Sunday, 31 March 2019

Post No. 1,305 – Gnwmythr’s News Ed. No. 258


For the sake of my health, until I retire or change to an easier day job , I have cut back these posts.
Throughout 2019, these posts are likely to be cut back even further as a family illness is dealt with.
Information and Summary of News with Opinion / Advocacy / Analysis:
Notes:
(1) I am NOT a journalist (this blog was created for spiritual reasons, including a course), and make NO claims to objectivity or freedom from bias.
(2) 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. 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 Uranus in Aries contributing to fresh and possibly radical starts (until March 2019), 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)   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 his mind-set, and strengthening that person’s BPM Guides and giving those BPM Guides 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 that person’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);
         4. Ensuring opposition to POTUS45 is unified, cohesive and FOCUSED, NOT fractured or divisive;
(d)   the major events this week are:
          (i)   as attraction to violence continues to be inadequately addressed, the search for humans rights abusers continues, and further to the current map of genocides, this week there are risks of mass atrocities in   Mali, Yemen and burma,
          (ii)   ongoing violent conflicts and crises in Syria, Afghanistan, Mexico, Iraq, Burma, Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Libya, Sudan (Darfur and South Kordofan), Yemen, Egypt (Sinai), Kurdistan, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Mali, DR Congo, Burundi, Kashmir, Baluchistan (Pakistan and Iran), India (Maoist and other insurgencies), the Maghreb (Africa), Ukraine, and elsewhere;
         (iii) refugee and humanitarian crises;   -   the political madness of regimes with authoritarian leaders – and all who put or keep them there;   -   and, specific to this week,     examples of genuinely caring leadership, and actions (of varying genuineness and effectiveness, but the intent is there) against violence and hate, offset by inaction (for a range of motivations) in other instances;     some unwell (including sadistic etc), evil and power-crazed people are exacerbating violence and harm, and act unethically, including trying to warp others’ perspectives and to misappropriate terms and religions;     measurement of happiness;     some of those trying to do good continue to be overwhelmed;     the oft lingering effects of violence and hate are being revealed, as ways of best addressing that are debated;     some rich and powerful people are still trying to deny and/or resist action against climate change, which is being exacerbated as a side effect of things like the US-China trade war, simplistic thinking, and lack of knowledge;     humanitarian crises and responsibility for taking action to help others (e.g., under the SOLAS  Convention) continue to be downplayed or ignored for a range of reasons, including inconvenience, laziness and lack of basic competence at being human by lacking empathy – which also shows in a range of discriminatory measures, and failures to take action against discrimination – although there has also been some holding to account;     judgementalism and lack of nuance;     failure to consult and communicate;     domination and debasement of others for personal gratification;     the short-sightedness and limited thinking/perspective/awareness of some actions and policies is being shown;
(e)   may the trend towards genuine caring continue unabated, and with ever-increasing momentum and width of effect;
(f)   may those “in the know” and bystanders BPM decide to act, and BPM do so, against harm, violence and evil;
(g)   may all people learn to BPM treasure happiness and goodness;
(h)   may all people BPM develop basic competence at being human, especially empathy and kindness;
(i)   may all people learn to BPM think deeply and with nuance, and to crave evidence and value forethought;
(j)   may all people realise that inaction against harm and evil or, worse, active action to aid harm or evil, ultimately harms the doer, and thus is unwise (it is shooting oneself in the foot), as well as wrong;
(k)   may all people BPM help others who are being overwhelmed, and may all people who are doing good receive the BPM resources (including healing and rest) they need;
(l)   may all people with influence or other forms of power realise that misuse, abuse or warped exercise of same ultimately harms themselves as well as others, and is never worth the massive active and widespread harm it causes;
(m)   may all else that should BPM asked for, also be done;
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 past week follows:
   news items are presented in the following sections (there is overlap, and items may appear more than once; those without news deleted each week):
   -   Permanent Issues and Thematically Arranged News:
          permanent issues;     particular attention;
          democracy, freedom, governance, and ethics;     the USA and POTUS45;
          violent extremism;     refugees and migrants;     human rights
           (including homophobia/transphobia, white supremacism, trafficking
          and children’s rights, sexism, religious rights, workers’ rights, animals’ rights,
          and privacy, differently abled and other rights);     war, violence and hate;
          peace;     spirituality and psychism;     natural and other catastrophes;
