Book Reviews: Catherine McCormack, Women In the Picture Women, Art and the Power of Looking, Icon Books Ltd, London, 2021. McCormack provides a well researched and powerful analysis of revered paintings and sculptures that highlights the anti- woman approach of so much art in galleries around the world. Her feminist approach is a valuable contribution to our understanding of the art that we eagerly, or not so eagerly, devour in visits to world wide galleries and exhibitions. This is another particularly relevant book to review in Women’s History Month.
Women’s History Month
Last week the huge Canberra Women’s March 4 Justice and rally outside Parliament House , Canberra highlighted women’s approach to the continuing denigration of women in the workplace and elsewhere. The following articles and notes provide some of the follow up to the rallies held around Australia.
Katherine Murphy says: ‘A reported rape of a staffer was not enough for Morrison to ‘get it’ – now women are tired of waiting’ (The Guardian, Opinions, 23 March 2021).
Katherine Murphy, Journalist, Bing Image
‘How is it that the prime minister knew about an alleged incident in a media organisation, but was unaware that a government worker had been allegedly raped just a hop, skip and a jump from his office?’ (The Guardian, Opinion, 23 March, 2021. THEGUARDIAN.COM.
See story below:
Prime Minister Scott Morrison accused News Corp of ‘need[ing] to clean up its own house before lecturing others on workplace behaviour. His apology claimed that he had been “insensitive” and acknowledged that his information was wrong.
In a late night post on his Facebook page, Mr Morrison said he deeply regretted his comments.
The Prime Minister had been widely accused of trying to weaponise claims of harassment (ABC News, 24 March, 7.33 am).
The New Daily reports, 22 March, 6.00 am, that there is a ‘staffers’ “strike” inside [Parliament House , Canberra]. Further, some Greens and Labor women have ‘staged a symbolic sit-in protest’ against sex reportedly taking place in the Parliament House Prayer Room.
See also, Morrison denies misleading Parliament over Brittany Higgins Report, Josh Butler Political Editor, The New Daily, 22 March, 2021.
One Coalition female Member expressed concern and support for women who have been sexually harassed; another was sorry for a staffer sacked over known complaints about the staffer.
The ABC is being taken to court by Christian Porter for its reporting of his alleged rape of a young woman while they were students, Paul Karp, The Guardian, 16 march, 2021, https//www.the guardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/16/christian-porter-v-abc-can-the-minister-sue-for-defamation-over-article-that-didn’t-name-him.
Carol Johnson, Inside Story, suggests that Scott Morrison has a masculinity problem as as well as a “woman problem”, 24 March, 10.56 am, newsletter. subscriptions@insidestory.org.au.
Karen Andrews, Cabinet Minister, criticises Scott Morrison, Sydney Morning Herald, Latika Bourke, March 23, 2021, 9.11 pm. https//www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/cabinet-minister-criticises-morrison-s-handling-of-treatment-of-women-in-politics-20210323-p57dfj.html.
Brittany Higgins has tweeted her gratitude for the women and men who ‘took time out from their busy lives to advocate for a safer, more equitable Australia’.
Thank you, Brittany Higgins, journalists who are treating sexual assault seriously and sensitively, Anthony Albanese, Leader of the Australian Labor Party, Labor women, members of the Greens and Liberal women for their efforts to challenge and change the culture that has resulted in sexual assault and rape.
Dangerous Cladding : Grenfell Tower and Canberra contrasting experiences
A site in Canberra. Here apartments are privately owned by people who have been able to pay around $30,000 per apartment to remove the dangerous cladding and replace it.
The Danger sign is evidence that work is taking place. This work has been undertaken promptly and in consultation with the owners. Unlike the Grenfell Tower experience no one is in danger from dangerous cladding that has been ignored, despite reports over several years that it should be removed. No-one has died because it was not removed.
The ease with which owners who can afford to pay compares grimly with the conditions at Grenfell Tower, which housed Council tenants, in London. Here, it appears that unsafe cladding was used and warnings were ignored over several years. The tower erupted in flames, and 72 people died.
Bob McMullan, A Carbon Tax is Coming, first published in The Canberra Times, March 21, 2021.
Australian exporters are about to face a carbon tax. The problem is it will be one from which Australia will get no revenue and over which the Australian Parliament will have no say.
The European Parliament has just voted to endorse the principle of a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. Legislation from the European Commission is expected in June.
This should come as no surprise. Firstly, such a proposition has been discussed for a long time. Second, the EU has never seen a protectionist measure it didn’t like.
The most useless meetings I ever had as trade minister were those with the EU. I would put our objections to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The EU commissioner would either defend the CAP or indicate that his (they were all men) hands were tied. Sometimes they did both.
This dialogue of the deaf continued until Kevin Rudd put the issue in perspective in 2007. He recognised that while Australia could not and should not abandon its arguments about the shocking market distortions contained within the CAP it should not be allowed to define our whole relationship with the EU.
We now have a much more nuanced and positive relationship with the EU. However, many of the countries of the EU retain their affection for protectionist measures to this day.
The Australian government must have known for years that a failure to take domestic action on the reduction of carbon emissions would run the grave risk of Australian exporters to Europe, and possibly also the United States, would face a quasi-tariff wall as a consequence.
Yet it has remained tied in internal knots that have rendered it unable, or unwilling, to act. It appears that those chickens are about to come home to roost.
In February, Cristina Talacko, a Director of the Export Council of Australia (ECA), made it clear in a paper published on the ECA website that problems with our climate change response, if not corrected, could result in “…limiting our scope to do deals and in the worst-case scenario, exposing us to sanctions or tariffs.”
She went on to point to some worrying signs that we should not ignore: “Europe is likely to impose a carbon border, putting a carbon price on imported goods as an extension of the EU’s carbon price policy as a necessary step to ensure a level playing field between EU industries and foreign competitors” and “President Biden also supports carbon adjustment fees against countries that are failing to meet their climate and environmental obligations …”
This potential problem for our exporters has been obvious for years. I can see no sign that the Australian government has taken this into account in its efforts to reconcile internal conflicts about climate change policy responses.
Should there be a continuing failure to respond our exporters will pay a high price.
Book Reviews: Julia Cooke, Come Fly The World, The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021.
Women’s History Month
Australian Parliamentary women then and now
Women’s March 4 Women Rally Canberra 15 March
Check in before joining the rally – Covid safety
Thousands of people, predominantly women, but with plenty of men, children and dogs also in attendance, rallied at Parliament House, Canberra. The sun was shining, but my feeling is that the thousands would have been there in the rain. After all, Canberrans came out in droves, despite the snow, to Peoples Walks For Reconciliation in 2000. The anger about inequality is an important driver of rallying Canberrans, and today that anger, despair, demand for change, refusal to be fobbed off with meetings behind closed doors with people who consider themselves too important to appear where it would be normal to do so became a huge, peaceful rally for women.
I mention the dogs, not only because they make a cheerful presence, but because one well informed fluffy became most indignant when the Coalition and its lack of concern was noted. The barking created amusement in the corner where it made its views known. But, this was short lived while noted. Some canines, it seems, have a better sense of responsibility than some parliamentarians alas.
Of course, there were times that speakers could not be heard particularly well, perhaps some might have spoken a little too long, maybe the whole event could have been shorter? Who really cares? The thousands there knew that they were in the presence of people who want to change the way in which victims of rape and sexual abuse are treated; want to change working conditions so that no-one can be sexually exploited; want justice, real justice, to be served. They knew that they want to do everything that the speakers encouraged us to think about; they knew the gist of the speeches, even if a word or two was lost; they listened because the women who spoke deserved to be heard. If some left before the end, they went with more knowledge, more enthusiasm for change and, more optimism that, as the most distinctive sign I saw said:
Covid 19 Vaccinations are starting in Canberra, but we shall still be social distancing, hand sanitising in shops and restaurants, checking in with the Check in CBR app, and wearing masks when appropriate (we have no community transmission, so they are not mandatory).
