Saturday 22 April 2023

Some human rights and other news links [Note: Content Warning - links to reports on bigotry/hate, violence/abuse/war. Reader discretion is advised!] and thoughts - Saturday 22nd April, 2023

Note: CONTENT WARNING - some of this content is about upsetting, disturbing or triggering events & attitudes. Seek competent help - including professional - if you need it. Content shown in green (which may be only part of a news story) is about what is generally considered “good news”, but personal history may still make such events triggering. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that linked articles may contains names and/or images of deceased people. Reader caution is recommended. For anyone distressed by anything in this post, or for any other reason considering seeking support, resources are available in Australia here, here, and here. In other nations, you will have to do an Internet search using terms such as “mental health support - <your nation>” (which, for instance, may lead to this, this, and this, in the USA, or this, this, and this, in France [biased towards English-language - my apologies]).  

Black Lives Matter! Be Anti-Racist, Anti-Sexist, and Actively Inclusive in ALL Areas.
The Climate Crisis is real, urgent and existential!
The Pandemic is Real, and Vaccinations save lives. Stay safe - wash your hands, wear a face mask in public if prudent to do so, and follow informed medical advice.

Some mostly human rights (including significant, relevant links in other fields - such as geopolitics, democracy, or authoritarianism) links (note: the source of news items [but not reference links] is in brackets after each item - normal rules around abbreviations will apply, and abbreviations are listed at the end of this post; links behind hard paywalls have a [$]; also, comments by me are in purple).

  • courage against despots has been shown, together with decency, but also some of the flaws/risks of trying to implement change for the better, and the continued risk of authoritarians and the cowards who enable them;
  • “Sudanese to world: violence in Khartoum shows strongmen can’t be trusted” (Christian Science Monitor);         “meet the viral Sheriff who took on Florida n___s : when an antisemitic hate group started harassing Jewish people in Volusia County, Sheriff Mike Chitwood wasn’t having it” (V);      based on last week’s news, “a fire hose of insanity and the republican cycle of radicalisation” (TK), and also see “what’s behind the GOP’s war against democracy?” (The Hartmann Report), and how to make money out of hate (M) and the problem of “essentialism” (TC);   a white cismale legislator in the USA proposed re-legalising lynching (M) - see also here (NBC news) as another state allows child work (TG);   “a new [US] law banning 'divisive' topics allows racism to flourish” (M);      a US civil war re-enactor has pleaded guilty to placing a pipe bomb to try to set up left wing activists (NBC Washington);   “US neo-n___ accused of sniper plot appears to have shared instructions with Australian far-right figures” (TG);    “Americans broadly reject guns influencing politics, and a small majority supports banning guns near officials to reduce threats” (it is important to remember that it is a very small, very powerful/noisy minority that is responsible for the suffering of many) (PVG);   “the meritocracy and the poverty of the liberal imagination in 21st century America” (lawyers, guns and money);         my thoughts on the settlement between Dominion and Fox News in the USA - the possibility of Fox using this to reduce tax is particularly odious (The Lever), but there are other law suits to come - for example, this one (UpRoxx);   “a former Fox Host says network's greed and disinformation is a danger to democracy” (Raw Story);         “Israeli firm NSO’s spyware again hacking iPhones” (AJ);   in Nigeria, a criticism of the  “ 'weaponisation' of ethnic, religious bias for political purposes” (TG - N) as investigations into an apparent abuse of power during the election continue (Premium Times Nigeria);          an analysis “shows a weak understanding of how and where influence works” (TG);         a reflection by someone who has been jailed for 20 years on the pain behind violent people (M);   “police have charged a man for allegedly threatening to kill former political staffer Brittany Higgins, her fiance and their dog” (remember: n matter appalling the acts committed, those charged are innocent until proven guilty - see link for more)
     (TND) - see also here (TG);   “adults judge children who tell blunt polite truths more harshly than they do liars” (M);  

