Heavy life

In August 1945 nuclear bombs were released in Nagasaki and Hiroshima to end the war between USA and Japan. I was born in 1956, and in New Zealand this did not affect us, although newspaper reported on what happened from the USA side. A paper I’m doing wrote about others which happened while I was alive:

1957 – The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, the world’s first artificial satellite

1963 – The assassination of President John F. Kennedy

1969 – The Moonlanding

1970s –Watergate – the scandal that brought down US President Richard Nixon
1974 – Nixon resigns

1985 – Live Aid

1989 – Fall of the Berlin Wall

1997 – Death of Princess Diana
2001 – 9/11

Every one of these leapt in my memory, and yet I have many other memories world-wide. Do you remember any of these? 

1969, Charles Manson Murders 

“I am only what you made me. I am only a reflection of you.” Charles Manson 

I read a book, “Helter Skelter”, on Charles Manson’s ‘family’ and the murders they committed. It was published in 2001, but the tragedies happened in the end of the 1960s, and I had lived through the newspaper articles and television programmes about these. Manson convinced his cult to murder, and they killed 9 people over the next 5 weeks. The worst event was murdering pregnant Sharon Tate, an actress, and four friends at her home. That was, for me, a change of the ‘hippie-peace-love’ era. Manson was too much like Hitler, and his cross tattoo on his forehead was turned into a swastika.

The ABC article, in November last year about Manson dying, said “Those ‘kids’ - young people drifting along without purpose - were cleverly brainwashed by Manson who zeroed in on their weaknesses.” 

“Every massacre starts with the tongue.” Bryant McGill 

References: 

Bugliosi, V & Gentry, C 2001, Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders, WW Norton & Co USA 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-20/charles-manson-mastermind-of-murderous-cult-dead/8163390 

1974, Patty Hearst: Stockholm Syndrome? 

“For me, my awakening came when I was kidnapped.” Patty Hearst

At the age of 19, Hearst – an heiress of the wealthy William Randolph Hearst, creator of Hearst Communications – was kidnapped in 1974 by the domestic ‘army’, the SLA (Symbionese Liberation Army). The CNN stories on television and Patty Hearst’s story in a book are very different, yet Hearst still says that she had been ‘brainwashed’ to follow the SLA. She was pictured with a weapon, and again with a weapon inside a bank which she helped to rob.

In the article from News.com.au, she said “It’s no secret that I was abducted, raped, and tortured at 19”, and yet SLA members in court said “she was a willing convert with contacts with the organisation well before her disappearance.” What do you think?

Jeff Toobin was a journalist, and wrote about Patty Hearst – what he said was a ‘tribute’ to her - yet Hearst is very much against it. This book is reviewed on the Slate website. Maybe I need to read that book too. 

“You must confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” Jim Collins 

References: 

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/patty-hearst-its-no-secret-that-i-was-abducted-raped-and-tortured/news-story/859bab441912ffc7c025e9c0f4bcb1b7

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2016/07/jeffrey_toobin_s_book_about_patty_hearst_american_heiress_reviewed.html 

Toobin, J 2016, American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst, Doubleday NY 

1978, Jonestown massacre 

“Children, it will not hurt if you'll be quiet.” Jim Jones

40 years ago, in November 1978, I was to celebrate my 22^nd birthday. Jim Jones had turned away from the church he had followed, and lead nearly 900 people to his ‘town’ in Guyana, in the South America jungle. He wanted them to follow his own religion, the People’s Temple. Guin (2017) said that Jones “was able to attract and maintain loyalty … convinc[ing] his followers that he was the only one who could solve problems and create a better life.”

His religion became seriously wrong; Jones appointed his own cartel, who watched his own back. Guin (2017) said that Jones built up a paranoia about the USA FBI and CIA. At Jones demand, most of the people there killed themselves – and their children. It became “the largest single loss of American civilian life” until 2011 (news.com.au, 2017).

News.com.au wrote about Jones, and the book which Guin had written. The book was printed in USA and released in Australia last year. This debacle had thrown me 40 years ago. Now I think I need to read that book. 

