Saturday 2 December 2023

From this week’s news on: politics & democracy, and international affairs [Note: Content Warning - links to reports on violence/abuse including CSA/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/. 

Note: in my “from the news” posts, quotes are shown italicised and blue, my comments are in a different shade of blue, and “good” items are shown in green. I have loosely grouped the posts where such seemed reasonable, but that is subjective (i.e., my opinion - others are free to disagree), and challenging, as some posts belong in multiple “groups”.

From this week’s news on politics & democracy, and international affairs (note: I may continue to add links for a few days, possibly up to a week, after these are published):

  • “US accuses [South Asian] Indian agent of directing plot to assassinate American citizen”   https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/29/india-assassination-attempt-american-citizen   This alleged assassination is the sort of event that Russia is notorious for, and that the USA has been accused of doing or attempting in the past - perhaps most notably against Fidel Castro. In any case, it raises significant concerns about sovereignty violations - IF it is true. It also, in my opinion, weakens democracy - again, if true   
  • “SAC takes on CPAC”   https://theaimn.com/sac-takes-on-cpac/   “Secular Australia justifiably expects equal media attention to that given to CPAC... Notably, the Secularism Australia Conference, SAC, is the polar opposite!   On 2nd December SAC sets out to “reclaim the middle ground” with 18 key speakers, including former High Court Justice, Micheal Kirby, and personalities who promote justice and unity.”   






  • “The Rise of the Desk Clerk Academic”   https://theaimn.com/the-rise-of-the-desk-clerk-academic/   “It is a particularly quotidian breed in the modern, management-driven university. The desk clerk who pretends to be an academic and researcher but is neither. The desk clerk who admires rosters, work plans and “key performance indicators”, thinking that the process of knowledge is quantifiable by productivity targets and financial returns. The desk clerk who pilfers the work of undergraduates, sports a dubious doctoral thesis, and who rarely sets foot within the sacred surrounds of a library.”  
  • “Labor in vain: Gen Z anger apparent as PM risks alienating these future voters”   https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2023/11/26/albanese-alienates-young-voters   “how the thousands of students who marched through the city felt about Anthony Albanese and the federal Labor government’s ongoing refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. ... Footage of Albanese’s old speeches in support of Palestine that has been circulating on social media only adds to their anger and sense of betrayal. “Why was he supporting Palestine then but not now? ... he just hasn’t done anything” ... Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s electorate office has set up a dedicated redirect for the thousands of people calling to complain about her refusal to call for a ceasefire”   
  • “Governments have been able to overrule the Reserve Bank for 80 years. Why stop now?”   https://theconversation.com/governments-have-been-able-to-overrule-the-reserve-bank-for-80-years-why-stop-now-218600   “Saying the Reserve Bank is independent suits the treasurer and it suits the prime minister, just as it has suited many of their predecessors. As soon as the bank does something that’s necessary but unpopular (such as pushing up interest rates) they are able to say – wrongly – there’s nothing they can do”    In other words, this is moral outsourcing of what is considered right or necessary but unpopular - which is intellectual, moral, and emotional cowardice  

 


 

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. 

 

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

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.


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