#department of national defence | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

religion-is-a-mental-illness · 6 months

Text

By: Louise Perry

Published: Jun 8, 2023

When we get home from the supermarket, our two-year-old likes to assist with taking the groceries out from underneath his stroller and carrying them to the kitchen. He will pick up a carton of milk and heave it towards the fridge like an atlas stone. “Well done darling” I say to him in a pitch slightly higher than usual, “you’re being so helpful.”

Of course he isn’t actually being helpful. In fact, he’s slowing down the process of unpacking and risking an enormous milk spillage all over the kitchen floor. But my goal is encouragement and kindness – he’s only two, bless him, and that carton is awfully big and heavy.

My husband regards these exercises with more of a gentle briskness. “Thanks mate” he’ll say in his usual tone of voice, excising my white lie. In this, I’ve learnt, my husband is typical of other men. In a 2015 study led by Mark VanDam, a professor in the Speech and Hearing Sciences department at Washington State University Spokane, researchers outfitted preschoolers and their parents with recording devices to monitor social interactions over the course of a normal day. The mothers, they found:

… used higher pitch and varied their pitch more when interacting with their child than with adults. The fathers, on the other hand, did not show the same pattern, and instead talked to their children using intonation patterns more like when they talked to other adults.

As an instinctive speaker of so-called ‘motherese’ – that is, baby talk – I find that when our son mispronounces a word (‘tawtah’ for ‘water’ or ‘mulack’ for ‘milk’) I will automatically echo it back to him, while my husband will automatically respond with the correct pronunciation. These differences persist despite the fact that we share childcare almost exactly equally within our family.

It turns out we’re not alone in this sex difference, and that it may well have some adaptive purpose. "We think that maybe fathers are doing things that are conducive to their children's learning but in a different way,” writes VanDam, “the parents are complementary to their children's language learning.” Mothers speak down to children, while fathers speak to them like equals – in combination, these two kinds of stimuli promote the development of adult language.

The adoption of motherese is an instinct that, in its correct context, is both comforting and developmentally useful. But it can also, in some circumstances, be dysfunctional. And, as I have become more and more fluent in it, I have started to notice that motherese is no longer confined to the nursery or the classroom, but is now to be found also in public life. Not in its full expression – “have you got a boo-boo, honey?” – but in a more subtle form.

I heard a lot of motherese, for instance, in the responses to philosopher Kathleen Stock’s appearance this week at the Oxford Union – a political event considered significant enough to attract commentary from the Prime Minister and rolling updates on the homepages of several national newspapers.

Students at risk of being traumatised by Stock’s mild-mannered, centre-left brand of politics were ushered towards ‘welfare rooms’ offering ear plugs, bottles of water, and snacks. “The Union has made the choice to amplify a voice that actively harms trans students, trans people and the trans community at large” wrote one student politician, “we’re tired of [the Union’s] refusal to listen to the communities they hurt” insisted another. It was as if Stock was a rampaging bully on the playground, knocking other children to the ground, and her critics were leaping to the defence of the persecuted toddlers.

Witnessing the backlash against her, you’d never guess that Stock’s only sin is to offer a careful academic critique of the doctrine of gender identity – that is, the claim that one can become a member of the opposite sex (or some other identity category in between) merely by force of will. As she reiterated in her Oxford Union speech, to reject this doctrine is not to deny the humanity of trans people, but rather to balance their interests against those of other people, particularly women.

But I am by no means the first to notice an unexpected feature of the crowds that formed outside the Oxford Union this week, and indeed all of the crowds that congregate in support of trans activism (now a regular occurrence, and not just in the Anglosphere). While the occasional acts of outright aggression are overwhelmingly committed by men, the crowds in general are mostly composed of young women.

Polling reveals this to be a wider pattern. In the UK, women – and particularly young women – are far more supportive of trans activism than are their male counterparts. The same gap can be seen in US polling. The public figures who have received the most flak for their criticisms of trans activism are disproportionately women – I’m thinking not only of Kathleen Stock, but also of JK Rowling – and yet so, too, are the movement’s most devoted allies. This is, in the main, an intra-female conflict.

But if trans activism poses a threat to women’s interests – as Stock and Rowling insist that it does – then why have so many women come out in support of it? I want to propose two explanations for this seeming paradox.

Firstly, in socioeconomic terms, the women who have the most to lose from the disintegration of female-only spaces – prisoners and domestic abuse victims, for instance – are not actually the same women who are draping themselves in blue and pink flags outside the Oxford Union. This is a textbook example of what Rob Henderson has termed a ‘luxury belief’ – an idea that confers status on the rich, while causing harm to the poor.

But then I am begging the question, because why on earth would trans activism confer status on the rich, or indeed anyone? This is where we come to the second factor: the extraordinarily well-documented differences in personality that have been observed between male and female populations cross-culturally.

Note that there is a crucial distinction to be drawn between average and absolute differences. It is not true that all men or all women exhibit only masculine or feminine personality traits, in the same way that not all women are short and not all men are tall – rather, average differences between the sexes are obvious only at the population level.

One trait on which men and women differ substantially is agreeableness. To put it bluntly, women are usually nicer than men – that is, they are “more nurturing, tenderminded, and altruistic more often and to a greater extent than men,” as psychologist Professor Yanna Weisberg puts it.

This nurturing instinct often finds its way into polling on political questions. For instance, a typical study from 2017 asked 3,014 college students the following question: “If you had to choose, which do you think is more important, a diverse and inclusive society or protecting free speech rights.” 61% of male students chose to prioritise free speech, compared with only 35% of female students – exactly what you would expect from two populations that differ in this most crucial of traits.

Don’t think that I’m bashing agreeableness per se – it’s one of those personality traits that really does offer advantages and disadvantages all along the spectrum. Disagreeable people are often rude, but they can also be refreshingly honest; agreeable people are often pleasant, but they are easily taken advantage of. Think of agreeableness as motherese: soothing and lovely in the right circumstances, cloying and foolish in the wrong ones.