          modern lifestyle (including climate change and environment, technology
          and science, economic and financial, housing, health and medical);     media;
          education;     crime judicial and police;
   -   Location-based News:
         Africa;     South and Central America;
          mainland China, East and South East Asia, and the Pacific;     Europe;
          Ukraine;     Russia and Central Asia;     Afghanistan;     South Asia;
          West Asia and northern Africa;
   -   Other Sites;
   opportunities/good news (in my opinion) are shown in green;
   comments (by me) 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 and their Significant Others be kept BPM safe, undetectable and inviolable against indirect  psychic attack, and may they have all the BPM resources (including an assured income), opportunities and assistance for them to be BPM effective, 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 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 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, and may we all exercise our human characteristics of reason, self discipline and improvement to overcome the often evil flaw of seeking social status;
  • 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 (see also here, here, and here):     the entirety of this blog and all other spiritual work and physical activism I and many others do;     a call to lower my nation’s voting age to 16;     the 7th World Happiness Report has been published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and focuses on “happiness and community: how happiness has been changing over the past dozen years, and how information technology, governance and social norms influence communities”;
       on the Rohingya  genocide this week:
       -   the struggle to prevent 70,000 of the 700,000 Rohingya refugees being relocated to an island that has only existed for two years and “is flood-prone, vulnerable to frequent cyclones and could be completely submerged during a high tide” (and where cyclone shelters have only been built for 17,000) continues (the international community, in my opinion, bears both a moral and legal responsibility for allowing burma to be a violent, genocidal regime that flouts R2P and exports instability and threats to peace [see this “assessment of the risk of human trafficking, migrant smuggling and related exploitation” for both Rohingya and Bangladeshis], and for failing to adequately develop post-Bangladesh – a former colonial possession, oppressed state which had to find for independence, and now a nation which has been driven past its [very high] limit of generosity, and which is attempting to deal with the serious overcrowding as best it can: the world must help, and that includes resettling Rohingya refugees, given the continuing disgrace-to-Buddhism genocidal regime in burma, which precludes return);
       a special section this week on the terrorist attack in a Christchurch, New Zealand mosque:
       -   as anti-Muslim hate crimes in the UK soar after the terrible events a fortnight ago in Christchurch, New Zealand – which will be investigated by a Royal Commission, and more than 100 Muslim villagers are murdered by armed men in Mali,
       -   gun lobbyists prepare to fight back against the ban – as the ABC reports that secret recordings show a minor right wing Australian promised to water down our gun laws (one of our lines in the sand [health is another]) in attempt to get funding from the USA’s gun lobby - leading to controversy – including over preferences (the commitment by the neoliberals was too late), with some conservative idiots trying to claim progressive parties were more dangerous, a call for bans on gun related donations,   a warning that “racism and hate speech in parliament threaten democracy”,   and a comment that this has “irrevocably” changed Australia’s upcoming Commonwealth election (“demands a level of collective empathy that renders a divisive medevac fear campaign counterproductive”),   links to a far right extremist in Europe (in Austria, which may disband his group) are investigated,   and   the impact of violence is shown by the deaths of two survivors of a mass murder by shooting (one clearly by suicide, the other probably) and the father of the victim of another mass murder by shooting,
       -   a journalist who has researched the extreme right expresses concerns about what could come and the challenges of monitoring the extreme right (and about “deplatforming” – which I have less concerned about, having had to live with the consequences of hate speech and knowing that free speech and hate are different),
       -   a critique of racism and the alternative religion (exclusionary heathenism) the violent extremist attacker apparently had (by an inclusionary heathen),
       -   Australia plans to use laws controlling “child exploitation” videos as a basis for laws (including jail terms) to control violent videos on social media (how practicable is that?), one platform of which will ban “white nationalism and separatism”,   and   at least one Australian political party appears not to have learned (Jacinda Ardern continues to impress),   a call is made for Australians to be “vigilant against divisive race politics”, and “egg boy” (who should note a man was jailed for a similar assault in the UK) shows a still flawed but slightly more mature understanding of his actions,
       -   with a standing ovation for Jacinda Ardern - who gave an outstanding speech - at a memorial attended by an estimated 20,000 people, another article outlines Jacinda Ardern’s strengths (especially her love, but also her restorative politics);
