Finally! Finally! Has somebody actually woken up over there in the echelons of the US gov? Do they actually get the thing that dropping drones on innocent civilians in an undeclared war isn't too good for the US's soft power around the world? (that's if the US has any bloody soft power left that is; people are pretty bloody pissed off with it last few years. Australians among them). Of course we all believed Obama the first time about Gitmo, and where did that get us? Absolutely fuckin nowhere. That stain on the US, that violation of human rights, that gulag, is still there. Not to mention the drones. How could any country harp on about human rights to anyone when they're doing bullshit like that? Given Congresses efforts in his last term, I'm not holding my breath this time around either. The only hope I guess is if Obama actually does something instead of making inspiring speeches and doing nothing. The "light on the hill" is an American delusion after it's track record. Anyway at least his head's in the right place. He actually puts it quite well to describing Gitmo:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama wants to roll back some of the most controversial aspects of the U.S. "war on terror," but efforts to alter the global fight against Islamist militants will face the usual hurdle at home: staunch opposition from Republicans in Congress.
In a major policy speech on Thursday, Obama narrowed the scope of the targeted-killing drone campaign against al Qaeda and its allies and announced steps toward closing the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba.
He acknowledged the past use of "torture" in U.S. interrogations, expressed remorse over civilian casualties from drone strikes, and said Guantanamo "has become a symbol around the world for an America that flouts the rule of law."
After launching costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States is tiring of conflict. While combating terrorism is still a high priority, polls show Americans' main concerns are the economy and other domestic issues such as healthcare. more
I doubt many people will take much notice, as the US is dealing with it's own human rights abuses at the moment (not to mention Australia). Although being as it has about 90% of the worlds military then maybe somebody in Russia might just get a touch worried? The US won't force it, Russia is too big, but it does indicate a growing discontent with Russia in the west. Perhaps it's because Russia is going backwards with human rights instead of forwards? Anyway, here is the US reaction to the May 17th thuggery in Russia.
The U.S. Department of State said it “condemns” the May 17 violence against an attempted anti-homophobia rally in downtown Tbilisi, saying that “such acts of intolerance have no place in democratic societies.” “The United States places great importance on the protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender persons around the world,” Patrick Ventrell, acting deputy spokesperson of the Department of State, said at a news briefing on May 20, when asked to comment on the May 17 violence in Tbilisi. link
Pretty weakly worded I thought, like a bit of an afterthought. Still, I'd not be liking such a pointed accusation being made at my country like that, not just from the US, but from all over. From another sector of the US, the New Yorker was much more scathing in it's criticisms of Russia and the way the priests led the thugs, giving a rather hair raising account of what happened. There's a link to a video there as well, although not in English you can get the idea; priest goes through police line and bashes bus with chair. Something like that. In any case it shows priests being little more than mob rulers.
And from the New Yorker:
It was a gathering of clergymen worthy of a religious festival: a line of dozens of bearded priests in black robes, with heavy silver crosses hanging on their chests. And yet, you couldn’t imagine a less holy march. The clergymen led a huge mob along the main street of Tbilisi, the capital of the Republic of Georgia, through a police cordon, and toward a small group of visibly nervous young men and women who had set out to mark the International Day Against Homophobia.
“Fuck your mothers,” a priest shouted.
Another priest came armed with a stool. Their followers carried rocks, sticks, and crucifixes. “Kill them! Don’t let them leave alive,” they screamed.
They smashed heads, windows of shops, and a minibus in which activists tried to escape. Twelve people, including three policemen, were seriously injured.
“Before the van arrived, about ten girls—gay rights activists—were being taunted by a growing, frothing mob. A stone was thrown and split a girl’s head open.… This mob was the creation of the Georgian Orthodox Church and the Georgian government has so far been gutless in standing up to the Church to protect the rights of its citizens. Shame on you, Georgia. Shame on you,” Paul Rimple, a Tbilisi-based journalist, posted on his Facebook page. He later wrote about it for the Moscow Times.
