FROM this week’s news ON: politics & democracy, and international affairs [Content Warning - links to reports on bigotry/hate, violence including SA & CSA/abuse/war, genocide, language. 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), and noting the conflicts, listed here, for instance, and other global issues, such as those listed here, that may not have made it into this weeks news: 

 

• ““Absolute terror”: the dangers of 'swatting' calls on victims”   https://youtu.be/mkkaOfW1tEU?si=8tefocSrlmoqOcAp   
  

• “From Gaza to Ukraine, brute force threatens to triumph in 2024”   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/06/from-gaza-to-ukraine-brute-force-threatens-to-triumph-in-2024    

• “‘They’re targeting us’: Sudan’s army cracks down on democracy activists | Conflict News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/1/9/sudans-army-is-retaliating-against-activists-amid-the-war-for-their-role-in-bringing-down-their-former-boss-and-president-omar-al-bashir-in-april-2019   
  

• “China sanctions five US arms manufacturers over Taiwan weapons sales | Weapons News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/7/china-sanctions-five-us-arms-manufacturers-over-taiwan-weapons-sales    Hmm   Also   “Taiwan slams incursions by Chinese balloons as 'serious threat' to aviation”   https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20240106-taiwan-slams-chinese-balloons-as-aviation-safety-threat-and-cognitive-warfare   and   “Taiwan braces for ‘big deal’ presidential election as China’s shadow looms”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/07/taiwan-braces-for-big-deal-presidential-election-as-chinas-shadow-looms   and   “A Post-Election Risk Assessment for the Taiwan Strait - War on the Rocks”   https://warontherocks.com/2024/01/a-post-election-risk-assessment-for-the-taiwan-strait/   and   ““People don't want to talk about war”: Taiwan civil defence battles invasion risk denial”   https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20240111-people-don-t-want-to-talk-about-war-taiwan-civil-defence-battles-invasion-risk-denial   “Emerging civil defence groups in Taiwan have vowed to make the island's population better prepared for a potential attack by Chinese troops. Two years after the Russian invasion of Ukraine prompted an unprecedented grassroots mobilisation in favour of civil resilience, a large number of Taiwanese are still afraid that the act of preparing for war could in itself raise the risk of an attack”      HOWEVER, see also   “China: Xi’s new year’s address wasn’t a threat against Taiwan – it was a strategic move for legitimacy”   https://theconversation.com/china-xis-new-years-address-wasnt-a-threat-against-taiwan-it-was-a-strategic-move-for-legitimacy-220685 
  

• “Ethiopia holds military cooperation talks with Somaliland”   https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/ethiopia-holds-military-cooperation-talks-with-somaliland-4486080   This is concerning for regional peace  

• “UN Sounds Alarm at Rising Hate Speech in DRC”   https://www.voanews.com/a/un-sounds-alarm-at-rising-hate-speech-in-drc/7429794.html   This has occurred after disputed elections   

• “Ten killed, gangs unleash terror as Ecuador declares state of emergency | News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/10/ten-killed-gangs-unleash-terror-as-ecuador-declares-state-of-emergency         See also   “‘A bandage on a gunshot wound’: why Sweden is failing on gang violence”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/04/why-sweden-is-failing-gang-violence-rapper-sebastian-stakset   “Rap star, youth worker and ex-gang member Sebastian Stakset knows firsthand what has gone wrong and, maybe, how to fix it”   The problem is multiple generations experiencing social injustice   

• “Wieambilla shootings inspired ‘true threats’ against public figures by accused US man, court hears | Wieambilla shooting | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/jan/11/wieambilla-shootings-donald-day-jr-alleged-death-threats  
  

• “In Blow to Democracy, British Parliament Votes to Outlaw University and Council Boycotts of Israel amid Gaza Genocide”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/01/democracy-parliament-university.html   This is appalling. IMO, the UK can no longer consider itself a full democracy - only partial  

• “Indonesia is one of the world’s largest democracies, but it’s weaponising defamation laws to smother dissent”   https://theconversation.com/indonesia-is-one-of-the-worlds-largest-democracies-but-its-weaponising-defamation-laws-to-smother-dissent-220651   and   “Malawi: silencing dissent through the Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Act”   https://www.investigativeplatform-mw.org/2024/01/malawi-silencing-dissent-through-the-electronic-transactions-and-cyber-security-act/   

 

• a UK version of RoboDebt:   “‘I got tarred overnight’: how Post Office Horizon scandal turned victims’ lives upside down”   https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/07/how-post-office-horizon-scandal-turned-victims-lives-upside-down   “Operators wrongly convicted of theft and fraud because of defective accounting system suffered humiliation, bankruptcy and ill health”   This abuse of power and incompetence (the problems were known!) caused at least four deaths  