Democrats Abroad posts include the following recognition of Women’s History Month
Deb Haaland has been confirmed as Secretary of the Interior. Haaland is one of the first two Native American women elected to the U.S. Congress and is now the first ever native American cabinet member! Deb Haaland is expected to reverse many of the negative environmental regulations put in place by her predecessor, including reinstating wildlife conservation rules, expanding the use of wind and solar power on public lands and waters, and implementing policies to fight climate change.
Book Reviews: Liz Hodgkinson, The Women Who Transformed Journalism, First published by Revel Barker Publishing, 2008, this publication, Lume Books, 2018.
Commentary: books relevant to Women’s History Month (see Book Reviews)
Let fiction have a say: British Women Fight for the Vote in Stand We at Last and Things a Bright Girl Can Do.
Zoe Fairbairns, Stand We At Last quotes: sisters’ experiences, one in marriage in the UK, the other as an adventurer/ domestic servant in Australia. in the 1850s.
Covid Discussion
I watched Professor Paul Kelly and Dr Anthony Fauci discuss American and Australian Covid responses, moderated by Katherine E. Bliss. This was an excellent 30 minute program, organised by the Center for Strategic & International Studies.
The concluding statements confirmed continuing cooperation between America and Australia on public health in the Pacific as a shared region, further Covid initiatives, recognition and cooperation for any further pandemic, clinical research, continuation and amplification of the relationship.
Visit to the National Gallery of Australia to the Botticelli to Van Gogh Exhibition
Sunflowers in the foyer
Sunflowers seeds sent to Members by the NGA – an optimistic juxtaposition of what can be accomplished and the joy of contemplating rather than digging a garden
Penn Hills High School students honor Black and women’s history with project MICHAEL DIVITTORIO | Sunday, March 7, 2021 8:16 p.m.
In last week’s post an Australian school project featured. The comments below are taken from Michael Divittorio’s article in Trib Live in which he tells his readers about the Black and Women’s History project at Penn Hills High School. In the US Black History Month is celebrated in February and Women’s History Month in March. The project of posters and poetry celebrated both. Examples of Black and women’s history month projects, including photos, are available on the district’s Facebook page.
Online event Sunday, 14 March 2021 from 22:00 UTC+11-01:00 UTC+11 (10.00 am UK TIME)
Price: free · Duration: 3 hr
Friends · Jocelynne Scutt’s friends on Facebook
Women Go International! Is it a Day? Is it a Month? Is it a Year? Is it a Lifetime! Four women – Los Angeles, Sydney, Amsterdam, Cambridge … with women from around the Globe … in conversation, discussion, debate, reflection … Come listen! Come contemplate! Come join in … this is for You!
Book Review: Women’s Liberation! Feminist Writings that Inspired a Revolution & Still Can, Edited by Alix Kates Shulman and Honor Moore, Library of America, 16 February 2021. Thank you to Net Galley for this copy for review.
With Women’s History Month being celebrated in March, this collection seems the most relevant with which to begin this month’s weekly blog. The full review appears in the Book Review page.
An historical novel that also addresses ‘the woman question’ as it began to be described in Victorian times, is also reviewed. The Odd Women, 1893, George Gissing, A Public Domain Book, kindle version.
PALGRAVE.COM Beauty, Women’s Bodies and the Law – Performances in Plastic | Jocelynne A Scutt | Palgrave Macmillan. This book explores plastic surgery, cosmetic surgery and non-surgical interventions from a legal perspective, considering social notions of ‘beauty’, whether these interventions are ‘really’ what women want, and whether the renovation of women’s bodies can even be legal.
About this Event
Guest Speakers:
Dr Jocelynne A. Scutt , Senior Teaching Fellow, University of Buckingham
Anna Kerr, Principal Solicitor, Feminist Legal Clinic Inc.
Samantha Pegg, Senior Lecturer, Nottingham Law School
From the Women’s History Network (UK)
Celebrating Women’s History Month What better way could there be to celebrate International Women’s Day than attending our first WHN Student Conference on the 8th March – StudyingHerstories!
Running from 9.20am to 7pm GMT, this exciting day promises to offer innovate perspectives in current studies of women’s history from a range of topics and periods organised around the themes of Culture, Media, Representations; Reading, Writing, and Literary Practices; Knowledge and Professionalism; Gendered State Structures; Activism; Elites, Intellectuals, Networks; ending with an online drinks reception! The programme also includes a keynote from Dr. Lucy Delap, Reader in Modern British and Gender History at the University of Cambridge.
Click here for the full programme details. The Conference is free to WHN members, and all sessions are booked individually via the Our WHN Eventbrite page here.
Women’s History Month Events
To celebrate Women’s History Month in March, WHN are hosting two panel discussions aimed to explore and understand the journey of bringing women’s histories into the public sphere:
Presenting Women’s History: In the CommunityWednesday 3rd March 2021, 4pm GMTCommunity-led histories play a major part in unearthing and championing women’s histories. But where to start? An in-depth discussion and introduction into community projects, exploring research resources, available funding, and the incredible legacies borne from community-focussed work. Follow this link to register.
Presenting Women’s History: Museums, Galleries, ArchivesWednesday 17th March 2021, 4pm GMTThe 2018 centenary presented a wealth of funding and opportunity for museums, galleries and archives to explore their collections and place women’s history centre stage. Three years on, what are the challenges and what are the opportunities to continue telling these histories?Follow this link to register.
Behind The News
Edith Cowan, one of the women who features in the ABC Behind the News video. Bing.com images.
‘This month is Women’s History Month, where countries around the world, including Australia, celebrate the women who’ve changed the country and the world for the better. We’ve asked four young women to tell us the stories of some Australian female pioneers. Duration: 4min 3secBroadcast: Tue 31 Mar 2020, 12:00am’ (Behind The News, ABC) https://www.abc.net.au/btn/classroom/womens-history-month/12094112?jwsource=cl
Women’s History Month: Books about strong women to read
Posted: Mar 2, 2021 / 10:21 AM EST / Updated: Mar 2, 2021 / 10:21 AM EST
In this file photo, books from the series “Good night stories for rebel girls” by co-authors Francesca Cavallo and Elena Favilli are on display at the Book Fair in Frankfurt (YANN SCHREIBER/AFP via Getty Images)
In this file photo, books from the series “Good night stories for rebel girls” by co-authors Francesca Cavallo and Elena Favilli are on display at the Book Fair in Frankfurt (YANN SCHREIBER/AFP via Getty Images)
(NEXSTAR) – As we celebrate Women’s History Month in March, there’s no better excuse to read a book by and about some of the world’s most inspiring women.
From an alternative history of Hillary Clinton’s life to a collection of empowering goodnight stories, these are some of the books you should read in celebration of the month:
Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: Intimate Histories of Riotous Black Girls, Troublesome Women and Queer Radicals, Saidiya Hartman (2019)
Columbia University professor Saidiya Hartman turns her carefully honed critical lens on the lives of young black women at the turn of the twentieth century in “Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments,” which won the 2019 National Books Circle Award in Criticism. The novel unfolds across Philadelphia and New York as the women develop kinships that often transcend the rules of society.
Rodham: A Novel, Curtis Sittenfeld (2020)
A New York Times bestseller, “Rodham” offers an alternative version of history novel in which Hillary Clinton never marries Bill Clinton. Instead, Hillary Clinton pursues her own political career, one not overshadowed by her former president husband.
