Post No. 1,605 - In this week’s news

Black Lives Matter!

Stay safe - wash your hands, practice social distancing, and follow informed medical advice - and be considerate towards those at risk or in situations of vulnerability (including economic) while the COVID-19 pandemic is a problem.

This is a new, very cut down series of news aggregation posts based on some observations on matters that struck a personal note: unlike the former “Gnwmythr’s News”, it is not trying to convey key events.

Content Warning: the linked articles and their descriptions here may be about violence, abuse, hate, and other problems.

On personal / spiritual matters:   interesting thoughts on not needing to know why before accepting problems such as racism an taking action about it - something that I can relate to because of my experiences of the excuses people use to avoid stopping being transphobic;   thoughts on pagan events after the pandemic;   thoughts on “anti-fragility” (“There’s nothing wrong with us. The problem is with the fragile approach of falling apart when we fail”);   “The lost art of true rest”;   “Seeking to oppress others is a symptom of lack within . . . I have had men calling me stupid and threatening me with rape and murder because I chose to be an ally and speak against racism. I have had people claiming I “invite” enemies or create them by choosing to speak out”;   a mental health advocate in Singapore uses empathy.

Reading I found interesting this week included:   from the “Foreign Affairs” magazine, “How a Great Power Falls Apart” (“A better way to think about political cleavages was to observe which portions of society are most threatened by change and which ones seek to hasten it”, and “All countries end”);   “Ashoka’s moral empire”.

Overall Commentary:
   I am seeing an increase in awareness, sensitivity, and inclusion, and positive counter-reactions to abuses of power - but too many people are at an early stage of their spiritual development and thus wrongly consider abuse of power reasonable, justifiable, or without consequences (for them): the denial and discomfort of those abusers is staggering, and causing ongoing damage and harm. The USA is in a serious decline: is it irreversible? Reversing their decline can only begin when they refute their moral decay and start being a genuinely inclusive, anti-racist society. On the other hand, China's power is growing, but they should remember that they have fallen before when they thought they were too powerful or too "valuable" to do so. The world as a whole is experiencing a growing mental health crisis. Genocides are continuing in China and burma, and several nations are edging towards war. Ideology continues to blind people, groups, and nations.

In This Week’s News:   an explainer on cybercrime;   mental health care for outback students;   regarding online reviews, which could lead to defamation threats, advice to “give your honest opinion — but be ready to back it up”;   social media anger is higher on cold days - and Mondays, and after major events;   US hearings on machine learning (aka “artificial intelligence”) must be public;   an examination of the impact new data sharing laws may have on Australia’s banking industry;   a call for more effective actions against drug cartels in Mexico.

In the Environmental Arena, where we have been fighting World War III for some time now:   a new, large national park;   another reminder of the jobs in renewables;   the ONLY international summit this year on the climate crisis will focus planning a green recovery;   tropical plants may not be able to germinate;   staggering overflows/releases/discharges of untreated wastewater in the UK;   a call for NSW to commit to saving koalas;   China wants an oil pipeline from Pakistan through the Himalayas;   vermiculture (worm composting) for cotton industry waste;
   other environmental matters have occurred in:   Germany (good news);   Pacific island nations;   Antarctica;   Pakistan (good news - electric vehicles);   Indonesia (good news);   Tanzania.

This week on the Protests in the USA and associated protests/issues elsewhere:
   the trauma for black journalists of covering black deaths - and the general exhaustion and mental health impacts for black people;   “Peaceful protesters, both in-person and online, far, far outnumber any bad actors”;   hypocritically, the USA has not met the standards it insists others do;  an examination of how the fact that “members of the US military swear to ‘support and defend’ the Constitution. The oath is directly linked to soldiers’ responsibility to refuse illegal orders” is upheld or not;   an excellent example of consciousness raising;   excellent advice for allies;    in Australia:   a call to teach Indigenous history in schools;   incarceration of Indigenous youth is not inevitable - but it is exacerbated by the violent and exclusionary school system;
   internationally:   Nigeria;
   police:   grave concerns about Israeli police having taught US police racial profiling, suppression, etc for Two Decades;   one US city has banned predictive policing;   in South Africa, the “Johannesburg High Court said raids conducted without warrants are unconstitutional, degrading and invasive”;   a Croatian police officer has been arrested for beating a refugee;   the history of policing in the USA - especially its failures and its wrongful pseudo-militarisation - by a former soldier;   police in one Australian state are again trying to stop protests;   police Denmark have killed a black man, but claim they are not racist;
   suggestions/recommended actions / noteworthy responses:   a US synagogue - see also this;   an island in Senegal has renamed a square connected with the historical Atlantic slave trade;   LGBT communities;   sport;   possible replacement statues;
   attacks on and actions by the media:   a hearing is underway into the egregious assault by police on Australian journalists;
   #45:   promotes then hides a white supremacist video;   abandons the US to its fate;   is contemptuous of international law;   has paradoxically spurred support for immigration.

