politics, links, encouragements

[tielan]

The Guardian: How Privatisation Is Failing Our Communities

The problem is capitalism, in which the making of money is prioritised over the needs of people. Value to society is not just in whether people can be productive; value to society is in personhood, above and beyond function.

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The Guardian: Mem Fox, Australian author (and national treasure) is held by US Immigration for allegedly having the wrong visa.

SPOILER: she had the right visa. US Immigration claimed she had the wrong one...up until they didn't.

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Newstatesman: The Handmaid's Tale Has Already Come True - Just Not For White Western Women

Basically about the baby industry: women from other countries to bear children for wealthy westerners looking to have children.

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Medium: Despair Is Not A Strategy; 15 Principles Of Hope

And also: How to keep the fires burning without burning out

(Always a good reminder.)

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Desiring God: The Anguish Of Boredom or how we no longer know how to be still and listen to eternity set in our hearts.

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Sojo: American Christianity Has Failed

If Christians refuse to help and actually use their political advocacy and opinions to further hurt refugees, immigrants, women, foreigners, minorities, the poor, the oppressed, the persecuted, the sick, the LGBTQ community — and aren’t abiding by the golden rule of loving their neighbors as themselves, then who exactly are Christians supposedly loving?

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Oh, and the best putdown you'll ever see:

ABC: State Premier Shirtfronts Federal Minister At Press Conference

The article is pretty much explanatory - read it before watching the video at the top. For an American comparison, it's basically the equivalent of a state governor letting loose on one of 45's cabinet in front of the media. It is, in a word, magical.

Comments

[kore]

These are so good -- and did you see this one? https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/16/oxford-comma-helps-drivers-win-dispute-about-overtime-pay

[tielan]

I did glimpse that, but didn't have a chance to investigate! That's classic!

(I'll bet that the lawyers will be going over the future contracts with a lice comb!)

[kore]

I always am smug yet bitter when I see a story like this because SEE, NO, PROOFREADERS DO MATTER, MICROSOFT CAN'T DO IT ALL //unemployed proofreader-copyeditor type

[tielan]

:(

I remember having another proofreader/copyeditor on my f-list over on LJ long ago, and some of the stories she told of the people whose manuscripts she had to read... *grimaces*

On the other hand, there was the proofreader/copyeditor for the Stargate novels that my friends wrote, who hadn't even done the basic research - historical non-American references that were marked with notes like "Did this 'Velvet Revolution' actually happen? You probably shouldn't make up revolutions in character histories." GOOGLE IS YOUR FRIEND, LADY.

(Also, she didn't even know who the characters were if they weren't main cast.)

[kore]

historical non-American references that were marked with notes like "Did this 'Velvet Revolution' actually happen? You probably shouldn't make up revolutions in character histories."

//FACE IN HANDS

Prague, it's a magical fairyland?

[copracat]

Weatherhill did serve up some magnificence. Frydenberg is one of those party men who don't seem to have an original opinion (although well done on marriage equality strangely enough) or any interest in governing, just wallying about having privilege and position.

[monanotlisa]

Man, The Guardian is really knocking it out of the park (although of course as a European on the middle of the political spectrum in the EU I would think so). Thanks for linking; that's why I became a Guardian contributor...