  • on the CLIMATE CRISIS (noting the UNFCCC) and ENVIRONMENT (noting multiple  international agreements): 
    • “Indigenous Australians have conducted cultural burning for at least ten millennia and the practice helped reduce bushfire risk in the past, ... new research shows” (TC);   “air pollution impacts every stage of human life, report finds” (AJ);   “if the world adopted a plant-based diet we would reduce global agricultural land use from 4 to 1 billion hectares” (Our World in Data);   “the money behind the climate denial movement” (Smithsonian Magazine);   “a spate of EU nations ... are exiting the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), an investment pact weaponised by big emitters to sue governments — most recently for phasing out fossil fuels” (DW);   “the rhythmic expansion and contraction of Antarctic sea ice is like a heartbeat. But lately, there’s been a skip in the beat” (TC);   “as climate change bears down, calls to reduce plastic pollution are not wasted” (TC);   “renewable energy growth must double to meet Australia’s emission goals ... More than 35% of Australia’s electricity last year was supplied by wind and solar, up from just under 17% in 2017” (TG);   an examination of compensation for poorer nations affected by the climate crisis (TC) - see also this (M);   more on the problem of greenwashing (CT);   criticism of testing after a recent fish kill (TG);   Australia has a new (TC) (partial? (TG)) electric (ABC) vehicle (TG) strategy - which might help revive a manufacturing industry (TC);   inaction over the climate crisis is harming young people’s mental health (TG) - see also this (UN);   a proposal to restore degraded catchments as a way of offsetting nutrient discharges into waterways (TC);   a new microorganism has been found which converts atmospheric carbon dioxide to biomass (TG);    the underestimated value of Earth’s kelp forests (Nature);   an assessment of Africa’s Great Green Wall project (Nature);   an F24 exclusive reports that “a nickel mine in Colombia destroying biodiversity and health” (F24);   “EU Parliament adopts ban on imports driving deforestation” (F24);   “off-grid solar mini-grids light up Africa” (MG);   a call for climate action through decolonisation (NIT);   the UN Secretary-General has warned that “current climate policies [are] ‘a death sentence’ for the world” (UN);   “green energy is a bigger opportunity for Australia than the resources boom. Let’s not waste it” (TG);  
    • climate / environmental issues have also occurred in:   Australian superannuation (RE),   the Andes (TG),   Brazil/Amazon basin (DW),   Murray-Darling river (TC),   NSW (TG),   Qld (good news) (TG),   the Pacific (Lowy);

  • on NATURAL and OTHER DISASTERS (noting Article 1(3) of the UN Charter) including COVID-19 AND OTHER PANDEMICS: 
    • long COVID is being erased again (The Atlantic);   approval for the malaria vaccine in Nigeria (VoA) - and other nations are ready to do likewise (R);   aid is helping to manage the risk of disease in Syria after the earthquake (UN);         “aid for displaced desperately needed to avoid hunger” in Chad (UN) is also needed more widely in West Africa and the Sahel (UN) - and Madagascar is desperate after the devastation caused by three cyclones (AP);   drought in Tunisia (AP) and Kenya (TG) - see also here on the climate crisis aspects (ICG);   a severe heatwave in Asia (TG);          survivors of a cyclone have been rescued off WA (TND);   “residents claim some insurance companies 'dragging their feet' six months after Rochester flooding” (ABC);         a forest fire in France (F24);   a hospital fire in China (ABC);         a bus crash in India (TG);   a building collapse in the USA (TG);   a crowd crush (TG) has killed (F24) scores of people in Yemen (ABC);  

  • on rashist  putin and his cronies’ ILLEGAL (it is contrary to Chapters VI and VII of the UN Charter  and international law [and the 1928 Pact of Paris which was successfully used in post-WW2 trials], and possibly includes conduct contrary to the "laws" of war and international humanitarian law (IHL)) INVASION of UKRAINE: 
    • an irresponsible, inflammatory comment from NATO (AP);  
    • on military matters:    “US-made Patriot guided [anti] missile systems arrive in Ukraine” (AP);   China and russia are  strengthening their military “cooperation” (TG);  
    • on the nuclear (weapons and power) situations:   “US urges NATO vigilance for signs Russia could use nuclear weapon in Ukraine” (R);  
    • on human rights in the region and globally:   according to the European Union’s foreign policy chief “Russia [is] blocking 50 ships with Ukrainian grain in Black Sea” (Kyiv Independent);  an admission of abuses by russia’s informal military (TG);   financial aid to Ukrainians (UN);  
    • inside russia:   digital conscription (DW);   the head of russia’s informal military has called for an end to the war (DW);  a russian plane has accidentally bombed a russian city (TG);  
    • internationally:   as with Sweden and Finland, “Ireland rethinks [its triple locked] neutrality in wake of Ukraine war ” (DW);   problems in the EU with managing grain from Ukraine (DW);   the war is undermining freedom across Eurasia (FH);   
       