“A Georgian Taliban has been born,” read status updates of other Georgians on Facebook. Some changed their location settings to Iran. But those who opposed the priests and those who cheered them agree that gay rights—an issue, until now, seen as marginal by most Georgians—has become a proxy for a larger conflict. more
WTF? I find it beyond belief that all of a sudden the Australian gov has woken up to the fact that big multi-national companies pay fuck all tax here, using tax havens around the world to minimise it. This has been going on for decades, whichever major party was ruling in Canberra. Who could forget the late Kerry Packer, rich Australian mogul or something, got taken to court in 1998 for tax avoidance. He evidently didn't pay tax on $1 billion. Guess who won the case? Read on if you haven't heard of this, it's quite incredible.
Kerry Packer was not only Australia's richest organ transplant recipient, but reputedly the nation's greatest tax minimiser — and proud of it.
Mr Packer paid what he was legally obliged to and, as he told a Senate committee in 1991, "not a penny more, not a penny less".
He said that "anyone in this country" who did not minimise their tax "wants his head read" because governments did not spend wisely enough to warrant taxpayers "donating extra".
In 1998, he won a court battle with the Australian Tax Office to cut his three-year income tax bill from $40 million to nil.
His victory in the Federal Court capped a seven-year retreat by the Tax Office over its claim the Packer group should pay tax on more than $1 billion of income, and that Mr Packer personally owed $40 million.
Mr Packer had rejected a revised offer that he settle by paying tax of $30.55 (a hefty cut of $39,999,969.45) and his companies pay just $25,000. more
Yep, earned $1 billion, paid no tax, and it was all legal. Made me feel really shitty at the time on the factory floor, paying 50% tax back then on overtime.
That was a shining example, and likely far less secretive than what Australian multi-national companies are doing now. Here's a look from todays Sydney Morning Herald:
And now the gov, strapped for cash, has finally gone "Oh shit. We need money. What about all these multi-nationals paying fuck all then?". I doubt very much there's any sort of moral motive from the gov to fix the system. It's simply that the mining boom is stalling and the gov, used to rolling in it, is now coming up short of $ to fund it's election promises. I do feel of course that these companies should pay their fair share, but it's a bit little a bit late now. The billions have bolted. And I do find the Canberra hypocrisy sickening.
Felix, after being caught in some kind of cats in boxes weirded out ritual, has now been let by Kiera and Natasha back onto my bed (in fairness the two girls started living in my room and considered it their bed). Felix is over the moon about it, and has already sorted out his new cat spot next to a new cuddly bed toy:
He was on the bed a lot yesterday with Natasha. She's the 10 year old that's had two litters. As predicted (although Natasha initially had the shits about moving here) Natasha has taken rather a liking to Felix; the clumsy bounding boy. She's starting the mothering him to death/into submission thing now we suspect. They run about the house chasing each other in some kind of game.
Kiera has made no advance on a similar friendship with Felix, I guess as she's never been a mother. She does however find great amusement in battling him from the box cat castle.....
Ever heard somebody thanking god for winning a race, or having some other thing happen where they were in danger but still alive? Got a good job. Money windfall. All sorts of things where people thank god for it. It's always sounded a bit weird to me that. I mean do the people that have bad luck or lose a race, whatever, do they thank god for their misfortune as well? I just think it's crap, in a universe that's ruled by chance, to put some kind of godliness on certain random happenings makes no sense. It's simply the chance of the universe, no rhyme or reason. It's us that labels events good or bad. In the universe there's no good or bad put on anything, it just happens. So this was interesting. A lady being interviewed on telly about the tornado devastation in Oklahoma, US. The interviewer says something about being blessed and alive, while her house is collapsed around her. She states she's an atheist. A bit awkward for the interviewer.
Once again the politicians in Australia have failed us. The Rights of the Terminally Ill bill has been defeated by a wide margin in the New South Wales parliament yesterday. This is despite enormous community support for legislation that would see people facing a long drawn out period of suffering before death, the choice to end their life early and with dignity if they chose to do so. Once again, instead of providing legislation that the people want, the issue is turned into a political one that serves nobody except the politicians playing mind games with each other. This the email from Greens MP, Cate Faehrmann, who was behind putting the bill before parliament:
Dear Peter
I have some disappointing news: my Rights of the Terminally Ill Bill was defeated today in the NSW Upper House 23 – 13.
But please don’t despair. This is not the end.
Dying with dignity laws are inevitable. This may have been a last century decision by the majority of members in the NSW Upper House today, but I am confident the weight of public support will come to bear within the next year.
I am of course bitterly disappointed with the result today, and with the MPs who I know support reform but chose to abstain or vote against the bill for political reasons.
