Post No. 1,947 - Interesting reading, and on Uganda, Burma, and from the news

On psychic, spiritual and related matters, including interesting reading: 

• "Rock Stars, Pop Stars, and One Hit Wonders in the Pagan World";
• dealing with "imposter syndrome; 
• a brilliant exposition on why so many people MISTAKENLY think "they signed up for this"; 
• dodging "FOOPO" (fear of other people's opinions); 
• this is, in my opinion, partly an example of being unreasonably dependent on other people - there are extreme pressures on such people and thus a valid need for support, but adults need to stand on their own two feet to a reasonable extent, or they're not adults; 
• people leaving the neochristian church and its associated official church tax (how can such a thing exist in the 21st Century?) in Germany; 
  
• and finally, scientists are starting to work out ways towards a warp drive engine ...
  

(Mægan)

 

On Uganda this week:

• Museveni is continuing his stay in, and abuse of, power; 
• allegations of Islamophobia in Uganda's police;

On Burma this week:

• the protests and killing continue, 
• some police are defecting to the protestors;

 

From the news this week:

• on the climate crisis and the environment:
  yet still more evidence on the benefits of forests;   high demand for workers in the solar power industry - globally;   plans to reduce extinction;   "plans to build the world's biggest renewable energy hub along the south coast of Western Australia";   over-estimating the effects of the climate crisis may lead to inaction;   the "climate crisis ‘may put 8bn at risk of malaria and dengue’ ";   Brazil's electrical privatisation will cause problems for workers, indigenous communities and the climate;   Australia's words and actions do NOT match;   a call to restrict mining in north-east Victoria for the sake of the tourist industry;   India's dilemma;   the "Amazon rainforest [is] now emitting more CO2 than it absorbs" - and may collapse if Brazil's right wing extremist president remains in power;   more VALID criticism of us for dodging action to address the climate crisis;   a battle for sacred lands against development in Uganda;   river diversions for hydro power in Pakistan have left the region's capital hotter;  
  
  
  (responsibility)
  
  
  
• on international relations including war:
  an assessment that the risk of nuclear war has increased - albeit regional;   "videos show Afghan civilians being tortured [and] murdered by [the] Taliban";   China - which may introduce conscription - is massing troops on its border with Burma, and appears to be preparing to do an old fashioned USA/"gunboat diplomacy" style attack to protect its interests and citizens if needed;   democracy continues to die in Hong Kong;   Russia has a stranglehold on gas supplies to the EU;   the USA is rattling its cyber sabre towards Russia;   China is continuing to ignore the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling in 2016;   growing tensions in Northern Ireland;   multiple crises in North Korea;   more calls for us to help our local staff in Afghanistan (before they are massacred);   an assessment of the war in Tigray - including its differences to other civil wars, and its potential spread;   events in Burma and China are fuelling violent extremists;   an attempt by Iran to kidnap a journalist in the USA has been foiled;   Taiwan's growing international support;   an opinion that "abandoning Afghanistan won’t bring peace" (it may also allow that nation to go back to exporting instability - at least regionally);   an excellent assessment of the growing risks of water wars in the Caucasus / Central Asia;   in a rebuke to us, the USA will evacuate Afghans - and their families - who aided them;   Russia supported "the “mentally unstable”, impulsive” and “unbalanced” " #45 as a way of destabilising the USA;   Palestinians in Gaza are filming themselves and what is happening so that future people know they once existed . . . ;   a growing VE threat in Africa;   a debunking of the idea that past successful counterinsurgency campaigns have included good governance - and an exposé on the problems of achieving good governance that is contrary to self-interest of existing regimes . . . ;  
  
  
  (BPM group leadership)
  