  • on INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (noting the UN Charter [particularly Chapters VI and VII] and numerous  international  treaties): 
    • an examination of the USA’s policy on currency - particularly in the context of a possible war with China (“Henry Kissinger’s aphorism that “America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests” should be pinned to Anthony Albanese’s wall”) (TND) as “African finance ministers demand action on global financial architecture reform” (Africa Feeds);   criminal groups in Mexico are spreading their violent activities into non-drug areas - including the avocado industry (PVG);   an assessment that the dangers of the current generation of armed Palestinian groups is being over-hyped for political reasons by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority (ICG);   an assessment of the the long divided Cyprus (ICG);   “FBI arrests two New Yorkers accused of running covert Chinese police station” (remember: innocent until proven guilty) (TG);   “UN experts concerned over delay in Zambia’s debt restructuring ... and its corresponding negative human rights impact on peoples’ lives there” (UN);   an examination of why China ended its economic attack on Australia (ABC);   an assessment of “the impact of the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement on [West Asia] conflicts” (ICG);  

    • noting particularly Chapters VI and VII of the UN Charter, the 1928 Pact of Paris used in post-WW2 trials, the "laws" of war and IHL and Article 20 of the ICCPR on WAR / CONFLICT:   
    • incidents / action of concern in/regarding:   North Korea (DW); 
    • violence in:   Burkina Faso (VoA),   Nigeria (TDP),   Mali (AP),   Burkina Faso (TDP),   USA (TG);

  • on CORRUPTION (noting international  agreements and monitoring), MISGOVERNANCE, MAL-/MIS-/NON-FEASANCE, MISCONDUCT and THREATS TO DEMOCRACY/FREEDOM: 
    • the flaws of economists using high level, averaged data (M);   allegations that a foreign nation is financing violent extremists in order to access minerals in Nigeria (International Centre for Investigative Reporting - Nigeria);   the businesses of russia’s so-called mercenaries (DW);   a call to accept ANZAC war crimes in past wars to promote acceptance of more recent war crimes (my favourite [because he was so gentle with us] adoptive family uncle was one of the “chocos” in New Guinea in World War Two, and he admitted to killing prisoners) (TC);   “calls for Pembrokeshire councillor to quit over 'outrageous' slavery comments” (Nation Cymru);        “the Pentagon leaks reveal the rot at the heart of US intelligence – but they haven’t hurt Ukraine” (TG);   “the Australian Capital Territory’s chief justice ... has described secrecy as “anathema to the rule of law” while releasing the long-awaited sentencing decision against Witness J” (TG);         an in-depth examination of the corruption committed by a controversial US Supreme Court justice (MLT), and of his vulnerable family situation (M) - which has now been referred for judicial examination (NBC News) - see also this (TG);   concerns about the US judge who banned an abortion medicine (MSNBC);         the behaviour of police needs to be looked at as a group, not just as individuals (M);   investigations by a war crimes investigations unit has “produced damning results” (Rolling Stone) - see also this interactive (TG);         a recent cyber hack has been confirmed (TG) as including (ABC) a supermarket chain’s loyalty card customers;   “a class action against Optus involving 100,000 customers impacted by last year’s data hack will be lodged in the Federal Court ... it could be one of the biggest – and most valuable – class action cases in Australian legal history” (TND) - see also here (SBS);   a tool to enable universities to detect AI plagiarism has flaws (TG) - see also this, on universities (TC), and this, on “paracreativity” (M);   a ride sharing service driver eventually received an apology for the errors of that service’s automated online systems (TG);   the head of a major tech company “warns AI could be harmful if deployed wrongly” (TG);   a call for AI to be open source for ethical reasons (Nature);  
    • concerns around past/current/potential corruption/misgovernance also in   Tasmania (ABC),   Victoria (TG),   banks (ABC);