The problems arise when an agreeable style of politics gloms onto a group that seems to offer plentiful opportunities for babying. Right now, it is trans people who have found themselves in the hot seat (or the high chair). For just one example of this babying tendency in action, observe the progressive response when then-66 year old Caitlyn Jenner came out as trans (a response parodied exquisitely in a South Park episode titled ‘Stunning and Brave’). When Glamour honoured Jenner as the magazine’s 2015’ Woman of the Year' – despite the fact that Jenner had not yet lived as a woman for a full year – I couldn’t help but hear the high pitched notes of motherese (“you look so pretty sweetie”, “well done that was very brave.”)

Observe, too, the trans celebrity Dylan Mulvaney’s recent appearance on Drew Barrymore’s talkshow, which culminated with Barrymore kneeling on the ground, looking Mulvaney straight in the eye, and offering a heartfelt pep talk on self-love. Some gender critical feminists looked at this scene and saw a woman prostrating herself before a man. What I saw was a mother kneeling down to reassure a young child – for some bizarre reason, Barrymore was speaking motherese to a grown adult on national TV.

At the risk of stating the obvious, trans people are not babies. Nor are they pets. They do not need earplugs and snacks to withstand an academic discussion, and they do not need to be spoken to like toddlers. Real two-year-olds may benefit from the gentleness of motherese. The rest of us need to grow up.

https://policyexchange.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/The-Politics-of-the-Culture-Wars-in-Contemporary-Britain.pdf#page=57

Women are more likely than men to say a trans women should be able to enter a women’s refuge, favouring this by a 36-32 margin while men oppose it 40 to 30. In fact, across all 6 questions pertaining to the trans issue (Stock, Rowling, refuges, gender identity, pronouns, teaching biological sex), women are significantly more supportive of the trans rights position even when ideology is taken into account. Women even exceed LGBT identifiers in their support for the pro-trans position on many questions.

Why? Is this not against the female interest? The likely answer is that women are more likely to be cultural leftists than men across most of the 25 attitudinal items in the survey. The inclination to empathise and care for groups perceived as vulnerable best accounts for the pattern. The result of the empathy dynamic is that the gender-critical feminist position, while intellectually prominent, is still a contested view among women. Indeed, the largest source of opposition to greater trans access to women’s spaces comes from cultural conservatives.

This isn't a war between men and women, as some would like to assert.

It's really a war between different denominations of feminism. Like Catholicism vs Protestantism. Or Sunni vs Shi'a Islam.

One thing that's hilarious and worth pointing out: gender-critical feminists will sometimes say things along the lines of, well that agreeableness was socialized into women by "the patriarchy" to make them compliant. Which means they're denying the same evolved sex-based differences that they started off defending. Like claiming to be a Catholic while denying transubstantiation.

Either sex-differences are real, and can explain different participation rates in physics and kindergarten teaching, different career priorities and trajectories (and thus, the mythical "pay gap") and different work patterns as readily as they explain differences in swimming, cycling and weight-lifting performance, making "the patriarchy" as unnecessary as a god is to the existence of the universe... or they're not, and the gender-critical argument goes up in smoke in the flames of social constructivism. God can't be both good and unknowable.

#Louise Perry #stunning and brave #gender activism #gender ideology #queer theory #genderwang #motherese #infantilization #mothering #western feminism #sex based differences #sex differences #religion is a mental illness

165 notes · View notes

aimeedaisies · 5 months

Text

Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, KCVO, CB appointed as Chair to the Science Museum Group

The Prime Minister has appointed Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, KCVO, CB as Chair of the Science Museum Group, for a four-year term, commencing on 1st of January 2024.

From: Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Science Museum Group

Published: 1st December 2023

Sir Tim Laurence has pursued a portfolio career centred around Built Heritage, Major Projects, Railways and Urban Regeneration since leaving the Royal Navy in 2010. He chaired English Heritage (2015-22), with over 400 historic sites and 40 small museums. Other chairmanships included the Major Projects Association and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the latter on behalf of the Secretary of State for Defence. He was a Trustee and Deputy Chair of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

Current roles include: Patron of the Windsor Leadership Trust; Patron of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway; member of the Great Western Railway Advisory Board; and Senior Advisor to the engineering consultancy Tetratech Europe. He contributes to a number of other charities.

Tim’s 37 years of Naval service included four warship commands and a series of senior roles in the Ministry of Defence, culminating in CEO of the organisation which manages the Ministry of Defence’s property and infrastructure worldwide.

He graduated from University College Durham in 1976 with a BSc in Geography, with Geology and Climatology, and was a Hudson Fellow at St Antony’s College Oxford (1998/99).

Remuneration and Governance Code

The Chair of the Science Museum Group is not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Sir Tim Laurence has not declared any significant political activity.

#yayyyyy 🥳🥳🥳#a new job for tim!#appointed by the prime minister!#tim laurence #timothy laurence

73 notes · View notes

cynosdaydream · 5 months

Note

Could you do a fic with Kazuhiro and his s/o that he had to to leave behind when he fled from the vision hunt decree?

I don’t have anything specific in mind I just feel like this idea has a lots interesting paths to take. Love letters? Reunion? A tearful good bye?

Chasing Freedom

Kazuha's flowery language won't do anything to help him when he has to explain to you why he's departing.

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : 悪魔の子 / Child Of Evil - Ai Higuchi

ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ : ▮▮▮▮▮▮▯▯▯

Word Count: 2.8k Author's notes: SORRY this took so long to get out September to October was my exam period and I needed a break after. Proof read by my skrunklje @noxellaa CWs: Fluff, Eventual Angst , (maybe comfort in part 2 if I can) GN!Reader

Under the reign of the almighty Raiden Shogun, Inazuma had turned into a terrifying nation, not just to outsiders, but to the citizens residing within as well. Visions were being confiscated left and right, leaving countless people ambitionless and in despair.

