the desire to belong continues to cause
terrible acts, and attempted justifications and denial of others’ humanity (as
well as war and violence, also in sex slavery); pride and prestige and social status
continue to afflict the world and too many of those on it;
(g) as
all actions taken in pursuance of social status are evil, may we exercise our
human characteristics of reason, self discipline and improvement to overcome
that flaw, and the viciousness and destructiveness that go with it;
(h) may
the social filter bubbles around all nonBPM people lead to hubris and all the associated
flaws, weaknesses, lack of attention and other mistakes;
(i) may
all people allow themselves to rise above the lesser aspects of themselves and
embrace their BPM greatness;
(j) may all who are in a
position to prevent or stop war and all forms of violence have th courage and
BPM inspiration and all else that they need in order to do so;
(k) may
all thinking be clear, balance and mature, infused with a healthy and mature
interaction with both BPM emotions and BPM spirituality;
(l) may
no-one be overwhelmed, unsupported or abandoned;
(m) may
all those who seek to do good be helped to unite with each other.
News and other matters
from this past week follows:
news items are presented in the following
sections (there is overlap, and items may
appear more than once):
- Permanent and Thematically Arranged
News,
- Location Based News,
- (from
a range of) Other Sites;
opportunities/good
news are shown in green;
comments are shown in purple; and
WARNING: some of these links may contain triggers around issues such
as violence, sexual assault, discrimination,
etc.
Permanent Issues and Thematically Arranged News:
- Permanent issue: may all
actual and potential BPM 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 resources (including an assured income, given the power that nonBPM forces have
in the structures of the material world), opportunities and assistance (including 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
actual and potential BPM Violence
Interrupters (and Interrupters of
hate / fear / anger) of be kept BPM safe, and may they have all the BPM
opportunities and assistance (so-called
“good luck”) for them to be BPM effective at containing and stopping – along the lines of the Cure
Violence model - the spread
of violence (and hate / fear / anger),
all as is for the Highest Spiritual Good;
- 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;
- Permanent issue: may all
humans be in better communication with the better parts of their nature – especially
those who need that more than other, better people;
- Matters warranting particular attention:
this week on reversing the
deliberate, well-funded, long-term strategy (from about the 70s) to make self-interest seem normal and a
commitment to fairness (such as
former US President Franklin D Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms) an aberration: the entirety of this blog and all other spiritual work
and physical activism I and others do; “democracies
will fall under the spell of populists like [the 45th US
President] if they fail to deal with the fallout of globalisation”; “justice is the better
part of greatness” (social media link - sorry); the moral
value of wilderness; a call to “create a more equal society by prioritising ordinary workers …
instead of the rich and powerful”
– see also here;
on the Rohingya crisis this
week:
-
Rohingya would rather
die than be forced back to Burma;
the “repatriations” have been delayed,
as the UN urges safeguards; extreme
violence against other minorities in Burma; a “veteran
US diplomat has resigned from a panel set up to advise [Burma] about the Rohingya crisis calling it a “whitewash” and questioning Aung San Suu Kyi's “moral leadership””; the UN wants unhindered access
inside Burma;
on the North Korean nuclear tensions this
week:
-
an assessment
of US pessimists and optimists – see also here
and here; “two
Crisis Group reports examine the standoff and how to renew the diplomatic search for a more durable
solution”; the symbolic Doomsday Clock has been pushed forward by 30 seconds to two minutes before midnight - see also here,
on a US government created fictionalised book about a nuclear attack, which led
to a film which contributed to a US-Russian treaty;
on the fallout from the USA’s
recognition of (all?) Jerusalem as Israel’s capital:
-
backstabbing
Voldemort II now thinks that threatening more aid cuts (over alleged disrespect to the USA - which
has shown an extraordinary insensitivity and incompetence that goes well beyond
disrespect) will force Palestinians to accede to Israeli positions
on “peace”; support
for violence has grown amongst both Israelis and Palestinians; the USA may
close the PLO office there;
on other matters requiring
particular attention:
-
another article on underreported
humanitarian crises (North Korea
[food shortages and repression], Eritrea [drought and repression], Burundi
