Some (mostly) human rights links [Note: Content Warning - reader discretion is advised!] and thoughts - Saturday 26th February, 2022

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Content Warning: this week's post includes discussion on barbaric violence.

Some human rights (including significant, relevant links in other fields - such as geopolitics, democracy, or authoritarianism) links: 

• an example of the costs of the greed of neoliberalism, and more revelations about corruption - and an example from Zimbabwe; 
• under the "leadership" of Scott, and with concerns about corruption being expressed for years, "Australia [has been] formally warned it is acting ‘contrary’ to global anti-corruption alliance" and may be expelled;
  
• because of media stupidity/duplicity/ineptness, a survivor of child sexual abuse has had to explain what the consequences of that abuse include. See also here. In addition, a call for businesses to examine their corporate culture;
  
• some forests no longer absorb carbon during heatwaves . . . ;   "for most cities worldwide, urban greening can either subdue floods or mitigate heat. It generally cannot do both in one city";   the struggle to green Australia's power  industry;   “despite strong indications the regulations underpinning the licences could be disallowed for a third time”, “the NSW government has begun issuing flood plain harvesting licences . . . – a move that has been labelled “ . . . “bad faith” by key crossbenchers”;  "improvements in diversity, early-career development and emissions can all be achieved by holding meetings and conferences online";   "compassionate conservationists ask whether it’s ethical to harm and kill animals to preserve others. They believe ecosystems, species, and individual animals all have significant intrinsic value";   the rate of change of the water cycle is twice what was predicted;  
  
• Russia has invaded Ukraine. See here (an early "visual explainer"), here (another useful set of graphs), here (which also notes past inaction has allowed Putin to think he could get away with this), here (cyber attacks), here (on protests, including in Russia), here (on the tougher resistance and the likelihood that Russia's post-invasion plans are likely no better the USA's, and the risk of escalation in a likely months long conflict), here (on the nuclear risk), here (the EU is dithering on banning Russia from an international money transfer system), here (from 2014: "Hillary Clinton's comparison of Vladimir Putin and Adolf Hitler checks out"), here (on how the effects of the change of government in Germany was underestimated by Putin), here (on the refugee and other humanitarian crises),
  The most disturbing vision I have seen so far is of a Russian tank swerving to run over a car travelling in the opposite direction (I found out subsequently the driver and sole occupant of the car survived, but the attempt was bloodthirsty). That, which is similar to photos of a car with a wounded Palestinian in it being run over by an Israeli tank during one of the wars in southern Lebanon (his legs were visible - sticking out of car which had been crushed and was showing tank treads), is a war crime, and an appalling barbarity that shows how far some Russians have declined as human beings.
  It is also disturbing to read of "settler" Australians who say we have no familiarity with such things, when Australia was invaded in 1788.
  Also, Sudan's military is showing its true autocratic colours by visiting Russia to build closer ties during these events.
  What I had written before that invasion is:
  China's ties have left her caught between Ukraine and Russia (the Embassy of China has urged its citizens to make preparations and take care, but not to leave [Ukraine has told its citizens to flee Russia] ) - which nevertheless may see China as a key advantage, has recognised - and sent its military into - a separatist region in eastern Ukraine (will that satisfy Putin? It is in his interest, but led lead to sanctions - initially only against the separatist areas, but later Germany shut down the gas pipeline from Russia, and Europe, the UK and the USA (even  Australia, which noted the resultant cyber risks) sanctioned Russian banks and individuals - and Kenya has drawn comparisons between Russia's behaviour and that of colonialist powers in Africa) as rumours emerge of doubts within the Russian military over invasion;   the USA is alleging that Russia will commit human rights abuses if it invades;   a cautionary note over the benefits to the Baltic states of NATO's expansion - although that agreement tied BOTH the West AND Russia to respecting Ukraine's borders and sovereignty.  Also, Russian sock puppet #45has shown his true, red colours; 
• The latest democracy transformation index has been published - and shows:
     Russia's marked decline . . .
  
  
  
  

  
     as compared to Ukraine's recovery after a low spot in 2014 . . . being better than Russia throughout
  
  
  
  
  
• civilian deaths in Yemen doubled after the UN withdrew human rights monitors; 
  
• Germany has "indicted a businessman on suspicion of breaking arms control laws by helping Russia purchase sophisticated machinery that could be used to make chemical weapons"; 
• the problem of appropriation of the Holocaust;
  
• a study - disputed by the USA's Pentagon - has shown "after 70 years and some $350 billion in investment — no “system thus far developed has been shown to be effective against realistic ICBM threats” ";
  
• doubts over the national neolibs claims against a Chinese naval vessel - as well as concerns over the possible green-lighting of racism arising from the government's stance;
  
• the structural problems of international law - including recognising companies over people, and the legacies of colonialism; 
• Australia's weak international history;
  
• the European Union has imposed (more) sanctions on individuals and one company in Burma;
  
• "Haiti remains in ‘acute political and institutional crisis’ ";
  
• "how spyware is stifling human rights in Bahrain"; 
• a call for one social media platform to address its human rights problems, and concerns over political ads on social media (our laws pre-date social media . . . ); 
• concerns about "a particular class of political journalism that is closer to propaganda than news", and a call for progressives to respond assertively to attempts to denigrate them for being "woke";
  
• yet more homophobia in the USA, more transphobia from the ultra-bigoted national neolib nitwits in Australia (and see here on the cruelty of the national neolib nitwits' vanity bill), and what it's like inside a transphobic cult. The harms done by the UNSCIENTIFIC transphobic haters trying to separate transgender and cisgender women in sport, and more details of a transphobic police officers appalling conduct. Meanwhile, India's most progressive state has banned LGBTIQ abuse;
  
• in a possible substitute for an international war, the national neolib nitwits have announced a commitment to future surveillance of that part of the Antarctic that we claim - which may start a militarisation race . . . ; 
• a history of the changes to "national security" since the days it meant welfare of citizens;
  
• the USA's laws against torture ONLY apply to torture committed outside (!) the USA . . . ; 
• a call for concerns that New Zealand police aggression towards victims of the Christchurch massacre may have led to deaths to be investigated; 
• police in Guinea-Bissau have "lost" one tonne of illegal drugs . . . in a nation where the recent attempted coup was linked o the illegal drug trade . . . ;
  
• human rights have been attacked in Turkey, India, CAR (including Russian mercenaries), European borders, Afghanistan, Venezuela (barriers to voting);
  
• journalism has been attacked in Turkey, China (where journalists were physically manhandled when trying to report on the winter olympics);
  
• the national neolib nitwits proposed (enable) religious discrimination bill would cause more Islamophobia; 
• Western Australia has formally recognised that "job insecurity can harm both your physical and mental health ... in its new Code of Practice on Psychosocial Hazards in the Workplace"; 
• Australia has gone backwards 20 years and now has created the problems with "undocumented agricultural workers" that the USA has had for decades;
  
• "more Australian voters say government should prioritise population’s wellbeing over law and order . . . nine in 10 respondents also said governments should deliver services directly instead of outsourcing them to third parties"; 
• the NDIA has become "combative" and appears, in its slashing of spending, to be anti-disability;
  
• private schools do no better than public schools; 
• more on the privacy risks of the ABC's move to compulsory accounts;
• first world problems.