   
• on the COVID-19 pandemic:
  "camouflaging failure";   "what is evident is a gold standard in denial and evasion of responsibility" (this was actually always evident - the hypocrisy of slagging off at my state for doing the right thing is appalling);   criticism of the national neolib nitwits latest attempts at an ad campaign;   lack of consultation with Indigenous people on rollout strategies;   "WHO chief says 'greed' of richer countries is prolonging the coronavirus pandemic";   NZ's PM has called for an extra meeting of APEC to address the pandemic;   nations "should not be ordering booster shots for their vaccinated populations when other countries have not yet received COVID-19 vaccines, the World Health Organization said";   "almost one in three globally go hungry during pandemic";   a unity measure in Malaysia;   the continuing disaster in Indonesia;   the neolibs income support EXCLUDES the poor;   vaccines are being used as regional power ploys in West Asia;   ethical concerns have led to the withdrawal of a paper supporting a drug liked by right wingers;   the USA is getting into the "vaccine diplomacy" game;   experts are concerned that COVID risks at the olympics are not being properly managed;  
  
  
  (Berkana - healing & compassion)
  
  
  
• on genocides and other human rights issues:
  an opinion the world should give Haiti - without the sexual abuses, health issues, and problems of previous missions;   child soldiers in Yemen;   an example of giving directly;   "Hazara Australians fear their people in Afghanistan could soon be massacred";   US Democrats are planning to sabotage attempts to vote in regressive laws of hate in one US state by leaving en masse;   the harm of linking hate speech laws only to inciting violence;   Genocide Watch considers Haiti to be at Stage 6: Polarization and Stage 7: Preparation and Hungary to be at Stage 3: Discrimination;   "digital rights groups urged US regulators and investors ... to block plans by [a] surveillance technology company ... to go public on the Nasdaq stock exchange, saying the ... firm continues to sell tools to repressive governments";   eSwatini has restored the internet as a court challenge gets underway;   "Australia needs to protect both civil liberties and national security";   even some neolibs want action on the climate crisis;   a US company has stopped it's staggeringly moronic production of a real pistol that looked like a toy AFTER a demand from Lego;   a proposal to legislate for a proactive duty of care rather than trying to address social media hate on a piecemeal basis;   the digital divide is making it impossible for the poor to apply for help;   India is demolishing the homes of 100,000 people;   street kids in the DRC;   anti-VE laws in Senegal could be exploited for suppression;   in response to horrific abuses of returned refugees, calls for Europe to stop committing refoulement;  "an Israeli company that sells spyware to governments is linked to fake Black Lives Matter and Amnesty International websites that are used to hack targets";   "children are being treated like data farms by digital platforms";   a Thai housing programme "helps slum dwellers get secure housing with subsidies and cheap loans for land and to upgrade their homes" - which "bypasses poorer residents";  
   
• from Human Rights Watch:
  Olympics host Japan should address serious rights issues; mass protests against regime in Cuba; new details of alleged torture in Saudi Arabia; protect rights of garment workers’ during pandemic; tragic news from Georgia - a journalist covering the rabi anti-LGBT haters was attacked and killed by the thus; and some positive news as Montenegro bans denial of genocide in Srebrenica; Finland has suspended all deportations to Afghanistan; the UN Human Rights Council condemns abuses against the Rohingya in Myanmar and puts Ethiopia’s Tigray region on the agenda; Israeli authorities won’t allow detained Palestinian parliamentarian to attend his daughter’s funeral; prominent human rights defender convicted in Russia; divide in access to COVID-19 vaccines continues; ten years since landmark adoption of business and human rights principles;   girls are fighting child marriage in India; security forces in South Africa should respect rights when they deal with riots; criminalising abortion affects rights & health in Ecuador; Taliban advances threaten Afghans; protests against Cuba regime; crackdown against dissidents in Belarus continues; DR Congo mourns death of ‘Tata Cardinal’; the world is watching Merkel as she meets Biden to discuss the pandemic;   "Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner has raised alarm over the lack of safeguards to prevent the arbitrary detention of detainees in immigration centres with visas cancelled on character grounds"; Cuba's government responds with violence against protesters; Belarus cracks down on human rights defenders; Japanese businesses should reconsider deals with Myanmar's military; Iranians allegedly plotted to kidnap dissident journalist in New York; North Korea acknowledges crisis, blames others; Poland and EU clash over rule of law and LGBT rights;   International Justice Day; EU border force Frontex still failing to protect rights; eight years of suffering for vulnerable asylum seekers in Australia; Myanmar's junta hoards lifesaving oxygen; another blow to independent media in Russia; an opportunity to advance the right to food in the UK;
  
