From the news on: politics and international affairs [Note: Content Warning - links to reports on politics, violence/war. Reader discretion is advised]

Note: CONTENT WARNING - some of this content is about upsetting, disturbing or triggering events & attitudes. Seek competent help - including professional - if you need it. 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]), or perhaps try https://www.befrienders.org/. 

From the news on politics and international affairs: 

• “Hey tech billionaires, if you want to talk about radical change, let’s abolish venture capitalism”   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/oct/27/hey-tech-billionaires-if-you-want-to-talk-about-radical-change-lets-abolish-venture-capitalism   

• USA based, but principles likely to apply elsewhere as well:   “People Search Data Brokers, Stalking, and ‘Publicly Available Information’ Carve-Outs”   https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/people-search-data-brokers-stalking-and-publicly-available-information-carve-outs   “Data brokers scrape public records and sell information online. Years of stalking and abuse have followed—and policymakers need to step in”   
  

• “Term Limit Evasions and Coups in Africa: Two Sides of the Same Coin”   https://africacenter.org/spotlight/term-limit-evasions-coups-africa-same-coin/  
  

• in a sign that the financial management institutes hate everyday people and only act for the rich & wealthy elites, “Reserve Bank will have to raise interest rates again because inflation still too high, IMF says”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/nov/01/rba-interest-rate-rise-forecast-high-inflation  
  

Australian politics 

• “Australia was not big enough to vote for the voice, Stan Grant says”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/30/australia-was-not-big-enough-to-vote-for-the-voice-says-stan-grant   “Indigenous journalist and academic says he and other yes supporters were cast as ‘troublemakers’ for speaking about justice”   

 

• “Almost 40% think Australia should dump US alliance if Donald Trump returns as president, poll finds”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/nov/01/almost-40-think-australia-should-dump-us-alliance-if-donald-trump-returns-as-president-poll-finds   “Survey finds 47% believe AUKUS locks Australia in to supporting the US in an armed conflict, while concern about conflict with China has fallen”    I share these concerns - and have raised them in emails to my elected representatives.
  

• “A disturbing lack of bipartisanship on the Middle East conflict points to an ugly new direction for Australian politics”   https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-28/lack-bipartisanship-middle-east-conflict-australian-politics/103033294   and   “Paul Bongiorno: Partisan politics serving the national interest poorly in very troubling times”   https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2023/10/31/paul-bongiorno-partisan-politics-national-interest  
  

• “Some people think income tax is illegal. It’s pseudo-law, and it’s damaging the legal system”   https://theconversation.com/some-people-think-income-tax-is-illegal-its-pseudolaw-and-its-damaging-the-legal-system-214847   “Judges have described it as “gibberish”, “obvious nonsense”, “largely incoherent, if not incomprehensible” and “gobbledygook”.   It involves grand claims like “Magna Carta means you do not need to pay your mortgage”, or “the introduction of decimal currency means income tax is illegal”.”   I agree wholeheartedly with the judges   

• “ACT Government's drug reform to treat addiction as health issue”   https://nit.com.au/30-10-2023/8376/act-governments-new-drug-reform-to-destigmatise-addiction  
  

 

International Affairs 

• “Somalia Welcomes First Foreign Bank Branch in Over Half-Century”   https://www.voanews.com/a/somalia-welcomes-first-foreign-bank-branch-in-over-half-century-/7333169.html   

 

• “Dr Kaz Ross on Bannon, Gaza, fascists & freedom” - Yeah Nah Pasaran!   “This week we're joined by returning guest Dr Kaz Ross to talk about the far-Right response to the war on Gaza, as well as Melbourne n___s (we hate Melbourne n___s) and the vestiges of the Cooker movement.”   Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/yeah-nah-pasaran/id1529396490?i=1000632770640   or at   https://www.3cr.org.au/yeahnahpasaran/episode/dr-kaz-ross-bannon-gaza-fascists-freedom   The discussion on countering far right extremism made the weak actions of the court - which were emphasised by the attacks on minorities outside the court reported at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-27/neo-____-hiker-attack-thomas-sewell-jacob-hersant/103031582 even more unfathomable  

• “Belarus's Lukashenko says Ukraine-Russia conflict at stalemate, urges talks”   https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20231029-belarus-lukashenko-says-ukraine-russia-conflict-at-stalemate-urges-talks   

• “Gaza, Ukraine and An Inflection Point in World Politics?” - Hold Your Fire!   “In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Crisis Group’s Europe & Central Asia Director Olga Oliker and U.S. Director Michael Hanna to discuss the war in Gaza, its implications for Ukraine and U.S. President Joe Biden’s efforts to navigate the crisis in [West Asia] while supporting Ukraine’s defence against Russia. They first look at Ukraine’s fears that a prolonged conflict in [West Asia] could divert Western resources away from its fight against Russia’s invasion. They talk about U.S. attempts to get aid to both Israel and Ukraine despite a divided Congress. They look at how Russia views what is happening in [West Asia], whether a wider regional war may be in Moscow’s interest and how much sway it has in the region. They also talk about the impact of the Gaza war on the regional diplomacy underway before _____’s attacks, notably between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and efforts by the U.S. to encourage Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel. For more analysis of the conflict in Israel-Palestine, you can check out our latest statement A Ceasefire in Gaza and our Israel/Palestine page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.”   Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/hold-your-fire/id1530411354?i=1000632848208   or via   https://www.crisisgroup.org/hold-your-fire-podcast-season-3    

• “China’s “Military Political Work””   https://africacenter.org/spotlight/china-pla-military-political-work-pme-africa/   “China envisages professional military education in Africa as an opportunity to promote China’s governance model while deepening ties to Africa’s ruling political parties”  
  

• “Australia’s support to Pacific surges as China focuses on ‘friendly’ states, aid map shows”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/31/australias-support-to-pacific-surges-as-china-focuses-on-friendly-states-aid-map-shows   “Lowy Institute report finds Canberra has become leading source of loans to region while Beijing’s financing is ‘strategically targeted’”   
  

 

• “Kenyan police on Monday blocked a news conference intended to air allegations of human rights and environmental abuses by British troops in the country, hours before King Charles arrives for a four-day state visit”   https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/kenya-blocks-airing-allegations-uk-army-abuses-before-kings-visit-2023-10-30/  
  

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;

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 - so keep your thinking caps on, and make up your own minds for yourself.
  

 

If they are of any use of interest, the activism information links from my former news posts are available in this post. 

 

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Remember: we need to be more human being rather than human doing, and all misgendering is an act of active transphobia/transmisia that puts trans+ lives at risk.