[political unrest], Vietnam [typhoon]);
-
a call for meaningful
(selective) outrage, not more social media tags;
this week’s atrocity alert
at R2P lists Burma, DR Congo and North Korea;
- With regard to democracy (which can
be measured [as can goodness], and requires protection of minorities and the vulnerable – and remember
Gandhi’s question about whether one is fighting to change things, or to punish,
and note this list of 198 methods of nonviolent action), freedom,
governance (e.g., here, here, here and here, and see also here) and ethics:
Note:
I have a section specifically for the 45th US President below
analyses this week include:
-
the problem of relying
on political “norms” – see also here; an analysis of 300 years shows a cycle
of booms followed by deregulation, crises, and re-regulation; equality
is more important than growth; a populism of
hope; digital (technology) diplomacy; a comparison
of Russian and Chinese influence techniques;
a rebuttal of claims of an “epidemic” of rape committed by refugees; a survey
of US citizens’ attitudes towards sanctions;
continued scarcity
of jobs on a global basis; how to minimise “non-use of evaluations”; an examination
of casualised work – which FAILS
to examine anything long term; work “flexibility policies may have detrimental effects on health”; the rest of the world is moving on without
the USA;
of concern this week:
-
the USA has set digital privacy back
by continuing warrantless surveillance;
the US health care approach increases income inequality; concerns over Russian infiltration of political organisations (which has long been known of in Europe); claims that the US FBI “lost crucial texts tied to Clinton probe”; scavengers who ravaged naval wrecks have dumped
the remains of sailors in an anonymous mass grave; the US FBI “fears political attacks may imperil [the] work of field agents”; Germany may
be considering swapping tanks for a journalist
being held by the Grand Sultanate of Turkey; another
article on the resurrection of the TPP; how
political influence will be used to stop a public health tax on sugar; sloppy
handling of sensitive personal information by a UN aid agency as new EU
regulations force
improvements to the sector; concerns over tech companies possibly setting up Russian hacking; ethical and environmental concerns
over a mining company, Australian state government and environmental funds;
-
other concerning events have occurred or are developing in: my home state; USA,
Chile;
in the grey/mixed [good and bad
aspects] or neutral area this week:
-
a social media outlet will notify
people who were influenced by Russian propaganda; US imperial possession Puerto Rica will privatise
its catastrophic electricity authority;
a US court has ordered a US state to
fix its gerrymander; a conservative
US judge has moderated
his views – a bit;
and democracy/governance/political
matters in my home nation this week:
-
concerns that Amazon Australia will also
be a union-busting, worker-abusing site; 15% of Australians experience food
insecurity – which is extraordinary
given up to 40% of food is discarded before it reaches the market; “the proportion of crimes allegedly
committed by offenders from Sudan in Victoria has been overestimated by a
federal parliamentary committee, Victoria's crime statistics agency has said”; a
carjacking victim has rebutted rumours that her attackers were Sudanese - they were white; “the
Australian Electoral Commission misled the public about the security of its data during the
2016 federal election and failed to ensure it had not been compromised”; “Australia's
financial regulator wants to go undercover on [the] dark web”; the main problem with Australia’s NBN is shoddy
government intent (“to provide an
internet service that’s good enough just to download” an internet streaming
service); the neoliberals’
cut-backs have led to welfare recipients –who are compelled
to call – waiting for longer
times – especially country people (why does Centrelink have an absurd 16 minute target for answering?); Australia has spent $31 billion on welfare (less than the military budget), with an
alarmist –and/or ageist – tone suggesting the just over half spent on the elderly
(who,
surprise, surprise, tend to NEED more care, you idiots – and if there is a
funding shortfall, why? Why haven’t you invested a portion of tax, for instance,
for the future – like any good household?) is unearned; the ALP’s outgoing President has called for
an end
to internal factionalism, leading to a call for the ALP to regain
the ability to develop and articulate a big-picture vision for Australia that
starkly differentiates it from the status quo;
reconciliation is required before becoming a republic; ahead
of an election in my home state, the opposition wants to make education more
“intellectual” by scrubbing
gender and sexuality truths - and racist versions of history will be
reintroduced … and
