Society's ChildS


Eye 1

US 'Super Spy' program might explain mysterious diplomat brain injuries

diplomats
Over the past two years there have been increasing reports of supposed "sonic injuries" among US diplomats. First in Cuba and more recently in China. Controversial implications are that the US officials may have been maliciously targeted by a "sonic weapon" in host countries. However, a more likely explanation is that the alleged victims are the result of US attempts to create "super spies".

The number of American diplomats reportedly suffering from suspected "sonic injuries" is increasing, with 11 officials evacuated earlier this month from China. Initially, the mysterious incident was reported at just one US consular location in the city of Guangzhou. Now the suspicion of brain injuries has spread to American diplomats stationed in Beijing and Shanghai.

Comment:


Info

Federal judge appoints independent monitor to evaluate Texas border facilities for children

immigration child
© AP PhotoEvelyn Zepeda cares for a 4-year-old boy at her home in Austin, Texas. The boy's adoptive mother and Zepeda's biological mother, Josefina Ortiz Corrales, remain in an immigration detention center in south Texas.
A federal judge in Los Angeles said Friday that she will appoint an independent monitor to evaluate conditions for immigrant children in U.S border facilities in Texas after a spate of reports of spoiled food, insufficient water and frigid conditions faced by the youngsters and their parents.

Judge Dolly M. Gee said she reached her decision after seeing a "disconnect" between U.S. government monitors' assessment of conditions in facilities in Texas' Rio Grande Valley and the accounts of more than 200 immigrant children and their parents detailing numerous problems.

"It seems like there continue to be persistent problems," she said during a hearing in a longstanding settlement agreement case focusing on the care of children in government custody. "I need to appoint an independent monitor to give me an objective viewpoint about what is going on at the facilities."

Gee's decision came as the Trump administration worked to reunite families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border under a second, separate court mandate out of San Diego. Hundreds remained separated as the government worked to clean up the effects of its policy that prompted global outrage and a presidential order halting separations.


Fire

France: Vandals write 'Allah ou Akbar' on church walls, smash furniture and set fires

christian church
A church in the French city of Orleans was attacked this week by unknown vandals who set partial fires, vandalised the interior of the building and wrote various "hate tags" according to police.

The Saint-Pierre du Matroi church in Orleans was the target of an attack by vandals on Wednesday, according to investigators, who said that the perpetrators smashed furniture within the building, set objects on fire, and wrote "Allah ou Akbar" on the walls, 20 Minutes reports.

After the blaze had been reported to police, firefighters were able to arrive on the scene and subdue the fire, ensuring that the church did not suffer major structural damage as a result of the attack. Police say they have opened an investigation and are pursuing potential suspects in the case.

The attack is just the latest church attack in France over the last several years, with another church in Toulouse being the target of attempted arson in May 2016.

Radar

Russian military prevents another drone attack on Khmeimim base in Syria

Militants operating a drone in Syria
© Khalil Ashawi / Reuters
A drone, launched from a militant-held area towards Russia's Khmeimim base in Syria, was shot down by the airfield's defenses on Friday, the Russian military has reported, urging militant commanders to cease all provocations.

The UAV was launched after dark from an area controlled by illegal armed groups in the north of Latakia province, according to a statement from the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria.

"The aerial target was destroyed at a significant distance from the base" by anti-aircraft fire in a routine manner, the military said, noting there were no injuries or material damage. The Khmeimim base has recently been a frequent target of drone attacks, with at least three similar incidents occurring this month alone.

Pirates

ISIS sends ransom messages to families of women and children kidnapped in al-Sweida, Syria

sweida hostages
The Islamic State (ISIS) recently kidnapped several women and children inside the Al-Sweida Governorate after massacring over 250 people inside in the province.

According to military source in Al-Sweida, the terrorist group sent text messages to the families of the kidnapped civilians, demanding that they pay a ransom sum or else ISIS will burn alive all of the captives.

The source said that the Islamic State terrorists sent the family members of the kidnapped civilians these text messages via WhatsApp two days ago, which is a day after the terrorist attack.

The government is now working to pressure the terrorist group to release these kidnapped civilians.

No further details were released.