“The Christian resolution to find the world ugly and bad has made the world ugly and bad.” Friedrich Nietzsche 

References: 

Guin, J 2017, The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple, Simon & Schuster, NY 

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/nearly-40-years-later-we-are-still-learning-about-the-horrors-of-the-jonestown-massacre/news-story/36d5794db4669eb4ada1a01cbccae1be 

Ramsey, J. E. 1994, Feature & magazine article writing. Madison, Wisconsin: WCB Brown & Benchmark. Ch. 2. "ldeas and research: finding inspiration, gathering  information", pp. 22-32 

1983, Waco Massacre, Texas USA 

“You’re a bitch because you don’t want to make babies for God!” David Koresh 

David Koresh, born Vernon Howell, took many followers of Davidian, a break-off from the Seventh Day Adventist Church, to the top of a hill in Texas which they renamed Mt Carmel, after the bible-referred mountain in Israel. They waited for a second-coming of Jesus Christ. Koresh told his followers that God had told him to “pro-create” with the women, and to form an “Army for God” with the men. However, he was reported by exiles of abusing children and raping underage girls.

News.com.au remembered this 20 years later in 2003. According to the article, “Allegations surfaced that Koresh was stockpiling illegal weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition, as well as operating a methamphetamine laboratory.” The US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) intended to charge Koresh and his cult on illegal arms, and Koresh and his supporters fought what he called the “war”. It took seven weeks for the ATF and FBI to finally get inside, but 76 people, including 17 children, “were either buried alive by rubble, suffocated by the effects of the fire, or shot.” 

“The Waco Siege: An American Tragedy” was written by Jack Rosewood and Dwayne Walker and published in 2015. Perhaps it’s a good book to read to remind yourself of what happens. 

“You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas.” Davy Crocket 

References: 

https://www.news.com.au/world/the-waco-massacre-a-fiery-end-to-a-whacko-cult/news-story/6b20c291b99ecab63c0ab7816c79d830 

Rosewood, J & Walker, D 2015, The Waco Siege: An American Tragedy, Wiq Media

These four were in USA, yet there are many, many more all around the globe: like the 1972 Munich massacre of 11 of the Israeli team by Palestine group Black September; or Victoria, Australia, the 1987 Queen Street massacre with 9 people killed by Frank Vitkovic; or the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in China, where students protested and so many died – yet numbers range from around 150 up to 10,000; or the Aramoana massacre in New Zealand where David Gray killed 13 people.

Is this just part of our lives? How do we live with everything we know about – and remember? What do they mean?

Do you know?

 

 

 

Changing the world

In the last few years I’ve seen far too many anti climate change people raving about how this world has not changed, how climate has not gotten hotter, how we, the climate change supporters know nothing. Well, ACC people, I know about the climate. And I know about the World. How about you read this and find out what is happening. 

I am 60. The world population was less than half today’s population 60 years ago as they began again to repopulate the world which had been depopulated after WW1 and WW2. We had fresh air. We had a decent place to live - then. But, in the last 60 years, Vietnam, Middle East (Arab-Israeli), Angola, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Argentina, Iran and Iraq and many other wars have gone on around the world. It seems there are no countries untouched. Except, maybe, Switzerland. Have a look in Wikipaedia for all the wars between 1957 and 2017. 60 years. Too much fighting.

Billions and trillions of money spent on war. The US is the highest spender at 37% globally. Even Australia has spent more than $15 billion on “overseas missions” since 1999 (and the budget for 2016-17 is $27.2 billion just for Defence!).

As the population grew, so did rubbish. 60 years. On earth – and in space. Not so far away. MRA Consulting says: “Waste generation rates are a function of population growth, the level of urbanisation and per capita income and Australians now produce about 50 million tonnes of waste each year, averaging over 2 tonnes per person. There are more of us and we generate more waste per person, each year.” The Atlantic identified 2.4 trillion pounds of garbage globally in 2012. And rubbish kills.

EPH wrote that “An estimated 100 000 marine mammals and turtles are killed by plastic litter every year around the world.”  And they said that “responsibility also lies with those people who do not realise or care that stormwater drains are not rubbish receptacles and that materials discarded into them, whether plastic litter or dumped oil, flows to the sea.”