the truly appalling thing is that some voters will buy this rot; concerns
that the “basic right to strike in Australia is very nearly dead”;
a commissioner who doesn’t understand and is against advocacy appears to
be trying to control charities’ spending;
the social classes
in Australia; management pressure
on workers;
-
other events relating to my home nation have occurred or are developing
in: my home state, company
tax rates;
- With regard to the 45th US
President (who is dangerous – see here on actions
for US residents [and the useful principles]) this week (I avoid using
the 45th US President’s name for psychic reasons, but also use
either “the USA’s CEO” or “Voldemort II” as an alias; also, the US
Vice-President needs to be worked on – and typically takes about three times as
much effort to clear of negativity):
-
the 45th US President allegedly “ordered Mueller fired [in
June, 2017], but backed off when White
House Counsel threatened to quit”;
the US FBI is investigating
whether Russia gave money to a notorious US gun association; an opinion that Voldemort II will never
testify to any enquiry; the US
Attorney-General has been questioned; political
bias in Voldemort II’s dealings with the FBI;
-
another
court case over the travel ban; more fake
news (misrepresentation, false
assumptions, etc) from us administration;
concern
that the US ICE has become a force for political repression – and that
detainees are being forced into slavery (see also here); a call for the US
Congress to censure
Voldemort II over his racism; Catholic
church resistance
to the deportation of Salvadorian refugees;
the US administration will allow 1.8 million people to – slowly – become citizens for the wall against
Mexico; the “Dreamers” controversy also targets South
Asians;
-
Women’s
March 2.0 - see also here; a possible kindness backlash;
-
the idiotic US government has shut
down … which apparently “tarnishes”
the 45th
US President’s “deal maker” image … but now it has re-opened, but the deal is divisive;
-
the USA is now claiming
it erred over China’s admission to the WTO
in 2001; the declining
US-UK relationship;
-
the US CEO’s efforts to help coal miners have, so far, mostly failed
- but success here;
-
the 45th US President
is (perhaps successfully) focused on image,
rather than other forms of communication;
-
a challenge
to the US VP’s homophobia;
-
a call for a US museum to cut
ties to a climate change denialist;
- With regard to violent
extremism (VE) (aka, terrorism)
(ALL people
advocating hate or discrimination in response to violent extremism are actively doing the work of violent extremists. This will be countered, in part, by “Cure
Violence”,
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 don’t name groups
to reduce their publicity):
-
violent extremist attacks/acts have occurred this week in Afghanistan, Afghanistan,
Libya,
and, according to this
Wikipedia page, there have been 2 attacks in Iraq and 8 attacks in
Afghanistan (out of a total of 26); and
actions (Note:
there are many others that don’t reach the media I read) have occurred this
week against violent extremists in: Nigeria,
Tunisia,
Australia,
Syria,
social
media - although this is also inhibiting
the documentation of war crimes, the
ASEAN-India Summit, Somalia
- and here;
- an
article on marginalising
violent extremism online; the current
US administration’s policies – including more military autonomy – have increased
civilian casualties (and thus fed the next insurgency … ); shame and Stockholm
Syndrome may explain why some kidnapped girls did not return home;
-
other violent extremist matters have also occurred in: Mali,
France,
Nigeria;
- With regard
to refugees (noting the New York Declaration) and people
seeking asylum:
-
refugees want to get out
of Serbia; “risk of hunger and crime as [the] UN cuts food for refugees in east
Africa”; LGBT refugees; lone operators, not
criminal gangs, dominate people smuggling from Africa; the EU has ruled that psychological tests cannot
be used to assess LGBT asylum applications;
-
other refugee-related matters have also occurred in: Mexico,
CAR, Syria;
- With regard to human (and other) rights and
discrimination (incidentally, I consider it vital to identify people
who are bigots, as they clearly have flaws of observation and thinking – shown
by the fact that NOT all
people choose to discriminate unless they have been educated otherwise):
on homophobia/transphobia (including heteronormativity and
cisgender-normativity) this week (and noting that trans kids are the same as cis kids of the
trans kids’ true gender):
-
on terminology;
-
other homophobic/transphobic (and
heteronormativity / cisgender-normativity) matters have also occurred in: Brazil,
Croatia (good news),
India
(good news),
EU
(good news);
on white supremacist and other forms of racism and indigenous matters generally
this week:
-
death and
gang rape threats to an indigenous MP; support for constitutional indigenous recognition; on Invasion