On Human and Animal Rights:
   large scale detention and torture in Yemen;   as activists flee (and a call is made to help them) Hong Kong after China’s breach of the treaty with the UK (which may be about trying to “capture” the next generation) - but protests and police oppression have resumed, China is engaging in genocide against the Uyghur, weaponising its courts against foreigners, and trying to gain geopolitically from the pandemic;
   these charges against a sexual assault victim are truly disturbing;   Japan’s attempt to increase women in politics has not its met targets - and may not for a decade;   hundreds have marched for an end to domestic violence in PNG after the torture and murder of a young mother;   feminist leadership;
   a neochristian religious figure has asked that depictions of Christ stop showing him as white;   a call to go beyond tokenism to end Indigenous deaths in custody;   calls for a change to inclusive/diverse leadership at a multicultural broadcaster;   submerged Indigenous sites have been found by archaeologists;
   young protestors in Zambia have used social media to outmanoeuvre police;
   an anti-Semitic cable TV channel;
   a criticism of my home state’s Equal Opportunity Act;   the neolibs quest for vengeance after Equal Marriage will set rights back by decades;
   after three decades of campaigning, two broadcasters have introduced audio description services;
   in another pleasantly surprising act of responsibility, although advertiser pressure was probably the cause, a social media network will ban a far right extremist group and audit its hate speech controls;
   a call to ban warrantless phone searches.
 - Genocide matters (good and bad) in:   China;   more fakery in burma;
- Torture, Disappearances and Execution/Killing matters (good and bad) in:   Syria;
 - Immigration, migration and Refugee matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   a call for inclusion in policy-making;   South Sudan - where refugees’ massive trauma has led to mental health problems;
 - Racism/caste based matters including land rights (good and bad) have occurred in:   Colombia;   UK;   Colombia;
 - Trafficking/slavery/Child Abuse matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   Australia’s jails;   Australia;   the Philippines (mass killings);   USA;   the pandemic;   DR Congo (good news);   UK (good news);   UK/USA;      Colombia;
 - LGBTIQ+ matters (including internalised homophobia/transphobia) (good and bad) have occurred in:   New Zealand (good predictions);   the Philippines;   Israel (rallies as alternative to Pride marches);   China;   Viêt Nám;   Montenegro (good news);   social media;
 - Sexism (including internalised sexism), misogyny/misandry and domestic violence matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   China (attempts at achieving change for the better);   Singapore;   Colombia;   superannuation;   Egypt;   Saudi Arabia (good progress);   Indonesia;   Wikipedia;   Russia;   sport;      Colombia;
 - Disability matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   Australia;   my home state (good news);   the Royal Commission (improved training of counsellors);
 - Freedom of the Press / Expression matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   Bangladesh;   Egypt;   Cameroon;   USA/the Internet;
 - Privacy/Surveillance matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   government surveillance through social media posts;   US voting provisions;
 - Repression/Oppression / reduction of democracy and other civil & political rights matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   Kyrgyzstan;   Iran;   Tibet;   disappearance in Cambodia;   Djibouti;   Russia;
 and
 - Other human and animal rights matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   Ethiopia;   Tibet.

In the related human rights arena of Employment:   a Worker’s Party in Singapore;   some super payments have not been made in Australia;   “41% of full-time and 35% of part-time jobs can be done from home”;   a call for a “liveable income guarantee” after the pandemic.