       on other matters requiring particular attention:
       -   in an interview on indigenous resistance to climate change in the USA, footage of a stunning bit of obfuscation - and grossly offensive sexism-  from an oil executive, who admitted to leaks in a controversial new pipeline;     “new analysis shows 22 of Australia’s largest companies are actively working to undermine the Paris agreement targets”;     “ ‘revved up climate action’ needed to counter ‘prolonged’ and deadly storms like Cyclone Idai” – see also here;     “the Amazon rainforest could be the greatest casualty of the trade war between the United States and China” (if Brazil clear fells to replace soy crops);     “mosquito-spread diseases may endanger millions in new places due to climate change”;     an argument for a more nuanced approach to palm oil, and a call for companies to work together to stop deforestation;     “fostering effective energy transition”;     a call to criminalise ecological damage (the Model law needs some changes: remove earthquakes [the link is too tenuous, and it will cause massive resistance]; and ‘peaceful enjoyment’ already has a legal definition - change ‘means’ to ‘includes’);     claims a US geothermal energy project has put water supplies in Mexico at risk have been ignored;     “most people in South and Southeast Asia do not know about the diverse causes and long-term health risks of air pollution, a problem that kills 1.5 million people in those regions each year”;
       -   “10 million Yemenis [are] ‘one step away from famine’”;     “as [the] Syria conflict enters [its] ninth year, [the] humanitarian crisis [is] ‘far from over’ ”;
       -   more concerns about China, with its growing navy and desire to reshape international norms to match its (totalitarian) ideas, and the USA falling into the Thucydides Trap (12 of the 16 similar events in the last 500 years led to war, but the two nations have interconnected economies, and diplomacy can still be effective, subject to their leaders’ personalities);     totalitarian China has now charged the former head of Interpol it temporarily disappeared for alleged corruption;     “Taiwan [has urged] Australia, US and Japan to unite to push back against China in the Pacific”;     the old control technique of “self criticism” is alive and present in North Korea (and probably elsewhere);
       -   after next week, backwards Brunei will whip or stone to death LGBT people;     backward and violent Saudi Arabia has resumed trials against women activists;     abuse – including sexual assault – of dissenters in repressive Bahrain, which is supported by global car sporting organisation;     the USA is “attempting to water down language and remove the word ‘gender’ from documents being negotiated at the UN, in what is being seen as a threat to international agreements on women’s rights” (Australia hasn’t done so well lately, either);     sexist doctors are failing to take women’s pain seriously;     “the Italian Government violated a woman’s ‘human  right  to  health’ after a law which denied her the right to refuse fertility treatment she had previously agreed to, ‘led her to undergo a forced pregnancy’ ”;     a guide to applying “feminist principles and practices to campaigning (including digital and public campaigns), policy, advocacy and influencing” (looks OK);      Australian indigenous thoughts on “closing the gap”;     the problems of ubiquitous white dominance (and comfort) in culture on selection of topics for discussion;     “widespread condemnation of developers who blocked children living in social housing from using the playground on a [UK] development”;     a prominent vegan caught out for stopping her veganism has explained the health needs behind “the postlapsarian drama (dubbed “Fishgate”)”;     online retaliation by overseas neo-nazis against a woman who lost an anti-discrimination case has included death threats, but police claim they don’t have the resources to investigate . . . ;
       -   Mexico’s new President “has sent a letter to Spain's King Felipe VI and Pope Francis urging them to apologise for human rights abuses committed during the conquest of the region”;
       -   Internet trolls are attacking Indonesia’s elections;
       -   “alarm over ‘widespread and repeated’ sexual abuse of refugee men and boys in Libya”;
       -   the West-led attempt to control illegal drugs and abuse of drugs (legal and illegal) has led to poor people going without pain relief, drug addicts too afraid or (in the backwards USA) too poor to seek help, and other harm – despite specific commitments to respect human rights and dignity while pursuing this goal;
       -   following the USA’s recognition, an examination of the history and circumstances of Israel’s claim to the Golan Heights;
       -   “more than 100 police officers were deployed to break up a mass brawl in [Germany] reportedly organised by two rival YouTube stars”;
       -   in Australia, “thirty-six news agencies and individuals have been called to a Supreme Court hearing . . . to answer accusations they breached a suppression order” about a child abuse case against a senior neochristian cleric (which is still continuing, as it is currently subject to appeal) (typically, such matters would be discussed in the media from the point of view of freedom of the press, but there are valid and important justice issues, and, as I understand it, none of those reporters who were in the court breached the court order: so . . . did those who may have not pay attention to the reasons, or perhaps act prematurely? We’ll know in just under three weeks);