Day: see here,
here,
here,
here,
here,
here,
here,
here,
and “despite 230 years of inhumane
treatment, First Nations people are not hateful” – but also here; “time
to 'consign to history' the relics of segregation”;
racism is creeping
back into mainstream science;
because of the failure
to address intergenerational trauma, the number of indigenous children in
care has doubled since stolen generations apology;
-
other white supremacy / racism problems have also occurred in: Australia,
India (good news),
USA;
on sexism this week (keeping in mind the overblown influence given to
testosterone):
-
a US politician and member of the ethics committee used public money to settle a sexual
misconduct claim; a US judge has said survivors of an abuser were “sister
survivor warriors”; support from a
ground breaking US
judge; some surprising, atypical and
positive
“bottom up” responses to Me Too in the US military; more sexist
stupidity in sport; abuse of a
young woman in the CFA station – including by a liar/hypocrite who appeared to
support White Ribbon day - was “not
isolated”; an abuser has been sentenced; international
enablers of revenge porn; a men only
club has been closed
over sexual abuse; techniques for avoiding unwanted male attention;
-
on sexual harassment/misconduct this week - more accusations / descriptions
of effects and commentary / responses / resignations: here,
here,
here,
here, here,
here;
-
other sexism matters have also occurred in: UK
(good news);
on workers’, children’s, privacy, and other forms of human (and other –
e.g., animal) rights this week:
-
sex trafficking is a $2.5 billion industry
in the USA; former slaves can help warn women of
risks; the cruelty
of smuggling orangutans; legislation is
causing
abuse of home care workers in a US city;
the Catholic Pope has apologised
for insisting on proof of abuse; forced labour
in Thai fishing; another
case of animal cruelty; the problem of child marriage; business can
help fight slavery; HRW’s 2018 World Report;
-
also on slavery / human
trafficking this week: Asia (good news),
Malaysia (potentially
good news), India, UK,
USA,
Jordan,
Thailand,
Scotland
(a US company), India,
Argentina, India, Nigeria (good news);
-
other workers’, children’s, privacy, differently abled, animal, and
other forms of human or other rights matters have also occurred in: Bangladesh,
Russia,
Europe,
Mali,
France,
Gambia;
-
opportunities to take action here;
- With regard to war, violence
and hate generally:
-
the problem
of “use it or lose it” mentality in military spending;
-
other war, violence or hate related matters have occurred or are
developing in: Sweden;
- With regard to peace and/or spirituality generally (including survival
after death, and good religion), development
(in an “end poverty/thirst/hunger” sense – and being mindful of “intimate activism”) and the occasional nice story (and to get
people to constructively remedy: fear of being single / asexual / off-grid or a rebel / innovator / non-conformist /
true to yourself, belief in management fads and fashions, distracting themself aka filling their
time, and accept extraterrestrial UFOs):
integrity and change
of religion (I particularly appreciate
the comment that children “do not have the mental capacity and emotional
maturity to make life-long commitments ... If you made a religious promise as a
child – or if one was made for you – you have no ethical obligation to keep it”);
- With regard to natural and other catastrophes:
-
earthquake in Indonesia
(and Alaska, but no harm from that one, it seems); dozens have died from yellow
fever in Brazil; a measles
outbreak in Indonesian-occupied West Papua;
- With regard to overcrowding and “modern” lifestyle issues (such as conflict minerals, environmental harm and child labour in smart phone , FOMO (which can be overcome) and addiction or unthinking pro-technology bias, second thoughts, social media making people miserable or envious, work and
lifestyles causing depression, being duped by modern mantras and management fads, “failing” at being well, AI ethics, corporate misuse of mindfulness as
a distraction from working conditions, embedded emissions, plane pollution, bigger, flashier homes/cars– which means
actively abusing the environment and society’s cohesion and contributing to financialisation, the need for agroforestry, the accursed “new is always good”
groupthink of the computer world, abuse of workers by insisting on busy-ness, raising Prince Boofheads):
on climate change and other environmental matters this week:
-
conflicting claims over increasing
algae and decreasing birdlife in a RAMSAR wetland; native
Australian bee honey; as bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef starts
early this year, money is being wasted
on projects suggested by the tourism industry;
agricultural
runoff (which
has been known to be a problem since the 80s at least) affecting the
