Sunday Reading
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9:30 am, March 3rd, 2013 - 12 comments
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My regular Sunday piece of interesting, longer, deeper stories I found during the week. It’s also a chance for you to share what you found this week too. Those stimulating links you wanted to share, but just didn’t fit in anywhere (no linkwhoring). This week: Killer robots, Al Qaeda on marriage equality and private prisons sponsoring sports teams.
Obama’s continuing use of drones and definition of all who die by them as terrorists (even the kids), continues to cause alarm. But there’s ever more cause for alarm with drones. Charlie Brooker is worried about the next generation of micro-drones, with all of us destined to die by a flock of robotic sparrows. Slightly more seriously, ‘autonomous weapons’ – or killer robots – are likely to be ready in a decade. But there’s no moral or legal framework for them to work in, leaving the US military to make their own rules.
In the War on Drugs – which studies suggest cause $4 of harm to US citizens for every $1 the US government spends on it – many prosecutors are changing sides to the defence as they see the damage it is causing.
Meanwhile, al Qaeda have a new reason to hate Obama – his evolving views on marriage equality. In their english language magazine – which teaches you how to cause death by traffic accidents or make a bomb in your mum’s kitchen – they’ve found a new crime as they defend ‘traditional’ marriage. Bob McCoskrie will pleased to have a new ally.
Also in the US private prison company GEO Group are now sponsoring the Florida Atlantic Owls’ stadium. Who’s this advertising aimed at? Do they want criminals to make sure they commit their crimes in their jurisdiction, or is sport the new way to government contracts?
Crossing the Atlantic are US tech companies – fresh from defeating the US SOPA bill on copyright protection they’re now spending millions lobbying the EU to stop privacy laws. The common thread being fighting regulation, as they are now against citizen rights…
In the UK George Osborne has taken his country’s credit downgrading as proof of his austerity policies working. Seumas Milne says it’s an economic disaster.
A perennial problem in the UK and here is getting enough women into politics – one of David Cameron’s MPs has ideas of job-sharing that she thinks could seriously help.
Finally a look at media law and twitter – before you get yourself in trouble for defamation or threatening to blow up an airport…
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- Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day
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Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...1 week ago
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Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...2 weeks ago
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The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...2 weeks ago
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- Government to celebrate Waitangi Day around NZ
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We had best take very seriously the matter of flying unmanned robots, which the U.S. is not by any means confining to killing civilians in Afghanistan, they are spreading them across the face of their world allies (I think they still have genuine “allies” if only New Zealand and Israel!). I trust that, with little if any forewarning, everyone is now well aware by now that the NZ police have at least one drone here (more than one, I am fairly sure) which is intended for “surveillance purposes” (i.e. spying, prying I am almost certain) – and who knows what else in future days? This is what we need? This is what we want? Think hard about it.
And what is good enough for the goose…
China’s UAV industry booming
http://www.dailytech.com/China+Rolls+Out+UAVs+That+Look+Similar+to+US+Counterparts/article29279.htm
Worse is yet to come with the increasing automation of killer UAVs – machines left circling an area of interest, and which can autonomously attack and kill targets it spots with no human direction needed.
More in today on killer robots.
This too.
http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/18/3993100/romancing-the-drone-how-flying-robots-are-invading-pop-culture
http://www.thepeoplesview.net/2012/08/drones-and-race.html
Howzat! hangin’
Very well thank you RT. Chores complete, scrubbed up, beer, and all set to watch the footy.
Cambridge? so pretty. Me? gonna ride my bicycle, bicycle…(well, after assembly, sadly it was probably manufactured with near slave-labour; $129 for a Flash cruising machine, gotta be a steal)
Prohibition, the history of inequality, class in Britain, industry’s influence and Golden Dawn is not the problem but the symptom.
No edit so here are the links the machine ate.
http://thehumanist.org/march-april-2013/prohibition-humanism/
http://www.aeonmagazine.com/living-together/peter-turchin-wealth-poverty/
http://www.aeonmagazine.com/living-together/lynsey-hanley-class-in-britain/
http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/02/13/12184/epa-unaware-industry-ties-cancer-review-panel
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2013/02/27/golden-dawn-recruiting-schoolchildren/
shiny mudguards
The Four day working week
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2547996/wayne-brittenden%27s-counterpoint.asx
Excellent composition Bunji; hope your talents are extended to other passengers