       -   teenagers in homes affected by joblessness are twice as likely to be sad;
         this week’s atrocity alert at R2P lists   Mali, Yemen and burma;
  • With regard to democracy (which can be measured [as can goodness],     requires  protection of minorities and the vulnerable   -   and are you fighting to change things [by 198 nonviolent methods], or to punish),     freedom,     governance (e.g., here, here, here, here, here)     and     ethics:
    Note: I have a section specifically for POTUS45 below
       analyses, research and commentary this week include:
       -   “no longer is the middle-aged white male the default view of a leader – a woman can not only be the leader we want, but also the one we need” (can we secede from ScoMo and become NZ’s Big West and Little West Islands?);     fundamentals of inclusion;     better organisation enables non-violent campaigns to overcome the problem of splinter groups creating “fringe terrorism”;     a review of “How Democracies Die”, by Steven  Levitsky and Daniel  Ziblatt – see also here and here;     summaries of days one and two of a business ethics conference, and a call for ethics as the foundation of sustainability;     criticism of a “policy stunt”, on the basis that the Prime Minister didn’t “have the qualifications to make the decision on electricity infrastructure projects [and this] broader trend in “policy making” . . . is not only undermining climate action and the future of our energy system, but the very institutions of our democracy”;
       of concern internationally this week:
       -   a questioning of the limited coverage of the Canadian corruption scandal;      a critique of the coming Arab  League meeting, which will also discuss Tunisia’s call for Syria – expelled as the death toll from the civil war grew in 2011 - to be readmitted (that call highlights the conflict that can occur between human rights and politics);     a warning that “that the testing of anti-satellite weapons can create a "mess" in space after India destroyed one of its own satellites”;     pseudo-democracy Thailand’s election has become farcical, with military officers inadvertently  recorded checking lower ranks’ votes as concerns of irregularities and allegations of cheating grew, several parties claiming victory – including one that is a front for the Thai military, before the Election Commission confirmed the military had most votes and seats), but not enough for a majority;    Brexit has become an imminent disaster for the UK;     more diplomatic incompetence in the US administration;     as another blackout is attributed by experts to years of underinvestment and corruption (and by Maduro to snipers), à la Syria, Russia has started intervening militarily in Venezuela, with around 100 troops and 35 tonnes of equipment delivered so far (if they provide the same level of support they did to the despot Assad, decency in Venezuela is doomed), and the opposition is fearing a crackdown, with opposition leader and self appointed (and internationally supported) President Guaidó barred from holding further public office for 15 years by an official whose appointment by one of Venezuela’s congresses is disputed – to the displeasure of the USA, the European Union (who will allocate a further 30 million Euros in emergency funds to assist Venezuelans most in need) and Latin American nations;     “Laos has ‘mortgaged’ [its] future at [the] expense of [its] people”;
       of concern in my nation (Australia) this week:
       -   more information on concerning levels of access between the mining industry and a state government;     “some of the nation’s biggest energy companies have allegedly used the closure of Australia's dirtiest coal-fired power station to price gouge customers”;     “low wages are forcing Australians into insecure work [and] multiple jobs”;     the neoliberal’s enquiry into the ALP’s proposed “franking credits policy is struggling to cope with an inundation of submissions, one in five of which contain text written by its own chair”;     a former judge has criticised the delays in the case against “Witness K” (whose lawyer revealed the unconscionable spying by Australia against E=Timor Leste) as an “abandonment” of fair and open justice;     the UN has been told of Australia’s punitive single parents programme;     revelations that police in my home state did not seek legal advice over using a lawyer as an informer, despite warnings from junior officers at the time, and her handler may have had “intimate relations” with her;     tinkering but not the required reform of social security for the unemployed by both major parties;
       -   other concerning events have occurred or are developing in:   India,   DR Congo,   Yemen,   Tunisia,   Egypt-Ethiopia-Sudan,   Afghanistan;
       with regard to cyber warfare and other cyber problems this week:
       -   an example of successful cyber warfare against violent extremists;     Russia’s disinformation “playbook” – see also here, here (which has excellent commentary on fighting disinformation), and here;     “click farms”;
       in the grey/mixed [good and bad aspects] or neutral area this week:
       -   talks between the USA and China on the trade war will resume;
       on development (in an “end poverty/thirst/hunger” sense):