A vision was known to be a blessing bestowed by Celestia itself, only being given to specific people. Those people who got a vision felt elated, felt like the vision gave them worth, a reason to keep pushing forward for the greater good of Teyvat.

But what would happen if that very item that gave these people motivation to push on and help others was taken away from them, against their own will?

The citizens in Inazuma didn’t have to leave that question to their imagination, as they were now experiencing it first hand. You could see those people who were stripped of their visions slowly lose that special spark that they always had, gradually turning into shells of their former selves.

You had witnessed one of your friends, a former vision wielder, have their vision forcefully taken from them in front of a sea of people, at the hands of the Raiden Shogun. The pure terror and hopelessness in their eyes and the way they pleaded for it back was enough to make your blood run cold.

However, in the midst of all this horror and uncertainty, you found solace in a quiet, silver-haired poet called Kazuha.

You had met him on the shores of the city, sitting atop a tree near the waters. You had gone there for a bit of peace and quiet, further away from the city, leaving any worries you had far behind. Luckily for you, the soldiers usually patrolling the nation were not present, probably somewhere else harassing an innocent civilian for their vision. However, you had felt an unfamiliar presence near you.

Thinking it could be one of the soldiers, you whipped your head around, scanning over the vicinity. Then, your eyes landed on a figure sitting in a tree, gazing into the distance.

His silver hair and the single red streak that ran through it enraptured you, unconsciously making you drawn to him.

The man didn’t seem like he could cause you any harm, so you decided to join him up on the tree, but not before making your decision known to him lest he got startled and started acting in self defence.

“Hey, you mind me coming up there?” You asked, waiting for his response. The stranger gave you a quick nod of approval, accompanied by a charming smile. Even though the corners of his lips merely turned upwards slightly, it was enough to stun you for a moment and make your heart skip a beat. Without hesitating further, you hoisted yourself up onto the branch that the man was sitting on.

Numerous shades of red and hues of scattered orange painted the once cerulean afternoon sky, the sun disappearing into the horizon through the sea. It was strangely comforting, watching the sunset with some random stranger that you had only met minutes before.

The noise from the city slowly faded, the almost always present laughs and cries of the children growing fainter by the minute, everyone retiring to their homes before the sun set.

This change in atmosphere made you feel more at ease, and your body sank into the peaceful ambience.

However, before the sun had fully set, the stranger had turned towards you and said, “The soldiers will be here to patrol soon, when the sun sets. Would you mind if I walked you home?” He jumped off the tree, then extended his hand out to you as an offer. It was safe to say you were thoroughly surprised by this, but nevertheless, you took his hand in yours and hopped off the tree as well.

You felt the bandages that wrapped around his hands graze yours, which had sparked your curiosity about him even further. Was he a swordsman? You wondered. Without another word being said, you started to walk back to your house. A nagging part at the back of your mind had told you it was dangerous to share your address with some stranger, buy you had felt comfortable around him, like his presence eased your nervousness about everything that was going on.

The breeze that you had felt on the sea shores significantly lessened when you had reached your home.

“This is my house.” You told him, turning to go inside. That was when you had realised that your hand was still in his, and the texture of his bandages was still present on your hands.

“Ah! I’m so sorry, I didn’t notice…” You hastily apologised, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. He was just as quick to reassure you, “Don’t worry about it.” As you turned around to head inside again, you could have sworn that he wanted to say something else.

Your suspicions proved to be correct when he tapped you on the shoulder and whispered, “My name…is Kaedehara Kazuha. I enjoyed your company today, if you would like to accompany me on occasions like this again, you can find me at the same spot.”

And he was gone from your sight, as swift as the wind.

What a strange man. You thought, but decided to consider his offer anyway. The evening with him had calmed your frayed nerves about the dire situation in Inazuma, anyways. Kaedehara Kazuha. “What a pretty name.” You muttered, tucking yourself into bed.

That night, your dreams had contained a strange amount of vermillion red.

As the sun rose the next day, you found yourself walking towards the very same place that you had been yesterday. And on that very same tree, sat the very same silver-haired young man, now with a pen and paper in his hands, gazing whimsically into the distance.

This time, you did not hesitate in climbing up the tree, sitting next to him, closer than the day before. Kazuha did not seem startled, even offering you a kind smile.

“I’ve been stuck on this poem for a while, do you mind helping me?” He asked, holding the piece of paper towards you.

It was slightly yellowed, with small tears forming at the corners of it. Your eyes then travelled to the words written on the paper, each one acting as a singular thread, weaving and intertwining with each other, creating a beautiful masterpiece. His choice of words was perfect, there was no way you could criticise his existing work. The poem painted a picture, and you had to continue it like a movie scene.

From then on, your meet-ups had gotten more frequent, and you started meeting up in other places than the tree. Sometimes, the both of you would stroll through the city in the evening, savouring the momentary bliss before the soldiers increased their alertness during nightfall. Other times, when the wind called out to Kazuha stronger than usual, you would pack a light lunch to carry along with you to eat. It consisted of a few slices of toasted bread, a stick of butter to compliment it, and lastly, one grilled fish.

The meal was simple, but filled both yours and Kazuha’s stomachs for the rest of the afternoon. After that, you would chat with him as the gentle breeze caressed your face, allowing you to shut your eyes and simply enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.

Through these chats, you learned that he had another friend once, named Tomo.

Kazuha then told you the entire story, staring wistfully at the ground after he finished. The area around you seemed to quieten, the silence weighing heavy on your chest, and you then noticed the electro vision hanging next to his anemo one.

His experience was similar to your own, making you recall the look in your friend’s eyes after their vision was confiscated from them. You laid a hand on the man’s shoulder, the simple action speaking a thousand words all at once.

