#political decisions

[mapecl-stories]

Children's Rights: The Wings of Change

In the modern city of Flensburg, there lived a boy named Marcus. He was a lively, curious, and empathetic boy who always had an open ear for his friends and classmates. Marcus knew that children had rights, but he sensed that these rights were not adequately respected and protected.

One day, while sitting in school, Marcus listened to his teacher talking about children's rights. She explained that children had the right to protection, education, health, play, and much more, but despite Germany's ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992, these rights were still not sufficiently enshrined in the constitution. Marcus found it unfair that children's rights still played only a secondary role in political decisions.

Determined to make a change, Marcus decided to take action himself. He wanted to advocate for the recognition that children's rights deserved in Germany. With a strong sense of responsibility, he started educating himself about children's rights and connected with other like-minded children.

Together with his friends, Marcus founded the "Children's Rights Movement of Flensburg." They created posters and organized informational events to enlighten their fellow students about the importance of children's rights. Marcus was amazed at how many children and teenagers joined the movement and were eager to stand up for their rights.

The "Children's Rights Movement of Flensburg" quickly gained momentum. They wrote letters to politicians, requested meetings, and demanded the explicit inclusion of children's rights in the constitution. Marcus and his friends were determined to have their voices heard and to give children's rights the priority they deserved.

The movement received support from adults, including parents, teachers, lawyers, and local activists. Together, they formed a strong community advocating for children's rights.

Marcus and the Children's Rights Movement organized a demonstration where hundreds of people marched through the streets of Flensburg to fight for children's rights. The media covered their concerns, and the message spread throughout the city and beyond.

The attention of politicians could no longer be ignored. Marcus and his friends were invited to a meeting with representatives of the parliament. They had the opportunity to share their perspectives and explain why the explicit inclusion of children's rights in the constitution was crucial.

The meeting became a turning point. The politicians were impressed by the children's passion and knowledge. Marcus and his friends succeeded in raising awareness about children's rights and putting the issue on the political agenda.

Some time later, a constitutional amendment was proposed that recognized children's rights as independent rights and ensured their consideration in political decisions and administrative processes. Marcus and the Children's Rights Movement of Flensburg were overjoyed that their efforts bore fruit.

Children's rights were now enshrined in the constitution, and Marcus felt a profound satisfaction. The "Children's Rights Movement of Flensburg" had managed to improve the lives of children in their country and finally give their voices the attention they deserved.

The story of Marcus and the Children's Rights Movement of Flensburg reminds us that children are not only the future but also the present. When children raise their voices and stand up for their rights, they can bring about real change and create a more just society where the well-being of children is a top priority. Marcus and his friends had proven that children can be a powerful force that changes the world for the better.

#Children's Rights #Flensburg #Children's Rights Movement #constitution #ratification #UN Convention on the Rights of the Child #political decisions #classmates #demonstration #community #activists #media coverage #parliament #political agenda #changes #just society #children's voices

[howdoesone]

How does one examine the ethical implications of political decisions related to genocide and war crimes?

The study of political decisions related to genocide and war crimes raises important ethical considerations. Political leaders and decision-makers hold significant power and responsibility in preventing, responding to, and addressing these heinous crimes. Examining the ethical implications of their actions is crucial for understanding the moral dimensions of political decisions and their impact…

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#Accountability #case studies #consequences #duty to protect #ethical dilemmas #ethical implications #ethical theories #genocide #human rights #impartiality #international humanitarian law #international relations #justice #learning #legal obligations #moral justifications #moral reasoning #normative frameworks #political decisions #prevention #responsibility to protect #war crimes

[lady-raziel]

Not to talk about the watcher thing again as I’ve already kind of said my piece, but one of the most batshit insane parts of this whole unbelievable situation is that for some reason they decided that for some fucking reason the BEST time to announce this highly controversial decision was literally DAYS before they would be going on an international tour and having to face irate fans IN PERSON. Guys. What the hell. At least have the sensibility to announce a move that you HAD to have known would make people upset AFTER one of the few times you actually interact in person with your fanbase.