       -   “rich countries are using their aid budgets to promote their own national interests rather than focusing on helping people in poor countries”;     “the health of the high seas impacts the livelihoods and safety of vulnerable coastal communities in least developed countries”;     “Asia-Pacific showing ‘decisive leadership’ on road to 2030 Sustainable Development Goals”;
       and democracy/governance/political matters in my home nation this week:
       on the Royal Commission into banks, and similar matters:
       -   bank regulators will get more money . . . ;
       on other matters:
       -   the twin cyclones last week have brought rain (the first time some kids had ever seen rain) to the outback, which has been suffering from drought;     my home state’s “environment department has been so ineffective at regulating logging in state forests that the government-owned forestry enterprise VicForests has effectively been left to self-regulate”;     more analysis of Australia’s seven year long period of wage stagnation;     concerns that the lack of regulation in Australia's solar industry is allowing scams;     tech companies are allegedly “no longer comfortable storing customer data in Australia after the introduction of controversial encryption laws”;     criticism of a controversial right wing MP who has been long periods in an overseas nation;     calls to protect my home city’s food bowl (as with the developers who lied to destroy our attempts at green belts in the early 1900s, this should have been done long ago – at least, in recent years, the “green wedges” concept has helped);     “sixty-nine Australians who earned more than $1 million in the 2016-17 financial year did not pay a cent of income tax”;     a progressive minor party’s analysis of why it performed poorly in recent elections identified bitter internal conflicts and relentless “trolling” by another party (which is of concern);     “some Chinese-Australians feel targeted by the [Commonwealth] Government's new foreign influence laws”;     why Australian workers are “getting the smallest pay rises since” World War (part) Two or possibly the Great Depression;     “growth in wind and solar energy over the past two years has almost entirely replaced the lost output from the Hazelwood power station during summer”;     Australia’s plans for the UN International Year of Indigenous Languages;
  • With regard to the USA and their schoolyard BULLYING, unpresidential, uncomprehending, murdering, lying, dishonourable, delusional 45th “President” (POTUS45) (see here on actions for US residents, and note that the VP is at least as bad):
       -   a history of the Special Prosecutor’s investigation, which found no evidence of collusion (despite multiple offers and actions by from Russia) and insufficient evidence of attempting to obstruct evidence, but left open possible criminality (there are other investigations [and the FBI just released information of years of investigation into POTUS45’s real estate company], and the [not public] report still has to undergo more assessment), so – despite a ridiculous claim (and  threats) by POTUS45 - this is not  yet ended - and it has led to seven convictions - and pending charges - so far;     the US Attorney-General has protected Republicans against scandals before;
       -   POTUS45 is looking to rob millions of US residents of health care;
       -   claims by POTUS45 as a stupid, discriminatory funding cut for the Special Olympics is reversed raise more questions about his honesty;
       -   the Pentagon will provide $1 billion for POTUS45’s wall;
       -   the history of the USA’s hidden empire (“external territories”);
       -   POTUS45 is now OK with a major tech company he accused of being pro-China;
  • 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 as well as acknowledging the variety in what provides genuine, BPM fulfilment as a counter to fanaticism as a source of meaning, and good old fashioned police work.     Also, I don’t name groups in order to reduce their publicity):
       -   according to this Wikipedia page, there have been 4 attacks in Iraq, 5 attacks in Afghanistan,   and 3 attacks in Syria   (out of a total of 23, causing at least 301 deaths [298 in Muslim nations * ] and 136 injuries [134 in Muslim nations * ]);
    ( * there are utterly nonsensical claims trotted out from time to time that Muslims are not doing enough against violent extremism: they are doing an enormous amount , and their continued suffering shows how strongly motivated they are to do so);
  • With regard to refugees (noting the New York Declaration), and remembering Haiti, Ethiopia, Madagascar, DR Congo, and the Philippines), people seeking asylum and migrants:
       -   “allegations of excessive force and harassment inside Australia’s network of onshore detention centres”;     as refugees hijack the ship that picked them up (the ship was later freed by Maltese military forces), Europe is scaling back search and aid for refugees in the Mediterranean – see also here;     “one of the asylum seekers who sheltered American whistle-blower Edward Snowden in Hong Kong in 2013, has been granted asylum in Canada, where she arrived with her daughter”;     concerns a refugee died of inadequate health care because he was a refugee;
       -   other refugee-related matters have also occurred in:   USA;
  • With regard to other human (and other) rights and discrimination     (incidentally, bigots clearly have flaws of observation and thinking – shown by the fact that NOT all people choose to discriminate [and there’s this]):