“I’m…sure he was an amazing person.” You said, still slightly unsure if that was the correct thing to tell Kazuha. After all, what was the best thing to say to a person in a situation like this? You’ve always felt like ‘I’m sorry’ wasn’t quite right, as it wouldn’t do anything to comfort the person. He nodded his head. “Indeed.”

That day, you felt like you grew significantly closer to him, and got to know him on a more personal level than most people, perhaps. It made you feel special, like he truly trusted you. Over time, you developed more…intense feelings towards him. It went beyond just friendship; you wanted to hold him in your arms, wanted his flowery poems to be written with you in mind, wanted him to stay with you, and not become a fleeting memory.

And on one windy day, you had tried your hand at poetry earlier in the morning. It wasn’t anything as fancy or intricate as Kazuha’s. just a simple piece professing your love to him.

From the brightest winter star, to the shimmer of an amethyst,

nothing could even hold a candle to you, Kaedehara Kazuha.

Similarly, no amount of existing words can proficiently explain

this feeling I feel towards you.

Far beyond mere friendship, perhaps dwindling on the line

of unrelenting adoration.

So, would you grant me this honour to be yours,

until the end of time?

And on that day, you climbed up the tree as usual, taking your regular spot next to Kazuha. “Here. I dabbled in poetry today, and I thought you would like to read it.” You spoke, placing the poem in his hands. Kazuha smiled, admitting, “I’ve always wondered what kind of poetry you would write should you have written some. I look forward to reading this.”

You planned to give him the piece of parchment and run all the way home, but now your panicked nerves wouldn’t allow your fight or flight reactions to activate, instead opting to freeze instead. Your eyes carefully scanned Kazuha, looking for any signs of disdain or a downturn of his lips that showcased his discomfort towards your confession.

However, his eyes widened as his eyes travelled down the parchment, his head resting on his fist. Kazuha’s cheeks turned red, and he stuttered out, “I am not usually at a loss for words…but…yes, I would be honoured for you to be mine, and I yours, until destiny do us apart.”

And from that day on, the both of you would savour each peaceful moment with each other. Sometimes taking a stroll around Inazuma and picking up Sea Ganodermas in the shallow waters, sometimes just quietly sitting side by side.

On one of your dates walking through the city, a keychain in the shape of an orange maple leaf caught your eye, which reminded you of your lover. It was the last one hanging on the hook, and being worried that someone would snag it before you, you let go of Kazuha’s hand and hurriedly dashed towards the store. He was taken by surprise, and was not hesitant to chase after you.

“Love, what did you run all the way here for-,” His sentence was cut short by you taking one of his hands in yours and dropping the keychain in it.

Smiling, you told him, “This keychain reminded me of you, and it was the last one available, so of course I had to buy it for you!” Kazuha gazed at you fondly while thanking you. His expression, full of sheer adoration, was burned in your memory up until one fateful day.

The weather was considerably good, with the clouds partially obscuring the sun, allowing a few rays of sunlight to shine through onto the land of eternity. A brisk wind blew through the country, rustling the autumn leaves which fell onto the stony pathways like flakes of snow.

The day before, Kazuha had asked you to meet him at the docks in the early afternoon, just before the sun’s heat became more intense. You went about your day, and when the clock struck around midday, you wandered to the docks of Inazuma.

And sure enough, there was your silver-haired lover, his hand clutched tightly around something. But instead of the usual soft smile he had on his face, his expression was scarily monotone, borderline downcast. You couldn’t put your finger on it, but something about him was off.

Choosing to talk to him to find out what the cause of this was, you gingerly asked him, “Hey, Kazu. What did you ask me to come here for today? We don’t usually come here for dates.” This seemed to perplex Kazuha even further, his lips pressed into a thin line.

“There is no easy way to say this, my dove, but…I have been hiding for far too long,” Kazuha breathed out, voice shaky. You were confused, his wording now doing the opposite of making you feel at peace.

“Kazuha, what do you mean? Now isn’t the time to use flowery language with me, love. Please tell me what’s happening.” You said, clutching at his arm.

Why did he ask you to come to the docks specifically? What was he hiding? Or hiding from? What was even happening?

Your head spun with the amount of questions you wanted to ask, but you waited for your lover to give you an answer.

Kazuha couldn’t look you in the eye as he explained, “After Tomo…passed during battle, I stole his vision to have something to remember him by. But that made me a wanted man here, and I am afraid I cannot hide in this nation for any longer. And…” He paused, not sure how to continue.

“I feel…suffocated here. The rules and restrictions imposed here are taking a toll on me, for my heart yearns to travel the world. I long to see the sights and views of other nations, the great mountains of Liyue and the vast deserts of Sumeru. So, forgive me, my dove, but I cannot stay here any longer.”

The silence after he finished his explanation weighed heavy on your shoulders, making your grip on his arm tighten while you took it all in. During this, Kazuha gently pried open your other clenched fist, and dropped something very familiar into your hands. It was the keychain that you had bought for him a few months back.

“It’s.. something to remember me by as well. I know that you gave it to me as a gift, but if it reminds you of me, then…I want you to keep it close.” Your fingers tightened around the keychain, the spiky edges of it digging into your skin as the full realisation of what was happening hit you like a ton of bricks.

“So…you’re really leaving, huh? After everything, all the memories…you’re going to leave that all behind, Kazuha?” You whispered, as if afraid saying it too loud would make the impact of the entire thing hit even harder than it already did. Your eyes turned watery, and the tears that had been held back by a desire to not seem weak in front of your lover finally fell, one after the other until it turned into a steady stream of tears.

The clouds seemed to obstruct the sun even more than just now, the rays of light now mostly blocked, save for a faint glow of light shining through.

Meanwhile, Kazuha was slightly taken aback by the use of his entire name. Usually, you would call him endearments like ‘love’ or a shortened form of his name, ‘Kazu’ being the one he was most fond of. However, there was none of that now.