I hope you’re ready to investigate the Tower of London for ghosts, because I have a feeling the Londoners will be more than happy to acquaint you with the building later this week.

Insane move after insane move. Truly.

#watcher #watcher tv #as a person doing political communications literally one of the most basic rules is #‘if your boss is going to announce something controversial do NOT do it before an event where they have to interact with the public’ #you bury that shit on a Friday afternoon after the weekly news cycle is over and everyone has gone home for the weekend #you don’t announce that your official stance is to kick puppies before your fundraiser at the animal shelter #did the watcher team consult anyone at all about this decision? marketing or otherwise??

[vyeoh]

(The Washington Post)

For those who don't know, the US Supreme Court just ruled that states are allowed to enforce trans healthcare for minors. Undoubtedly, this will trigger a wave of other states that either hope to pass or have already passed policies to do the same. This is going to kill children, and harm more in long-lasting ways.

So, how can you help?

FUCKING VOTE. I don't care if you don't like Biden, he's not the only one on the ballot. Vote representatives into your city council who will turn our city into a sanctuary city. Vote for governors and state reps who will, even if they don't pass new protections, oppose bans being pushed through. Chsllenge and kick out conservative incumbents who are banking on their races being obscure enough for people to not vote in.

Anyone telling you voting is useless is either lying to you or grossly uninformed and think saying this is the edgy new take that will make them look hip and informed. Yes, the system is broken. But short of burning the whole thing to the ground (which personally I'm not a fan of as I quite enjoy having like. Roads and the FDA) what we can do is to change it for the better, by starting with the local races and working our way up.

#vio.txt #politics #us politics #lemme tell you when i read this story and my heart sank #the supreme court has set the tone on ruling on trans healthcare #the best thing we can do is ensure those decisions never reach them #this is your reminder that state court justices are an elected position #but god. im deeply worried for the upcoming election #transgender #lgbtq #lgbt #also on another note please vote for biden????? like trump is currently in several trials we cannot give him the power to pardon?????? #also im hoping he'll keep erasing student loans

[reasonsforhope]

"Palestinian plaintiffs and their legal representatives on Friday [January 26, 2024] presented a powerful case in federal court accusing President Joe Biden and other top US officials of complicity in Israel's genocide in Gaza.

People around the world tuned in for the long-awaited hearing in Oakland, with plaintiffs appearing in person and over Zoom in an unprecedented effort to hold the Biden administration accountable for its actions in Gaza.

The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed the lawsuit in November 2023 on behalf of Defense for Children International–Palestine, Al-Haq, and eight Palestinians in the US and Palestine. The complaint accuses President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin of failing to live up to their legal responsibilities under the 1948 Genocide Convention and the 1988 Genocide Convention Implementation Act.

The United Nations convention classifies complicity in genocide, or the intentional destruction of a people in whole or in part, as a crime under international law and requires that states take measures to prevent such atrocities.

[Note: This is a big reason why politicians almost never call it a genocide, btw. Because if a country recognizes that it's a genocide, then they actually are legally required to do a bunch of things to stop it, under international law.]

The historic lawsuit contends that the Biden administration has failed to uphold its obligations by continuing to provide diplomatic and military support for Israel's brutal campaign in Gaza. Plaintiffs are asking the court to stop Biden from sending more weapons and munitions to Israel that are being used to kill Palestinians en masse.

The hearing before the US District Court for the Northern District of California took place just hours after the International Court of Justice issued provisional measures against Israel in a landmark case brought by South Africa.

-via TAG24, January 26, 2024. Article continues below.

Court contends with questions of jurisdiction and responsibility

In evaluating the allegations, questioning in Friday's hearing revolved around the so-called political question doctrine, by which federal courts regularly refrain from ruling on political matters seen as best resolved by the president and Congress.

The Department of Justice argued that according to the doctrine, the court has no jurisdiction to rule in the case.

"If the court condemns United States foreign policy toward Israel, it could cause international embarrassment and undermine foreign policy decisions in the sensitive context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," defense counsel Jean Lin told Senior District Judge Jeffrey S. White.

