Blogs

Netherlands-based Perfetti van Melle, maker of Mentos and Chupa Chups, calls itself the third-largest global confectionery company. Child labourers come and go at the company’s factory in Gazipur, Bangladesh. They disappear during inspections, only to reappear once the inspections have ended.

Doubt Cast on Carbon Capture by Stanford Study – “It Usually Increases Air Pollution”
https://scitechdaily.com/doubt-cast-on-carbon-capture-by-stanford-study-...

I've read a lot of anti-neoliberal articles lately. It seems that most critics of neoliberalism don't actually know what neoliberalism is. I'm hesitant to call myself a neoliberal because of the ideas that term is generally associated with, but also hesitant to be too anti-neoliberal.

Union President suspended at Cambodia's giant Naga World Hotel Casino for defending her members' right to bargain their wages!

The 5-star Naga World Hotel Casino in Phnom Penh has 1,685 rooms and suites - but no room for the right of its thousands of employees to collectively negotiate their wages through collective bargaining - a universally-recognized human right.

A couple of days ago I visited the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which has the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression.

Like any other European city, The Hague sells postcards. I bought three.

SYRIA UPDATE: Yesterday, Turkey began ground operations into Syria. Their goal is to take two predominantly Arab cities, Tel Abyad and Ras al-Ayn, that are controlled by the Kurdish-aligned Syrian Democratic Forces. Taking those two cities will cut the main highway connection between the main Kurdish population centers in Kobane canton (to the west) and Cizire canton (to the east).

I'm opposed to tariffs in general and Trump's tariffs are particularly bad because they have no real goal, but tariffs aren't necessarily bad in themselves. Tariffs could be used for good. China has effectively been imposing tariffs on other countries by way of a VAT which they exempt domestic producers from paying, which is a violation of the spirit of the current trade agreement. So, China technically launched the first attack in the trade war.

If you want some really different "opinions", there's the closed Facebook group under the name "Australian Politcal Debate". Today one of the moderators (they're all right-wingers) suspended me from posting because - and get this - they couldn't handle having two people engaging them in a discussion on the same thread. This is a group which openly welcomes Nazis and other associated racists, various shades of climate-change deniers, anti-vaxxers, and even a literal Biblical flat-earther.

The NSW Sports Minister John Sidoti has stood down whilst the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) investigates him for land purchases and planned developments near planned new train stations and accepting donations from the very property developer that he has a 10% investment in. Through a family trust of course.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-17/john-sidoti-steps-down-pending-ic...

I’ve been thinking that the power of this whole YangGang spirit ought to be harnessed for good. Regardless of whether Andrew Yang wins or not, this campaign needs to be perpetual. We must continually fight for the cause of Humanity First and the Freedom Dividend, regardless of who wins the next election. This isn’t about Andrew Yang and the presidential election — this is about the philosophy and policies that Yang is promoting.