Great Barrier Reef will – finally - be cut back; an illegal wildlife trading “kingpin” has been
arrested; a conservative
has argued for less confrontation over the
environment; environmental human
rights in the USA; a former car factory may be used to manufacture electric cars;
sharing photos on social media is putting wild areas at
risk; technology is “being used to
improve tuna traceability to help stop illegal and unsustainable
fishing practices in the Pacific Islands”;
the International Year of the Reef has started; advanced work on turning waste into recoverable resources; a study
is underway into the effect of wind farms on people’s sleep; air
pollution in poor areas of the USA;
the massive
threat of plastic to coral reefs; potato
biodiversity and food security;
-
other environmental matters have occurred in: Peru;
on technology and science matters this week:
-
South Korea has banned
anonymous cryptocurrency trades;
social media developers avoidance of their creations shows its addictiveness; is
facebook reaping
its own karma?;
-
other technology and science matters have occurred in: Australia,
Australia,
Russia,
Morocco;
on economic and financial matters this week:
- good advice for
managers
- that our neoliberal MPs need to read;
“in a distracted world, solitude is a competitive advantage”; the business
benefits of diversity and inclusion; “companies that pay more tax deliver
shareholders better
returns”; in the USA, sub-minimum-wage
online tasks;
on affordable, sustainable and decent housing and homelessness matters
this week:
-
experts say Australia’s housing
is “severely
unaffordable”
(“virtually all” such markets “have restrictive land use regulation, usually
urban-containment policy”); Hong
Kong is starting to build underground; contract workers; lower prices in regional
areas (I’d
move … if the area definitely wasn’t homophobic/transphobic/racist/etc); an opinion that “the corporate capture of residential real estate and its effects
is the newest form of colonisation”;
on health and medical this week:
-
focus on health, not
losing weight; a victim of the US
opioid epidemic is suing
the manufacturers of an artificial opioid (this may be one of those cases I think won’t get
anywhere – for legal reasons, not bias or similar - that might … ); the signs of stress (including a cold
nose); finally some common sense:
wear loose
clothes for exercising; concerns
that fines over hospital waiting times is impeding
care; afternoon naps are good;
on other matters in the category this week:
-
you DON’T
need alcohol (or drugs) to dance;
- With regard to press aka the
media, and freedom of expression (claims of presenting “both sides” of a
debate can be WRONG if the other side is RUBBISH –as is the case
on LGBTIQ issues. Also, media can be unprofessional, but funding is an issue … ):
-
support
for media; a pernicious
media technique; an investigative
journalist and news outlet are protecting, under
journalistic privilege, confidential sources who contributed to a book
about child
abuse by a church figure;
-
other media / freedom of expression matters have occurred in: Morocco,
Israel;
- With regard to education:
-
a missing five-year-old child was found - “petrified” - on a school bus,
after five
hours; for
the first time in its 800-year history, the UK’s University of Oxford admitted more
women than men in undergraduate courses;
-
other education matters have occurred in: Pakistan;
- With regard to crime, judicial
matters and policing:
-
concerns over police stopping children and recording details and photographs (the claims
about getting the kids’ permission are particularly disingenuous); some criminal negligence trials are continuing in the
case of a cost-cutting railway company that killed 47 people in a small
Canadian town; an opinion that “despite the controversy, the Khmer Rouge
Tribunal is a success” (as an example of fair justice
to Asia); a former US police chief told
recruits to shoot blacks as part of a ‘racist and threatening’ pattern; a US police union is cutting back on “get out of jail free”
cards given to friends and family, with concerns the name gives an impression
of evading justice – which it does by unfair “benefit of the doubt”; a police officer has been stabbed
by a child abuser –who was shot and killed – in my nation; a major
drug bust;
-
other crime, judicial and policing matters have occurred in: my home state; Cambodia,
Pakistan,
my
home state;
Location based News:
- With regard to Africa, the Africa
Center for Strategic Studies (and other sources) has:
on Africa generally:
-
surging
violence in the Central African Republic has displaced 700,000 people,
leaving 2 ½ million in need of help;
-
Congolese forces have attacked
churchgoers; the UN has urged investigation of
violence against protestors in the DR Congo;
-
“Ethiopia adoption ban may curb
trafficking, but [the] poorest families need support”; Ethiopian security
forces have killed