  • on DEMOCRACY, SOVEREIGNTY, AND GOVERNANCE (noting Article 25 of the ICCPR and monitoring  projects): 
    • globally:   an explosives based attack (a smoke bomb, according to later reports) has occurred at a political event in Japan - without injury (F24);   a debate about AI regulation in the EU without discouraging development (DW);   an examination of the benefits and lack of benefits of Arab nations establishing relations with the Assad regime in Syria (DW);   another threat to democracy in the USA when a state legislator changed political party (M);   a controversial social media platform is continuing to misrepresent public funded media (TG) ... but has finally backed down (R);   resistance is growing to a democracy threatening third term for Senegal’s president (F24);   “the ‘otherness’ of Jacinda Ardern – by doing politics differently she changed the game and saved her party” (TC);   action against corruption in Tanzania (TEA);   a state governorship result has been declared void in Nigeria (this is potentially a good sign) (R);   “against the backdrop of a fragile human rights landscape, a “new dynamic” of cooperation among Libyan leaders provides much-needed momentum as the country prepares for elections later this year” (UN);   in Nigeria “disinformation reflects a demonetisation of institutions” (this probably applies elsewhere as well) (AN);   in a damning indictment of US approaches to health care, some US residents are going to Mexico for dental care (F24);   in Türkiye,  “Erdoğan’s rival breaks taboo by talking about Alevi heritage ahead of elections” (F24);   an assessment of democracy in Timor-Leste (Lowy);         a project is revealing and continuing the work of a murdered Colombian journalist (F24);         on the protests in France:   after the Constitutional Council upheld the proposed change (F24), France’s President has signed the controversial law (F24) ... after which he set off his attempted appeasement by the right wing tactic of a cheap attack on refugees (F24) and protestors were blocked (F24);  
    • in Australia:   “as energy prices skyrocket, people on low incomes face the cruel choice of eating or heating. But there are steps the government can take to ease their plight” (TG);   planned increases in aged care are not enough (TG);   concerns about spies in Australia (TG);   an examination of the report on the review of the RBA (TND);   concern about “the rise of unaccountable ministerial advisors” (TC);   “ending the ‘postcode lottery’ in health is more than a technical fix – it means fundamentally reorganising our systems” (TC);   “a major review has recommended more independence for decisions about research funding in Australia” (TC);   a review has recommended changes to the RBA - see here (TC), this concession (TND), the need for change (TND), this, on the change not being too revolutionary (TG), but this, on the fundamental fallacy of the RBA and its review (TND);         in the lead up to the budget:   a call to increase student allowances (TND), rent and childcare assistance (TG),and JobSeeker (TG) - which was rejected (TND) despite recommendations (TC) from government experts (TG) ... see also this criticism (TND);   another damning critique of the proposed Stage 3 tax cuts ABC);  
      • on the proposed Voice to the Parliament in Australia:   “three former Liberal Indigenous affairs ministers unite in support of the Voice” (NIT);   why a referendum is necessary, rather than legislation (TC);   “the voice to parliament will lead to less inequality. That’s not racist” (TG);   “Torres Strait Islanders and far north Queenslanders back Voice to Parliament, inquiry told” (NIT);   the Solicitor-General has supported the Voice - see here (NIT), here (SBS), here (ABC);         the neoliberal leader’s “comments in Alice Springs show why so many Indigenous communities don't trust politicians” (ABC) - see also this, on the obligation to report child abuse (TND), this rejection of those claims by experts (NIT), this commentary (TND), this call (TG), and this criticism of both major parties for neglecting child maltreatment nationally (ABC);   the neoliberals - including those with internalised racism - have a four decade history of racism (TC);   “Central Land Council leaders say [Senator] Price ‘needs to stop pretending we are her people’” (TG) - see also this (TND);  
    • suppression of opposition / dissent / media in   Ethiopia (TEA),   Thailand (PhilStar),   AI India (DW); 

  • on HUMAN RIGHTS (noting the various rights and treaties summarised here, IHL, Article 5 of the Rome Statute founding the ICC):  
    • DNA evidence is being used to track down abusers amongst aid workers (ABC);    another mass gun shooting in the USA (SBS);   a major Australian newspaper’s connections with past slavery (TC);   “the social determinants of justice: 8 factors that increase your risk of imprisonment” (TC);   a wave of abductions of women and children in South Sudan has been underway for a few years (Le Monde);   “Swiss charge ex-Gambian minister with crimes against humanity” (remember: for valid human rights reasons, no matter how egregious the crimes, innocent until proven guilty) (AJ);   an assessment of the parlous state of Haiti (The Nation);   nearly half the world’s languages are at risk (TC);  
    • human rights are at risk or abuses have also occurred in:   Nigeria (HA),   Nigeria (promising news) (HA),   Latvia (AJ),   Cambodia (TG),   Pakistan (TND);

