The World Events Thread

[Ilunga]

16 hours ago, EP Phone Home said:

Not just a trade war it seems. I didn’t see any thread or postings on this. Could be nothing more than China provoking Taiwan but things are getting tense in the indo-pacific. 

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/taiwan-china-war-us-warning-record-number-chinese-military-flights/?__twitter_impression=true#app

 

Don't worry Tony's on the job.

 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/07/tony-abbott-tells-taiwans-president-democracies-must-stand-shoulder-to-shoulder-against-china

 

 

[Bure_of_94]

On 10/3/2021 at 5:28 PM, 4petesake said:

I read a story several weeks ago that said coal shortages was such an issue that several power producers in China were imploring Beijing to procure more supply before they were forced to shut down. This was primarily caused by the Chinese boycott of Australian coal after the Aussies called for an investigation of China over Covid. Seems like the Great Leader is willing to sacrifice his own people and economy to silence those who dare speak up and forgets that geopolitics calls for lighter touch rather than a heavy hand.

 

edit. Also this from almost a year ago.

 

 

The Aussies are not wrong. A lot of my American friends agree with the push to Nuke China over unleashing covid on the world. 
 Which I think is extreme, but I think a declaration of war wouldn't be too far over the line. 

Edited October 7, 2021 by Bure_of_94

[Alflives]

13 minutes ago, Bure_of_94 said:

The Aussies are not wrong. A lot of my American friends agree with the push to Nuke China over unleashing covid on the world. 
 Which I think is extreme, but I think a declaration of war wouldn't be too far over the line. 

If there is a ‘boots on the ground’ war between the US and China, any survivors (planet wide) will be digging for roots and eating tree bark to survive.  

[RUPERTKBD]

3 hours ago, Alflives said:

If there is a ‘boots on the ground’ war between the US and China, any survivors (planet wide) will be digging for roots and eating tree bark to survive.  

If we went to war with China, it would only be a matter of time before everyone would be speaking Mandarin on the streets of Richmond....

 

....oh, wait....

[BoKnows]

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/07/europe/rome-elections-mussolini-intl/index.html

 

Rome are you doing okay?

[24K PureCool]

On 10/7/2021 at 5:12 AM, Bure_of_94 said:

The Aussies are not wrong. A lot of my American friends agree with the push to Nuke China over unleashing covid on the world. 
 Which I think is extreme, but I think a declaration of war wouldn't be too far over the line. 

 Going to war with China over covid is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. 

[JM_]

2 minutes ago, 24K PureCool said:

 Going to war with China over covid is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. 

yeah, that is up there. Oy.

[Ilunga]

On 10/7/2021 at 10:12 PM, Bure_of_94 said:

The Aussies are not wrong. A lot of my American friends agree with the push to Nuke China over unleashing covid on the world. 
 Which I think is extreme, but I think a declaration of war wouldn't be too far over the line. 

Who is pushing anyone to nuke China ? 

 

You do realise they have nukes to. 

 

The same Aussie government that criticises China about Covid is also happy to reap in the taxes from selling iron ore to them that sustained us through the GFC and most of Covid. 

And from coal until they slapped tariffs on it however they need it again now so our government will happily take the taxes on that as well.

 

I suggest you research Obama's pivot to Asia and importantly it's military component. 

 

That's when China started pushing back,"building Islands" in the south China sea and being far more belligerent towards other nations.

 

Edited October 9, 2021 by Ilunga

[NewbieCanuckFan]

Probably "staged" but still....

 

 

 

 

Note that if Alf lived that that building, those parents would be in mourning today.

[RUPERTKBD]

1 hour ago, NewbieCanuckFan said:

Probably "staged" but still....

 

 

 

 

Note that if Alf lived that that building, those parents would be in mourning today.

Could've been a real catastrophe.....

[RUPERTKBD]

I'm not much into Metal, but I am a musician and as a member of that large fraternity/sorority, I'd like to say something to the uptight parents of St Catherines, Ontario, who circulated a petition calling for the ouster of the Principal at Eden High School, because of her love for Iron Maiden....

 

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/lifestyle/lifestylegeneral/an-iron-maiden-loving-ontario-principal-is-facing-calls-to-lose-her-job-over-satanic-posts/ar-AAPk0pH?li=AAggNb9

 

Quote

 

An Ontario high school principal is at the heart of two duelling petitions surrounding her love for Iron Maiden and posts that have been called "satanic."