seven people; questions
as to whether the closure of Ethiopia’s most notorious prison is progress or a
smokescreen;
-
the victims of the former dictator in Gambia are seeking
justice - and the current President is open
to that; Gambia faces a resurgence in FGM
and child marriage that the former despot banned;
-
'backpack midwife' bringing healthcare in Kenya;
-
a milestone in Liberia as a new President is inaugurated and the UN
peacekeeping mission prepares to end;
-
“mother-to-mother training in Malawi helps battle child malnutrition”;
-
a call for Mali to “put justice
and the fight against impunity at the centre of its actions to combat terrorism and insecurity”; those blocking peace in Mali may be sanctioned;
-
violent extremism remains
a problem in Nigeria; the intelligence
agency has lost funds; twice as many Nigerians are killed
by land disputes as violent extremism;
the laws being used to restrict
digital communication in Nigeria;
-
Sierra Leone is maturing
politically;
-
Somalia has called for an easing
of the arms embargo so it can fight violent extremists;
-
more on South Africa's water
crisis; the lack of Terms of
Reference is preventing
a corruption enquiry, although some think progress
is being made;
-
Zambia is silencing
dissent;
-
although no-one had been granted immunity from prosecution, Zimbabwe’s former leader will be
“left in peace” … ;
on Sudan and
South Sudan:
-
a 'lost
generation' in South Sudan; the USA is now giving up on South Sudan’s president;
- With regard
to South and Central America:
-
sex slavery
in Argentina;
-
closure
of a Brazilian tip will leave 2,000 “trash pickers” stranded; a record number of murders
of LGBT people in Brazil; the passport
of a former Brazilian President has been seized;
-
Chile's new president wants to slip back towards the notorious Pinochet;
-
risks of slave descendants being driven off their
land in Colombia;
-
continuing protests
over the recent election chaos in Honduras;
-
Mexico is breaching
non-refoulement and its own laws by sending refugees back to possible death; although Mexico has recorded its highest
ever number of murders (almost 30,000), it is not
as violent as the 45th US President portrays;
-
Peru will allow
roads through pristine Amazon rainforest;
- With regard to China (may her
growing middle class bring a love of peace and freedom), East and
South East Asia and the Pacific (noting the risks of atrocities in North Korea and Burma):
on China, Hong Kong, the DPRK (North Korea) and South Korea (which need to
accept their partition – for now – and sign a peace treaty), Taiwan, and the free but invaded
and occupied nation of Tibet:
-
China is angry
over another US freedom of navigation exercise near a disputed island; China has seized a
Chinese-Swedish citizen from a train - despite the presence of two Swedish
diplomats; China is now trying to stamp
out hip hop to “keep Chinese culture pure” .. ; China is trying to compel
– including by financial and other punishments - its idea of social “goodness”;
-
North Korea busted
sanctions via Russia;
-
a backlash
in South Korea against olympic cooperation with the North; dozens have died in a hospital fire
in South Korea;
-
Hong Kong’s housing
crisis (which is leading to
homelessness);
elsewhere in Asia:
-
“Unions
representing Bangladeshi textile workers have reached a landmark $2.3m
settlement with a multinational apparel brand after it was accused of
delays in remedying life-threatening hazards at its factories”;
-
an article on a jailed Australian shows how appalling
Cambodia’s prisons are;
-
“a
moderate Muslim mayor is refusing
to bow to hard-line Islamist clerics”;
-
a fatal avalanche in Japan was triggered by a volcanic
eruption; Japanese concern
over Chinese naval movements in the East China Sea;
-
an increased
alert for a Philippines volcano;
-
questionable
conduct by one of the soldiers ruling Thailand;
-
a Vietnamese official has been jailed for mismanagement
over economic losses;
and in the Pacific:
-
concerns that traditional land as collateral for banks is “another
land grab”;
- With regard to Europe and the European Union (EU) (which need
to step up, as the USA steps down):
-
a call for Europe “to strengthen respect for human rights by regulating dual use technology exports”;
-
a Croatian children’s storybook has families
headed by same
sex couples;
-
a call for France to “stop sacrificing rights at the altar of fear”;
-
Germany moves a step
closer to getting a government;
Germany is “actively investigating
the whereabouts of the key suspect in the July 2016 Turkish coup attempt”;
-
an woman who, as a child, survived a Nazi death camp is Italy’s next Senator-for-life;
-
Sweden is again distributing pamphlets “in
case war comes”;
-
an opinion that the UK’s economy is too
weak (“tired”) for the dreamed-of renewal from Brexit;
- 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, Central
Asia, and responses (see also elsewhere):
Russia:
-
concern over arson