       -   land has been returned to indigenous people in Cambodia;     an interesting TEDx talk by Gerald Knaus which questions the reliability / trustworthiness of complacently taken-for-granted European human rights institutions, includes useful reminders about the grey areas of people (with some who have done good also regretting other actions of theirs), the need for “sentimental” stories to create empathy in order to counter the tendency of people under pressure to only humanise “people like us”, the disproportionate and perverted  influence of oppressive Azerbaijan, and calls for passion to end indifference;
       -   opportunities to take action on human rights here, here, and, this week,   here;
       on HOMOPHOBIA/TRANSPHOBIA     (including heteronormativity and cisgender-normativity and noting that trans kids are the same as cis kids of the trans kids’ true gender):
       -   “forcing female athletes to regulate testosterone could breach international human rights rules, according to the United Nation’s top human rights group in a rare foray into sports amid an escalating row over intersex and transgender competitors”;     a major tech company has belatedly removed a gay conversion app after it was dropped from the annual HRC  Corporate Equality Index;
       -   other homophobic/transphobic (and heteronormativity / cisgender-normativity) matters have also occurred in:   Brunei,   India;
       on white supremacist and other forms of RACISM / CULTURAL DISCRIMINATION and Indigenous matters generally this week:
       -   more on the continuing problem of indigenous suicide in Australia, including the role of inter-generational trauma;     the Guardian Australia series “The Killing Times” is continuing;     Australia’s “Supreme Court [has found] mandatory sentencing laws should not have applied to [a] 12 year old Aboriginal boy” (a child has basic, developmental, and progressive autonomy needs, and is defined as anyone under 18 or the nationally defined “age of majority” [Article 1, CRC], the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice [generally referred to as the “Beijing Rules”] oblige an age of criminal responsibility based on “whether a child can live up to the moral and psychological components of criminal responsibility; that is, whether a child, by virtue of her or his individual discernment and understanding, can be held responsible for essentially antisocial behaviour”, proper protection of children in detention, and I understand 14 to 16 is recommended. In addition, all treatment is to be free of racism [Article 2.1, CRC] – and there is plenty of evidence of the intergenerational trauma of dispossession, mass murder, and other forms of past and current racism in Australia) - see also here;     the “European Court of Human Rights [has found] Lithuania and Romania committed human rights violations due to involvement in the CIA’s rendition program”;     an Australian sporting organisation is improving its actions against destructive, racist trolls;
       -   other white supremacy / racism problems have also occurred in:   sport;
       on TRAFFICKING, and CHILDREN’s and associated human rights this week (from Thomson Reuters Foundation, Freedom United, and other sources):
       -   a Catholic parishioner’s view on what his faith needs to do;     a “landmark super-complaint” in the UK that police “are hampering prosecutions by treating slavery victims as criminal suspects or failing to make them feel safe during interviews”;     a call to end child marriage in a US state;     “fifty women and girls have sued [a] software firm . . . for designing tools that helped traffickers sell them for sex”;
       -   also on slavery / human trafficking this week:   Vanuatu,   Sri Lanka,   UK,   India,   India;
       on SEXISM this week (keeping in mind the overblown influence given to testosterone, and the potential value to women of using anger):
       -   “seven ways the world is not designed for women” (beginning with spacesuits);
       -   other sexism matters have also occurred in:   Thailand,   Canada;
       on RELIGIOUS rights this week:
       -   religious rights / Islamophobia matters have also occurred in:   Canada;
       on WORKERS’ rights this week:
       -   my home state “is pushing to adopt one of the strictest workplace standards in the world to prevent silicosis”;     ways to end wage theft;
       on ANIMALS’ rights this week:
       -   a Salmonella contamination problem will result in hundreds of thousands of battery hens being killed;
       on PRIVACY, AGED, DIFFERENTLY ABLED, AND OTHER forms of human rights this week:
       -   privacy concerns for children whose parents share photos online without the child’s permission;     more foolishness in sports;
  • With regard to war (noting that economic ties do NOT prevent war), violence and hate generally:
       -   alcohol caused a 40% increase in crime, “including a mass brawl with more than 100 people armed with woomeras and other weapons” after “coming off cyclone watch”;
  • With regard to peace:
       -   a “Brazilian officer [is] a ‘stellar example’ of why more women are needed in UN peacekeeping” (not all women fit stereotypes);
  • With regard to spirituality,   personal growth,    and     psychism generally     (including empathy, revolutionary love, survival after death, good religion, UFOs, being single / asexual / off-grid / non-conformist / true to yourself):