Katherine Gallagher of the CCR countered that the court does, indeed, have a responsibility to step in: "Here, the question is a legal one, whether the actions undertaken by the United States failed to uphold the obligation to prevent genocide, and that is an active obligation that requires that the United States not provide the means by which a genocide is being furthered."

"There is no discretion for any state to evade its obligations, its legal obligations. These are not policy decisions," she said.

Palestinian plaintiffs share powerful testimonies before the court

After legal arguments in the case, Judge White heard two hours of gut-wrenching testimony from Palestinian plaintiffs and a renowned Holocaust and genocide expert.

Rubin Presidential Chair of Jewish History at Wake Forest University Dr. Barry Trachtenberg shared his remarks before the court in spite of vehement US government opposition.

"To have an event fall under the 1948 Convention on Genocide requires both action and intent, and here we see that very, very clearly in a way that seems really quite unique in history," he stated, noting that there is now an opportunity to stop Israel's unfolding genocide in real time to prevent further loss of lives...

Judge White said he would take the testimonies to heart as he evaluates his constitutional responsibilities, describing the case as "the most difficult judicial decision" he has ever had to make."

-via TAG24, January 26, 2024

-

Note: I know a lot of people are really not gonna appreciate that last line. I'm not thrilled with it either. But it is worth noting that having a federal court overrule the US president's huge foreign policy and military decisions would be an absolutely massive deal/precedent

This is a case that deserves to be ruled on with an incredible amount of seriousness, if only because if you're a federal judge who's going to make that call, your written decision/legal justification needs to be unimpeachable

That said, if the judge uses jurisdiction to pass the buck here and avoid his legal and human responsibility to do what he can to stop a genocide, I'm gonna be pissed

#palestine #cw war #free palestine #united states #us politics #oakland #california #legal system #foreign policy #war crimes #cw genocide #anti zionisim #isreal #current events #good news #hope #also this decision runs right up against the fact that #if US citizens can sue the US for war crimes/violating international law #and actually force change #then suddenly the gates will open to similar lawsuits for EVERY future war #which btw they SHOULD and international humanitarian law SHOULD be enforceablle #and it will also be a major step forward for something the US is trying really really hard to stave off #which is being investigated/sued by the International Criminal Court for war crimes during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars #or you know be held accountable for those war crimes in any way #which again I AM ALL FOR #genuinely how do you stop rich white countries from committing war crimes without an actual way to hold them accountable #and actually enforce international law #reminder that all posts related to the war are tagged palestine and cw war

[marvelsmostwanted]

The Supreme Court really said we’re going to put you at a structural disadvantage for getting into college, but if you do get in you will need to take out loans that will also put you at a structural disadvantage when you get out of college. Happy 4th

#it doesn’t seem problematic at all that the average age of the justices who decided this is 62 #their average net worth is in the tens of millions. #allowing them to make decisions for everyone else definitely seems like a good way to run a country 👍 #and not wildly out of touch at all #scotus #us politics #mine

[ignitesthestxrs]

there's something about the way people talk about john gaius (incl the way the author writes him) that is like. so absent of any connection to te ao māori that it's really discomforting. like even in posts that acknowledge him as not being white, they still talk about him like a white, american leftist guy in a way that makes it clear people just AREN'T perceiving him as a māori man from aotearoa.

and it's just really serves to hammer home how powerful and pervasive whiteness and american hegemony is. because TLT is probably the single most Kiwi series in years to explode on the global stage, and all the things i find fraught about it as a pākehā woman reading a series by a pākehā author are illegible to a greater fandom of americans discoursing about whether or not memes are a valid way of portraying queer love.

idk the part of my brain that lights up every time i see a capital Z printed somewhere because of the New Zealand Mentioned??? instinct will always be proud of these books and muir. but i find myself caught in this midpoint of excitement and validation over my culture finding a place on the global stage, frustration at how kiwi humour and means of conveying emotion is misinterpreted or declared facile by an international audience, frustrated also by how that international audience runs the characters in this book through a filter of american whiteness before it bothers to interpret them, and ESPECIALLY frustrated by how muir has done a pretty middling job of portraying te ao māori and the māoriness of her characters, but tht conversation doesn't circulate in the same way* because a big part of the audience doesn't even realise the conversation is there to be had.