On Tuesday, October 4, a group of people claiming to be parents of students at Eden High School in St. Catharines, Ontario, published a petition calling for the immediate transfer of Principal Sharon Burns and accusing her of having an "allegiance to Satanic practices."

"We are deeply disturbed that the principal assigned to the school blatantly showed Satanic symbols and her allegiance to Satanic practices on her public social media platforms," the petition reads, "where all the students can see them under @edenprincipal (not her personal account)."

 

"Please replace her with another principal who aligns with the values of the families at Eden and will not sabotage the teaching or upholding of those values and will not try to introduce impressionable students to Satanic practices or symbolism."

The photos in question both seem to have been deleted from Burns' Instagram but screenshots of the photo were added to the petition; one appears to show Burns in front of some Iron Maiden flags and wearing a band shirt, while the other shows a hand-drawn heart with "666" inside.

Eddie is the mascot of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden, who released a concert film named Flight 666 back in 2009.

 

The good news is, someone started a second petition in response, supporting the Principal:
 

Quote

 

But on the same day that the call for Burns to be transferred popped up, another petition was started to keep the principal around. That one has exploded in popularity, with over 13,000 signatures at the time of writing.

"It is ridiculous that a couple of parents only judge her role as a principal only based on an Instagram post," the second petition says. "Eden High School is a public school. Not a Christian school [...] She spreads nothing but love and kindness, and is probably one of the best and most enthusiastic principals the school has ever had."

In their own update, the original group maintains that the Iron Maiden photos have nothing to do with their petition.

"This petition is NOT about Sharon Burns' love for Iron Maiden," it reads. "This petition is about a principal of a school openly displaying her OWN handmade sign with the 666 clearly displayed on it."

Burns — whose Twitter bio says that she is "fuelled by metal and ska" — has even received support from Karrie Porter, a city councillor in St. Catharines, and PUP, Canadian punk royalty, who chimed in on Twitter to say she's doing great work.

"Hey [St. Catharines]," the band wrote on Twitter. "Get your sh!t together."

 

So, to the parents who started the first petition, all I have to say is this:

Edited October 11, 2021 by RUPERTKBD

[Gurn]

Stupid people, make me look smart.

[Canuck Luck]

On 9/4/2021 at 3:45 PM, Ilunga said:

My society has many things to be ashamed of.

Our treatment of refugees/asylum seekers,our soldiers actions in Afghanistan,our nutjob politicians, to name some.

I bring these things up on this board.

 

There are a lot of good Australians too.

 

I do believe Canadian society is somewhat more enlightened than ours.

We have justin trudeau so, I guess Canada is going down hill hard now lol.

[Gurn]

A year old story I'm just seeing now, but a reminder for all of us to watch out for this type of thing:

Seems the police  were using a defence attorney as a paid informant. Over 1000 people had been convicted while having this lady or the info being used.

https://theconversation.com/lawyer-x-inquiry-calls-for-sweeping-change-to-victoria-police-but-is-it-enough-to-bring-real-accountability-147836

 

Few stories have rocked Victoria as much as the so-called “lawyer X” scandal, which revealed that high-profile criminal barrister Nicola Gobbo had been used by police as an informant.

It triggered a royal commission into the affair, which after months of explosive evidence, has now released its findings.

The Victorian Royal Commission into Police Management of Informants has revealed a gaping hole in police accountability. It has also put a spotlight on a problematic police culture. The police use of a criminal defence barrister as an informant against her own clients is a massive blow to the criminal justice system. During the course of the commission, two of Gobbo’s former clients had their convictions overturned.

So, how will the police in Victoria be held to account and what needs to change to ensure such behaviour is never repeated?

The four-volume report has laid bare “the far-reaching and detrimental consequence” of the behaviours of Gobbo and the Victoria Police, which may have denied a large number of people their rights to a fair trial. The commission found the convictions or findings of guilt of 1,011 people may have been affected by the police’s use of Gobbo as a human source.

The commission has recommended the conduct of both Victoria Police and Gobbo be referred to a special investigator to consider whether there is evidence to bring criminal charges and, in the case of serving police officers, disciplinary charges.

It has also recommended a suite of reforms to increase accountability and transparency in relation to Victoria Police’s use and management of informants. This includes independent external oversight and legislation to

ensure that their use is necessary, proportionate, justified and compatible with human rights.

