On Uganda, Burma, the attempted coup in the USA, and from the news

On Uganda this week:

• the abductions and murders continue - with a focus on priests, continuing a concerning history in Uganda and elsewhere; 
• human rights experts have sounded their alarm over the violent crackdown following elections in Uganda.
  

On Burma this week:

• the protests and killing continue - see here (82 killed on one day), here, here,
  
• details of the murder of protestors in Bago;  
• the junta has underestimated the courage of Burma's people; 
• an underground newspaper as a way of fighting back against the Internet shutdown;
  
• a call for Australia to allow Burmese people to stay here for their safety - as was done after the Tiananmen Square massacre for Chinese students; 
• death penalty returns to Burma; 
• new year celebrations have been cancelled in protest; 
  
• a warning Burma could become the next Syria; 
• continuing calls for economic boycotts; 
• an opposition government has been formed.
  

A comment on Afghanistan: if the USA had stayed out of Iraq, they would have accomplished a change of state in Afghanistan by around 2003 or 04 - quickly enough to not build up the resentments and hatreds that the Coalition forces have, and the problems in Pakistan would have been more limited. Under those circumstances, I consider it likely that troops could have been withdrawn then - maybe keep some for low level training. (The ineptness of the military forces around building a society didn't help anything, either.) The announced withdrawal WILL be a very imaginable disaster for over 19 million people: the women of that nation.

From the news this week:

• forest fires in India;   plastic pollution is now in the atmosphere . . . ;   the climate crisis is a security threat;   Greenland v. mining;   the transition technology of hybrid cars are going to be phased out sooner than expected;   the flood risks in "informal" settlements are being mapped to help stop evictions;   a New Zealand law "will require banks, insurers and investment managers to report the climate impacts of their businesses and explain how they will manage risks";   "the world's wealthiest 1% produce double the combined carbon emissions of the poorest 50%";   Japan will dump nuclear contaminated water into the ocean . . . ;   Ugandans have criticised the oil pipeline deal;    the climate crisis will make India's monsoon even more devastating;   France has banned short flights where a train alternative exists;   bats have advantages - such as being pollinators;  
  
  
• US President Biden has continued the USA's warmongering and will now break an election promise to sell weapons to the human rights abusing Saudis;   anger over maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean;   Iran has lashed out at sanctions over human rights abuses;   those opposed to Ethiopia's Nile dam are building alliances;  in a 21^st Century version of their defeat in Viêt Nám, the USA has just abandoned the women of Afghanistan to the increasingly violent misogynistic Taliban . . . more reflections on this . . . ;   China is continuing its threats  against Taiwan, building ties with Iran, exporting its techno-authoritarianism, and ramping up its saturation propaganda;   the CCP's sock puppet will **** Hong Kong's next "elections";   suppression of opposition before elections in Chad;   corruption has been building in Nicaragua for a decade;   staggering revelations about the extent of bonuses to hundreds of public servants;   Somalia's leader has been the latest leader to attack term limits - see also this examination;   a kick in the guts to democracy in Thailand;   growth of democracy in Samoa;   the US has expelled Russian diplomats in response for Russian interference in US elections - Russian retaliation is expected;   attempts to end the violence in the southern Philippines are behind track;   concerns the pro-democracy movement in Algeria has been infiltrated by extremists;   Poland continues its sprint to despotism;   talks on the Iran nuclear deal are resuming;   "Venezuelans try to beat hyperinflation with cryptocurrency revolution";  
  
  
• the "panic over cancel culture [is] really about the perceived loss of power";   the problem of extremists being "enterprising" - driven by the desire for power and wealth;   Qatar has been using torture;   "Australia's slow adoption of laws that would allow the targeted sanctioning of human rights abusers has been branded "humiliating" by a prominent activist" - and we will stay out of touch with decency on the age of criminal responsibility;   thoughts on long term altruism;   a writing competition on "what matters" for young students;   new investigations into matters related to possible war crimes of a bemedalled soldier - who is suing for defamation;   Denmark is committing refoulement of Syrian refugees;   concerns about the proven human rights abusing company being used for vaccination bookings;   the vicious national neolib nitwits have put their attack on people with a disability on hold;   India is abusing privacy to create digital barriers to vaccination;   "the life of an Iranian human rights lawyer";  
  
  
• a campaign against the abuse of LGBTIQ+ people by their families;   good news from the Yukon;   abuse of LGBT elders in/by the aged care system;   the dangers of AI for LGBT people;   homophobia of Canadian police hampered an investigation into a serial killer;   US residents OVERWHELMINGLY oppose anti-trans laws;  
  
  
• a comprehensive article on the misogyny of our "justice" system - and a nuanced examination of innocence, guilt, and redemption;   more information of the ineptness and trivialisation of rape allegations by NSW police who rejected three opportunities to interview the victim - which led to a rape victim committing suicide;   the silence of a neochristian church on misogyny;   misogyny amongst friends/colleagues;   sexual bullying amongst girls;   a life on the receiving end of misogyny;   a notorious MP who said he would not stand for re-election in response to allegations has been blocked from doing so by his party after he backflipped;   prolonged sexual assault of a child at a special needs school - by another student;   silencing of sexual assault victims in small businesses;    a "compelling" revelation of misogynistic bullying by Scott;   lies by nurses over the dangers of drug testing for victims of spiking;  
  
  enforcement of  new protections of women against sexual assault in Egypt;   Mali has refused to ban FGM;   "52 armies and groups [are] suspected of sexual violence";
  
  
• the sub-clinical psychopathy of police;   the lived experience of racism in a police force;   a call for an end to ‘police investigating police’;   protests after yet another killing of a black man by US police - who ALLEGEDLY (journalists have wrongly used the word "apparently") drew the gun instead of the Tasar "by mistake" . . . (and has now resigned) - while 1 of 2 police who assaulted a US soldier has been sacked;   a call to "stop training police like they’re joining the Military";   US President Biden has backed away from an oversight commission for police in favour of a bill that is doomed to fail . . . ;   racism in academia;   an examination of the growth of anti-Asian hate crimes as a result of the pandemic;   historic vote on US slavery reparations bill coming up;   the racist inequality gap;   Australia's continuing failures on Indigenous deaths in custody;  
   
• the NDIS has been ordered to cut costs . . . and damn the costs for people affected, it seems;  
  
  
• Muslims fear attending mosques because of hate crimes;  
  
  
• a critique of the democratic decay in Australia over the last five decades;   limited media ownership - particularly wrt revenue - in Australia;   US right wing politicians are unhappy at signs of decency from their erstwhile supporters/masters of the corporate world;   more accusations of the Australian government pressuring experts;   facebook has knowingly ALLOWED world leaders to use it to deceive and mislead people because there was no PR risk . . . ;    allegations that the head of the Murdoch clan admitted a media campaign to overthrow the government of the day;   the national neolib nitwits are viciously aiming to keep existing home owners happy at the expense of affordable housing;   a debunking of the trickle down economic stupidity;   one company in the gig work economy is trialling properly employing SOME of their workers;   Scott has been putting government propaganda into primary schools;   a community grants programme will be audited after grave concerns about perceptions of corruption;  
  
  
• disturbing revelations that the ABC edited footage to sensationalise it . . .