which is not to say that muir has done a huge glaring racism that non-kiwis haven't noticed or anything, but rather that there are very definitely things that she has done well, things that she has done poorly, things that she didn't think about in the first book that she has tacked on or expanded upon in the later books, that are all worthy of discussion and critique that can't happen when the popular posts that float past my dash are about how this indigenous man is 'guy who won't shut up about having gone to oxford'

*to be clear here, i'm not saying these conversations have never happened, just that in terms of like, ambient posts that float round my very dykey dash, the discussions and meta that circulate on this the lesbian social media, are overwhelmingly stripped of any connection to aotearoa in general, let alone te ao māori in specific. and because of the nature of american internet hegemony this just,,,isn't noticed, because how does a fish know it's in the ocean u know? i have seen discussions along these lines come up, and it's there if i specifically go looking for it, but it's not present in the bulk of tlt content that has its own circulatory life and i jut find that grim and a part of why the fandom is difficult to engage with.

#tlt #the locked tomb #i don't really have an answer lmao this is more #an expression of frustration and discomfort #over the way posts about john gaius seem to have very little connection to the background muir actually gave him #like you cant describe him as an educated leftist bisexual man #without INCLUDING that he is māori #that has an impact! that has weight and importance! #that is a background to every decision he makes #from the meat wall to the nuke to his relationship with the earth #and it also has weight and importance in the decisions that muir makes in writing him #it is not a neutral decision that he's known as john gaius lmao #it's not a neutral decision that the empire is explicitly of roman/latin extraction #it's not even neutral that this is a book about necromancy #it's certainly not a neutral fucking decision that john was at one point a māori man living in the bush #when the nz govt decided to send cops in #like that is a thing that happens here! that is a reference to nz cultural and political events that informs john's character and actions #and with the nature of who john is in the story #informs the narrative as a whole #and i think the tiresome part of this experience is that #in general #americans are not well positioned to understand that something might be being written from outside their experience as a default #like obviously many many americans in online leftist & queer spaces are willing to learn and take on new information #but so much of the conversation starts from a place of having to explain that forests exist to fish

[zvaigzdelasas]

If you're aged 19-36 and don't own your home, you're probably not reading this in China.

While young people around the world are struggling to get on the property ladder, an HSBC study found that 70% of Chinese millennials have achieved the milestone.[...]

The mortgage lender spoke to around 9,000 people based in nine countries.

While China came out top of the pack, Mexico was next with 46% of millennials owning property, followed by France with 41%.[...]

For many people aged 19-36, houses remain unaffordable because they have not saved enough for a deposit. Property prices in eight of the nine countries studied increased in 2016.

The rise in house prices relative to salary growth also leads to issues.

Almost two-thirds of respondents said they would need higher earnings to buy a home, but seven of the nine countries are facing real salary growth of less than 2% in 2017.

In the UK, for example, house prices rose by 7.5% in 2016, according to the International Monetary Fund, while wages are expected to rise by 1.9% this year.

2017

#much of the rest of the article is just talking abt cultural factors #as if no other culture has ever had the idea that owning a house is a good financial decision #& there's nothing to look at in the politics/economics of china

[onedivinemisfit]

Seeing Cavill’s departure it’s like. Yeah. This is what happens when you bring the dedicated weeb on set, then fool yourself into thinking he will sit there all obedient like a Good Boi as you mangle canon to fuck and back.