We Should All Be Feminists, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2014)
A short, book-length essay by Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “We Should All Be Feminists” offers a 21st-century definition for feminism and argues that the label “feminist” should be widely embraced by all.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (I Know This To Be True): On equality, determination and service, Ruth Bader Ginsburg (2020)
The late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg reflects on her many years working in service of the law, as well as her experience with cancer, in her eponymous book. Ginsburg explores everything from gender equality and literature to fitness and the value of hard work.
In “Bad Feminist,” essayist and cultural commentator Roxane Gay explores the divide between identifying as a feminist and enjoying things that seem insurmountable with the ideology. The essays focus on a wide variety of topics, ranging from Gay’s Haitian-American upbringing to the “Sweet Valley High” series.
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women, Rebel Girls, Francesca Cavallo, Elena Favilli (2016)
A New York Times bestseller, “Rebel Girls” tells 100 stories of exceptional women, from Queen Elizabeth I to Malla Yousafzai, with illustrations from 60 female artists across the world. It’s the first in a two-part series, which were funded — and subsequently broke records — on crowdfunding website Kickstarter.
Pirate Women: The Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers Who Ruled the Seven Seas, Laura Sook Duncombe (2017)
This deep dive into the stories of female buccaneers examines how women in history viewed piracy as a path to personal freedom. In her writing, Sook Duncombe – who is also the daughter of our parent company’s chief executive – explores both history and myth to explain why some female pirates’ stories have stood through the ages while others have faded to distant legend.
Know My Name: A Memoir, Chanel Miller (2019)
In this stirring memoir, the Jane Doe in the People v. Turner sexual assault case, involving Stanford student Brock Turner, picks up the pen and reveals her identity. Chanel Miller writes about her experience with sexual assault and the subsequent court case.
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb (2013)
This autobiography follows the life and challenges of activist Malala Yousafzai, including the assassination attempt on her life and her activism for female education. The book has reportedly been banned in many schools in Pakistan.
(Photo credit : AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images)
In this file photo, memoirs of Pakistani child activist Malala Yousafzai are put on display (Photo credit should read AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images)
Part memoir, part self-help book, “How Should a Person Be?” follows its unreliable narrator as she explores the nature of art, creation and sexuality. Ultimately, she asks: What kind of person should one be?
Voices of Powerful Women: Words of Wisdom from 40 of the World’s Most Inspiring Women, Zoe Sallis (2019)
Zoe Sallis compiles interviews with 40 successful women, including Maya Angelou and Isabelle Allende, and discusses their lives, work and hopes for the future. The book is structured around ten questions, which each interviewee answers in their own unique voice.
Kamala Harris Celebrated in Glass
by: The Associated Press Posted: Feb 4, 2021 / 09:50 AM PST / Updated: Feb 4, 2021 / 09:54 AM PSTjavascript:false
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two weeks after Kamala Harris was sworn in as the first woman to be vice president , her barrier-breaking career has been memorialized in a portrait that depicts her face emerging from the cracks in a massive sheet of glass.
The 6-by-6 foot (1.8 meter), 350-pound (159 kilogram) portrait, meant to symbolize Harris breaking through a glass ceiling, was unveiled Thursday at the Lincoln Memorial by groups excited by Harris’ historic election as the first woman and person of color to the nation’s second-highest office.
The installation “Vice President Kamala Harris Glass Ceiling Breaker” is seen at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2021. Vice President Kamala Harris’ barrier-breaking career has been memorialized in a portrait depicting her face emerging from the cracks in a massive sheet of glass. Using a photo of Harris that taken by photographer Celeste Sloman, artist Simon Berger lightly hammered on the slab of laminated glass to create the portrait of Harris. The Washington Monument is seen in the distance and the Lincoln Memorial is reflected. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
“This will just be a wonderful visual emblem of this moment in time and hopefully people will reflect a little bit on all the barriers that have been broken by her election,” said Holly Hotchner, president and CEO of the National Women’s History Museum, a co-sponsor of the project.
New Book Reviews: Bernard Jan, Cruel Summer. This is a review of a novel that gave me an insight into the world of Young Adult Fiction, skateboarding, and a new author. Reviewed for Goodreads.
Sue Wilkes, Jane Austen’s England. This is an excellent combination of contemporary information, allusions to Jane Austen’s novels and life and accessible writing, while providing the reader with a good index and impressive bibliography. Reviewed for Net Galley.
The following statement from Seed and Sprout is a great example of transparency. I love their shampoo bars – no plastic – and shall continue ordering them when Seed and Sprout sort out the problem. In the meantime read below to see what they are doing to rectify the problems already caused by a mistake beyond their ability to readily identify earlier. Some other companies might well be suffering from the same mistake.
‘We effed up.
We effed up. We’re sorry.
On Friday, February 5th we were made aware that some of our products may contain traces of Palm Oil.
Like many others, we believed that the ingredients used in our products were Palm Oil free and sourced from coconut oil – including derivatives. After consulting with independent experts, we have discovered that this is not always the case.
We had put our faith in trusted Australian specialists in our supply chain. However, this recent discovery has uncovered the difficult truth – that unknowingly, the coconut derived ingredients which we were led to believe to be palm free, do in fact contain Palm Oil. This has made us feel that we have not been fully transparent with you, our valued customers and community.
As a team, we are completely devastated that we weren’t aware of that hard truth, and many tears have been shed. We feel angry, betrayed, frustrated and sad.
We are acutely aware that Palm Oil has been, and continues to be, a major driver of deforestation of some of the world’s most biodiverse forests along the equator belt, and in turn, responsible for the pending extinction of the critically endangered species who rely on these forests for survival. We are fully committed to further educating ourselves on this problem, and to demanding more action to tackle this global issue.
We are also learning that Palm Oil derived ingredients are mixed with an uncertified supply and cannot be traced back to plantation, making it impossible to know where the Palm Oil is coming from and if it is contributing to deforestation.
Everyday we show up wanting and working to do the right thing – always, and in all ways. Through this turmoil, at no point did any one of us think that we shouldn’t share what we are going through. Doing the right thing is hard, but we welcome this difficult time with open arms as we walk together through this new reality. After all, we must do what is right, not what is easy.
When we launched our Bar range, it was all centered around our tagline of “Raise The Bar”. It’s with this exact sentiment that we’re holding ourselves accountable. We are raising the bar on ourselves, and also urging others to follow suit. We hope that by using our platform (and profits) as an agent of change, we can make significant strides towards a better future for all people & the planet.
What specific products this affects
Shampoo Bar – Rose Geranium
Shampoo Bar – Citrus & Mint
Conditioner Bar
Body Bar
Face Bar
Exfoliate Bar
Hand Sanitiser Bar
Pet Bar
Sunscreen – Un-tinted
Sunscreen – Tinted
So, what now?
It’s been 10 days since we found all of this out, here is what we are doing:
We will continue to sell the affected products so as to not make unnecessary waste.
Effective immediately, we will be donating 10% of all profits to International Animal Rescue Indonesia (IAR), who support land protection and restoration, and promote better land use planning practices.
We are working closely with Palm Oil Investigations to support us on our journey and to deepen our understanding of this issue.
We are currently conducting a company wide health check on all our manufacturers and partners.
We believe that we are nothing without transparency, a core pillar within Seed & Sprout. We will continue to update our community as we learn more, as this is all happening in real time. We are committed to always being open and honest with you, to have the hard conversations, to leave no stone unturned, and to continue to educate ourselves and others whilst we ignite change on what is an issue of global concern.
It’s never too late to do the right thing.
