Post No. 1,788 - Cross posting: On Uganda, Burma, the attempted coup in the USA, and from the news

This originally was posted on my political blog at https://politicalmusingsofkayleen.blogspot.com/2021/03/on-uganda-burma-attempted-coup-in-usa.html. 

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On Uganda this week:

• more protestors have been murdered by security forces in Burma; 
• concerns about Indonesia's basis for attempting meditation in Burma; 
• Bobi Wine's lawyers are being attacked; 
• another article on the disappearances being committed by Museveni's security forces in Uganda; 
• calls for the USA to act;

On Burma this week:

• Burma's UN ambassador has called for the coup to be overturned; 
• calls for Australia to do the same as with the Tiananmen Square massacre, and offer asylum to Burmese who are here (good luck with that, given the incompetents in power); 
• the killing of protestors (suspiciously many by shots to the head) is continuing - and, in fact, escalating; 
• suppression of journalism is continuing;
  
• calls for oil companies to ensure no money goes to the military; 
• use of the Internet by both sides - including soldiers using social media to make death threats, and threats of a cut off;
  
• an FoI request has apparently revealed the training that Australia is giving to Burma, but the report on it doesn't say WTF we're doing! (all we've done is some p***weak hand wringing about children being murdered by the Burmese security forces); 
• the protests are continuing; 
• diplomatic backlash;
  

On the attempted coup in the USA:

• cancellation of a session of the US Congress in response to a potential second violent coup attempt; 
• the denial of the election validity is leading to policy pressures for the Democrats - who STUPIDLY have not removed the filibuster, so could be said to deserve every ***ing problem they get;
  

From the news this week:

• 15 years of democratic backsliding  
• (the articles recommend: 
• being aware of polarisation, not losing sight of legislatures [and political acquiescence] behind large personalities, incremental stealth [media and courts are early targets], democratic divisions being stoked by autocracies; 
  
• and 
  
• six nurturing democracy recommendations for democracies [incl. supporting civil society, grassroots pro-democracy movements, democracy building in foreign aid, civic education, multilateral organisations], and
  three nurturing democracy recommendations for the private sector [incl. adherence - of self and partners - to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, periodic human rights impact assessments, commitment to doing no harm, and continuous dialogue with civil society organisations to understand the practical effects of company policies and products], 
• six countering threats to democracy recommendations for democracies [incl. targetted sanctions, fight corruption, stop aid to nations where leaders exceed term limits, don't things that could aid human rights abuses, increase transparency requirements for foreign state-owned propaganda outlets operating in democratic states, and strengthen laws that guard against foreign influence over government officials] and
  one countering threats to democracy recommendations for the private sector [speak out against human rights abuses and fiercely defend the rights of employees and stakeholders] 
• three strengthening democracy in the USA recommendations [incl. reducing polarisation by commissions, improving voting access, and nonpartisan observers to increase confidence in elections ),
  and the threat of digital authoritarianism in Africa;
  
• criticism of US President Biden for not at least imposing sanctions on the Saudi crown prince who approved the murder of US citizen and journalist Jamal Kashoggi - and fears an Australian facing deportation to Saudi Arabia will be tortured or killed, but the USA is moving to "smart power"; 
• an assessment of strategic options for the USA to prevent an invasion by China of Taiwan; 
• China's cultural genocide ("erasure of memory") in Tibet,   a caution not to over-estimate China,   brutal suppression in Hong Kong as China continues to roll out emotionally unhealthy, unsound and very 1984 emotional "recognition" technology,   and   pineapples have become the latest point of contention between China and Taiwan; 
  
• sanctions on Russia for attempting to kill opposition leader Alexei Navalny;  
• a call to stop the "urban slaughter of civilians";  
• in a dangerous development Northern Ireland paramilitary groups have withdrawn their support for the Good  Friday  Agreement - which ended the decades long violence of "the Troubles" - over Brexit rules; 
  
• why school children are being abducted in Nigeria;  
• support for enhanced mediation of the tension over Ethiopia's Nile Dam;
  
• an assessment of Australia's weapons systems and deployments and what messages that sends around defence of "the rules based order" (which is NOT international law);
  
• terrorists in Afghanistan have murdered three women; 
• period poverty - and using means to address that to introduce feminism to China;
  
• a call for the media to fight lies about trans people with facts; 
• Townsville - with a history of violence against anyone who is different - is now experience vigilantism against alleged (or falsely perceived) youth crime that is also manifesting as racist violence;  
• the Black Lives matter protests in the USA reduced police killings;
  
• sexual harassment alleged in SA's Parliament - see also here and here; 
  
• as Germany puts a right wing group suspected of being a threat to democracy under surveillance, a very belated declaration here of one far right group as terrorist (now for the others . . . and their symbols) . . . which has now happened: an enquiry has recommended improved anti-vilification for more groups and the ban of nazi/neonazi symbols - on the same day one neonazi is charged for an alleged assault and a mannequin is dressed with a facemask with nazi symbols on it, one sporting club admits it was dismissive of claims of racism and another club is appearing in a poor light on a racism related matter; 
• in a busy day: 
• a male former senator is ordered to pay substantial damages for defaming a female Senator; 
• the head of our defence forces makes a stupid and dangerous victim blaming statement that "attractive" cadets should not go out . . . ; 
• powerful  criticism of Scott for trying to imply being a father was necessary / effective in the development of empathy for sexual assault victims; and 
• the person named as having committed a sexual assault on a minor had denied the allegation and refuses to step down, but:
• he did NOT address all matters; 
• his claims media did not contact are disputed by media who say they did contact him; 
• the lawyer who represented the woman who made the allegation has called for an enquiry; and
  
• the claims that him standing aside from the role of Attorney-General would "end the rule of law" - and  other  claims (and actions  and  inactions) - are  nonsensical  and  tone  deaf  in  the  extreme; 
• subsequently: 
  • explanation as to why a resignation would NOT be a "new" standard; 
    
  • a female neolib minister has "not denied" reports she denigrated a rape victim (and might face legal action), continuing a long history of slurs . . .  stop the press: she has apologised;
    
  • confirmation the coronial investigation into the complainant's death will continue;  
  • the family of the complainant wants an enquiry;
    
  • a call for collective organisation of women's anger - which may happen soon;
    
  • Scott's government: "the most amoral in 50 year" - see also here;
    
  • "Canberra's pale, stale and male tribe is missing the moment – as it did with Julia Gillard's misogyny speech", and
    the role of social engineering at elitist male-only private schools in creating and continuing this culture of entitlement and abuse (and, with the aid of the Murdoch media, our ugly foreign policy), but
    an independent enquiry into Parliament's culture will be held.
    
• "The Australian War Memorial is being transformed, against the wishes of the Australian people, from a place of war commemoration to a place that honours war itself"; 
  
• the federal aged care Royal Commission report has been released - but with divisions, and challenges;
  
• the state mental health system Royal Commission has been released - with signs of genuine contrition for decades of neoliberal induced neglect through focus on money;
• growing concerns over changes to the NDIS scheme; 
• a federal judge has warned medevac refugees' detention may be unlawful and ordered evidence from the Home Affairs minister;
• what appears to be staggering medical malpractice and contempt for a court in the USA; 
• "More than 50,000 people have called for a parliamentary investigation into an “unfathomable” mechanism that allows the Queen to vet draft laws before they are approved by the UK’s elected representatives" - and a possible smear campaign against Harry and Meaghan may be underway; 
• a call to stop teaching children lies about the unemployed (which I would extend to all the other lies).