 

About the landfills, the Balance said that “Normally, plastic items can take up to 1000 years to decompose in landfills.”

ABC’s program War on Waste looked at degrees of rubbish: how “fashion” can be bought cheap, maybe worn once then thrown away, how glass supposedly recycled are not recycled, how plastic bags are used far too much in supermarkets. 

The Guardian in October 2014 wrote an article based on what WWF told them, titled “Earth

has lost half of its wildlife in the past 40 years, says WWF”. Why? Because there are so many people (the population) living in this world that they need (sic) anywhere to live. The article said “The number of wild animals on Earth has halved in the past 40 years, according to a new analysis. Creatures across land, rivers and the seas are being decimated as humans kill them for food in unsustainable numbers, while polluting or destroying their habitats, the research by scientists at WWF and the Zoological Society of London found.” So bloody scary!

Climate change has happened in the last 100 years. While measured against the initial report in 1880, ABC reported that most of the increase – the fastest increase – has been since the 1950s – when this world has “recovered” from WW2, increased the population, and increased the rubbish. Wikipaedia repeats this information similarly. Earth Observatory said “The models predict that as the world consumes ever more fossil fuel, greenhouse gas concentrations will continue to rise, and Earth’s average surface temperature will rise with them. Based on a range of plausible emission scenarios, average surface temperatures could rise between 2°C and 6°C by the end of the 21st century.” 

Sky News noted that “Between 1910 and 1941 there were 28 days when the national average temperature was in the top extremes recorded. In 2013 alone there were 28 such days.” The Conversation looked at where the global climate change came from: “The carbon dioxide that accumulates in the atmosphere insulates the surface of the Earth. It’s like a warming blanket that holds in heat. This energy increases the Earth’s surface average temperature, heats the oceans and melts polar ice. As consequences, sea level rises and weather changes.” 

And where does carbon dioxide come from? What’s Your Impact identified human sources from “activities like cement production, deforestation as well as the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas.” Burning coal has been happening for thousands of years, but in the last 60 years that has increased as the population grew. Now the global population digs up and burns far too much coal.

International Energy Agency laid out how coal supply has grown so much lately, saying that “Since the start of the 21^st century, coal production has been the fastest-growing global energy source.” Bill McKibben for The Monthly wrote an article titled How Australia Coal is Causing Global Damage in 2013. He said: “A recent report from the Climate Institute shows that if Australia builds up its coal exports as currently planned, it would produce 30% of the carbon needed to push global warming beyond two degrees. By 2020 the country’s coal burnt abroad will be producing three times as much CO₂ as all the country’s cars and factories and homes; by 2025, four times.” That is a very good article – I recommend that everyone reads it. 

In Britain in the 19th century the Industrial Revolution was fuelled by coal. In New Zealand where I was born coal mines were in Huntly area, halfway between Auckland and Hamilton. Coal mine disasters happened at Ralph mine in 1914 and Glen Afton mine in 1939 – 54 men died. The last Huntly East coal mine was closed in 2015, although Huntly’s large thermal power station uses gas and coal. 

Globally, petroleum overtook coal in the 1960s, but in the 1970s the oil shocks gave coal a boost. Geoscience Australia says: “The major use of black coal is for generating electricity in power stations, where it is pulverised and burnt to heat steam-generating boilers. Coal used for this process is called steaming coal. In 2008 77% of the electricity generated in Australia was produced by coal fired power stations (includes black and brown coals).” Today, it is “is the fifth largest producer and largest exporter of black coal.” 

Australia’s population increased from 7.5 million in 1950s to more than 24.5 million now. In 2015 the Sydney Morning Herald printed an article which said: “Coal is the major source of the greenhouse gasses that the world's scientists, and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, believe is causing dangerous climate change.” Really? Did he? SMH then said: “You can't tackle climate change while you are increasing the amount of coal that is being burned. Read that sentence again if you need to, it's really quite important.” So who knows that? I definitely recommend everyone reads this article. 

Don’t tell me, or anyone who is seriously concerned that a climate change IS happening, that we don’t know what we are saying. 

WE DO. I hope you all will!