attacks on human rights groups;
-
other events concerning Russia, eastern Europe or Central Asia have
occurred or are developing in: UK;
- With regard to the conflict in Afghanistan (noting that
Afghanistan was once a peaceful and modern society, even allowing women in
miniskirts, before the Russian invasion – see here):
-
the problems (including US arrogance) facing the ICC
with its investigation in Afghanistan; “erosion in the international consensus on
rebuilding the country must be reversed before it’s too late”;
- With regard to South Asia (aka
the Indian
sub-continent), The
Hindu and other sources have:
-
India and Pakistan have met
over border incidents;
on India:
-
one state will criminalise sex buyers as part of a crackdown on the
sexual slavery of women and children (so long as this doesn’t also promote sex negativity … ); “in
India where light skin is coveted, a new campaign
is re-imagining popular Hindu gods and goddesses with a darker skin”;
Rohingyan slavery; child slavery; a free phone
line is bringing legal aid to garment workers; a film with an inter-religious relationship
has been met with violent
protests - see also here
and here; Republic
Day; three people tried to commit
suicide to protest
a death in custody; India’s President has
called for “a civic-minded
society”;
on Pakistan:
-
the frustrating
history of US CIA-Pakistani interactions;
a student murdered
his school principal because the student wanted to skip school for hate
rallies;
- With regard
to West Asia (aka “the Middle East”) and Northern
Africa, the Middle East Eye, the Times
of Israel, and other sources have:
-
the silencing
of online
activists;
on Israel and Palestine:
-
the UN agency for Palestinian refugees is seeking more
funding after the USA’s savage cuts;
the growth in angry
defensiveness in Israeli media over the last ten years; famine
and desperation in Gaza; Jordan has
said the USA “now faces the challenge of getting Israel to make a
significant concession in
exchange for its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital”; South Africa has “accused Israel of being the world’s only apartheid state, triggering an angry Israeli reaction”; the number of Arab students in Israeli
Universities has increased
from 10% to 16%;
on the (forgotten / ignored / underreported) conflict in Yemen:
-
80% of Yemen’s population, or 22 million people, need aid;
on Syria (where
the Assad Dictatorship has lost all pretence of legitimacy, and partition is
needed):
-
the attack
by the Grand Sultanate of Turkey on Syrian Kurds - which has killed
18 civilians, including women and children, and asked the US to stop backing the
Kurds – has moved into the ground
troops phase, leading to staggering calls by the
Kurds for Assad dictatorship troops to help defend the area; another article on rebuilding Syria; 200,000
internal refugees in the last month;
high numbers
of Iranian soldiers and controlled troops in Syria;
on
Iraq (which was a peaceful and prosperous society before the UK / USA / CIA backed revolution – see here) and Kurdistan:
-
a call for the Iraqi government to work with Iraqi
tribes;
-
and the Iraq Body Count
project reports 76 people violently killed in the last week;
on Libya:
-
brutal summary
executions (by a wanted war criminal)
after a suicide bombing;
on Iran:
-
the Iranian air force has warned coalition vessels to stay
away from military exercises;
research indicates that the response to any further protests will be
even more
violent;
on Saudi Arabia:
-
the battle for Saudi Arabia’s soul;
on Turkey:
-
(see also the section on Syria,
and Germany); Grand Sultan
Erdogan’s outbursts
are “symbolic of Turkey’s decline”;
elsewhere in the region:
-
“with dissent
crushed, Egypt's presidential campaign is a subdued affair”;
-
Jordan’s domestic workers are being “sold
like commodities”;
-
the problem of burning
rubbish in Lebanon;
-
hundreds of Moroccans have protested
the trial of journalists;
-
Oman is building a wall on its border
with Yemen, but is also treatment sick and injured Yemenis;
-
seven years after Tunisia’s revolution, relatives of hundreds of people
who died and thousands who were injured are still waiting
for justice;
-
claims
the UAE military has been ordered not to escalate the Qatar crisis.
Other News:
- trivia from sport: as every martial arts
practitioner already knows, science has shown grunting
in tennis gives 4.9% more speed on the tennis ball;
- even more trivial: face
yoga … .
General Comments/Information
(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)
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 “
CE 5 ET
contact” movement started by Dr
Steven
M
Greer, which is the one which
appears to me to most capitalise on the teachings of “The Nine”,
the
“Network
of Light” meditations;
the
1 Million Meditators
movement,
and
also see
here,
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.
(I 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.