       -   “how your brain distorts the world to support your emotional attachments to certain ideas”;     finally, a debunking of the “live each day as if it’s your last” rubbish, and a suggestion to use the healthier “live each day as if it’s your first”;     consideration of whether or not to take a job that conflicts with one’s ethics (do people really decide to get more money so they can move closer to work? Maybe I’m biased by a lifetime of long commutes – some projects were 3 or 4 hours drive away from the office [and home]. My two cents is to be wary: there is a case for things like working for change from within, but that involves a demand for incredible juggling, self care and self awareness – and ensuring lifestyle vulnerabilities don’t trap you in there);
  • With regard to natural and other catastrophes:
       -   the death toll from Cyclone Idai is rising rapidly, with accusations of negligence, cholera and survivors struggling to survive, as a revised estimate of the number of people affected is 1.85 million;     flash floods have killed at least 19 people in Iran;     “the US Federal Emergency Management Agency . . . exposed 2.3 million disaster survivors to possible identity theft”;     a US lane manufacturer has issued upgrades to a plane type which has had two recent fatal crashes – including belatedly making an optional extra standard . . . ;     the effects of twin disasters in Indonesia six months on;     more than 18 people helping at a car accident in Guatemala have been killed when they were kit by a truck;     a measles outbreak in the USA;
  • With regard to overcrowding and “modern“ lifestyle issues     (such as conflict  minerals,     environmental harm and child labour in smart phones,     FOMO [which can be overcome], addiction or unthinking pro-technology bias [new is NOT always good – see here],     social media making people miserable or envious,     work and lifestyles causing depression and burnout,     being duped by modern mantras and  management  fads,     “failing“ at being well,     life options,     AI ethics, corporate misuse of mindfulness as a distraction,     embedded emissions,     plane pollution,     bigger, flashier homes/cars and financialisation,     the need for agroforestry,     insisting on busy-ness,     raising Prince Boofheads,     trying to force everyone to have children,     the “Earth3” model [SDGs + 9PBs]):
       on climate change (our World War III?) and other environmental matters:
       -   don’t put fat and oil down the sewer!;     developers in the UK are stopping birds nesting so they can cut down trees;     since past similar attempts have been so successful (sarcasm, Joyce), Australia is importing a fungus to attack another imported pest plant . . . ;     a call for koalas to be declared endangered;     “global carbon emissions hit [a] record high in 2018”;     Saudi Arabia is buying water from a drought-hit US state;     “around three-quarters of US coal production is now more expensive than solar and wind energy in providing electricity to [US] households” – see also here;     the “Hudson river shows signs of rebound after decades as New York's sewer”;     a “deadly skin-eating fungal disease [has wiped] out 90 amphibian species in 50 years”;     “single-use plastic items . . . will be banned in the European Union by 2021”;
       -   other environmental matters have occurred in:   UK,   The Gambia;
       on technology and science matters:
       -   a warning to pay attention to privacy and IP conditions when using social media;     phone pouches to manage mobile phones at public events;     a possibly more environmentally friendly way of providing refrigeration;
       on health and medical:
       -   the problems of drug resistance and “decades of inaction” on the 6,000 year old disease tuberculosis;     my home state’s regulator has belatedly banned a device, handed out by casino staff, that allowed gamblers to get around legislative restrictions;
       on other matters in the category:
       -   road rage has increased by 60% in the last four years in my home state (insecurity and pressure are increasing);
  • 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, and was notoriously so the case with a violent extremist attack.     Also, media can be unprofessional,     but funding is an issue … ):
       -   a progressive Australian party has a policy to break up Australia’s media concentration;     the BBC has “admitted that the corporation’s reputation as a provider of impartial news has taken a hit in recent years, while insisting the corporation is committed to giving coverage to all sides of controversial debates”;
       -   other media / freedom of expression matters have occurred in:   the Philippines;
  • With regard to education:
       -   an approach to training teachers by sending them to classrooms rather than uni, which was found ineffective in the UK, is being tried in Australia;     a Guardian Australia exclusive reports that my home state will finally allow secular / atheist and “any faith” school chaplains, rather than only neochristian proselytisers;
  • With regard to crime, judicial matters and policing     (noting (1) an uncle of mine resigned when corruption was not comprehensively cleaned out of the police force he served in, I have high expectations of police, and I consider all violence, abuse of power and failure to understand the impacts of their actions [e.g., see here and here] undermines and weaken all police – who are under incredible pressure, and (2) all people charged are innocent until proven guilty):
       -   another example of the stupidity of torture;     research in one Australian state on why police fail to take “bias” (i.e., hate) crime seriously;     a US city ordered an actor who allegedly fake a hate attack to “pay $130,000 to cover the cost of the investigation”.