Statement from Palm Oil Investigations (POI) regarding our recent discovery
“Unfortunately this issue which has occurred with Seed & Sprout is not uncommon and other brands need to take note and step up.
POI estimates that at least 80% of brands making palm free claims on their hair care and cleaning product ranges, are in fact using Palm Oil derived ingredients. Coconut derived does not necessarily mean Palm Oil free.
Brands should never place blind faith in what they are being told regarding ingredients used. Palm Oil free claims should never be placed on products, marketing material and communication with consumers until they have fully traced ingredients right back to the source, being the actual manufacturer of the ingredient (not the formulating chemist, ingredient distributor or product manufacturer). Manufacturers, formulators and ingredient distributors need to be held accountable for misleading information supplied to brands. Always obtain Palm Oil free guaranteed documentation in writing. We thank Seed & Sprout for their honesty and transparency”.‘
To continue the conversation, please feel free to email us at: forum@seedandsprout.com.
The roll out of the Coronavirus Vaccines began in Australia on Sunday 21 February 2021. It seems pertinent to provide one of the debates around the vaccines.
The article below originally appeared in The Conversation, February 19th 2021. Thank you to The Conversation for its generous policy on republishing articles.
Ben Bramble, Lecturer Philosophy, ANU Disclosure statement Ben Bramble does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Partners
Some of my vegan friends are reluctant to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
These vaccines do not containanimal products. Yet animals were used to develop and test them. For instance, early trials involved giving the vaccines to mice and macaque monkeys. So my friends say they feel uncomfortable having a product that uses animals in these ways.
I am very sympathetic to their concerns. Animals are treated appallingly in the production of many goods and in many areas of life.
Nonetheless, I believe vegans can get the COVID-19 vaccine in good conscience. Let me explain why.
This means there is an important difference between avoiding products like shampoos and cosmetics tested on animals and not getting the vaccine. Doing the former doesn’t put anyone else at risk. But doing the latter does.
Let’s start with fruit and vegetables versus cosmetics
Vegans acknowledge it is virtually impossible to avoid contributing to animal harm entirely. Even most fruit and vegetables are grown in a way that kills or displaces wild animals, uses fish meal and blood and bone to fertilise plants, or requires killing “pests” like mice to protect crops and grain stores.
Many vegans therefore distinguish between animals harmed in this sort of food production, and animals harmed more directly by the meat and dairy industries, as well as in the production of consumer products such as cosmetics.
What is the right basis of this distinction? One possibility is the latter group of animals are killed or harmed directly, as a means to an end, whereas the former group suffers harm as a mere by-product or side-effect of other processes.
But this cannot be the right basis. Killing animals for use in fertiliser or as pests is direct killing.
A more plausible basis for the distinction is unavoidably killing animals in the production of things that are necessary or clearly worth it. We need to grow large amounts of fruit and vegetables. And we cannot — at least, given current technologies — do so without killing some animals along the way.
But we do not need to consume meat or dairy, or wear animal-based clothing or cosmetics tested on animals. There are plenty of excellent alternatives.
So, in ethical terms, which of these products is a COVID-19 vaccine most comparable to: fruit and vegetables, or cosmetics tested on animals?
I think they are more like fruit and vegetables. COVID-19 vaccines are necessary — there is no other credible way out of this devastating pandemic. And the animal harm involved in developing and testing these vaccines was unavoidable.
There was no reasonable alternative available, at least not without making big sacrifices in terms of how long we have to wait for vaccines to arrive.
For this reason, I think even though the vaccines used animals directly, their use under the circumstances was permissible, and so vegans can get these vaccines in good conscience.
Why can’t we test on humans?
Some might argue there is an alternative to using animals to develop and test these vaccines — using humans instead, in “human challenge trials”, where volunteers are exposed to the virus in lab-controlled conditions. In fact, the United Kingdom has just given the green light for this type of trial to go ahead for later stages of the testing process.
If we allowed humans to volunteer to be involved at earlier stages of the development and testing process as well, some might put up their hands for this, too. While human challenge trials face serious moral issues, it might be ethically preferable to use consenting humans rather than unconsenting animals.
But involvement at these earlier stages may be so dangerous too few people would volunteer, or we should not allow them to take part. Still, this is a proposal worth considering further.
But I still feel too awful
Some vegans might accept my reasoning but find they just cannot bear to use a vaccine tested on animals.
To these people, I would say: it is perfectly understandable and reasonable to feel uncomfortable about getting the vaccine for this reason. It doesn’t follow, though, that you shouldn’t get it. If the only way to save the planet or your fellow humans is to kill an animal, you should do so even if it is incredibly emotionally hard to do so.
Even so, if as a vegan you simply cannot bring yourself to get the vaccine, this won’t make me grumpy in the same way it makes me grumpy when I hear others — for example, anti-vaxxers motivated by conspiracy theories — say they won’t get vaccinated.
Your reluctance to get the vaccine is rooted in a legitimate grievance about human mistreatment of animals more broadly.
Nevertheless, under current circumstances, our need to use animals to develop and test these vaccines is real.
So, the correct path is not to reject COVID-19 vaccines. It’s to reluctantly accept them and lobby hard for better treatment of animals.
More on dealing with former President Trump
14th Amendment Section 3 Former GOP lawmakers , Jack Stanforth and Tom Coleman suggest the the 14th Amendment Section 3 should be used to prevent Trump being eligible to take office again. Another 57 officials who were at the Capitol insurrection may also be impacted by this amendment. There is no technicality that can encroach on the efficacy of this amendment, according to the discussion on its merits on The Last Word. It can therefore apply even when Trump is out of office. This seems to be a worthwhile matter to keep up with.
The New York Times reports that the Supreme Court has rejected former resident Trump’s ‘Final Bid to Block Release of Tax Returns’.
Statement by Anthony Albanese
No ifs. No buts. Women must be safe at work. – Anthony Albanese | Facebook facebook.com
Every workplace – yes; every instance – yes; every time – yes.
Brittany Higgins will be sick and tired of seeing her name in the headlines. But will she, and others in her situation, wish that instead of working at Parliament House, they worked elsewhere? Would she have been safer from rape if she were a teacher? Worked in an office in a private or public organisation? Been a tour guide? Joined a voluntary organisation? Worked part time instead of full time? Was a casual, thus limiting the hours she was in contact with the men in the workplace?
The answer is, of course, no. This is not to say that the people at Parliament House responsible for the rape and the way in which it was handled are not accountable. As they should be in all the other workplaces in which women are raped. The culture at Parliament House must be examined, as indeed the culture in any workplace should be examined for its contribution to rape and sexual harassment.
Salacious reporting of the rape cannot help Ms Higgins. That the story has been a matter of salacious reporting largely because the rape occurred at Parliament House is a high possibility. The idea that Parliament House has a special culture in which rape is likely to occur and be swept under the carpet is a serious dereliction of the duty of reporting such stories. The sexist culture in which many women work is the key to any story of rape and the treatment of the perpetrator and victim.
Women such as Brittany Higgins should be afforded the respect that their experience should be given. That is, regardless of the workplace in which they have suffered, will continue to suffer, and are likely to remain traumatised into the foreseeable future, their personal story is important. Brittany Higgins, not Parliament House, is the important focus of the story. It is her story that should be given just due. It should not be forced aside while others make their own stories (unless they are also victims of rape) the focus. So, do the work that needs to be done in the political parties and the place in which the rapist and victim happened to work. But do not let this become the story – there are few workplaces in which the culture is likely to be one in which women are treated equally, do not have to wonder if their complaint about rape will impact on their career, or even on just keeping the job. Few indeed, in which they will never be the victims of some sort of sexual harassment, or even rape.