“I’m sorry, dove. I know this isn’t easy for you, but this will not be our final goodbye, for I will return.”

You finally mustered up the strength to look up, and you saw that Kazuha’s eyes were now glazing over as well. A feeling of despair washed over you, but what could you do? If he was a wanted man and had the desire to travel the world, then who were you to stop him? As his lover, you could only want the best for him. “I wish the best for you, Kazu. I’ll be just fine here.”

“Don’t wait for me, okay? Live your life, and run. Don’t throw away your freedom for me,”

Even though you tried your best to sound happy, tears dripped down your face more intensely than before as you smiled sorrowfully at Kazuha, smile not quite reaching your eyes. His resolve seemed to tremble now, gritting his teeth together as he silently shook with sobs. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I promise I’ll come back, one day. Please don’t forget me, my beloved.”

And with that, he tenderly gave you one last kiss before saying goodbye and heading onto the towering ship behind him.

#genshin x reader #genshin #genshin impact #genshinimpact #mitsu.writes #genshin fluff #kazuha #genshin x you #kazuha x reader #genshin impact x reader #kaedehara kazuha x reader #kaedehara kazuha #kazuha x you #kazuha x y/n #kazuha gi #kazuha fluff #kazuha angst

74 notes · View notes

capybaracorn · 27 days

Text

Australia challenged on ‘moral failure’ of weapons trade with Israel

Regular protests have been taking place outside Australian firms making crucial components for the F-35 fighter jet.

Melbourne, Australia – Israel’s continued assault on Gaza has highlighted a hidden yet crucial component of the world’s weapons manufacturing industry – suburban Australia.

Tucked away in Melbourne’s industrial north, Heat Treatment Australia (HTA) is an Australian company that plays a vital role in the production of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters; the same model that Israel is using to bomb Gaza.

Weekly protests of about 200 people have been taking place for months outside the nondescript factory, where heat treatment is applied to strengthen components for the fighter jet a product of US military giant Lockheed Martin.

While protesters have sometimes brought production to a halt with their pickets, they remain concerned about what’s going on inside factories like HTA.

“We decided to hold the community picket to disrupt workers, and we were successful in stopping work for the day,” Nathalie Farah, protest organiser with local group Hume for Palestine, told Al Jazeera. “We consider this to be a win.”

“Australia is absolutely complicit in the genocide that is happening,” said 26-year-old Farah, who is of Syrian and Palestinian origin. “Which is contrary to what the government might have us believe.”

More than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its war in Gaza six months ago after Hamas killed more than 1,000 people in a surprise attack on Israel. The war, being investigated as a genocide by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has left hundreds of thousands on the brink of starvation, according to the United Nations.

Nathalie Farah has been organising regular protests outside HTA’s factory [Ali MC/Al Jazeera]

According to Lockheed Martin, “Every F-35 built contains some Australian parts and components,” with more than 70 Australian companies having export contracts valued at a total 4.13 billion Australian dollars ($2.69bn).

Protesters have also picketed Rosebank Engineering, in Melbourne’s southeast, the world’s only producer of the F-35’s “uplock actuator system”, a crucial component of the aircraft’s bomb bay doors.

Defence industry push

In recent years, the Australian government has sought to increase defence exports to boost the country’s flagging manufacturing industry.

In 2018, former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced Australia aimed to become one of the world’s top 10 defence exporters within a decade. It is currently 30th in global arms production, according to the Stockholm International Peace Institute.

It is an aspiration that appears set to continue under the government of Anthony Albanese after it concluded a more than one-billion-Australian-dollar deal with Germany to supply more than 100 Boxer Heavy Weapon Carrier vehicles in 2023 – Australia’s single biggest defence industry deal.

Since the Gaza war began, the industry and its business relationship with Israel have come increasingly under the spotlight.

Last month, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles insisted that there were “no exports of weapons from Australia to Israel and there haven’t been for many, many years”.

However, between 2016 and 2023 the Australian government approved some 322 export permits for military and dual-use equipment to Israel.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s own data – available to the public online – shows that Australian exports of “arms and ammunition” to Israel totalled $15.5 million Australian dollars ($10.1m) over the same period of time.

Officials now appear to be slowing the export of military equipment to Israel.

In a recent interview with Australia’s national broadcaster ABC, the Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy insisted the country was “not exporting military equipment to Israel” and clarified this meant “military weapons, things like bombs”.

However, defence exports from Australia fall into two categories, items specifically for military use – such as Boxer Heavy Weapons vehicles for Germany – and so-called ‘dual use’ products, such as radar or communications systems, that can have both civilian and military uses.

[See the video embedded in the article]

Australia’s Department of Defence did not respond to Al Jazeera’s requests about whether the halt to defence exports to Israel also included dual-use items.

What is certain is that companies such as HTA and Rosebank Engineering are continuing to manufacture components for the F-35, despite the risk of deployment in what South Africa told the International Court of Justice in December amounted to “genocidal acts“.

In the Netherlands – where parts for the jet are also manufactured – an appeal court last month ordered the Dutch government to block such exports to Israel citing the risk of breaching international law.

The Australian government has also come under scrutiny for its lax “end-use controls” on the weapons and components it exports.

As such, while the F-35 components are exported to US parent company Lockheed Martin, their ultimate use is largely outside Australia’s legal purview.

Lauren Sanders, senior research fellow on law and the future of war at the University of Queensland, told Al Jazeera that the “on-selling of components and military equipment through third party states is a challenge to global export controls.

“Once something is out of a state’s control, it becomes more difficult to trace, and to prevent it being passed on to another country,” she said.

Sanders said Australia’s “end use controls” were deficient in comparison with other exporters such as the United States.

“The US has hundreds of dedicated staff – with appropriate legal authority to investigate – to chase down potential end-use breaches,” she said.