• “Wife of financier who called for Harvard head’s exit [over allegations of plagiarism] faces plagiarism allegations | Plagiarism | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/06/neri-oxman-bill-ackman-plagiarism-accusations   

• “Shopping centre torched and shops looted in Papua New Guinea after 'glitch' short-changes public servants' pay packets - ABC News”   https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-10/port-moresby-revolt-over-public-service-payroll-error/103306972   
  

• a The Guardian exclusive reports that   “Queensland police integrity unit ‘unlikely’ to be established by recommended deadline”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/jan/12/queensland-police-integrity-unit-unlikely-to-be-established-by-recommended-deadline   and also (not exclusive)  “Alleged bullying, harassment and sexism in QFES ‘supercharged’ in recent months, author of open letter claims”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/jan/12/alleged-bullying-harassment-and-sexism-in-qfes-supercharged-in-recent-months-author-of-open-letter-claims   “General manager of Queensland Rural Fire Brigades Association says he has been ‘inundated’ with complaints”  
  

• “Secrecy of Bernard Collaery trial risked damaging public’s faith in administration of justice, court rules”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/jan/09/secrecy-of-bernard-collaery-trial-risked-damaging-publics-faith-in-administration-of-justice-court-rules   I agree with this, and have long considered the secrecy an appalling abuse of power - and note the “former Coalition government’s” appalling record generally on ethical matters - see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here   but   “Labor shelves election promise for inquiry into prosecution of Witness K and Bernard Collaery”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/jan/12/labor-shelves-election-promise-for-inquiry-into-prosecution-of-witness-k-and-bernard-collaery   “newly released documents reveal the lengths the Albanese and former Morrison governments went to keep “national security” information in the case from being released to the public. That material was ultimately deemed low risk by the ACT court of appeal.   ...   Labor promised hold an inquiry if elected after it voted with the then Coalition government to block a crossbench push for one”   This puts the ALP’s adherence to the Stage 3 tax cuts even more problematic!  
  

• some of   “Asia’s business heirs look beyond profits, hoping to escape parents’ shadow | Business and Economy News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2024/1/4/asias-business-heirs-look-beyond-profits-hoping-to-escape-parents-shadow   

• “China’s capitalist reforms are said to have moved 800 million out of extreme poverty – new data suggests the opposite”   https://theconversation.com/chinas-capitalist-reforms-are-said-to-have-moved-800-million-out-of-extreme-poverty-new-data-suggests-the-opposite-216621   “The two approaches produce different answers because purchasing power parity adjusts incomes in accordance with the cost of all purchases including luxury goods rather than in accordance with the cost of basic items needed for survival.   The difference matters a lot when comparing socialist and capitalist systems and assessing transitions between those systems. Socialist policies can keep the cost of meeting basic needs low in a way overall price measures don’t pick up.”   I was not expecting this   While on that topic,   “Australia’s cost-of-living crisis isn’t about the price of groceries. It’s about wealth distribution”   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/08/australias-cost-of-living-crisis-isnt-about-the-price-of-groceries-its-about-the-distribution-of-wealth   “Making goods cheaper isn’t going to fix the fact that income has shifted to the top 10%”   

From the current ICG monthly Crisis Watch:

Outlook for January, 2024:   

risk alerts for Sudan, Israel/Palestine, Israel/Lebanon, Bangladesh, and Guatemala, which also has a resolution opportunity.   

Trends for December, 2023:  

deteriorated situations in:   Yemen, Jordan, DR Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Taiwan Strait, Burundi, Pakistan, Sudan, and Israel/Palestine;   

improved situations in:   Somalia, and Türkiye;  

My links for activism post may aid any activism you may decide to do on any/all of these. If you do, don’t get too fixated on specific instances of problems - important though they may well be: take a moment to also consider the broader issues these incidents and groups of incidents may suggest/reveal.

Note: as with other mass murderers/serial killers/and the like, violent extremists and other evil people/groups crave publicity, so I refuse to give that to them - including not using their names (which is a policy adopted by good law enforcement and media for other mass murderers - as I can do as I am a secondary news source: the name(s) are in the primary sources if people wish to know them).

 

 

 

 

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 & accept that all insistence on the use of “trans” as a descriptor comes with commensurate use of “cis” as a descriptor to prevent “othering”.

Copyright © Kayleen White 2016-2024     NO AI   I do not consent to any machine learning aka Artificial Intelligence (AI), generative AI, large language model, machine learning, chatbot, or other automated analysis, generative process, or replication program to reproduce, mimic, remix, summarise, or otherwise  replicate any part of this post or other posts on this blog via any means. Typo’s may be inserrted deliberately to demonstrate this is not an AI product.     Otherwise, fair and reasonable use is accepted under Creative Commons 4.0 on an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike basis   https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/