A week before this story broke I was astounded at the comments made by the Principal of Cheltenham Girls High School, reported in the article below:
Sydney school principal warns girls ‘skimpy’ clothes could ‘compromise the employment’ of male teachers at Cheltenham, Riley Stuart, Saturday 13 February, 2021.
The NSW Department of Education says a Sydney Upper North Shore principal, who warned female students not to wear “skimpy” clothes because it could “compromise” the employment of male teachers, will apologise.
Key points:
Cheltenham Girls High School principal Suellen Lawrence lectured pupils about the dress code
Pupils told the ABC they believed the principal’s lecture was “misogynistic”
When confronted by pupils, Ms Lawrence said she wasn’t attacking individuals or anyone with “gender-identity” issues
In a video address seen by the ABC, Cheltenham Girls High School (CGHS) principal Suellen Lawrence told pupils not to wear “stringy, skimpy or revealing” clothes at casual dress days.
It is understood the lecture was prompted by dress standards at a recent swimming carnival.
“Please remember, girls there are men teachers in this school and they don’t want to be looking at that either,” she said in the video, which was shown to students at the girls-only school on Friday.
“Don’t compromise their employment.”
Cathy Brennan, the executive director of the school performance metropolitan north, said Ms Lawrence’s comments were “unfortunate” and “inappropriate”.
“We’re really proud of the fact that our girls there were empowered to raise concerns when it did occur,” Ms Brennan said.
“Certainly the comments that were made were not appropriate. We’ve taken that seriously … she’s absolutely ready to apologise [and] recognise those were not the comments that were aligned with our view of how we give confidence to our students.”
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris
recognised the need for a memorial for the Americans dead from Covid 19 the night before their inauguration. The White House candles, Cathedral bells and flags at half mast again recognise the enormity of the deaths and need to honour the families of those suffering from the losses.
American families have lost more than 500,000 sons and daughters, mothers and fathers to COVID-19. Today and every day, we’re remembering them and fighting for them. Vice President Kamala Harris
We often hear people described as ordinary Americans. There’s no such thing. There’s nothing ordinary about them. The people we’ve lost to COVID-19 were extraordinary. President Joe Biden
It’s not Democrats and Republicans who are dying from the virus. It’s our fellow Americans. It’s our neighbors, our friends, our mothers, our fathers, our sons, our daughters, husbands, wives. We have to fight this together, as one people, as the United States. President Joe Biden
Book Reviews – new review, Kristin Contino, A House Full of Windsor. The following have been moved to Book Reviews: Archives – Part 2, Sections on women in the 1930s novels and class in the novels: Racism, Sexism and Classism in Agatha Christie’s novels.
Covid Notes
A reduction in mixed messages one of the factors in the reduction of Covid Numbers – Chris Hayes, MSNBC, interviewing Dr Jaime Slaughter-Acey, School of public Health, University of Minnesota.
10am brunch, 1pm Kmart: when the media pokes fun at someone’s lifestyle, it’s harder for the next person to get COVID tested was published in The Conversation, February 15, 2021 3.12pm AEDT. Quotes from the article are in bold and italic.
The main point of the article is that contact tracing is an essential element of dealing with Covid 19, and that the media has at times played a negative role in ensuring the success of contact tracing.
But it’s important to distinguish between informing and shaming when it comes to sharing details of where people who have tested positive have been.
The article notes that the daily itineraries of positive cases are listed publicly – after all, we all need to know if we have been in a location of possible contact. Indeed, I had been to two coffee shops and the local IGA, before receiving the message from ACT Health that I must self isolate, and that the only time I could leave my home was to be tested for Covid. Probably these places are innocuous enough not to excite much attention or glee. But what if I’d been off to a fast food place for a ‘private’ binge? To a fashion store that is on the Oxfam ‘shame’ list? Spent hours drinking and eating? Could record no exercise over a couple of days?
Recent studies on people who had COVID-19 have found many felt stigmatised, and particularly felt shame at the prospect of infecting others with the virus.
When people infected with COVID are ridiculed or made an example of in the media and on social media, everyone suffers. People may be reluctant to get tested and subsequently to cooperate with contact tracers if they think their every movement is going to be subject to scrutiny and ridicule.
It’s important to note that many people identified in these news articles are frontline workers — such as hotel quarantine staff — with bills to pay and who have little choice but to put themselves at risk. The entire quarantine system relies on these workers, and this public shaming only makes an already tough job much harder.
If people are afraid of having their movements publicised, they may be less likely to come forward for testing. Luis Ascui/AAP
The article contends that the risk to everyone through public shaming is dangerous. It suggests that the following will improve the situation for those affected (and consequently all of us):
focusing on venues and key information rather than describing the person
being careful about judgemental language. Even if it seems neutral, remember emotions are running high
emphasising a call to action: what do people need to do to protect themselves and to comply with public health advice? For example, media coverage could remind people where and when a face mask is required.
Interesting comment on Angela Merkel’s lifestyle in office.
Facebook comment from Pauline McKenna, posted by the Perth Labor Women (Labor WA)
Germany bid farewell to Merkel with six minutes of warm applause. The Germans elected her to lead them, and she led 80 million Germans for 18 years with competence, skill, dedication and sincerity.
During these eighteen years of her leadership of the authority in her country, no transgressions were recorded against her .. She did not assign any of her relatives to a government post .. She did not claim that she was the maker of glories .. She did not get millions in payment, nor did anyone cheer her performance, she did not receive charters and pledges, she did not fight those who preceded her and did not dissolve her. She did not utter nonsense .. She did not appear in the alleys of Berlin to be photographed. It is (Angelica Merkel) the woman who was dubbed “The Lady of the World” and who was described as the equivalent of six million men.
Yesterday, Merkel left the party leadership position and handed it over to those after her, and Germany and its German people are in the best condition ever. The reaction of the Germans was unprecedented in the history of the country …The entire population went out to their balconies of their houses and clapped for her spontaneously for 6 continuous minutes. A standing ovation nationwide. Germany stood as one body bidding farewell to their leader, a chemical physicist who was not tempted by the fashion or the lights and did not buy real estate, cars, yachts and private planes, knowing that she is from former East Germany …She left her post after leaving Germany at the top … She left and her relatives did not claim advantage… Eighteen years and she never changed her wardrobe…God be upon this silent leader.
At a press conference, a female journalist asked Merkel: We notice that you’re wearing the same suit, don’t you have any other? She replied: “I am a government employee and not a model.” At another press conference, they asked her: Do you have housemaids who clean your house, prepare your meals and so on? Her answer was: “No, I do not have servants and I do not need them. My husband and I do this work at home every day.” Then another journalist asked: Who is washing the clothes, you or your husband? Her answer: “I arrange the clothes, and my husband is the one who operates the washing machine, and it is usually at night, because electricity is available and there is no pressure on it, and the most important thing is to take into the account the possible inconvenience for the neighbours, thankfully the wall separating our apartment from the neighbours is thick.
She said to them, “I expected you to ask me about the successes and failures in our work in the government??”Mrs. Merkel lives in a normal apartment like any other citizen … She lived in this apartment before being elected Prime Minister of Germany. She did not leave it and does not own a villa, servants, swimming pools or gardens…Merkel, the now former Prime Minister of Germany, the largest economy in Europe !!
A lighthearted moment in the midst of the distress attendant upon the vote in the Senate – a White House scrunchie becomes a fashion statement as Dr Jill Biden shops. I couldn’t find mine, hoard as much as I do (although no Windsor for me, see my review of House Full of Windsor in Book Reviews), so found these:
Late news: I understand that a scrunchie was sighted in the University of Canberra carpark, so the statement is here. I’ll have to search further.
And now for the Senate vote, with a variety of opinions on the result.
