FROM this week’s news ON: politics & democracy, and international affairs [Note: Content Warning - links to distressing reports on this topic. 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 thiis 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: 

 

In a blow to his family, Russia, and the cause of freedom and decency everywhere, jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died. I have written about this, including many news and reference links, at   “Another electoral threat to electoral coward Putin is dead [Note: Content Warning - links to reports on oppression/bigotry/hate, violence/abuse/war. Reader discretion is advised]”   https://politicalmusingsofkayleen.blogspot.com/2024/02/another-electoral-threat-to-electoral.html  

 

On the other hand, actions have been taken to hold the USA’s former dictator Trump to account. I have put that and other news reports concerning the former and self-proclaimed future despot in a post at   “Accountability for the USA’s former dictator”   https://politicalmusingsofkayleen.blogspot.com/2024/02/accountability-for-usas-former-dictator.html  

• “Understanding the Deterrence Gap in the Taiwan Strait - War on the Rocks”   https://warontherocks.com/2024/02/understanding-the-deterrence-gap-in-the-taiwan-strait/   The balance has shifted in favour of China ... particularly if the USA is busy elsewhere ... or in more than one elsewhere, and the risk cannot be ignored or trivialised   
  

• “Learning Lessons from the Prussian Past? - War on the Rocks”   https://warontherocks.com/2024/02/learning-lessons-from-the-prussian-past/   Specifically, the inestimable value of strategic patience, rather than rushing into offensive military action ... Ukraine should take note ...    but   “‘A lot higher than we expected’: Russian arms production worries Europe’s war planners”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/15/rate-of-russian-military-production-worries-european-war-planners  
  

• “Armenia says several soldiers killed in border flare-up with Azerbaijan”   https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240213-armenia-soldiers-killed-border-flare-up-azerbaijan-nagorno-karabakh    

• “It’s time to ask why the US and UK fund Rwanda while atrocities mount up in DRC”   https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/feb/14/why-us-and-uk-fund-rwanda-while-atrocities-mount-up-in-drc-vava-tampa   “British and North American taxpayers are funding violence in DRC. What exactly do policymakers get in return for enabling all this suffering?”      “Massive displacement as fighting surges in eastern DR Congo”   https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/02/1146552  
  

 

• ““Sea of Lights” rally against the rise of right-wing extremism | DW News”   https://youtu.be/1OvzuNVVquY?si=Vb9_WLBDJ5rThtF1   In Europe       “Inside tech billionaires’ push to reshape San Francisco politics: ‘a hostile takeover’”   https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/12/san-francisco-tech-billionaires-political-influence   “The Guardian and Mission Local unravel ‘grey money’ network flooding progressive city with conservative cash”   

• “US House Speaker Johnson blocks vote on Ukraine aid passed by Senate”   https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20240214-us-house-speaker-johnson-blocks-vote-ukraine-israel-taiwan-aid-passed-senate-donald-trump-republicans   “Germany's Scholz calls for urgent 'mass production' of European arms”   https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240212-germany-scholz-mass-production-european-arms-defence   “Ukraine signs French security pact after similar agreement with Germany”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/16/ukraine-signs-french-security-pact-after-similar-agreement-with-germany   “Deal with France promises $3.23bn in military aid to Ukraine, while pact with Germany secures $1.22bn support package”  

• “‘Killed by police bullets’: Deadly clash scars Muslims in India’s Haldwani | Politics | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/2/13/killed-by-police-bullets-deadly-attacks-on-muslims-in-indias-haldwani    

• “Senegal court rules govt's postponement of Feb. 25 presidential poll was illegal”   https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20240215-senegal-s-constitutional-council-overturns-macky-sall-s-delay-to-feb-25-presidential-poll  
  

• “France accuses Russia of disinformation campaign against Ukraine's allies”   https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240213-france-accuses-russia-of-disinformation-campaign-against-ukraine-s-allies   “French security experts identify [Russia]-based disinformation network”   https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/feb/12/french-security-experts-identify-moscow-based-disinformation-network   “Network operating in western Europe is ‘paving way for new wave of online manipulation’ in crucial election year, French agency says”   

• “The ‘generals’ elections’ in Pakistan that turned against the military”   https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20240209-the-generals-elections-that-turned-against-pakistan-s-military   “Pakistan’s 2024 general elections were dubbed the “most rigged” in the country’s history”   “Thousands of Khan supporters block highways to protest Pakistan's election results”   https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20240212-thousands-of-khan-supporters-block-pakistani-highways-to-protest-election-results   See also   “Pakistan’s post-election crisis – how anti-army vote may deliver an unstable government that falls into the military’s hands”   https://theconversation.com/pakistans-post-election-crisis-how-anti-army-vote-may-deliver-an-unstable-government-that-falls-into-the-militarys-hands-223287   