“Australia does not have the same kind of end-use controls in place in its legislation, nor does it have the same enforcement resources that the US does.”

The protesters say they will continue their action until manufacturing of F-35 components is stopped [Ali MC/Al Jazeera]

In fact, under legislation passed in November 2023, permits for defence goods are no longer required for exports to the United Kingdom and the US under the AUKUS security agreement.

In a statement, the government argued the exemption would “deliver 614 million [Australian dollars; $401m] in value to the Australian economy over 10 years, by reducing costs to local businesses and unlocking investment opportunities with our AUKUS partners”.

International law

This new legislation may provide more opportunities for Australian weapons manufacturers, such as NIOA, a privately owned munitions company that makes bullets at a factory in Benalla, a small rural town in Australia’s southeast.

The largest supplier of munitions to the Australian Defence Force, NIOA – which did not respond to Al Jazeera for comment – also has aspirations to break into the US weapons market.

At a recent business conference, CEO Robert Nioa said that “the goal is to establish greater production capabilities in both countries so that Australia can be an alternative source of supply of weapons in times of conflict for the Australian and US militaries”.

Greens Senator David Shoebridge told Al Jazeera that the government needed to “publicly and immediately refute the plan to become a top 10 global arms dealer and then to provide full transparency on all Australian arms exports including end users.

“While governments in the Netherlands and the UK are facing legal challenges because of their role in the global supply chain, the Australian Labor government just keeps handing over weapons parts as though no genocide was happening,” he said. “It’s an appalling moral failure, and it is almost certainly a gross breach of international law.”

The Dutch government has faced legal action over the export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel [File: Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters]

Elbit has come under fire for its sale of defence equipment to the Myanmar military regime, continuing sales even after the military, which seized power in a 2021 coup, was accused of gross human rights violations – including attacks on civilians – by the United Nations and others.

Despite a recent joint announcement between the Australian and UK governments for an “immediate cessation of fighting” in Gaza, some say Australia needs to go further and cut defence ties with Israel altogether.

“The Australian government must listen to the growing public calls for peace and end Australia’s two-way arms trade with Israel,” Shoebridge said. “The Albanese government is rewarding and financing the Israeli arms industry just at the moment they are arming a genocide.”

Protests have continued both at the HTA factory in Melbourne and their premises in Brisbane, with organisers pledging to continue until the company stops manufacturing components for the F-35.

26 notes · View notes

aestheticdaydreamer · 1 month

Text

13m ago (03:00 GMT) Israeli defence minister to bring wish list of US weapons to Washington: Report Israel’s Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant will arrive for meetings in Washington, DC, next week with a wish list of US weapons that Tel Aviv wants to receive in an expedited manner, outlet Axios reports, citing two anonymous Israeli and US officials. Gallant, who is expected to arrive in Washington on Sunday, reportedly told US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on a phone call that the weapons will include not only short-term requests related to Israel’s war on Gaza, but long-term purchases such as F-35 and F-15 fighter jets. Axios reports that Israel is concerned the US could “slow-walk” the delivery of weapons in light of mounting scrutiny the Biden administration is facing for arming Israel’s war on Gaza. On Thursday, Israel submitted written assurances to the State Department that weapons it has received from the US are not being used to violate international law in Gaza, as part of a new national security memorandum issued by Biden in February.

#free palestine #gaza genocide #palestine #free gaza #palestine genocide #gaza #iof terrorism #all eyes on rafah #ceasfire now #ceasefire

20 notes · View notes

if-you-fan-a-fire · 2 years

Photo

“Dependants’ Committee Set Up at Peterborough,” Kingston Whig-Standard. June 2, 1942. Page 5. ---- OTTAWA, June 2 — (CP) — Appointments of a dependants' advisory committee at Peterborough to serve dependants of the armed forces in the Counties of Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland, Hastings, Hallburton, and Durham was announced yesterday by National Defence Headquarters.

The committee Is to assist in administration of the dependants’ supplementary grants fund which has been established to aid families and dependants of members of the armed forces in meeting circumstances in which the standard allowances are not sufficient.

Chairman of the Peterborough advisory committee Is G A Gillespie former member of the Ontario Legislature and ex-alderman for the City of Peterborough.

The other members are William Ford of Belleville; Mrs. Paige Rowell of Peterborough; J. E. Sullivan, alderman of Peterborough; Mrs. Robina Templeton of Belleville; Mrs. Reginald H. Turner of Peterborough; and Pete Gordon Wallace of Peterborough, who represents the Canadian Legion.

Mrs. H. K. Fallis is secretary. The committee's office will be in the city office now occupied by the Community Chest.

#peterborough #belleville #dependent's committee #department of national defence #soldier's allowance #canadian soldiers #soldier's families #birth of the welfare state #welfare #veterans' welfare #canada during world war 2

1 note · View note

judgemark45 · 2 months

Text

PEARL HARBOR (July 11, 2022) – Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Winnipeg (FFH 338) departs from Pearl Harbor for the at-sea phase of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, four submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (Department of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces photo by Richard Guertin)

19 notes · View notes

camillasgirl · 8 months

Text

The King and Queen will undertake a State Visit to France, from Wednesday 20th to Friday 22nd September 2023

The visit will celebrate the United Kingdom’s relationship with France, marking our shared histories, culture and values.

Themes and Programme Details

The State Visit will highlight the strength of the U.K.’s bilateral relationship with France, demonstrating the many ways the two countries are working together, whether that be to promote and protect biodiversity, combat climate change, strengthen security and defence ties in response to the conflict in Ukraine or recognise outstanding literary achievement.

Their Majesties’ visit will also include engagements highlighting sustainability and the power of community – key themes of importance to the citizens of both our nations.