Risks or occurrences of Atrocities, Mass Violence and/or War(s) this week in:   Gaza-Israel;   China;   burma;   Nigeria;   Mozambique;   Mali;   Rwanda;   Nigeria;   Australian police are acting against exposure of war crimes;   Ethiopia;   the Sahel;   Burkina Faso (investigations are underway);
and   suspected raids by Israel into Syria;   opportunities for change for the better in Burundi . . . but the Cabinet has many hardliners . . . ;   mining in the DR Congo;   the 43^rd session of the UN’s HRC expressed concern over North Korea, burma, South Sudan, Syria, occupied Palestine, and Libya, and called for the prevention of genocide and accountability for breaches of international humanitarian law;   Belgium is considering whether it can charge the assassins who, in 1960, murdered the Congo’s first democratically elected leader;   the US nuclear weapons programme;   Sudan, which will mark the anniversary of protests that changed the nation, has arrested over 100 people before they could fight in Libya, where rebels are easing their aggression but Russia appears to be still peddling its influence;   peacekeeping in Mali has been extended for one year;   a call for more realistic expectations in Yemen;   a series on SUSTAINING peace.
other atrocity/violence matters have occurred in:   Mozambique.

In the Democracy, Governance, Politics, Public Ethics, and Society arena:   protests in Israel against corruption - and arrests;   calls to improve work using lessons from the pandemic - beginning with getting rid of crowded open plan offices and hot desking;   following revelations of sexual harassment, calls for reform of the way Australian judges are appointed;   the damage being done to Australian universities by neoliberal ideology;   support for regional media;   the neoliberal business nuts are pricing the NBN out of existence (is there more deliberate but hidden vengeance, or they really just that stupid?);   the neoliberals haven’t used any of the money set aside for disaster recovery and prevention (that is downright stupid - or vindictive);   belated spending on cybersecurity;   the neolibs are going to get more gung-ho aggro about defence (more local focus is good, but this is not a substitute for good, effective diplomacy and engagement - which involves things like listening and talking with;   an enquiry into preventing corruption in my home state;   more neolib stupidity over the unemployed;   one Australian state government has backed the “push for truth in political advertising in lead-up to poll”;   a major tech company will continue to harm newspapers;   concerns about Colombia’s transition to well-governed democracy;   apparent hypocrisy by Israel’s leader;   seven companies hid political donations;   the weaponisation of corruption;   actions against corruption in Malawi.
other democracy, governance, politics, public ethics, and society matters have occurred in:   Australia;   Australia (note: allegations at this stage);   Australia;   Australia;   Israel.

On Disasters this week:   a gas leak led to an explosion at a medical centre in Iran which killed 19 people;   Floods in India and China;   locusts in Kenya;   a landslide at an unregulated minesite in burma has killed at least 100 people.

On Humanitarian Aid and Development:   Syria is in desperate need of aid - and respect for human rights.

Internationally:   a grandstanding gesture by Iran (!) as Israeli retaliation for a cyberattack by Iran causes a fire at a nuclear facility;   more concerns about #45’s connection to Russia after concerning allegations against Russia;   China’s zealots want more gaps in their Great Internet Wall so they can abuse foreigners more . . . ;   following last week’s fatal border violence, India has banned apps from China;   a call for Japan to speak up more on China’s abuses of human rights;   a global review of commitment to health;   Canada is resisting China’s attempted hostage blackmail - and now charm-less China is intimidating Pacific nations and threatening retaliation against those who - like the UK - help Hong Kong people;   little change on the South China Sea;   nations in the Pacific are being used as aid is being used as device to seek prestige/influence;   Cambodia’s leader is trying to establish an inherited tyranny;   an analysis of the Chagos Islands situation;   a deeper analysis of the Australia-USA-China situation (I actually consider that the USA has never been the dominant power in mainland East and South East Asia - see here, here, and here);   growing tensions between France and Turkey;
on Israel’s intended annexation of the West Bank:   concerns in Australia;   in a “Times of Israel” interview, a “former top IDF law expert questions the benefits of annexation”;   the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights has stated that annexation is illegal, and would have consequences lasting for decades;   the “alternate” PM has called for a delay to allow focus on the pandemic;   if the annexation does not occur, Palestinians would resume talks and make minor concessions;   after talking to US envoys, Israel’s PM has indicated annexation will be deferred;   an opinion that annexation would not end peace with Jordan;   UK; an anti-annexation opinion from Israel;   Palestinian unity;   the head of a major neochristian religion has objected;
on the Nile Dam:   Egypt has sought a UN resolution;
other international matters have occurred in:   Afghanistan;   the Indo-Pacific - see also here.