Comment: See also: The ISIS attack on Suweida, Syria: A message of support to its 'brothers' in Quneitra, and to show it is still active and effective


Wedding Rings

Child marriage in Sweden: Govt treads softly due to fears of 'cultural insensitivity'

amnesty child bride
© Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty ImagesArchive image of an actress appearing in an Amnesty International event to denounce child marriage
A row over how to deal with child marriage among immigrants has inflamed political debate ahead of a general election in Sweden, where migration continues to divide public opinion and the far right is riding high in the polls.

A tug-of-war between the ruling Social Democrat-Green Party coalition and the opposition over the government's role in managing or eradicating the practice - which predominantly affects young girls, and in some cases boys, from immigrant backgrounds - is emblematic of a broader struggle to find a balance between efforts to integrate a large number of new immigrants and preserve a Swedish way of life.

"Sweden has been bad at providing people who come here with clear information about how our system works, about this society's views on children's rights, gender equality, family policies, and parents' and guardians' responsibilities," said Juno Blom, who is running for parliament on behalf of the opposition Liberal Party.

"While we insist that Sweden protects children's rights and that we promote a child-centered approach to children's welfare, we have allowed children of foreign backgrounds to live as married women with older men," said Blom, who also acts as Sweden's national coordinator to counter honor-based violence and oppression.

Although Sweden is known for its commitment to child welfare, it is failing to extend those same protections to its immigrant population, activists and lawmakers say. Opponents accuse the government of being overly cautious in order to avoid being seen as culturally insensitive.

Comment: That's multiculturalism for you. As Ernest Gellner pointed out years ago, the problem with postmodernism is that its tolerance is its undoing: it treats barbarism with kindness, while the same barbarism proceeds to destroy it. Whether it's in the most obvious forms of terrorism, honor killings, or genital mutilation, it's the same with 'cultural practices' like child marriage. Can local practices and values keep their integrity and utility when foreign practices are given equal weight?


Propaganda

In refusing to defend Assange, the MSM drops its mask

Julian Assange legal documents
Julian Assange
Last Tuesday a top lawyer for the New York Times named David McCraw warned a room full of judges that the prosecution of Julian Assange for WikiLeaks publications would set a very dangerous precedent which would end up hurting mainstream news media outlets like NYT, the Washington Post, and other outlets which publish secret government documents.

"I think the prosecution of him would be a very, very bad precedent for publishers," McCraw said. "From that incident, from everything I know, he's sort of in a classic publisher's position and I think the law would have a very hard time drawing a distinction between The New York Times and WikiLeaks."

Do you know where I read about this? Not in the New York Times.

Comment: The New York Times has its own particular animus against Wikileaks.


Dollars

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the kind of socialist that only capitalism could produce

The implementation of any of her proposed policies would seriously hurt American prosperity.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Contemplating the silly pronouncements of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, self-declared socialist and surprise winner of Democratic primary in New York's 14th congressional district, I wonder if this particular form of political stupidity requires a certain level of affluence to thrive.

There are, after all, many salubrious processes that produce unpleasant by-products as part of their activity. You see it in manufacturing, you see it in biology. You eat the steak, it nourishes you and makes you strong, but it also results in odiferous and potentially toxic by-products.

Comment:


Family

Palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi home after 8 months in Israeli jail - declares the 'Resistance continues'

Ahed Tamimi
© Mohamad Torokman / ReutersPalestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi
Ahed Tamimi, the 17-year-old Palestinian who slapped an Israeli soldier in her home village, has been released from prison. The girl, praised by many as a symbol of the Palestinian resistance, has returned to the West Bank.

The Palestinian teenager and her mother left prison on Sunday after completing an eight-month sentence for slapping and kicking Israeli soldiers. Tamimi's family arrived at a checkpoint in the West Bank, where they spoke briefly to reporters before heading to their home village of Nebi Saleh.

2 + 2 = 4

Harvard sorority says it will be gender neutral after University penalizes single-gender social clubs

Harvard
If you're a college student wanting to join a fraternity or sorority at Harvard, you may soon be out of luck.

Just this past week, it was reported in Harvard's student-run Crimson that female sorority Kappa Alpha Theta will now instead be a "gender-neutral social group". The club will change their name to Theta Zeta Xi, and be open to men.