Location based News:
  • With regard to Africa, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (and other sources) has:
        on Africa generally:
       -   growing risks of war with Egypt over Ethiopia’s proposed dam on the Nile, intended to provide irrigation and power to Ethiopia and Sudan, but at the expense of irrigation in Egypt;     the difficulty of achieving stability in the Sahel;
       -   “cottage” (small scale) industrialisation in Africa;     “the rise of an urban middle class across much of Africa is stoking demand for food that could curb hunger and cut poverty in rural outposts”;     “half [the] urban population of sub-Saharan Africa [is] still living in slums”;
       on specific African nations:
       -   “activists in Chad are demanding that the government restore access to social media after it was cut off a year ago”;
       -   key facts about the Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo;
       -   China’s floating fishmeal factories are devastating The Gambia’s fishing industry;
       -   Ghana has developed a resilience plan for its capital;
       -   while the risk of a coup in Guinea-Bissau remains high, there are grounds for cautious optimism for this year’s coming elections;
       -   “a prominent LGBT+ organisation in Kenya won the right to be recognised as a charity . . . in a Court of Appeal ruling that could give greater freedom to persecuted sexual minorities across the country”;
       -   “Mali's President [has] sacked and replaced two generals and disbanded an anti-jihadi vigilante group . . . after gunmen massacred 134 Fulani herders”, which led to a call for so-called “self-defence” groups to face justice;
       -   “land theft from widows in Uganda is common but the tide is now changing”;
  • With regard to South and Central America:
       -   evidence based recommendations for Mexico’s new President on the drug problem;
  • With regard to mainland China (may her growing middle class bring a love of peace and freedom),     East and South East Asia     and     the Pacific):
       on increasingly totalitarian mainland China, and also 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:
       -   a Chinese population control policy that predated ultrasounds resulted in over 200,000 girls “missing”, “due to postnatal neglect of infant girls, or in the extreme, infanticide”;
       -   other events concerning China have occurred or are developing in:   The Gambia;
       -   a UN Security Council demand in 2017 for North Korean workers to be sent home (to cut down on foreign money) has been partly implemented;
       elsewhere in Asia:
       -   more signs of growing religion-driven conservativism in Indonesia;
       -   more attacks on journalism in the Philippines;
       -   the sexism women trying to be politically active in pseudo-democracy Thailand face;
       -   “Vietnamese monks [have been] ordered to stop scamming faithful with ‘bad karma eviction’ ceremonies”;
       and in the Pacific:
       -   “new data offers insights into rural poverty and undernutrition in Papua New Guinea”;
  • With regard to Europe and the European Union (EU) (which need to step up, as the USA steps down):
        on Europe generally:
       -   “speed limiting technology looks set to become mandatory for all vehicles sold in Europe from 2022”;
       -   new copyright laws in the EU “will hold tech firms responsible for material posted without copyright permission”, but memes are exempted;
       on specific European nations:
       -   Italy has caused concern by agreeing to sign up to China’s controversial “Belt and Road Initiative”;
  • With regard to the (forgotten or ignored and underreported) conflicts in Ukraine, particularly in the east:
       -   more on the quest for peace in Ukraine, and on the elections
  • With regard to the conflict in  sexist Afghanistan (noting that Afghanistan was once a peaceful and modern society, even allowing women in miniskirts, before the Russian invasion – see here):
       -   Afghanistan may fall apart as “conflict, poverty and the worst drought for a decade have left millions facing desperate hunger”;
  • With regard to South Asia (aka the Indian sub-continent), The Hindu and other sources have:
       on India:
       -   an online streaming service has made a series about the woman whose fight, as deputy commissioner of police for South Delhi, for justice for the victim of a notorious gang rape on a bus was ultimately successful;     another article about the millions of women and homeless who have been left out of India’s elections;     a new healthcare scheme could give some free healthcare to half a billion poor in India;     “India's slavery survivors forced back into bondage as compensation delayed”;     millions of Indian brick kiln workers have demanded an end to bondage;
       on Pakistan:
       -   car pooling;
       elsewhere in South Asia:
       -   Sri Lanka’s attempt to “spin” (i.e., misrepresent) an HRC exchange;
  • With regard to West Asia (aka “the Middle East”) and Northern Africa, the Middle East Eye, the Times of Israel, and other sources have:
       -   a warning that “provocative actions and inflammatory rhetoric” (including “further terrorist acts, attacks against civilians, reprisals against demonstrators, unlawful demolitions and settlement expansions, and a funding crisis”) is destabilising West Asia;
       on Israel and Palestine:
       -   Israel has retaliated against a rocket attack from Gaza, which may show Gaza’s fear of an invasion after the Israeli election, and calls have been made for all parties to return to focusing on last year’s ceasefire – see also here;     a detailed analysis of a fatal shooting by Israeli soldiers – see also here;
       on the  conflict and the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis in Yemen:
       -   “eight facts about the war that has created the world's worst humanitarian crisis and killed tens of thousands of people” – see also here;     “UN human rights staff in Yemen are investigating an apparent airstrike on a hospital [see here] in opposition-held territory which reportedly killed at least seven civilians . . . , amid fears that cholera is spreading ‘like wildfire’ ”;
       on Syria (where the Assad Dictatorship has lost all pretence of legitimacy, and partition is needed):
       -   US-backed forces say they have captured all territory from a notorious violent extremist group – which will now change its mode of operation;     refugees with suspected links to violent extremism are unwelcome;     desperation is leading to abuse among female Syrian refugees.
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 (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 [see Psychic Weather Report]. 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.
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