The State Visit Programme

Their Majesties will travel to France on Wednesday 20th September and depart on Friday 22nd, undertaking engagements in Paris and Bordeaux. Highlights of their French programme will include:

In Paris:

The King and Queen will join President and Mrs. Macron for a ceremony of Remembrance and wreath laying at the Arc de Triomphe, marking the shared sacrifices of the past and an enduring legacy of cooperation.

His Majesty will have a bilateral meeting with President Macron at the Elysée Palace.

Their Majesties will be guests of honour at a State Banquet hosted at the Palace of Versailles by President and Mrs. Macron.

Their Majesties will meet community sports groups and well-known sports stars, to show the benefits sport can bring, particularly to young people, as France hosts the Rugby World Cup.

The King will address Senators and members of the National Assembly at the French Senate.

The Queen, together with Mrs. Macron, will launch a new Franco-British literary prize at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

His Majesty and President Macron will attend a sustainability reception for British and French business leaders, to hear more about their plans to invest to protect biodiversity and combat climate change.

In Bordeaux:

His Majesty will meet emergency workers and communities affected by the 2022 Bordeaux wildfires, at the Forêt Experimentale, a site designed to monitor the responses of urban forests to climate change.

Their Majesties will meet U.K. and French military personnel to hear more about how the two nations are collaborating on defence.

The King and Queen will attend a GREAT campaign event in Bordeaux, which will showcase British and French businesses and will provide an opportunity for Their Majesties to meet members of the French and British communities in the city.

The Royal couple will tour an organic vineyard, which has pioneered a sustainable approach to wine making.

#king charles lll #queen camilla

26 notes · View notes

allthecanadianpolitics · 10 months

Text

The U.S. Department of Defence began sending real-time satellite and sensor data to Canadian authorities on Friday, technology it said would help more quickly identify new fires as Canada endures one of its most destructive early wildfire seasons. The U.S. has already dispatched more than 600 firefighters to Canada to help battle the flames. U.S. President Joe Biden, who has linked wildfires to climate change, said U.S. officials were monitoring air quality and aviation delays. "Starting today, DOD personnel will analyze and share real-time data derived from U.S. satellites and sensors and convey it via a co-operative agreement between the U.S. National Interagency Fire Center and the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre," U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adam Hodge said in a statement. Hodge's statement said the move was made "in order to do everything possible to reduce the degradation of air quality in American communities caused by smoke from wildfires burning in Canada." [...]

Note from poster @el-shab-hussein: So it's okay for the U.S. to be stalking our territory with satellite but it's bad when China sends a dumb-assed balloon? And turns out they have the ability to give us wildfire tracking data this whole time and just watched Canada as it burned until they choked too?

Tagging: @politicsofcanada, @vague-humanoid

#cdnpoli #Foreign Policy #United States #american imperialism #fire tw #natural disasters

221 notes · View notes

leeenuu · 2 years

Text

Zhenia, a member of the Ukrainian territorial defence force, guards a position near Kutuzivka, east Ukraine, Friday, May 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Residents take out their belongings from their house ruined by the Russian shelling in Irpin close to Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, May 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

A child's drawing lays on the floor of Iryna Martsyniuk's home, heavily damaged after a Russian bombing in Velyka Kostromka village, Ukraine, Thursday, May 19, 2022. Martsyniuk and her three young children were at home when the attack occurred in the village, a few kilometres from the front lines, but they all survived unharmed. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People plant flowers in Independence Square, downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, May 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

People fleeing from shelling board an evacuation train at the train station, in Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, May 22, 2022. Civilians fleeing areas near the eastern front in the war in Ukraine on Sunday described scenes of devastation as their towns and villages came under attack from Russian forces. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Two national guard soldiers drink a shot to honor the memory of two late soldiers in Kharkiv cemetery, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, May 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Dmytro, 8, left, in the rubble of his home with his friend Andri, 11, in the village of Novoselivka, in southwestern Ukraine, on Friday, May 20, 2022. (Nicole Tung/The New York Times)

A resident sits outside buildings damaged by shelling in Irpin, outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A child and a man, fleeing from heavy shelling, wave to the photographer before departing in an evacuation train at Pokrovsk train station, in Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, May 22, 2022. Civilians fleeing areas near the eastern front in the war in Ukraine on Sunday described scenes of devastation as their towns and villages came under sustained attack from Russian forces. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

#war in ukraine #russian world

321 notes · View notes

lierrelearns · 2 months

Text

皇居東御苑 The East Gardens of the Imperial (HIgashi-Gyoen) 所要時間大手本 → 本丸、二の丸ーー大手門およそ60分 →二の丸、ーーー平川門およそ30分 →本丸ーーーー北桔橋門およそ30分

