Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Female senators took down Al Franken

As more and more women came forward to accuse Sen. Al Franken of sexual misconduct, top Senate leaders — all men — stayed quiet. It was not until a group of female senators stood up and said, “Enough,” that the tide turned.

"The allegations against Sen. Franken describe behavior that cannot be tolerated," Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) tweeted. Within minutes, five other Democratic female senators posted messages urging him to step down.

Confrontational Erdoğan stuns Greek hosts on Athens visit

What had been billed a groundbreaking visit to Greece, the first by a Turkish president in 65 years, turned into a verbal theatre of war as Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, flouting the niceties of diplomacy, crossed an array of red lines.

Disputes that had lain dormant – not least the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne delineating the borders between the two nations – were prised open with brutal force on Thursday by Erdoğan on the first day of a historic visit dominated by the leader’s unpredictability.

Three Largest Meat Producers Rival Exxon in Greenhouse Gas Emissions

According to The Guardian, JBS, Cargill and Tyson—three of the world’s largest meat producers—emitted more greenhouse gas last year than all of France and nearly as much as the biggest oil companies, such as Exxon, BP, and Shell.

Hardly any meat or dairy companies publish their climate emissions, so it’s almost impossible to know the exact amount of greenhouse gas generated. But using the most comprehensive data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, The Guardian estimated emissions from animal agriculture, and the results are staggering.

The 5 Most Shocking Things About How Weinstein Got Away With It

The mounting allegations against movie producer Harvey Weinstein opened the floodgates in Hollywood and elsewhere, revealing a systematic culture of men who had power preying on those who had little or none.

But Weinstein's story isn't just that of a catalytic moment for the movement that Time recognized in its Person of the Year issue. It's a still-unfolding tale of a master manipulator, one who had a large network of increasingly visible co-conspirators, what The New York Times calls in a bombshell report published Tuesday night a "complicity machine."

Navalny's army: the Russians risking all to oppose Vladimir Putin

It has been a rough couple of months for Ksenia Pakhomova, a bright-eyed, garrulous 23-year-old from the Siberian mining town of Kemerovo. Her boyfriend was kicked out of university, her mother was fired from her teaching job at an arts school, and her grandmother was threatened with dismissal from her job at a gallery.

To top it off, someone plastered notices with her photograph in public places near her home, complete with her mobile number and an offer of sexual services.

Site C Cancellation Costs Exaggerated, Says Chief

The estimates for what it will cost to restore areas already damaged during the construction of the Site C dam are being exaggerated, says Chief Roland Willson of the West Moberly First Nations.

“The Peace country is very resilient,” Willson said at a news conference in Victoria Monday. “All they’ve got to do is make it safe, make the site safe, deal with those tension cracks they have, and then leave. Go home. It will take care of itself.”

Erdogan: Jerusalem status a red line for Muslims

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to cut diplomatic ties with Israel over reports that the United States plans to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

Such a move would be a "red line" for Muslims, Erdogan said on Tuesday.

Reports emerged on Friday that US President Donald Trump was considering recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a move that would be symbolised by relocating the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, upsetting decades of US policy.

Egypt's War on Books

There was once a time when school children would hang out at the Al-Karama library in Cairo’s bustling, impoverished Dar El Salam neighborhood. They sought escape from the polluted drudgery of slum life, or just a safe space to finish their homework. But for almost a year now, the library’s decrepit maroon garage door has been rolled shut: In December 2016, Egyptian security forces raided the library and three of its sister branches after deeming them seditious spaces.

6 Key Takeaways from The Nation's Investigative Report on Anti-LGBTQ Hate Group's 'Legal Army'

The Nation’s Sarah Posner has published an investigative report on anti-LGBTQ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom, the so-called Christian “legal army” that is arguing before the Supreme Court on December 5 in the Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case. The Supreme Court’s decision on this case, which involves a Christian baker who refused to serve a gay couple, could have huge implications on LGBTQ peoples’ right to access otherwise public accommodations.

The Two Clashing Meanings of 'Free Speech'

Little distinguishes democracy in America more sharply from Europe than the primacy—and permissiveness—of our commitment to free speech. Yet ongoing controversies at American universities suggest that free speech is becoming a partisan issue. While conservative students defend the importance of inviting controversial speakers to campus and giving offense, many self-identified liberals are engaged in increasingly disruptive, even violent, efforts to shut them down. Free speech for some, they argue, serves only to silence and exclude others. Denying hateful or historically “privileged” voices a platform is thus necessary to make equality effective, so that the marginalized and vulnerable can finally speak up—and be heard.

Jacob Rees-Mogg met Steve Bannon to discuss US-UK politics

Jacob Rees-Mogg had a private meeting with former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon in London on Thursday to talk about how conservative movements can win in the US and UK, the Guardian has learned.

Rees-Mogg, a favourite among Conservative members to be the next party leader, spent more than an hour at the meeting in a Mayfair hotel with Bannon, who was at one point seen as Trump’s most influential adviser.

Why Are Realtors Trying To Stop Us From Knowing The Facts On Housing?

As house prices have soared, the issues of foreign homebuyers and house-flipping have become big in Canada. Industry insiders, policymakers, economists and virtually everyone else has an opinion on just how much of the house-price boom can be attributed to investors from abroad or speculators who buy properties only to sell them at inflated prices.

But there's one group of people that really doesn't want to talk about it: Real estate associations. In fact, they seem to be doing everything they can to keep people from finding out just how much of these sorts of activities is going on.

Court Rules Toronto Real Estate Board Must Share Sold House Data, A Game Changer For The Biz

The Federal Court of Appeal has upheld a previous ruling that Canada's largest real estate board must allow its realtor members to make home sales data available online, in a precedent-setting case that could enable agents across the country to introduce new online services.

The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) has vowed to continue to fight the decision in court.