Post No. 2,007 - Interesting reading, and on Uganda, Burma, and from the news

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

• a triple blind experiment showed some mediums do contact the spirits of the dead; 
• "How do you reach the other side of politics?";
  
• astronomers have identified a new category of planet which could support life and thus make them finding life - the way they want to - faster; 
• an expectation of nostalgia instead showed some painful lessons about past personal problems - something I can relate to; 
• the lack of perspective of the self-righteous;

Patheos Pagan has made it impossible to look at articles unless I disable (which implies permanently) my ad blocker. I would consider temporarily shutting it off, but not permanently disabling it, so I have unsubscribed. Thus, there will - sadly - no longer be any articles from John Beckett.

(Mægan)

 

On Uganda this week:

• Museveni is continuing his stay in, and abuse of, power; 
• it is possible that Museveni is using the murder crisis to extent the army's presence for later use in suppressing dissent, as well as gathering information which can be used for such purposes; 
• a data protection campaign; 
• some Ugandans have security concerns about the arrival of Afghan refugees; 
• a suspicious arrest of an academic;

On Burma this week:

• the protests and killing continue;

 

From the news this week:

• on the climate crisis and the environment:
  "the challenge of retrofitting millions of ageing homes to battle global warming";   unacceptable abuse of those operating the catch and release "smart" shark drumline system;   pollution has killed millions of fish and crustaceans at a lagoon in Spain;   the fight against coal seam gas;   "traditional owners say they have developed a plan that would, for the first time, allow water in the Murray River to flow for cultural purposes";   the problems with our water market;   our electricity market regulator now says the closure of coal fired power stations is NOT A RISK TO THE STABILITY OF OUR POWER SUPPLIES;   BIG BUSINESS is telling the national neolib nitwits to stop prevaricating and get on with addressing the climate crisis;   "Madagascar on the brink of the world’s first ‘climate change famine’, UN warns" - and Malawi is struggling for food as lakes shrink;   "the era of leaded petrol is officially over, the UN has announced, eliminating a major threat to human and planetary health";   "Kenyan villagers tap traditional wisdom to save native trees and water";   climate change is forcing changes to US conservation practices;   Scott also hasn't delivered on his promise to plant a billion trees ... ;   releases from forest decay;   Spain is successfully transitioning from coal to renewables;   "Roma fight environmental racism in Romania";   "responsible investment options are outperforming" others (I've transferred my super to an ethical super option);   more legal action - this time against companies responsible for large environmental impacts;   E.F. Schumacher's "Buddhist economics" - aka "small is beautiful";  
  
  
  (responsibility)
  
  
  
• on international relations including war:
  on Afghanistan:   the USA has committed an act of vengeance (and a strike on suicide bombers heading to the airport - with civilian casualties this time, and an unsuccessful multiple rocket attack), and expects more VE attacks - see this critique of their approach;   Australians are being told to go "somewhere safe" and wait for the resumption of commercial flights ... ;   an update on what people are experiencing in Afghanistan (some VE fighters are begging for food);   the VEs are working on China, seeking investment;   details of one of the rescues;   France has proposed that the UN creates a safe zone in Kabul to aid the now totally closed off airport, but the UN has a poor history on safe zones ... ;   a proposal for "orderly safe departures" after the closure, as done in Vietnam in the 1970s and elsewhere - which has been accepted by the new regime;   the Palestinian President and Israeli defence Minister have held a rare meeting;   what everyday people can do to help;   utterly evil visa scammers;   the USA may continue "coordinating" with the violent extremists in charge of Afghanistan against other violent extremists ... ;   the growing humanitarian crisis - especially for Hazara;   military resistance against the Taliban is continuing;   another call for us to rethink our relationship with the USA;   "EU should enable military coalitions to tackle crises";   New Zealand is now considering laws that were recommended after the violent extremist attack in 2019, following another VE attack - which was stopped after 60 seconds;   details of the major arms that were transferred to Afghanistan between 2001 and 2020;   the toxic environmental legacy the US is leaving behind;  
  
  elsewhere:   more Israeli-Palestinian violence;   a debate will soon be held on limiting our PM's ability to take us to war;   nothing like an external threat to distract one's populace, so North Korea has restarted its nuclear reactor and posturing ... or maybe it's to bully the rest of the world into giving money ... ;   an opinion that the ANZUS treaty creates a sense of perpetual military threat;   the USA is showing contempt for NATO and its other allies;   "the Russian-origin Muslim diaspora: the ripple effects of conflict";   support for Pacific nations to get to the olympics;     a resurgence of fighting in Libya;  
  