Who polices the police?

The royal commission findings, while focused on the relationship between one informant and Victoria Police, brings into sharp focus the broader issues of police accountability and police culture.

The system for investigating police misconduct, corruption and criminality in Victoria is hopelessly flawed. As it stands, 98% of such cases are investigated by police.

The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) lacks the resources to carry out investigations in most cases and is hamstrung when it does. IBAC considered the Gobbo case in 2015, then sent it back to Victoria Police for investigation. The police showed little interest in probing further.

---

Read more: Expanding Victoria's police powers without robust, independent oversight is a dangerous idea

---

It is worth noting that Gobbo acted as an informant for years before it was revealed publicly. According to the royal commission, more than 100 people within Victoria Police knew about Gobbo, but none raised concerns with the internal Ethical Standards Department or with IBAC.

Police investigating themselves always raises issues of conflict of interest. But this is even more pronounced when a matter involves senior police, or former police commissioners, as in the Gobbo case.

The chair of the royal commission, Margaret McMurdo, has decided not to name any current or former police implicated in criminal conduct, so as not to prejudice future legal proceedings.

 

In 2018, a joint parliamentary inquiry report into how claims of police misconduct are investigated made 69 recommendations for reforming police oversight in the state. These included better resourcing for IBAC, and that it, rather than police, investigate all cases of serious misconduct.

More than two years since that report was released, the government has not implemented its recommendations.

Police oversight in other countries

Covert operations have long been recognised as providing fertile ground for police corruption and criminality.

Northern Ireland is a telling case. During the decades of the “Troubles” through to the peace process at the turn of the millennium, the covert arm of policing, Special Branch, acted as a force within a force. Some police engaged in and facilitated criminality, including murder.

---

Read more: Northern Ireland's police transformation may hold lessons for the US

---

Radical reforms were made as part of the peace process through the Police Ombudsman Northern Ireland, which was established to provide independent oversight of policing, including their use of covert investigatory powers.

As such, Northern Ireland’s police accountability system is now widely recognised as the gold standard.

The UK’s Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act also provides a basis for increased control of police human intelligence sources, including intense frontline supervision of officers, clear internal guidelines, and authorisation procedures, performance management and integrity testing of officers.

In addition, the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office provides independent oversight of police and other public authorities’ investigatory powers, including the use of human sources.

The Victoria royal commission specifically made reference to the role of the UK’s Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office and the UK law, but did not specifically recommend them as models for Victoria, instead urging consultation with stakeholders to develop a legislative framework.

When the ends do not justify the means

The commission found evidence of “systemic failure in Victoria Police” and

a pervasive and negative cultural emphasis, led from the top down, on getting results, with insufficient regard to the serious consequences for the rights of individuals and the proper administration of the criminal justice system.

Even after the High Court blasted the Victoria Police for “reprehensible conduct” in 2018, its former chief commissioner, Graham Ashton, continued to defend the police’s actions in the media, on the basis of getting results in the “gangland wars”.

This “ends justifies the means” rationale, often referred to as “noble cause” corruption, belies an above-the-law mentality. Much evidence was put forth at the royal commission to suggest that Victoria Police rejected or set out to thwart or co-opt systems designed to deliver independent scrutiny.

The royal commission findings suggest a change of culture within Victoria Police is urgently required. AAP/Tracey Nearmy

There have been a series of reviews and inquiries into Victoria Police over the past two decades. They have pointed to deficiencies in its management of informants, along with broader issues related to culture and leadership. Despite this, the royal commission findings reflect many of the same issues.

The commission maintains it is “encouraging” that the new chief commissioner of Victoria Police, Shane Patton, has stated publicly the police will heed the recommendations of the inquiry.

If things are to substantially change, however, reforms need to extend beyond these recommendations.

The recommendations of the 2018 parliamentary inquiry also need to be implemented to ensure that in all cases of serious misconduct, police are investigated by an independent body that has sufficient resources and powers to carry out such investigations effectively.

 

[UnkNuk]

Not sure where to post this but "60 Minutes" had an interesting segment on 'Deep Fakes' yesterday.