乾門　Inui-mon Gate 至千鳥ヶ淵　For Chidorigafuchi 科学技術館　Science Museum 国立公文書館　National Archives of Japan 東京国立近代武術間　The National Museum of MODERN ART, Tokyo 乾濠　Inui-bori Moat 発券所　Ticket office 北桔橋門　Kita-hanebashi-mon Gate 平川濠　Hirakawa-bori Moat 1a出口 (Exit) 地下鉄　竹橋駅　Takebashi Sta. 清水濠　Shimizu-bori Moat 平川門　Hirakawa-mon Gate 天守台　Tenshudai (Tenshukaku Dunjon Base) 宮内庁書陵部庁舎　Shoryobu (Archives and Mausolea Department Bldg.) 桃華楽堂　Gakubu (Music Department Bldg.) 梅林坂　Bairin-zaka Slope 都道府県の木　Symbolic Prefectural Tree Emblems 天神濠　Tenjin-bori Moat 発券所　Ticket office 大手濠　Ote-bori Moat 内堀通り　Uchibori-street 諏訪の茶屋　Suwano-chaya Tea House 竹林　Bamboo Garden 石室　Ishimuro (Stone Cellar) 桜の島　Sakura Blossom Island 富士見多門　Fujimi-tamon Defence-house バラ園　Rose Garden 茶畑　Tea Garden ユーロッパアカマツ　Scots Pine 本丸　Honmaru 本丸大芝生　Honmaru Oshibafu (Lawn) 本丸休憩所　Honmaru Rest House 汐見坂　Shiomizaka Slope 白鳥濠　Hakucho-bori Moat 展望台　Observatory 二の丸休憩所　Ninomaru Rest House 二の丸雑木林　Ninomaru Grove 秋の七草　The Seven Flowers of Autumn 新雑木林　Renewed Grove 菖蒲田　Iris Garden 二の丸庭園　Ninomaru Garden 蓮池濠　Hausike-bori Moat 松の大廊下跡　Site of Matsuno-o-roka Corridor 果樹古品種園　Orchard (Old Species of Japanese Fruits) 野草の島　Wild Grass Island 緑の泉　Green Fountain 中雀門跡　Site of Chujaku-mon Gate 大番所　O-bansho Guardhouse 中之門跡　Site of Nakano-mon Gate 百人番所　Hyakunin-bansho Guardhouse 同心番所　Doshin-bansho Guardhouse 大手休憩所　Ote Rest House 三の丸尚蔵館　Sannomaru Shozokan　The museum of the Imperial Collections 皇居東御苑管理事務所　Office of the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace 発券所　Ticket Office 大手門　Ote-mon Gate 現在地　You are Here C13b出口 (Exit)　Otemachi Sta. 坂下門　Sakashita-mon Gate 富士見櫓　Fujimi-yagura (Mt. Fuji View Keep 蛤濠　Hamaguri-bori Moat 桔梗門　Kikyo-mon Gate 桔梗濠　Kikyo-bori Moat ←至　二重橋　For Nijubashi Bridge 皇居外苑　Kokyi gaien National garden 至 JR東京駅　For Tokyo Sta. 和田倉噴水公園　Wadakura Fountain Park 日比谷通り　Hibiya-street

皇居東御苑は、旧江戸城本丸、二の丸及び三の丸の一部を皇居付属庭園として、宮中行事に支障のない限り次のように公開(無量)しています。（Free of charge）

１．出入門大手門、平川門、北桔橋門の３つの門から出入り出来ます。２．休園日（１）月曜日及び金曜日ただし、天皇誕生日以外の「国民の祝日等の休日」は公開します。なお、月曜日が休日で公開する場合は、火曜日（休日を除く）を休園します。（２）12月28日から翌年1月3日までの日３．入園手続き入園するは、各門内の発券所で入園票を受け取り、退園の際にはいずれかの発券所にお返し下さい。宮内庁

１．The Gardens are open on the following days. However the Gardens are closed in the period between 28 December and 3 January and may be closed due to Court functions and other reasons. ① Wednesdays ② Thursdays ③ Saturdays ④ Sundays ⑤ National Holidays (excluding the Emperor’s Birthday, 23 December) ⑥ Mondays immediately following the National Holiday which falls on Sunday ⑦ Tuesdays (excluding Tuesday immediately following ⑤ and ⑥) ２．While you are in the Gardens, please keep the plastic ticket which you will receive at the gate. Please return the ticket to the officer at the exit gate. IMPERIAL HOUSEHOLD AGENCY

公益財団法人菊葉文化協会寄贈財団法人日本宝くじ協会

Vocab 皇居（こうきょ）imperial 御苑（ぎょえん）imperial garden 所要時間（しょようじかん）time required, time taken 至（し）to 科学時術（かがくじじゅつ）science and technology 近代美術館（きんだいびじゅつかん）museum of modern art 濠（ほり）moat, canal 発券（はっけん）issuing (a ticket, etc.) 宮内庁（くないちょう）Imperial Household Agency 書陵部（しょりょうぶ）agency that takes care of records and the tombs 庁舎（ちょうしゃ）government office building 梅林（ばいりん）plum grove 都道府県（とどうふけん）prefectures of Japan 竹林（ちくりん）bamboo grove 茶畑（ちゃばたけ）tea field ユーロッパアカマツ Scots/Scotch pine, Pinus slyvestris 芝生（しばふ）lawn, grass 休憩所（きゅうけいしょ）rest area, rest stop 展望台（てんぼうだい）observation deck 雑木林（ぞうきばやし）thicket; grove of miscellaneous trees 秋の七草（あきのななくさ）seven flowers of autumn: bush clover, Chinese silvergrass, kudzu, fringed pink, golden lace, thoroughwort, and balloon flower 菖蒲（しょうぶ）Japanese iris (Iris ensata var. ensata) [coll.] 果樹（かじゅ）fruit tree 品種（ひんしゅ）breed variety, cultivar 野草（のぐさ）wild grasses 泉（いずみ）fountain 番所（ばんしょ）guardhouse 桔梗（ききょう）Chinese bellflower (Platycodon grandiflorus) 外苑（がいえん）outer garden 噴水（ふんすい）water fountain 付属（ふぞく）being attached (to), belonging (to) 宮中（きゅうちゅう）imperial court 行事（ぎょうじ）event, function 支障（ししょう）obstacle, hindrance 休園日（きゅうえんび）day on which a park (or kindergarten or zoo) is closed 祝日（しゅくじつ）national holiday なお　furthermore 除く（のぞく）to exclude, except 手続き（てつづき）procedure, process 票（ひょう）ticket, stub (suffix) 公益財団法人（こうえきざいだんほうじん）public interest incorporated foundation 文化協会（ぶんかきょうかい）cultural association 公益財団法人菊葉文化協会（こうえきざいだんほうじんきくようぶんかきょうかい）a cultural association that focuses its research on making artifacts of the imperial household available to the public. 寄贈（きぞう）donation, gift 宝くじ（たからくじ）lottery ticket

#日本語 #日本 #japanese language #japanese langblr #japanese vocabulary #japan #東京 #Tokyo #Tokyo imperial gardens #皇居東御苑

12 notes · View notes