This last statement, I think, needs to be placed firmly in our minds as the remainder of the fall out is discussed.
Nancy Pelosi has announced that an independent commission, similar to that investigated 9/11 will be established. Richard Haass (President of the Council on Foreign Relations) and Katty Kay (British journalist, author and broadcaster), regular contributors to Morning Joe, agreed with the value of such a commission. Richard Haass has suggested that a commission would ‘highlight ongoing threat & needed political, law enforcement responses, plus we need to tell the story so that this & future generations to come to understand that our democracy cannot be taken for granted (twitter, 13 hours ago at 11.50 Australian east coast time 17/2/2021).’
Huffpost.com: ‘At least 57 state and local Republican officials attended the Jan. 6 rally in Washington that turned into a deadly insurrection’ .
Interesting discussion on The Reid Out about Mitch McConnel’s Senate vote and his later speech: Joy Reid, Senator Al Franken (D) Minnesota and Jason Johnson (academic, political analyst and writer ). Mitch McConnell and Money – the speech was for the donors who left the Republican Party after January 6th. With the return of such donors Former President Trump will no longer be the single source of funds. This was a wonderful segment of serious information, but laughter as well. A good program, Australian time MNSBC 17/2/2021.
Heather Cox Richardson’s posts to Facebook are a continuing source of clear, thoughtful responses to American political events. heathercoxrichardson@heathercoxrichardson.author is really worth following for further stories.
February 15, 2021 (Monday)Monday federal holidays generally mean that not much gets done. Today was a bit of an exception, since we are dealing with the fallout from the Senate’s refusal to convict former president Trump for the January 6 insurrection. For the Republicans, that acquittal simply makes the split in the party worse. First of all, it puts the Republicans at odds with the majority of Americans. According to a new ABC/Ipsos poll, 58% of us think Trump should have been convicted, and more than three-quarters of us—77%– think the senators’ votes reflected partisanship rather than the facts. But Republicans disagree. Trump packed state Republican positions with his supporters because he was afraid he would face primary challengers in 2020, and those loyalists are now defending him.
State Republican parties have censured a number of the House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump; of the seven Republican senators who voted to convict, Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Richard Burr (R-NC) have already been censured, and a censure effort is underway against Susan Collins (R-ME), Ben Sasse (R-NE), and Pat Toomey (R-PA). According to a new Quinnipiac poll, 75% of Republicans want Trump to continue to lead the party. But 21% don’t, and between 24% and 28% blame him for the January 6 riot. That split means the Republican Party, which was already losing members over the insurrection, stands to lose even more of its members if it continues to defer to the former president. Already, the Democratic National Committee has prepared a video advertisement to circulate on digital platforms, highlighting Republicans leaving their party. It includes a clip from former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele saying that “when you’re losing Republican members and you’re left with QAnon and Proud Boys, you’ve got to reassess whether or not you are even close to being a viable party.” The video ends with Biden urging Americans to come together and to “help us unite America and build back better.”
For Democrats, the Senate trial put on display for the American public an impressive group. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) gave the lead impeachment manager from Trump’s first Senate trial, Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) a run for his money as a model for brains and morals. But Raskin was not alone. Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D-US Virgin Islands) and Representative Joseph Neguse (D-CO), relatively unknown outside of their home districts, got significant positive national attention during the trial, suddenly becoming household names. The entire Democratic team shone and indicated that the young Democrats have quite a deep bench of talent, especially in contrast to the younger Republicans, who seem to excel in media appearances more than in policy. Democrats recognize that the Senate acquittal means there is considerable interest in an actual accounting of what happened in the insurrection. Today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she will urge the House to establish an independent commission, like the one that investigated the 9/11 attacks, to study what led to the storming of the Capitol on January 6. Members of both parties have asked for such a commission. The Senate trial also gave powerful proof of just how undemocratic the Senate has become. Voting rights journalist Ari Berman noted that the “57 senators who voted to convict Trump represent 76.7 MILLION more Americans than 43 senators who voted to acquit.” Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne noted that the adherence of all but seven senators to Trump “should end the absurd talk that there is a burden on President Biden to achieve a bipartisan nirvana in Washington. If most Republicans can’t even admit that what Trump did is worthy of impeachment, how can anyone imagine that they would be willing and trustworthy governing partners?” Dionne added that the acquittal made an overwhelming case for getting rid of the filibuster, which in its current incarnation effectively means that no legislation can pass without support from 60 senators.
Thanks to the 50-50 split in the Senate, getting to 60 means getting 10 Republican votes. This is impossible, Dionne says, because clearly “There are not 10 Republican Senate votes to be had on anything that really matters.” Meanwhile, President Joe Biden is simply working around Republican lawmakers, starting with the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. Republicans in Congress overwhelmingly stand against the bill, in part because it calls for $350 billion to provide aid to states and cities. But Republican governors and mayors are desperate for the assistance. Republican voters like it, too. Last Friday, Biden invited governors and mayors from both parties to the White House to ask them what they needed most. The Republican mayor of Miami, Francis Suarez, told reporters that he had had more contact with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the first weeks of their administration “than I had spoken to the prior administration in the entirety.”
Biden is about to hit the road to try to convince Senate Republicans to support the relief package, going directly to the people to sell his ideas. The Democrats also have another trick to lay on the table to get Republican support. Today, Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced they would back the return of a new version of so-called “earmarks,” more formally known as “member-directed spending,” in legislation. These “Community-Focused Grants,” as the new lingo calls them, are funds that individual congress members can direct toward their districts. In the past, earmarks were made by lawmakers and were occasionally havens for corruption—which is what people remember—but even at their worst, they made up less than 1.1% of federal spending and tended to actually produce things that districts needed. Democrats cleaned the system up before then-House Speaker John Boehner declared a moratorium on it in 2011. After the ban, the government still targeted federal money to get votes, but the power to make those calls shifted to the executive branch rather than Congress. For much federal spending, Congress appropriates the amounts but the executive branch decides where to spend it. A 2020 congressional study established that presidents use that money “to influence policy and support their preferred projects without receiving approval from Congress.” To that, we can add that a president targeted federal money to try to buy reelection. In the past, congressional earmarks were a key feature in bipartisanship: they gave reluctant lawmakers a reason to support legislation they might otherwise hesitate about. The new rules will likely be different than the old ones in that they apparently will be targeted to public entities that ask for a grant. They will provide a challenge for Republicans—who actually like these grants, normally—because they will undercut Republicans’ stance against appropriation bills. They might also swing some Republicans behind the coronavirus bill. Biden demonstrated national unity yesterday when he issued a Federal Emergency Declaration for Texas in response to a request from Republican Governor Greg Abbott. Such a declaration frees up the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and federal funds to provide help to the region, which is suffering from bitter cold temperatures that have shut down power and left residents without electricity in unheated homes—a dangerous and potentially deadly situation.
Biden’s quick response recalls the way presidents have traditionally responded to state crises, and the governor of the state in which Trump supporters tried to run Biden’s campaign bus off the road acknowledged Biden’s response. “I thank President Biden for quickly issuing a Federal Emergency Declaration for Texas as we continue to respond to severe winter weather conditions throughout the state,” Abbott’s press release stated.