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deepfake-artificial-intelligence-60-minutes-2021-10-10/

 

"You may never have heard the term "synthetic media"— more commonly known as "deepfakes"— but our military, law enforcement and intelligence agencies certainly have. They are hyper-realistic video and audio recordings that use artificial intelligence and "deep" learning to create "fake" content or "deepfakes." The U.S. government has grown increasingly concerned about their potential to be used to spread disinformation and commit crimes. That's because the creators of deepfakes have the power to make people say or do anything, at least on our screens. Most Americans have no idea how far the technology has come in just the last four years or the danger, disruption and opportunities that come with it."

[Ilunga]

15 hours ago, gurn said:

Stupid people, make me look smart.

You don't need them.

[Ilunga]

5 hours ago, gurn said:

A year old story I'm just seeing now, but a reminder for all of us to watch out for this type of thing:

Seems the police  were using a defence attorney as a paid informant. Over 1000 people had been convicted while having this lady or the info being used.

https://theconversation.com/lawyer-x-inquiry-calls-for-sweeping-change-to-victoria-police-but-is-it-enough-to-bring-real-accountability-147836

 

Few stories have rocked Victoria as much as the so-called “lawyer X” scandal, which revealed that high-profile criminal barrister Nicola Gobbo had been used by police as an informant.

It triggered a royal commission into the affair, which after months of explosive evidence, has now released its findings.

The Victorian Royal Commission into Police Management of Informants has revealed a gaping hole in police accountability. It has also put a spotlight on a problematic police culture. The police use of a criminal defence barrister as an informant against her own clients is a massive blow to the criminal justice system. During the course of the commission, two of Gobbo’s former clients had their convictions overturned.

So, how will the police in Victoria be held to account and what needs to change to ensure such behaviour is never repeated?

The four-volume report has laid bare “the far-reaching and detrimental consequence” of the behaviours of Gobbo and the Victoria Police, which may have denied a large number of people their rights to a fair trial. The commission found the convictions or findings of guilt of 1,011 people may have been affected by the police’s use of Gobbo as a human source.

The commission has recommended the conduct of both Victoria Police and Gobbo be referred to a special investigator to consider whether there is evidence to bring criminal charges and, in the case of serving police officers, disciplinary charges.

It has also recommended a suite of reforms to increase accountability and transparency in relation to Victoria Police’s use and management of informants. This includes independent external oversight and legislation to

ensure that their use is necessary, proportionate, justified and compatible with human rights.

Who polices the police?

The royal commission findings, while focused on the relationship between one informant and Victoria Police, brings into sharp focus the broader issues of police accountability and police culture.

The system for investigating police misconduct, corruption and criminality in Victoria is hopelessly flawed. As it stands, 98% of such cases are investigated by police.

The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) lacks the resources to carry out investigations in most cases and is hamstrung when it does. IBAC considered the Gobbo case in 2015, then sent it back to Victoria Police for investigation. The police showed little interest in probing further.

---

Read more: Expanding Victoria's police powers without robust, independent oversight is a dangerous idea

---

It is worth noting that Gobbo acted as an informant for years before it was revealed publicly. According to the royal commission, more than 100 people within Victoria Police knew about Gobbo, but none raised concerns with the internal Ethical Standards Department or with IBAC.

Police investigating themselves always raises issues of conflict of interest. But this is even more pronounced when a matter involves senior police, or former police commissioners, as in the Gobbo case.

The chair of the royal commission, Margaret McMurdo, has decided not to name any current or former police implicated in criminal conduct, so as not to prejudice future legal proceedings.

 

In 2018, a joint parliamentary inquiry report into how claims of police misconduct are investigated made 69 recommendations for reforming police oversight in the state. These included better resourcing for IBAC, and that it, rather than police, investigate all cases of serious misconduct.

More than two years since that report was released, the government has not implemented its recommendations.

Police oversight in other countries

Covert operations have long been recognised as providing fertile ground for police corruption and criminality.

Northern Ireland is a telling case. During the decades of the “Troubles” through to the peace process at the turn of the millennium, the covert arm of policing, Special Branch, acted as a force within a force. Some police engaged in and facilitated criminality, including murder.

---

Read more: Northern Ireland's police transformation may hold lessons for the US

---

Radical reforms were made as part of the peace process through the Police Ombudsman Northern Ireland, which was established to provide independent oversight of policing, including their use of covert investigatory powers.

As such, Northern Ireland’s police accountability system is now widely recognised as the gold standard.