In Africa:   an opportunity to do better in Malawi;   Congo’s President will not allow undermining of an independent judiciary.

On the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus (there are other novel coronaviruses) (seven major risks to watch here, and seven sins of thought to avoid here), and Wear Masks!!!):
   the USA has acted to stop any other nation getting a promising drug;   suggested questions for maps of the pandemic;   the global death toll has passed half a million, and cases ten million;   criticism of complacency and thinking technology will give us a quick fix;   I'm with Nick Kyrgios on this;   a new pandemic risk has been identified in pigs;   questioning of the maintenance of full fees for courses that have been moved online;   an assessment of the human flaws behind panic buying;   thoughts on leadership - see also here;   thoughts on changing communities’ behaviour;

   medical aspects:   another article on the ongoing suffering of recovered patients;   a call for careful thought and care about how resources are used;   risks of a “lost generation” of researchers;   testing, quarantine, and the possibility of reinfection;

   Human Rights Aspects (crisis . . . running summary of impacts on elections here):   the growing problem of racist incidents;   another call for the vaccine to be available to all - including the poor;   on protecting economic and social rights;   protestors in Syria have been beaten by police;   LGBT, Indigenous, and working Brazilians;   LGBT Jamaicans;   the WHO, which has sent an investigation team to China, has warned the pandemic “is not even close” to being over;   Indian mothers are being pushed out of work as child care centres close;   women at work, and a call to ensure women can access cash after the pandemic;   the neolibs in Australia are now demonising the unemployed - particularly the young;   businesses need to protect DV victims (some, such as the company I work for, do);
   also including
   housing:   USA (prisoners released for pandemic safety);   South Africa;   East Africa;
   work / workers’ rights:   younger and older workers are at greater risk of losing employment;   racism shows in unemployment in the USA;   Spain;
   increased opportunistic repression/oppression / reduction of democracy:   Somalia (delayed elections).

   Environmental Impacts:   quiet near airports;   oil demand may have peaked last year.

   Australia:   a review of the sources of cases;   increased death rates suggest there may be uncounted pandemic deaths;   reviews of the likely weak economic recovery and declining living standards here, here (need for more stimulus to cut unemployment), here (continued hate for the unemployed), and a call to continue economic aid;   after identification of hotspots in some housing crisis areas, my home state will “reset” the initially successful but now failed hotel quarantine programme (which may lead to more deaths), has called for more testing (which has human rights implications if it becomes forced/coercive, and concerns about police behaviour have NOT been addressed) and may move to suburb  lockdowns (which I think is likely, actually) - see also this critique;   one building’s measures;   my home state’s CMO may now CONTRADICT previous advice against face masks (you *****y idiots! You were warned not to get yourselves into this position!!!);   a possible robodebt 2.0 as the nitwit neolibs look at grabbing money back from businesses - and data shows that our PM is an idiot;

   Internationally:   concerns about unequal (lack of, if you’re poor) access to online exams in India;   public transport cleaning in Singapore;   concerns about Israel’s response;   a man has been discharged after five months in a Singapore hospital;   as the wearing of face masks is ordered in public in parts of one state, the pandemic is looking terrible in the USA (each death or infection is a real human being);   Japan will shift focus more towards the economy;   nearly half the US workforce is unemployed;   the number of children needing aid to be fed has doubled;   a local lockdown in the UK;   protection of families in the Philippines;   repurposing in Peru;   the pandemic is causing deaths from other causes in India, where police have killed two men for breaching lockdown (at what point can that be considered murder?);   prisons in Yemen;

   Africa:   shame and social stigma is stopping requests for help in Nigeria;   refugees and migrants in Yemen are being scapegoated;   an extra blow to Kenyan herders;   indirect health impacts in Ethiopia;   women are playing a key role;   middle class;   direct cash transfer in Sudan;

   Globally:   a Guardian exclusive on the differences shown by the numbers;   trade disputes have been rekindled;   growing hunger;   development financing;

   Stupidity:   Sweden (note: editorial comment by where I have placed this article);   the Netherlands.

And finally . . . Black Lives Matter!