Free market?

SPA, FTA, EPA TPP…... (whatever other). What exactly are they? For me, one of the lowest income people (on DSP because of my stroke with aphasia) I don't see these things working for this country. Or any country in this globe. Why?

Back in the 1910s, 1920s, 1930s and 1940s this world had WW1 and WW2. What was it? That was wars fought by men who registered with their country army, navy or airforce. In WW1 that war was 'sold' to men, who never realised that it meant death. Their death. Those who registered for WW2 thought the same, didn't have to be scripted. At least, that was Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain and USA. France had two armies – for and against either the western armies or the German army. Germany's army fought for their Fuehrer, Hilter – the “greatest Nazi”, according to top military who never went to the war front.

Italy started with Mussolini who fought for Hitler. Russia joined with USA, but after WW2 they built their own wall. There were a lot of other countries throughout Europe which supported Hitler or supported Great Britain's Churchill. The Jews, caught in the middle by Hitler, were killed during the Holocaust. Or caught a boat to Palestine, which later became Israel.

Japan fought for themselves. They lost.

WW2 ended in 1945, but other wars throughout the globe sprung up, finished, rebuilt, restarted, finished and started new. Korea, Viet Nam, South Africa, Sudan, Slovakia, Columbia, Faulkland Islands, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea... so many more. Have a look up Wikipaedia. Might have you crying.

And who ran – run - these wars? Men. Men still do. Men with money, billions, who supply weapons, paid, rich. Is this connected with SPAs, FTAs, EPAs and TPPs or are wars definitely separate?

The SPAs, FTAs, EPAs and TPPs still carry on, supposed to be “free market” trading. Australia has a TPPA with Canada, USA, Mexico, Chile, Peru, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam and Japan. The list on the “About FTAs” page includes Chile, China (ChFTA), European Union, Gulf Cooperation Council, Hong Kong, India (CECA), Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand (AANZFTA), Peru, Singapore, Thailand and USA. It talks about “global trade liberalisation” and “increas(ing) economic integration between participating countries”. Didn't know about this? Have a read – don't think I'm making it all up!

So where do those within this country who are in poverty – beneficiaries, low-paid workers, those who can only get casual or part-time work – fit in with all of this? I really don't know... we're not even mentioned on the dfat website. Nowhere except Centrelink which complains that we suck money out of them. To end up in poverty.... yeah, right. It seems Centrelink just doesn't know.

FTAs have come around in the 1800s, fell over during the Great Depression, and now set up in this 21^st century. Michael Priestley in 2008 wrote “At the time of the Asian financial crisis in 1997/98 there were only six FTAs in the Asia-Pacific region. At the end of 2006, there were more than 60 FTA projects in various stages of development or negotiation.” Some of the Australian FTAs were set up since 2003, many more are being negotiated since 2008. Priestley questioned these agreements in his conclusion: “In light of the current experience it is questionable whether Australia’s FTAs, on a country by country basis, can speed up trade liberalisation by delivering benefits to Australian producers faster than through the multilateral processes.” Yet dfat is still going ahead.

Very recently, whilst building the Perth's child hospital, wall panels were imported from China. They were installed before anyone noticed the difference – and they included asbestos. Construction was stopped. The project still hasn't been finished. No-one seems to know when exactly it will. The contractor, John Holland, walked away from it. The CFMEU has called for a ban on those panels. No one who is supposed to monitor products imported on FTAs has paid attention to this.

And where we export to – say, China,Japan – where they accept our product as imports, we should have the benefit of no tariffs, definitely not hidden tariffs.

So how can those people like me, beneficiaries, fit in with all of this? It seems Centrelink just doesn't know about this, either.

To ensure that SPAs, FTAs, EPAs and TPPs work, to ensure that the increase of export and import increases employment, to ensure that many people – beneficiaries – right now just don't have any ability to create employment, no matter how often they attend the Centrelink contractor, this government should be – MUST be – looking at how well this country is doing from these agreements. I don't care who gets rich, but I definitely care about every person who ends up out of work, in Centrelink, abused by government staff and not – ever – treated like a REAL person.

Success isn't just for the people who own a company.