#the witcher #henry cavill #no wonder he’d jump ship in the end #season one was passably changed #then we fucking went off the rails in s2 #i stan his decision #this is the only salt i will allow myself #i’ve been politely shutting my mouth about twn for two years lol #bc i know what us book fans get called #but see #cavill’s one of us mwahahahaha

[booksandpaperss]

pretty fucking surreal to watch my rights and the rights of all my friends get taken away over and over again by people who were not even elected, but instead appointed by a white man that was only elected bc he was propped up by an outdated and inherently racist election system who was then fucking voted out multiple years ago, but that doesn’t even matter bc the lasting damage has clearly already been done so all I can say is… if you’re in the US, please vote. vote in anything and everything you can, I’m turning 18 very soon and u better believe I am getting registered to vote as soon as possible so I can start voting in national elections but also state and local ones

very few people in the US government actually genuinely care about minorities, so let’s get in as many people who do care as possible in as many levels of government as possible, and if none of the options fit that description than pick the next best thing bc that’s still better than letting literal fascists take over

SCOTUS has made it clear that if you’re not a financially stable cishet christian white man then they don’t give a single flying fuck about you, and that’s literally the vast majority of the population in this country so PLEASE, please start caring about your legislators, it might feel hopeless but being an Informed and responsible voter really is one of the best things you can do in this country

#sorry guys I’m just rlly stressed rn #I’m worried abt the ppl who these recent SCOTUS decisions are gonna effect #SCOTUS #us politics #american politics #supreme court

[bixels]

So i have a small nicpic i wanted to share with you about your interpretation of spike in the au and i want to make two things clear before i talk

1) i havent watch the series for a little while as of now so i might be misnterpreting a aspect of this chatacter that might have never been there and only apeared in fan content and personal interpretation (since that whats been keeping me on the fandom)

2) this is not a big problem about the au i matured enough to not get angry at a interpretation of a fictional charater

Now here i go

I feel spike being the same race as the rest of his familie makes him lose a part of his character that might have not been central but was still something interesting about him and is the idea of not mayhering how diferent he looked from his adoptive family (and his cominty as a whole) he was he was still seen as part of it

Again this isnt a big problem with the au as a whole its just a small nicpic that i have about the au and its not going to make me hate the au

This was just my opinion that i wanted to share and im interested to know your opinion about what i said

I understand this criticism and agree that having Simon/Spike be a different race than Thea could speak to their relationship in the original show.

My reasoning for designing them both to be African American is this. I believe Simon's adoption is enough to explore the feelings of separation and exclusion he may have with Thea and her family. The original show doesn't bring up Twilight and Spike's racial differences much because they originally didn't consider Spike to be a part of Twilight's family. As far as I know, there's no moment where someone says, "Wow! You're telling me you're related to Twilight Sparkle? But you look nothing alike!" because Spike was more so Twilights... familiar than anything.

Later episodes that explore their familial dynamic poses the conflict through Spike's adoption. There's one episode where Spike's "biological father" returns, and Spike accuses Twilight of not being his real family, which breaks her heart. There's another that delves deep into Spike's feelings of exclusion from Twilight and Shining Armor's siblinghood. Basically, in discussions of family dynamics, the show places more emphasis on Spike's identity as an adopted sibling rather than a dragon.

I really do believe a multiracial family would be good representation, but the racial dynamics would not be something I'd be interested in getting into. That's not to say I find real multiracial families problematic or uninteresting or unappealing or unimportant. I just wouldn't be interested in having to explain in-text that Simon (non-black) and Thea (black) are related over and over; it would grow tedious. It adds an extra level of writing complication and opens up racial discourse (discourse that I feel is unrelated to their relationship in the original show) that I don't want to concern myself with, especially because I have no experience in navigating such discourse.

#ask me #anon #i hope this makes sense #tldr i think having human twilight + spike be different races is a good idea #but the decision to do that would complicate their relationship in ways the og show didn't regard #and would start in-universe racial discourse that i don't think is necessary to get into #i think the struggle is a valid and real struggle. but i personally don't have much to say about the social politics of multiracial familie #because i know nothing about what it's like to be in one #also you can 100% bring up moments that touched on race/multiracialness between twilight and spike in the show #because i know they're there #there's a lot of casual racism in the show overall #but it's not something i'd want to explore in this particular au #it's not a conflict that i think is necessary between twilight and spike #but you're more than welcome to disagree

[caninemotiff]

Narratives where it's the love that dooms them, love not as a positive force but a force to be reckoned with, when at the moment the hero could have chosen to save the world but they chose to save the one they love instead and now it's too late, love that is so strong that you can't let it go even if letting if go is the right thing to do