Thank you, Jocelynne Scutt who posted the following to Facebook just before I pressed ‘publish’ :
Mother Jones From Politico: On the heels of the Senate’s acquittal of Donald Trump, the NAACP, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson and civil rights law firm Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll filed a lawsuit against the former president, Rudy Giuliani and two white supremacist groups, citing their role in the Jan. 6 insurrection. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday morning in Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges that Trump and Giuliani, in collaboration with the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, conspired to incite the riots to keep Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. It claims they did so in violation of the Ku Klux Klan Act, a Reconstruction-era statute designed to protect both formerly enslaved African Americans and lawmakers in Congress from white supremacist violence. Seeing as how Trump, now a private citizen, isn’t exactly in the best financial shape, I can’t imagine he’s taking his mounting legal bills in stride. That’s not a consolation prize for acquittal. But with Trump also reportedly fearing potential criminal charges, it’s certainly something to keep in mind as the de facto leader of the feckless Republican Party squirms away in Mar-a-Lago.—Inae Oh
Book Reviews: I have added a review of Wartime with the Tram Girls, sent to me by Net Galley. Lynn Johnson has written an accessible novel of historical research related to the domestic front and women’s changing roles during WW1, with some romance as well.
The following has been moved to Book Reviews Archives: My first review of The Mysterious Affair at Styles
Covid – end of isolation
Leah in isolation; Leah hopeful at the door; Leah – ‘let me down those stairs’; ‘I’m out, oh joy, a tree’.
We just celebrated at Tilley’s.
Self isolation was relatively easy – after all, what can be nicer than having to read a book or watch television?* Although it was hard for Leah, whose only exercise was playing with the treat ball, our sympathy was somewhat diminished on the second day we were able to walk. Again, she was desperate to get out, running down the stairs, out the back door, then …white feet planted, turned tail, and desperate to get inside: it was raining.
My first day out, despite the rain, included taking the tram into Civic. Great Covid care observed:
*Relatively easy for those of us with a freezer, fridge and pantry with supplies; no other responsibilities; and no worries about the wages we are losing. On the latter, we were offered certificates to show we were in isolation. Good for people with a sympathetic employer, but what of those people relying on casual employment?
It is easy to see how, with the best of intentions, the virus spreads. We had been home from Western Australia a day and a half before being advised about isolation. We had followed the story in the news, and initially it appeared that the infected person’s activity took place two days after we left. We had collected Leah, shopped, had coffee at two venues in the meantime. After all, we’d been no where near the areas where the infected person had been (two days after we had even been in Perth, according to the news reports). We also take precautions, however safe a location is deemed to be.
We had no warning that we would be unable to do anything other than go for our test after the text message telling us we needed to self isolate. Sensible precaution, and easy for us to accomplish. I have been critical of the warnings about lock downs about to occur, but how fortunate I was to have food and enough medications to stay the course. What of those caught with nothing? What of those put at risk as others deal with these matters in the period between warning and lockdown?
Social distancing, hand washing and sanitizing, and masks on the personal level, and community / government action publicly, however safe a state seems to be appears to be essential.
As observed above, and in previous posts, this is happening in many of the places I’ve visited in Australia since the beginning of the pandemic.
However, there are neglectful governments and irresponsible individuals.
Axios reports that action is being taken against the latter in relation to misinformation about vaccination. Thank you Axios for this report from your AM Newsletter:
1 big thing: Facebook targets anti-vaxxers
Photo illustration: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Facebook is about to use its election disinformation playbook against vaccine misinformation, Axios’ Margaret Harding McGill and Sara Fischer report.
Why it matters: It’s a partial reversal for Mark Zuckerberg, who said in September that the company wouldn’t target anti-vaccination posts the same way it has aggressively cracked down on COVID misinformation.
Now the company is doing four things to crack down on COVID/vaccine posts:
Removing misleading posts and pages: Posts of debunked claims about the vaccines face removal, as do groups, pages and accounts on Facebook and Instagram that repeatedly share debunked claims.
Returning validated vaccine info when users search on debunked claims.
Adding resources on how to get vaccinated.
Giving $120 million in ad credits to help health agencies, nonprofits and UN agencies reach billions of people.
Between the lines: Facebook provided a lengthy list of false claims that can get posts or pages removed, including:
“[T]he COVID vaccine will kill you” … “the COVID vaccine contains a microchip” … “the COVID vaccine provides no immunity” … “the COVID vaccine causes autism!”
Good news for President Joe Biden
As the fight for control of the Republican Party continues; the Impeachment Trial of Former President Trump takes place (with excellent coverage by MSNBC this morning Australian time); and Congress debates the Covid 1.9 Trillion package, the following was great news:
Mika Brzezinski, Joe Scarborough and Willie Geist- great coverage from the three of them, and other guests on Morning Joe.
Book reviews – a section on classism in Agatha Christie novels has been added to the Agatha Christie Indulgence.
Television comments – a couple of observations about The West Wing have been added.
Local responses to Covid – personal and business
Personal– day 1
South Perth from the city side of the beautiful Swan River. I now realise that the 25th was significant. On the day before, ensuring that we left on that date, we had a wonderful meal at MIster Walker with a good friend – no, I’m happy at the price I’m now paying.
Well, now I have experienced Covid testing, and am part way through self isolation, while waiting the test results. My visit to Western Australia, the state of amazing freedom from Covid, where people actually hug and enjoy celebrations, has resulted in my having to take stock of travelling anywhere.
Disposable masks are dispensed, to be worn when we enter the building in which the tests will take place.
Covid check point where the initial assessment takes place – were we suffering symptoms? were we there because of travel? Are we happy with the waiting time; if not there are two additional locations .
Having returned from the Ghan trip in time to avoid any Covid consequences, I am now experiencing not having done so on my second trip. Taking precautions without being told to, as I did after the Ghan trip is rather different from being under a ruling to do so. The difference – self satisfaction at ‘doing the right thing’. Now I’m certainly doing the right thing – but it’s hard to give up the smugness.
No photos could betaken inside the building. However, suffice to say , the information gathering was efficient and easy; the tests (cheek and nasal) were simple and , if anything, only slightly uncomfortable. And we were on our way – with a 24 to 48 hour wait for the results.
So, today the health warning came – go and be tested, and self isolate. We did so immediately, and found the experience extremely easy: the staff were lovely, as well as being very efficient, and the tests were not the horror I had contemplated. But that was the least of it. The practicalities of not being able to walk Leah loom large, and do we really have to live with an unemptied bin for a week? Why did I let the stores run down? Fortunately we have the Who Gives a Crap box of numerous rolls of toilet paper. On the other hand, a box of chocolates from a lovely person commiserating with us, a week of two extra hours because we are not walking Leah, and I’m sure many other benefits will be come apparent.
Personal – day 2
Despairing Leah
After having the test on day 1 at 5.00pm I received an amazing testing response – ping went my phone at 4.48am: my test was clear. Comforting, but I still face isolation. This is far from onerous – sleeping in, coffee on the balcony, playing with Leah instead of taking her for a walk, watching Rachel Maddow, and now Lawrence O’Donnell. A very pleasant morning indeed. This afternoon, tea in the sun on the balcony, Leah running after a treat filled ball, throwing another for her, and ignoring her look of despondency as she faces the front door. And her despair as she realises that looking out the window is a second order pleasure.
Personal – day 3
This is fine for me – lovely breakfast on the balcony in the sunshine, registering with Net Galley, writing, adding comments to Good Reads (Victorians! and Reading the Detectives – more of which will appear in Book Reviews) and some domestic chores. But poor Leah is even more despondent and is uninclined to follow her treats ball.
Western Australia has no more cases so it is likely that they will cease lockdown on Friday at 6.00pm, as we expected. We’ll be able to walk Leah at 9.00pm that night.