Outrageously, not a single Coalition member voted in favour of the bill. It was hard to believe it was a conscience vote. Clearly pressure was placed on some members to not support my bill.
Already my office has received a number of calls from people in tears about the outcome.
I'm telling them that Independent MP Alex Greenwich, Independent MP Greg Piper and Greens MP Jamie Parker have agreed to co-sponsor the bill in the Lower House, so the campaign will continue.
Excuses about process, inadequate safeguards and a need for an inquiry, will eventually fall away in the face of the overwhelming tide for change.
If you can make it to Sydney, please join Jamie Parker and me at a special forum to discuss the next steps in the campaign on Sunday at the Italian Forum Cultural Centre, 21 Norton Street, Leichhardt from 3 – 4.30pm 26th May. More infomation here.
The Council of Europe has come out with the most scathing criticisms I've seen so far from them, in regards to the human rights abuses of Russian gays. Apparently Russia is a signatory to the Council of Europe and it's human rights stance.
"Authorities have an obligation also to (ensure) that LGBT people can express their views and (hold) demonstrations," said Thorbjorn Jagland, secretary-general of the Council of Europe, of which Russia is a signatory.
"This is a fundamental principle in the European Convention on Human Rights," he said. more
What's more, the Council of Europe is wanting economic agreements between Russia and Europe to have pressure put on them over Russia's stance on gays.
‘Russia should be threatened with expulsion from the CoE if they don’t respect the treaties they signed and the human rights values it espouses, nor the verdicts of the European Court of Human Rights or its jurisprudence.
‘Furthermore, the European Union should put pressure on economic agreements with Russia so that improves its records and actions concerning human rights or LGBT rights.’ more
I thought there was going to be some sort of reaction like this from various countries after seeing the violence against the gay marchers the other day. Looks like I was right.
Federal opposition front bencher Joe Hockey has commented that he's still going to vote no for marriage equality, even if leader Tony Abbott allows a conscience vote. This in itself is not remarkable, as there'll be a who bunch of them on that side of politics who'd do the same even if another vote come up before parliament. What struck me here was the reason he gave to not change his stance, saying:
He added that his personal view was that marriage was between a man and a woman.
"I can't change my principles and what I believe in, and that's the way it is," he said. more
Well Joe, if you ever read this, or ever get around to actually considering the position of LGBT people, hear this. I can't change my sexuality and who I am, and that's the way it is.
Was surprised to get a text from the agency that I was considering working for last August (when Centrelink just about threw the disability pension at me I decided I'd not be able to keep up with work anymore). It was quite a revelation at the time I remember, being that it was obvious now how sick I was as opposed to being in a bit of denial about it. Anyway the agency bloke kept ringing all through July even though I told him I was out of Sydney for that month. When the DSP came through I explained the situation to him and he never contacted me since then. Until yesterday. Wanting to know if I knew anyone who might like a job in the city. Smallish guillotine, full time 3day week (12 hour days). Sounds tempting but there's just no way I could do it anymore. The fatigue makes it hard enough just to get out of bed let alone lifting all day, and my back still gets pains from work nearly a year after not working.
Was pretty amazed though as to how easy it would be to work if I was much healthier, and at about $35 an hour through the agency. The agency jumps at people like me; qualified with 30 years experience. There's a big labour shortage here for people in the printing industry, I mean qualified people. It's one of the industries top of the list for people wanting to come out here and work because there's such a shortage.
Here is the bashing photo of the gay friend of Darren Hayes (lead singer Savage Garden). Hayes is Australian from Brisbane, QLD. He has taken to Twitter to voice his support for his bashed gay friend, Christopher Bryant picture below.
Singer Darren Hayes has taken to Twitter to campaign for equality after his friend was left with head injuries in a brutal homophobic bashing in London.
Christopher Bryant, editor of gay and lesbian online magazine Polari, was heading home from his birthday celebrations with his partner Damon Truluck when they were attacked by a group of six men on Saturday, The Independent reported.
"This makes me SO ANGRY," Hayes tweeted, along with a link to the story, yesterday.
"This is a FRIEND of mine who was BRUTALLY BEATEN in a homophobic attack.
"WHEN WILL THIS STOP??"