#sometimes i think about writing a political fantasy set in the aftermath of a narrative where the protagonists chose love #from the perspective of those who got shafted by that decision #writeblr #tropes #romance

[handweavers]

saw this tag re: malaysia banning israeli ships and i just want to note that the gov has not just banned israeli owned ships but ships registered in any country that is travelling to or from israel as well as any ship carrying cargo that is meant to end up in israel, and banning ships from picking up cargo in malaysian ports that they intend to sell to israel. whoever owns the ship is irrelevant in that situation, because it will be banned from docking in malaysia.

another thing to note is that malaysia controls the strait of malacca which is the primary shipping route through southeast asia, particularly when shipping routes cross from the south china sea to the indian ocean and onward (and vice versa) and if ships can't dock in the strait of malacca they have to take a much longer route through indonesia. this decision essentially disrupts most trade through asia that is meant for israel, which is significant.

#this isnt like an arbitrary political decision for brownie points it will actually disrupt all israeli trade through asia which is huge

[tanadrin]

Do you think that people who invent things with very destructive consequences are blinded to the downsides of it more by money or more by scientific curiosity?

I think the downsides are not always immediately obvious. Coal-fired electricity looks a lot more attractive in 1882 when there's literally only one such power plant and the global population is like 18% its present value. TNT was invented as a yellow dye, and it's so stable its usefulness as an explosive wasn't discovered until thirty years later.

We have this collective mental image, promoted by simplifications of historical narratives, that the inventor is a lone genius who through his labor produces an artifact and all its consequences in a single moment in time, and without which the thing would never be invented. Pretty much every point in that narrative is wrong. New technologies are the culmination of many different discoveries; there are enough very smart people working at the cutting edge of these fields that if one of them did not discover the principles behind these inventions, another almost certainly would sooner or later; and the exact applications of new technologies, nevermind how they will change society when those applications are utilized, often take years or decades to discover.

Now, I think there is an extent to which, as a working scientists, you can reasonably be held to account for the work you do. If you work at the Acme National Horrible Death By Chemical Weapons Laboratory, and invent a new, horrible chemical weapon, you do not get to go "oh no!" in shock when somebody dies to your horrible chemical weapon. And sometimes scientists do have a pretty good idea of how their technology will be used--the Haber Process was originally invented to manufacture fertilizers, but its application to the manufacturing of explosives was pretty clear to Fritz Haber, and he joined the German effort to develop deadlier chemical weapons pretty enthusiastically.

Men like Haber seem historically to be motivated not by intrinsic greed, but by the things which motivate us all: the desire to provide for their loved ones, the approval of their peers and the respect of their colleagues, and their status in society. The problem with respect to scientists who know damn well what they're doing isn't that everybody working at the Acme National Horrible Death By Chemical Weapons Laboratory is greedy and the job pays too much; the problem is that society, by and large, respects you and looks up to you and fetes you at public events and talks about what a patriot and a community leader you are if you do really well at inventing new, horrible chemical weapons.

#i knew a guy in university who said he would have no problem working for weapons r&d #because it's not the designers of the weapons who decide how they're used #and there was a valid point there: #shaking your finger at fritz haber only absolves the german general staff of the decision to use the weapon #or the kaiser of the decision to wage war #of all the people involved in the chain of events leading to chlorine gas in the trenches of the western front #fritz haber was probably the most generic #in the sense that if you went back in time and killed him in 1915 probably nothing significant would change #i think it's a little too pat to say the person designing the horrible chemical weapon has *no* responsibility #i certainly would find the idea of trying to figure out new ways to kill people extremely morally unpleasant #but without the military and political will to use those weapons #they just sit on shelves until they stop working

[aunti-christ-ine]

#editorial cartoons #mike luckovich #election 2024 #age #biden #tRUmp #(the RU stands for RUssia) #decisions decisions #political cartoon

[alwaysbewoke]

#redistricting #voting rights #political manipulation #racial discrimination #civil rights law #voting power #partisan politics #electoral fairness #voter representation #legal challenges #minority rights #judicial decisions #racism #white racial hatred #white supremacy