This is what it says in the above article:
“Clearly we are far from achieving that healing. The Productivity Commission report released this week, Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage, details a people in a state of psychological crisis. A people amongst whom suicide, self-harm and mental injury are rife.”
So, this is the world we live in. Why is there this kind of disadvantage? Sometimes we hear some very well chosen words that sound as though there is some hope that things are going to change for the better. Sooner or later we find out that nothing is changing very much. Changes do take time and more time. Meanwhile there are a lot of people who just do not get a chance in life.
Summer has arrived here in Australia. There are Australian grown apricots, peaches and cherries, meaning Christmas can’t be far away anymore.
Today we bought a DIGITAL KETTLE with Temperature Control! It says: Set the ideal temperature for the perfect brew at the touch of a button. It also has a ‘keep warm function’. There are five different temperature settings!
At David Jones in Sydney we saw this decoration for Christmas.
There were also some window decorations at David Jones.
We had a look inside what sort of sweets were available for Christmas.
Later on we went to the Queen Victoria Building and discovered a shop with elaborate train sets that we could see through the window.
This bear welcomed us at the ABC shop where we bought a few Christmas gifts.
Next door was a shop that had lots of aboriginal artifacts for sale. This picture did hang in the window.
Dr Bramhall did a film review of Engines of Domination by Justin Jezewski (2014)
She says: “In Engines of Domination, filmmaker Justin Jezewski lays out a historical and philosophical argument for anarchism – a stateless society people run themselves via direct democracy.”
Personally I have some difficulty in imagining a ‘direct democracy’. I ask myself how on earth can people run themselves in a stateless society?
Jezewski’s short documentary is based on Mark Corske’s book Engines of Domination, published in 2013.
“The process begins with the confiscation of communal land by force (this happened to Europeans via the Enclosure Acts between 1500 and 1850), forcing the inhabitants to work for the ruling elite by depriving them of the ability to feed themselves. In Corske’s view, this denial of life support is a fundamental act of violence.”
“Maintaining control of confiscated land requires a command structure, i.e. a monarchy or its equivalent, the rule of law and weapons. Without weapons, domination over other human beings is impossible. Finally the ruling elite creates upper and ruling classes and provides them a range of privileges for keeping the working class in line.”
I believe the confiscation of communal land by force is a crime against humanity!
“Contrary to contemporary mythology, human beings are basically freedom loving and incline towards cooperation rather than violence towards our fellow human beings.” I do agree with this!
“Building a mass movement to take advantage of our superior numbers is essential. Corske and Jezewski believe the best way to do this is to organize for specific reforms with the ultimate goal of abolishing central authority.”
This is where I ask myself are reforms like these possible without destroying our civilization in the process?
One year ago we were visiting Berlin. For two months we stayed in one of the high-rise apartment buildings in Hansa Viertel, right in the centre of Berlin with the Tiergarten at our doorstep. We would usually go for an early morning walk in this beautiful Tiergarten. The above picture we probably took around the 2nd of November when our stay in Berlin was nearing its end.
In Berlin, the first and second of November would not have been any special days for us. Unless you were Catholic, you would not think of All Saints and All Souls. In some parts of Germany the 31st of October is a holiday to celebrate Reformation Day. But in Berlin even the 31st of October is not a holiday.
Gaby, our daughter passed away last year. When we light a candle, we remember her. We also remember a great number of other departed. Nearly everyone who has been older than we are, has passed away by now. After all, both Peter and I are in our late seventies by now. There are not all that many people around who are older than we are. We always think we might be the next ones to leave!
Do we have special needs in an emergency? This question came up recently when large areas of New South Wales experienced very hot conditions and fast spreading fires. Peter copied for us from the internet a plan for an emergency during a HEATWAVE. It said: “ABC Emergency delivers official warnings and alerts and publishes emergency coverage sourced form ABC Local Radio and ABC News.”
Here is a list of some of the things we should have prepared in our SURVIVAL KIT:
BATTERY-OPERATED RADIO (WITH SPARE BATTERIES)
Torch (with spare batteries)
Strong shoes, gumboots, leather gloves and overalls
First aid kit and medications we need
A change of clothes, toiletry and sanitary supplies
Water in sealed containers – ten litres per person (for three days)
Three days supply of canned food (plus can opener and utensils)
Pillows and blankets (woollen and thermal)
Mobile phone and charger
Strong plastic bags (for clothing, valuables, documents, and photos)
Spare car and house keys
Several Emergency Services are mentioned that can be of help.