  
  (BPM group leadership)
  
   
• on the COVID-19 pandemic:
  online shopping will drive more workers into the  precariat;   "a majority of the US intelligence community say the virus was transmitted from an animals to a human" (can we move on to addressing it now???!!! PLEASE?);   "kids are worried about coronavirus and we can't hide the truth from them";   a statistical reminder that lockdowns keep people alive;   more resistance to ideologically driven irrational and dangerous  early reopening (with Scott being described by one Premier as an "evil bully", the fight being described as "dishonest",and after reopening being described as triage not freedom);   mental health workers are suffering burnout;   problems in areas with high numbers of Indigenous people;   a repugnant arson attack on a COVID clinic;   surprising revelations that parts of Europe are being hindered by poor internet;   contaminated batches of vaccine in Japan;   the devastation lockdown causes for some elderly in care;   another sad nominee for the so-called "Darwin Awards";   a notorious extreme right wing MP is now spamming other MPs;   an examination of the unacceptable waste in JobKeeper - and what it could have been used for - as the ATO boss is warned of jail if he continues to refuse to answer Senate questions;   hundreds of children under five have been infected;   "secret report slams COVIDSafe [app] as ‘high cost, low benefit’" (e.g., reports people separated by WALLS in different apartments as being contacts);   people want planning for future pandemics - and for it to include mental health;   the need for a third dose for immunocompromised people;   a US state has suppressed democracy;   a call for more research on how reopening would affect young children;   the appeal of a life threatening, irresponsible denialist has been rejected;   "anti-lockdown protesters charged for harassing police online";   deliberate overbooking to stop others getting vaccinated;   recharge leave for some workers;   more blatant lies and misrepresentation - this time in Germany;  
  
  
  (Berkana - healing & compassion)
  
  
  
• on genocides and other human rights issues:
  "humanitarian situation worsens in Ethiopia's Tigray region";   the abuse of gig economy delivery drivers;   an activist has turned her focus to ageism - see also this, on homelessness for older women;   the abusive effects of jailing children;   Russia is continuing to suppress opposition ahead of "elections";   the trauma being caused by cost cutting access to disability support;   some repugnant people are trying to undermine confessions of and witness statements to war crimes - that were volunteered before the review;   "on modern slavery, we need moral leadership rather than market morality";   how a social media platform could improve itself to reduce hostility;   Zambia's new President has sacked military and police leaders associated with abuse;   protests, activists in hiding, and a shutdown of the Internet in South Sudan;   Europe's support for Mali is enabling human rights abuses;   political concerns in "war-weary" Libya;   training neochristian bigots;   "judge blasts 'abomination' of online pokies";   after months of detention, Egypt has released an online comedian, a journalist and a political activist;   "more than 44,000 people, 45% of them children, are currently declared missing across Africa";   "China’s ‘surveillance creep’: how big data COVID monitoring could be used to control people post-pandemic" (this applies to other nations as well, IMO);   bribery is increasing in Africa;   in response to the latest police brutality, "Thai lives matter too";   Sri Lanka has declared a "state of emergency over food shortages";   anti-hate laws in my state have been strengthened;   misogyny and LGBTIQ-phobia in China (or Xi);   six police in Kenya have been charged over murders (although Kenya's police "have form" on such actions, everyone must be given the presumption of innocence in a trial to ensure fair justice for ALL);   "eight people suffocate [to death] at Burkina Faso mine after police fire tear gas";   a deal has been struck to protect violent police in South Africa;   a popular Rwandan rapper has died in custody;   protestors in South Sudan have been arrested;   understaffing in aged care;   wide-scale systemic abuses in Iran's prisons;  
   