    • noting the GENOCIDE  Convention:   “military violence in [burma] is worsening amid fierce resistance and international ambivalence” (M);   an atrocity alert for Sudan, burma and China (GCR2P);  

    • noting the Yogyakarta Principles on LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE:   the overwhelming impact of the current transgenocide (M);   India’s Supreme Court has ruled “sexual orientation is an innate characteristic over which individuals have no control” (which has long been known in the rest of the world, but is a major step forward for a large percentage of the worlds population) (The Hindu);   an ally has shut down some trans haters (QN);   “no, trans teens are not detransitioning later in life” (M);   “trans[haters] were never “minding their own business” - understanding the nature of bigotry” (M);   book bans are harming children (QN);  
      more LGBTIQA+ issues:   Cook Islands (good news) (M),   USA (PN),   sport (ABC),   NSW police (Star),   a pseudo-christian church (Star),   India (laws take time to change attitudes) (DW),   Kenya (a backlash after a court win) (R),   USA (the USA “has form” on this sort of issue) (CBS News),   social media (QN),   Nigeria (LGBT Nation);

    • noting ICERD and DRIP on RACISM:   a podcast episode providing insights into the Australian Frontier Wars, including the organisation of Indigenous warriors and their adaptations of weapons (hiding behind a tree wasn’t much use against a boomerang) and use of country, victory being driving people away without necessarily any casualties (which confused the settlers, who included Napoleonic veterans expecting casualties as part of any “victory”), the persistence of events (including retaking areas), and the relatively large numbers of those involved in specific events;   after thirty years, two Indigenous players have finally received apologies from a club for the behaviour of its supporters (SBS) - see also here (NIT), and this call for an examination of the increase in racist attacks at sport events (NIT) ... see also this, on an existing enquiry (TG);   healing the damage of colonisation (TG);   funding for digital inclusion of Indigenous communities (NIT);   a call “to support community-led solutions to ensure the safety of Cairns' children, rather than endorsing the [the Queensland] government's children's prison plan” (NIT);      “it’s an act of cultural appropriation to misuse the word “woke”” (M);   in the USA, “outrage as Black teen shot after going to wrong address to pick up siblings” (TG);   the blatantly racist written policy of a US sheriff has been leaked (Our Tallahassee);         slightly reduced racism in Australia against people who appear to be Chinese now that relations between the two nations have improved (TG);  
      more racism issues:   Europe (DW),   WA Department of Justice (NIT),   US prisons during COVID (Nature);

    • noting CEDAW on SEXISM:    a progress report on an investigation is notable for the male journalist's failure to comprehend that #MeToo has caused the discussions about sexual violence against women (TG);   “how Mexico’s criminal violence reshapes women’s lives” (PVG);   “why women don’t report sexual harassment or rape” (M);   sons tend to copy their father’s masculinity, showing the critical role of fathers in promoting a healthier masculinity (TC);  

    • noting the CRPD on PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES:   there will be a “reboot” of the NDIS (SBS);   an example of making workplaces more inclusive (ABC) - see also here (SBS);  

    • noting Articles 6 (1), 7, and 8 (see here) of the ICESCR,   Article 5 (e) (i) (ii) (see here and here) of the ICERD,   Article 11 (1) (a - c) of the CEDAW,   and   Article 27 (1) of the CRPD on WORK and FAVOURABLE WORK CONDITIONS:   a growing push to ban silica (most problematic in “engineered stone”) (TND);  

    • noting Article 6 (1) of the ICCPR,   Article 11 of the ICESCR,   Article 5 (e) (iii) (see here and here) of the ICERD,   Article 14 (2) (h) of the CEDAW,   Article 27 (3) of the CRC,   Article 28 of the CRPD,   and   Article 20 of the DRIP on FOOD, CLOTHING, and HOUSING:    more calls to allow tiny homes (ABC);   concerns about technology used by third parties to manage rental applications (ABC);  
(Should you elect to write to your elected representatives or others on these matters, it may be useful to familiarise yourself with the links shown in blue - or to at least refer to them. Don't forget to CHECK whether your nation has RATIFIED the treaty concerned.)