Here is what we should do before a HEATWAVE:
Stay hydrated – it’s recommended to drink two to three litres of water and to avoid alcohol and caffeine
Dress light
Check on family and friends – twice a day
Avoid exposure to the sun
Get your home ready – draw curtains, blinds, awnings at the start of the day to keep the sun out
Seek air-conditioning in a shopping centre, library or other public place. (We do not have air-conditioning)
Fans can also provide relief (We do have fans.)
During a HEATWAVE we should phone for assistance immediately if we show any symptoms of heat stress including extremely heavy sweating, headache and vomiting, confusion, swollen tongue
After a Heatwave we should be careful of falling tree limbs – they can be a hazard during periods of extended high temperatures.
After WW2 the Tiergarten, the oldest city park in Berlin stretching between Brandenburg Gate, Potsdamer Platz, the River Spree and the Berlin Zoo, was almost entirely tree-free: out of the 200,000 that grew in the park before 1939, only 700 survived the heavy fighting in 1945 and the mass felling ordered by the Allies to provide heating material to the Berliners for the next winter.
On top of that, the area of the by then barren park was divided into almost 3,000 allotments or gardening plots: the trees were replaced by much more needed potatoes.
The first tree for the new Big Tiergarten park – a “Linde” (a lime tree) was planted on March 17th, 1949 by the Mayor of Berlin, Ernst Reuter.
The 250,000 trees that followed were a donation from the sponsors in West Germany. They arrived in Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, carried by the planes flying…
In Engines of Domination, filmmaker Mark Corske lays out a historical and philosophical argument for anarchism – a stateless society people run themselves via direct democracy.
He begins by comparing class society to sheep herding. The latter began around 10,000 BC. Class society began around 5,000 BC when institutions of power (initially kings and priests and later nations and corporations) began domesticating people as well as plants and animals. The goal of this kind of domestication is to capture the energy of an entire community. Initially chattel slavery was the primary mechanism employed to domesticate human beings.
Since no one agrees voluntarily to being treated this way, this has to be done through a combination of force and deception. The methods employed were developed over centuries through a process of trial and error. “Engines of domination” are the historical institutions that…
It turned out several family members could come to visit us on Saturday. Caroline had baked a cheese-cake after having gone shopping with Matthew for the ingredients. The cake had just come out of the oven when Ryan and Ebony arrived with Lucas and Baby Alexander. A bit later also Monika and Mark came for afternoon coffee.
Caroline and Matthew had come with us to Dapto on Friday night. Saturday night they went back home to their place in Sydney. Caroline’s Graduation Ceremony had been on Thursday. Wednesday afternoon Peter and I had been arriving in Sydney where we went with Caroline and Matthew to a performance at the Griffin Theatre. We saw EMERALD CITY, a play by David Williamson. On Saturday morning Matthew went for some exams at Wollongong University. Matthew is going to keep working at IKU. And he is going to do some more post graduate studies next year, whereas Caroline stopped working at IKU and started now her full time work at the Griffin Theatre.
Peter and I enjoyed spending a few days in Sydney and being guests at Caroline’s graduation ceremony. Later on that Thursday some of Caroline’s and Matthew’s friends came over. We then celebrated with sparkling wine and snacks.
At the University of New South Wales on Thursday, 13th Nov 2014
The graduation ceremony was on Thursday, 13th November. The following day was a pleasantly warm day. We decided it was a good day to go to the beach. While Matthew was at work that day, Caroline drove us to Bronte Beach.
Part 5 of Counter-intelligence: Shining a Light on Black Operations
The final episode of Counter-intelligence is dedicated to drone technology and Barack Obama’s virtual repeal of the Fifth Amendment. The Fifth Amendment of the Bill of Rights guarantees that “no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.” Obama’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) allows the government to detain individuals indefinitely without charge, trial or conviction. Obama has also granted himself the authority, via executive order, to arbitrarily execute civilians (including American citizens) without due process, evidence or accountability to Congress or the courts. Both overturn hundreds of years of common law preventing the rich and powerful from using government to attack their personal enemies.
Filmmaker Scott Noble reminds us that Obama deliberately leaked details of his weekly White House “kill list” meetings. Individuals are added to the kill lists, which are maintained by…
AuntyUta 