• from Human Rights Watch:
  many unable to flee Afghanistan face grave risks; International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances; power grab by Tunisia's president; the killing doesn’t stop during South Africa’s women’s month; Biden meets Ukraine President; as last US flight leaves Kabul with many at-risk Afghans left behind human rights groups call on social media platforms to preserve evidence of abuses; deadly counterinsurgency strategy adopted in northern Philippines; Malaysia’s new prime minister should commit to freedom of expression; another blow to independent media in Belarus; stand-up comedian banned for life in Russia over joke; assault on LGBT community in Chechnya; European Court of Human Rights rules Russia failed to properly investigate 2009 murder of prominent rights activist; what South Africa should do to protect women; sufficient funding needed for US public housing; EU should welcome Afghan refugees; Hong Kong activists convicted for organizing protests; Russia should free activist Semyon Simonov; Ethiopia Tigray conflict’s effect on education; Afghan women take to the streets calling for their rights; sick deprived of medical care in Egypt’s prisons; US Supreme Court refuses to block Texan law that bans abortions; hospitals in US should cease harmful surgeries on intersex children; prisoners in Australia’s state of New South Wales denied access to Covid-19 vaccines; pro-democracy figures jailed in Hong Kong; looted funds returned in Equatorial Guinea; European Union should show solidarity with refugees from Afghanistan; UN Security Council should renew Afghanistan mission; North Korea controls youth through ‘hard labour’; new laws threaten judicial independence in El Salvador; human rights agenda needed for Venezuela talks; Texas abortion bill fallout;
  
  
  
  
  
• on democracy:
  "history, or a royal commission, will not be kind to Morrison" (which includes "when silence compromises colleagues and makes them legally complicit");   lack of clarity over any response to a massive tax scam;   "legal experts have criticised the government's proposed amendments to visa and citizenship laws" (disproportionate, lack transparency);   "Auditor-General again flags concerns with public sector cyber security";   a proposed "bill to crackdown on misleading political advertising";   although the delta variant has led to some return of the notion of "the common good", we still have people who lack moral stature - and a government flawed by being small;   "Democratic Republic of Congo's government is reviewing its $6 billion "infrastructure-for-minerals" deal with Chinese investors as part of a broader examination of mining contracts";   Robodebt 2.0 is underway ... ;   continuing concerns about Lebanon;   talks between divided political sides in Venezuela have resumed in Mexico;
  
  
  (democracy)
  
  
  
• on LGBTIQ+ matters:
  the importance of not misgendering;   LGBTIQ-phobic investigations by a Chinese university;   "social media is a weapon of mass LGBT+ destruction that must be disarmed";   LGBTIQ-phobia on the Internet;   in Bangladesh six thugs have been sentenced to death (compounding wrong with wrong) for murdering gay activists;   a call for more LGBTIQ+ people in politics;  
  
  
• on racism:
  "White Man’s Media: Legacy media in the US and UK frames and conditions our thinking and actions" ("Australian media tugs the forelock to the Imperium. A person from Mars who reads and listens to Australian media would conclude that we are an island parked off New York or London");   a critique of the "piecemeal and unrealistic" compensation scheme for the Stolen Generations;   a call for reform to remove colonial racism from policing;   more examples of racism in sport;   "hundreds of African workers in Abu Dhabi had their lives turned upside down by overnight arrests, racist abuse, and unjustified deportations";   "Home Affairs’ resources allocation is fundamentally flawed";  
  
  
• on sexism and misogyny:
  "Medicare investigation indicates female genital mutilation in Australia";   continuing sexism in the home;   call for stronger penalties against violent offenders - whatever their gender is;   violent misogyny in the Ivory Coast;   staggering misogyny in the US Supreme Court which has allowed a bounty on abortions;   India's military is inching its way into the third quarter of the 20th Century;  
  
  
• on ableism:
  a "hospital has to fix costly design flaws after man who was blind posthumously wins discrimination case";   "technology increasingly used to 'victimise and control' women with intellectual disability";  
  
  
• on other matters:
  severe problems from non-payment of super;   despite the lessons of the pandemic, presenteeism is still an issue;   the hidden epidemic of chronic wounds;   an admission doing internet searches is getting harder;