• “_ _ is poised to succeed in lifelong quest to become Indonesia’s president. This is why it’s so worrying”   https://theconversation.com/_-_-is-poised-to-succeed-in-lifelong-quest-to-become-indonesias-president-this-is-why-its-so-worrying-223637   “there are claims of human rights abuses against him   ...   and his campaign was marred by accusations of unethical conduct and collusion”   There are also - according to the article - concerns of potential nepotism and further democratic regression   

• “60 Nigerian lawmakers want presidential system abolished, transition to parliamentary system”   https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/668409-breaking-60-nigerian-lawmakers-want-presidential-system-abolished-transition-to-parliamentary-system.html   “... revert to the parliamentary system previously used in Nigeria’s First Republic”   

• “Māori political systems are the oldest in Aotearoa – it’s time university politics courses reflected this”   https://theconversation.com/maori-political-systems-are-the-oldest-in-aotearoa-its-time-university-politics-courses-reflected-this-223447  
  

• “China conducts first nationwide review of retractions and research misconduct”   https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00397-x   “Universities must declare all their retractions and launch investigations into misconduct cases; a Nature analysis reveals that since 2021 there have been more than 17,000 retractions with Chinese co-authors”   

• a The Guardian exclusive reports:   “Academics in US, UK and Australia collaborated on drone research with Iranian university close to regime”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/14/academics-in-us-uk-and-australia-collaborated-on-drone-research-with-iranian-university-close-to-regime   “Exclusive: work by researchers from western universities and counterparts at Sharif University considered potentially ‘very dangerous’ by experts”   
  

 

• “Analysis: It's delusional to think everyone will always be better off under political policy change. We might now be ready to have that conversation”   https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-17/politics-policy-change-are-we-ready-for-debate-on-renewables/103477602   Valid point, but it is high time it was the rich, not the poor, who get slugged - and never minority groups: the conversation needs to be held mostly with rich and powerful elites  
  

 

• RoboDebt is still active:   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/16/i-was-distressed-retired-teacher-slams-decades-old-ato-robotax-debt-demand  
  

• “Australia is in desperate need of a Whistleblower Protection Authority. Here’s what it should look like”   https://theconversation.com/australia-is-in-desperate-need-of-a-whistleblower-protection-authority-heres-what-it-should-look-like-223295  

• “Alan Kohler: Name and shame the price gougers. It worked for us once before”   https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2024/02/12/kohler-shame-price-gougers   

• “Barnaby Joyce's drunken behaviour raises questions about political culture and double standards in Canberra - ABC News”   https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-13/barnaby-joyce-drunk-video-who-gets-forgiven-politicians-canberra/103459208     

• “When it comes to failure of responsibility, there are far greater examples than Barnaby Joyce’s pavement incident”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/17/barnaby-joyce-footpath-video-incident-comment   “While the footpath fiasco took all the attention, it turns out suspected gun runners and drug traffickers were running offshore detention”   

1. “First lockdown, then the voice, now renewables? Anti-government groups find new energy in environment battles”   https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/17/canberra-reckless-renewables-rally-donald-trump-conspiracy-theories   “Protests against Australia’s transition to renewable power have attracted a wide coalition of interests, from mainstream parties to the wild shores of conspiracy”  
   

 

• “The big error at heart of ‘right to disconnect’ opposition”   https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/work/2024/02/14/right-to-disconnect-productivity   “... Dutton’s claim that protecting workers’ personal time would undermine productivity reveals a deep misunderstanding of the fundamental maths of that concept.   Economists define productivity as the amount produced in each hour of work.   ...   Productivity has nothing to do with how much workers are paid. It has everything to do with getting more value from each hour of their labour. And making people work for free, outside of normal work hours, actually undermines productivity”   
  

• “‘Pressure works’: Greens to stall Labor housing bill in campaign to limit negative gearing”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/12/pressure-works-greens-to-stall-labor-housing-bill-in-campaign-to-limit-negative-gearing   “System ‘stacked against renters and first-home buyers’ and ministers must change position, opposition MP says”   “Housing campaign calls for govt to dump investor handouts in budget - The Australian Independent Media Network”   https://theaimn.com/housing-campaign-calls-for-govt-to-dump-investor-handouts-in-budget/   See also   “‘Fundamentally flawed’: How social media could affect your next rental application”   https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2024/02/11/social-media-rental-application   This includes commentary on social media comments being unlikely if the landlord has done the right thing, social media restoring the power imbalance, and the gross invasion of privacy         “ACOSS report backs energy rules for landlords to help renters reduce their power bills”   https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2024/02/12/energy-renters-landlords   
  

 

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/