Abbreviations:   3KND radio - 3KND;   Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA;   Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project - ACLED;   Aeon Magazine - Aeon;   Africa Centre for Strategic Studies - ACSS;   Africa News - AN;   Al Jazeera - AJ;   All Africa - AA;   Amnesty International - AI;   Associated Press - AP;   Australian Associated Press - AAP;   Australian Broadcasting Corporation - ABC TP ;   Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility - ACCR;   Australian Independent Media Network - AIMN;   Australian Unions - AU;   Barrons;   Bellingcat (B);   Bloomberg - BB;   Brisbane Times - BT;   British Broadcasting Commission - BBC TP ;   Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists - BAS;   Cable News Network - CNN [now too forceful, IMO, on IP, cookies etc] ;   Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - CBC;   Centre for Strategic and International Studies - CSIS;   Climate Change News - CCN;   Committee to Protect Journalists - CPJ;   Context - CT;   the (US) Council on Foreign Relations (CFR);   Crikey - C [$];   Dabanga Sudan - DS;   Deutsche Welle - DW;   European Union - EU;   Forbes - F;   Foreign Policy - FP;   France 24 - F24 TP ;   Freedom House - FH;   Genocide Watch - GW;   Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect - GCR2P;   Globe Echo - GE;   HumAngle - HmA;   Human Rights Law Centre - HRLC;   Human Rights Watch - HRW;   Independent Australia - IA;   International Crisis Group - ICG;   Jessica Wildfire (Substack) - JW;   Just Equal - JE;   Lawfare Blog - LFB;   Lowy Institute - The Interpreter - Lowy;   Mail & Guardian - MG;   mainstream media - MSM;   Mary L Trump - MLT;   Medium - M;   Michael West (news media platform) - MW;   Middle East Eye - MEE;   Minority Rights Group - MRG;   Mirage News - MN;   Nation Africa - NA;   National Indigenous Television - NITV;   National Indigenous Times - NIT;   Nature Magazine - Nature;   New York Times - NYT [$] TP ;   News24;   North Africa Post - NAP;   Openly - Op;   Out in Perth - OiP;   Pearls and Irritations - PnI;   Pink News - PN;   Political Violence at a Glance - PVG;   Politico - P;   Premium Times Nigeria - PT;   Q News - QN;   Quartz - Q;   Radio France International - rfi;   Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE);   Religion News Service - RNS;   Renew Economy - RE;   Responsible Statecraft - RS;   Reuters - R;   Robert Reich - RR;   (Bruce) Schneier - Sch;   Special Broadcasting Service - SBS;   Star Observer - Star;   Sudan Tribune - ST;   Sydney Morning Herald - SMH;   Teri Kanefield - TK;   The Age - TA TP ;   The Big Smoke (TBS);   The Conversation - TC TP ;   The Defence Post - TDP;   The East African - TEA;   The Guardian - TG;   The (Nigerian) Guardian - TG-N;   The Monthly - TM;   The National Tribune - tNT;   The New Daily - TND;   The New Humanitarian - TNH;   The Saturday Paper - TSP;   The Sentry - TS;   The Shot - TS;   Timothy Snyder - TS;   Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA;   United Nations - UN;   Vice - V;   Voice of America - VoA;   Wall Street Journal - WSJ [$];   War on the Rocks - WotR;   Washington Post - WP [$] TP ;   Wikipedia - WP;   Yahoo News - Yahoo; YouTube - YT.

Note: news sources are never perfectly accurate or good - for instance, some have been transphobic (which is why I may, for instance, cancel email subscriptions), but may be good in other areas (e.g., racism) - and attributes may vary depending on region and over time. I do NOT provide an unqualified endorsement of ANY of the media sources I use. Sources with evidence of being transphobic may be marked with a TP .

Assumptions / basis 

In writing this, I have assumed / started from the following: 

  • this blog states quite clearly that it is about political and human rights matters, including lived experience of problems, and thus I will assume readers are reasonable people who have noted the content warning in the post header; 
  • I expect readers to take positive action on at least some of these stories - e.g., write to elected representatives, where that is possible. 

Possible flaws 

Where I can, I will try to highlight possible flaws / issues you should consider:

  • there may be flawed logical arguments in the above: to find out more about such flaws and thinking generally, I recommend Brendan  Myers’ free online course “Clear and Present Thinking”; 
  • I could be wrong in my views or commentary - so keep your thinking caps on, and make up your own minds for yourself.

 If you appreciated this post, please consider promoting it - there are some links below.

Finally, remember: we need to be more human being rather than human doing.


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