  
  
  
  
• on democracy:
  an opinion that reduced unemployment is possible;   snap election in Moldova;   the incumbent has won the election in Ethiopia;   despite claims by the national neolib nitwits to the contrary, farm workers need welfare to survive;   "National Party greed was once restrained by Liberals";   elections in Bulgaria;   violence in South Africa after a former president was jailed;   a right wing paper has called for removal of Brazil's controversial 45-lite head of government;   pro-democracy protests in Thailand;   an opinion that autocracy has supplanted democracy in South Sudan;   promotion of cultural diversity in Sudan;   anti-government protests in Cuba have been followed by the disappearances of 140 people, including foreign journalists ... and "Cuba has announced it is temporarily lifting restrictions on the amount of food and medicine travellers can bring into the country in an apparent small concession to demands by protesters";   the national neolib nitwit's "double standards" are showing with regard to willing support for neolib NSW vs begrudging and actively resisted support for ALP Vic - see also this, on "carporks";   Nigeria's press is fighting back against mass suppression;   why Brazil has a lot of political assassinations (corruption is a key);   protests in Lebanon at allegations of stalling an investigation into last year's massive explosion;   continued oppression in Turkey;   action on allegations of corruption in the DRC - and Europe;   more lies from our PM;   an examination of the unrest in Colombia;  
  
  
  (democracy)
  
  
  
• on LGBTIQ+ matters:
  LGBTQ-phobia in China;   racist and homophobic comments by serving Qld police officers has led to the closing of a social media group and an ethical investigation;   anti-LGBT hate in Hungary is driving talented people out;   Lufthansa will adopt gender neutral greetings;   homophobic suppression in China;   the EU is suing Hungary and Poland over their anti-LGBT hate;   four Georgian TV stations have gone off air in protest at a journalist's death at the hands of a mob of rabid homophobes;   a homophobe who bashed two girls in NSW has been jailed;   blatant homophobia by a church in NSW;   a homophobic mob has committed murder in Spain;  
  
  
• on racism:
  a white supremacist statue in the USA has been removed;    "horrendous" racist abuse in the UK towards a national sporting team;   the UN is urging reparations for slavery;   Qld police have admitted being racist dupes of a corporation;   ethnic profiling in Tigray;   two Vic police cars now also have Indigenous art;  
  
  
• on sexism and misogyny:
  the problem of domestic violence associated with sporting events;   misogyny in politics;   women trapped in domestic abuse because of lack of affordable housing;   a reminder police are not the first port of call for DV victims;   anti-sexual harassment laws in Egypt are not being enforced;   the devastating impact of criminalising abortion in Ecuador;   women and girls who defend themselves against rapists in Zimbabwe are being charged;   "Malaysian mothers fight government over 'sexist' citizenship law";   UTTER TOKENISM IN THE COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENT'S "RESPONSE" TO SEXUAL ASSAULTS AND MISOGYNY;   very, very, VERY belated possible progressive policies in the USA may put them ahead of us;   a notorious school for elites still has problems with sexism and misogyny;  
  
  
• on ableism:
  the ableism of proponents of "let COVID rip";  
  
  
• on animal rights: 
  charges after appalling animal cruelty;  
  
  
• on other matters:
  addressing disengaged students;   "privacy is key to social bonding at work";   a call to clarify the issue of cybercrime ransoms;   the harm of breaking down the work-life barrier;   the EU is looking to develop a digital version of the Euro;   Qld's strawberry industry is disappointed that charges over a sabotage episode that injured people and caused massive harm have been dropped;   THE NEED FOR ETHICS IN ENGINEERING;