'Unseen' News and Views
30 October 2020 (Wall Street International)* — There are no signs of a halt to the arms race… on the contrary, production of the most modern 5th and 6thgeneration technological weapons and the most terrifying and lethal weapons continues unabated.
27 October 2020 (openDemocracy)* — Despite our best intentions, Trump’s name is on everyone’s lips, yet I have no interest in the sordid details of his psyche. His pathologies are a matter of indifference. It’s clear to me that he’s a violent, dangerous lunatic. His desperate attempts to win attention and adulation likely stem from abuse he suffered as a youth.
Over the past months, we’ve seen some of the richest countries in the world struggle with the effects of Covid-19 and the health and economic emergency it has brought in its wake. But at least they have the resources to cushion the blows, while poor countries face these huge threats with few resources.
Many countries are burdened with massive amounts of debt owed to richer countries, private banks and multilateral institutions. This has constrained their governments from being able to free up resources to spend on public prevention and response. Photo: Aurelie Marrier D’Unienville/OxfamWill we as a nation remain submerged in the racism that characterized 1920 America?
26 October 2020 (Wall Street International)* — There are amazing and almost eerie parallels between where America finds itself in 2020 and where the nation was a century ago. In 1920, one hundred years ago, America was in the midst of a pandemic, racial conflict, and a contentious presidential election.
10 Key Issues that Demand the Administration’s Immediate Attention
27 October 2020 – Whoever wins the November 3 presidential election has an opportunity – and a responsibility – to help the United States move forward by making human rights a priority in the next administration.
(UN News)* — Yemeni children are suffering acute malnutrition at unprecedented rates as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis grinds on and funding falls far short of what is needed to offset the effects of conflict and economic collapse, UN agencies said in a statement on Tuesday [27 October 2020].
New analysis from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the global standard for gauging food insecurity, revealed that in some areas more than one in four children were acutely malnourished.
Why the 2020 Election Is So Important
John Scales Avery
Here is a quotation from Bernie Sanders:
“Donald Trump is a pathological liar. According to documented reports he has told more than 20,000 lies and distortions since he has been president. This is, obviously, deeply disturbing behavior for anyone who is president of the United States.
“But what is even more disturbing is that Trump is now using his lies and misinformation to sow confusion and chaos in the election process and undermine American democracy. In other words, he does not intend to accept the results of the election if he loses and leave office voluntarily. This is not just a constitutional crisis. This is a threat to everything this country stands for.
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25 October 2020 (UN News)* — In what leading campaigners are describing as “a new chapter for nuclear disarmament”, the ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will now come into force on 22 January, after Honduras became the 50th Member State to ratify on Saturday [25 October 2020].
Potential Consequence of Failure to Adhere to Universal Principles of Intelligent Life
Anthony Judge
Introduction
In the midst of a global pandemic widely framed as a war, there is a strong case for recognizing both the civilian fatalities and those whose lives are at stake on a daily basis — in order to reduce the risk to greater numbers of humans.
Humans are called upon by authorities to take shelter in their homes to avoid any risk (Cowering for One’s Country in the War against Coronavirus, 2020).
It is therefore appropriate to honour those — effectively “on the front line” — who are dying in far greater numbers in the hope of ending the pandemic as soon as possible. As in conventional warfare, they have little choice in performing this duty, having been conscripted and trained to that end.
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 