He also forwarded the link and a plea for equality to the Twitter accounts of Prime Minister JuliHere is the bashing photo of the gay friend of Darren Hayes (lead singer Savage Garden).
Hayes is Australian from Brisbane, QLD. He has taken to Twitter to
voice his support for his bashed gay friend, Christopher Bryant picture
below. Singer Darren Hayes has taken to Twitter to campaign for
equality after his friend was left with head injuries in a brutal
homophobic bashing in London.
Christopher Bryant, editor
of gay and lesbian online magazine Polari, was heading home from his
birthday celebrations with his partner Damon Truluck when they were
attacked by a group of six men on Saturday, The Independent reported.
"This makes me SO ANGRY," Hayes tweeted, along with a link to the story, yesterday.
"This is a FRIEND of mine who was BRUTALLY BEATEN in a homophobic attack.
"WHEN WILL THIS STOP??"
He also forwarded the link and a plea for equality to the Twitter accounts of Prime Minister Ja Gillard and British Conservative Party politician Gerald Howarth. more
After being on 300mg/day of Efexor since 2009, I was hoping to reduce that to about a half now. However coming down on them turned out to be much barder than I expected, and I even had to get smaller pills so as to come down more slowly. Even so I'd spend about two weeks feeling really sick in the stomach and nauseas. Eventually it wore me down. Particularly that horrible time I ended up spewing on the bus on the way to the dentist. Ack. Both the psychologist and David agree that it'd be best to just leave myself on the 225 now that I've managed to come down to. Maybe look at the issue again in a few months. Lots of changes happening isn't a good time to be doing anything major to my anti-depressants.
This blows me head away (no pun intended). I guess it does show the insane levels of anti-gay feelings in some individuals. I've been suicidal before, as long time blog readers here would attest to. But honestly I can't imagine ever taking the ultimate step and ending my life, simply because two people who I don't even know of the same sex will be able to get married.
A far-right French historian shot himself in the head beside the altar of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris today apparently in protest against the legalisation of gay marriage in France. Dominique Venner, 78, a former member of the nationalist terrorist movement, OAS, placed a pistol in his mouth and shot himself dead in front of scores of tourists inside the most visited building in France. Mr Venner, a presenter on a Catholic-traditionalust radio station and controversial historian and essayist, posted an essay on his website earlier in the day calling for "new, spectacular and symbolic actions to shake us out of our sleep, to jolt anaesthetised minds and to reawaken memory of our origins". more
I note he's an historian. Did he have some personal attachment to history, or did he think he was another one of those self appointed defenders of civilisation or some crap?Man, this is really out there.
OMG! I never thought we had it in us. Just keep in mind that we gays have our own brand of thuggery darlings......
A 20-year-old straight man has told of his terror at being set upon by a gang of openly gay thugs.
The victim told reporters that earlier that evening he had been the subject of a series of bitingly waspish remarks from what had either been two men and a woman, one man and two women, three very effeminate men or three very butch women. Their comments, which were of a ribald nature, were accompanied by a lot of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ and high-pitched shrieking.
The man, who was singled out by the group for looking a bit ‘buildery’, had been drinking in the Queen’s Head, which was known to be popular with local heterosexuals. After leaving the pub, and on his way to a nearby lapdancing club, he was cornered and subjected to a series of unprovoked slaps.
Despite his cries of ‘oi’ the victim continued to receive further poorly co-ordinated blows, accompanied by more remarks in Polari about his interest in ‘lady parts’. His attackers then left the scene laughing outrageously.
While his assailants remain unidentified, police have said that CCTV footage of the attack shows it was unremittingly camp. Several passers-by merely stopped to admire the attackers’ outfits before walking on. more
Acquired HIV late 2008 through unsafe sex. Diagnosed early 2009.
At the time didn't care about what happened, after years of being clobbered by circumstances of life.
Collapsed mentally over a 9 month period in 2009 after HIV diagnosis, became intensely suicidal for 6 months of that. Diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress. Acute kidney failure beginning of 2011 resulting in near death and some brain injury from lack of oxygen. Now chronic kidney failure being monitored. Have had to end work because of fatigue and depression.
Today have made slow but difficult progress in recovering from depression. In recovery am rediscovering some interests, such as politics and books. Life does go on it seems.
In recent years have addressed the gay part of my sexuality and am feeling very comfortable in that.
(email: peterhiv@hotmail.com)
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