The UK’s Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act also provides a basis for increased control of police human intelligence sources, including intense frontline supervision of officers, clear internal guidelines, and authorisation procedures, performance management and integrity testing of officers.

In addition, the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office provides independent oversight of police and other public authorities’ investigatory powers, including the use of human sources.

The Victoria royal commission specifically made reference to the role of the UK’s Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office and the UK law, but did not specifically recommend them as models for Victoria, instead urging consultation with stakeholders to develop a legislative framework.

When the ends do not justify the means

The commission found evidence of “systemic failure in Victoria Police” and

a pervasive and negative cultural emphasis, led from the top down, on getting results, with insufficient regard to the serious consequences for the rights of individuals and the proper administration of the criminal justice system.

Even after the High Court blasted the Victoria Police for “reprehensible conduct” in 2018, its former chief commissioner, Graham Ashton, continued to defend the police’s actions in the media, on the basis of getting results in the “gangland wars”.

This “ends justifies the means” rationale, often referred to as “noble cause” corruption, belies an above-the-law mentality. Much evidence was put forth at the royal commission to suggest that Victoria Police rejected or set out to thwart or co-opt systems designed to deliver independent scrutiny.

The royal commission findings suggest a change of culture within Victoria Police is urgently required. AAP/Tracey Nearmy

There have been a series of reviews and inquiries into Victoria Police over the past two decades. They have pointed to deficiencies in its management of informants, along with broader issues related to culture and leadership. Despite this, the royal commission findings reflect many of the same issues.

The commission maintains it is “encouraging” that the new chief commissioner of Victoria Police, Shane Patton, has stated publicly the police will heed the recommendations of the inquiry.

If things are to substantially change, however, reforms need to extend beyond these recommendations.

The recommendations of the 2018 parliamentary inquiry also need to be implemented to ensure that in all cases of serious misconduct, police are investigated by an independent body that has sufficient resources and powers to carry out such investigations effectively.

 

Nicola actually comes from a well connected legal family.

Her father was Sir James Gobbo,former governor of Victoria.

He also was a supreme Court judge. 

 

You know what they state most cops are nearly as stupid as the crooks they are chasing,that's why the few bright ones stand out.

 

As for ICAC's both the cops and our politicians are trying to dismantle them.

 

 

https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/pm/state-icacs-are-under-attack-sa-commissioner-warns/13557350

 

Our current deputy PM likened them to the Spanish inquisition 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/oct/05/very-silly-for-barnaby-joyce-to-compare-nsw-icac-to-spanish-inquisition-former-senior-judge-says

 

Our PM went to the polls promising an integrity commission.

 Over 3 years later we are still waiting

 

 

https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/worldtoday/pm-yet-to-deliver-on-promise-of-federal-integrity-commission/13532174

 

 

[Ilunga]

5 hours ago, UnkNuk said:

Not sure where to post this but "60 Minutes" had an interesting segment on 'Deep Fakes' yesterday.

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deepfake-artificial-intelligence-60-minutes-2021-10-10/

 

"You may never have heard the term "synthetic media"— more commonly known as "deepfakes"— but our military, law enforcement and intelligence agencies certainly have. They are hyper-realistic video and audio recordings that use artificial intelligence and "deep" learning to create "fake" content or "deepfakes." The U.S. government has grown increasingly concerned about their potential to be used to spread disinformation and commit crimes. That's because the creators of deepfakes have the power to make people say or do anything, at least on our screens. Most Americans have no idea how far the technology has come in just the last four years or the danger, disruption and opportunities that come with it."

Watch the British TV series The Capture.

 

It will send shivers down your spine.

[bishopshodan]

WTF.

 

I shoot crossbows, mine could drop large game. I often think about how deadly they are. 

 

This is terrible. 

5 killed, 2 injured by man armed with bow and arrows in Norway, police say

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/norway-attack-bow-arrow-1.6209668

[Ghostsof1915]

On 10/13/2021 at 5:41 PM, bishopshodan said:

WTF.

 

I shoot crossbows, mine could drop large game. I often think about how deadly they are. 

 

This is terrible. 

5 killed, 2 injured by man armed with bow and arrows in Norway, police say

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/norway-attack-bow-arrow-1.6209668

And this morning a British MP was just stabbed to death. You can disagree with a politician, but vote them out. Shouldn't have to resort to violence.