Business
A small business which now has returned to being one of our favourite coffee stops changed ownership early in the Covid 19 pandemic. Surely this was a risk? However, to all appearances it is thriving, always being busy during the various the times that we arrive. At times we have to wait for a table to empty or forgo our pleasant stop. After observing the same business through several iterations, one very good, the others less so, I wonder if it is the ability to know what people would like and serve it efficiently and with friendliness that is one key (although obviously not the only one) to small business survival during the pandemic? It was noticeable that tables were empty a lot of the time during previous ownerships, pre-Covid. But now, people have begun flocking to it again, often commenting that, after a period of unfriendly ownership and staff, they are glad to return. We are now greeted pleasantly, there is a fun vibe, once again the dogs are welcome at outside seating and the Covid protocols are observed.
Another favourite venue continued to provide takeaway coffee and food while lock down was in progress. Clay was fastidious in its implementation of Covid restrictions, with adherence to the 2 person rule and social distancing. No ‘keep cups’ either, alas. The day we were able to sit at tables again was terrific – particularly as the rules were maintained, with immediate sanitising of tables after people left. This venue also seems to be thriving. Thank goodness as it’s a great morning walk with the dog.
Vaccination in America
People wait to see if there is additional vaccine after the planned vaccinations take place. A great response, particularly as it is now being said that all five vaccines in use have led to declining deaths and hospitalisations.
Ingenuity at work – a vaccination team response.
Vaccinations in the UK
The NHS is rolling out what seems to be a streamlined approach to vaccinating as many people as possible as quickly as possible. I received my invitation over a week ago (I lived in the UK but having returned to Australia had to decline – great someone else will receive it), and friends even earlier. When Australia receives its vaccines the service is likely to be at least as streamlined because of the benefits of Medicare.
Thank you, Gough Whitlam and Bill Hayden. As I listened to Bill talking about the new health scheme in the early 1970s while sitting in my car at the University of Western Australia I knew that we had something special. Indeed we do.
Self Testing in the US
Thank you to the ABC website for this graphic.
An Australian laboratory, Ellume, in Queensland is to supply America with home tests for Covid.
US Voting rights activist Stacey Abrams has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Thank you, ABC for this photograph of Stacey Abrams.
Perhaps some results next week?
American political stories that loom large are the 1.9 trillion Covid package, and the Senate trial of former President Trump. But speculation by Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow, Kasey Hunt, Morning Joe, Lawrence O’Donnell, Brian Williams and Chris Cuomo is far more useful to watch than my comments. Next week there might be some results – or perhaps more erudite speculation by the above.
This week I was able to follow up that interesting insight into Harris with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow’s interview of Chuck Schumer. Schumer spoke strongly about what he would, and would not, let Mitch McConnell control in the Senate in which Chuck Schumer is Majority Leader. During the airing of the interview, breaking news reported that McConnell had submitted to Schumer’s leadership, at least for the moment. Maddow was very positive about the outcome, although commentators on Brian William’s The 11th Hour were less so. On the latter program, how wonderful to hear Williams say ‘Day 6 of Joe Biden’s Presidency’. The old refrain about …who was it? … has been replaced, with it seems, quiet enthusiasm by Williams.
Senate : scenechanges from the 6th to the present
The interview between Schumer and Maddow took place in a Senate Committee Room – part of the horrific scenes of January 6th. The setting sent a strong message, as indeed did the Senate sitting to resume their work on the very day of the attempted insurrection.
An unfortunate title but the date tells the story
Twenty fifth of January 2021 – the House Managers delivering the Article of Impeachment
Bernie Comes to Canberra
With its connection to Canberra I was thrilled to see Bernie Sanders speaking on CNN about his mitten fame. Unfortunately I did not see the marvellous Canberra examples portrayed as part of the charity effort, but they are irresistible so I expect their time will come.
Bernie at one of Canberra’s unique bus stops. He clearly alighted in Civic, determined to arrive at a very popular destination – PJ O’Reilly’s.
The Budget Reconciliation Process in the Senate
Lawrence O’Donnell The Last Word, MSNBC, is taking viewers through the Senate processes that will influence the way in which the Democrats will be enabled or thwarted in having their legislation passed. He has speculated that the Budget Reconciliation Process might be adapted to enable the success of some financial legislation that is not a normal part of the Budget Reconciliation Process. This will be fascinating to watch, as well as being an educative process to those of us accustomed only to the Australian parliamentary system. Thank you, Lawrence.
Biden and Putin
And, my last word: O’Donnell also gave an excellent oversight of the phone call between President Biden and President Putin – for the first time in four years there is a White House ‘read out’ of the conversation. It is clear and detailed – the Russian read out is more vague, but does not dispute that of the White House.
Spending a week in Perth was a pleasant reminder of the tremendous effort that Australians, in the main, are putting into keeping Australia as Covid 19 free as possible. Masks are now mandatory in the Canberra and Perth airports, and on Qantas flights, unless eating or drinking.
An interesting observation in the city of Perth was the pedestrian ‘bump’ to change the traffic lights.
Interview : Kamala Harris
Watched Kamala Harris ‘Making History’, a CNN Special Report, 17th January 2021. I’ll be writing a review of The Truths We hold: An American Journey, which also looks at Harris’ life.
However, accustomed to my daily serve of MSNBC, which this week would have had the newest stories on the first days of the Biden Presidency, I felt rather deprived of political news. Fortunately politics and literature mix, as I found when I met with West Australian author, Gordon d’Venables to talk about his recently published novel.
Chat with Gordon d’Venables
All was not lost while I was away from American politics. Feminist politics, funding questionable activity through business enterprises with acceptable names, and the good old hero with a cause were on the agenda when I spent a delightful afternoon talking with West Australian author, Gordon d’ Venables. His balcony, complete with exotic foliage, provided an excellent environment talking about his new novel, with its settings and references to a range of different locations, including Thailand, Singapore, Russia, and Australia.
D’Venables has just published The Medusa Image (Vanguard Press, 2020) and I was keen to hear about the background to the novel. During the conversation it became clear that a new novel is in progress, and of course I was also curious about that as well. Would Curtis, the six foot four (in old terms as d’Venables says) hero of The Medusa Image resurface? Will the theme that d’Venables adopted so ably in The Media’s Image, his concern with the issue of domestic violence continue to be forefront of the adventures of Curtis? I was thwarted by his reticence about divulging any information on his new venture. So, I have no answer to the longevity of Curtis in d’Venables’ imagination. But, what we have is certainly intriguing. Curtis has a background in the army, his superior skills drawing him into the intelligence service, and in that capacity being the recipient of direction from Frenchy whose scepticism becomes a gritty reminder of the difficulties Curtis has in performing his commitment to ensuring prominent women’s safety against organised misogyny.
It was fun to discuss d’Venable’s enthusiasm for detailing the amazing meals his characters are served. Food was a fascinating and recurring topic, in our conversations and in the novel. ‘West Australian crayfish tails, banana prawns from the Gulf of Carpentaria, Moreton Bay bugs, Kimberly scampi, Shark Bay scallops and Coffin Bay oysters’ are devoured by the elusive businessman, Wallace of Green Solutions Limited with his secret control over numerous hidden business entities. Thai food vendors selling ‘deep-fried crickets, roaches, grasshoppers, bamboo worms, mole crickets’ are observed by Curtis while pondering the activities of the elusive Nelson, and crab rice is served to him and his informant, Rat, when arranging their plans and investigations into the funding of attacks against prominent women.
Research, as for so many writers, has been one of d’Venables’ loves in writing his novel. Food fascinated me, but there is so much more, with the historical research associated with the title, the financial and intelligence operations and all the work that has gone into making the horror of domestic violence a resonating theme. Seeing ‘behind the novel’ was truly a mixture of feelings.
Gordon d’Venables
One last question was whether he had he thought about a film? Evidently I am not alone in that query – something d’ Venables was happy to divulge! The Medusa Image would indeed make a great film.
The ‘Mighty Collie River’, which featured strongly in d’Venables’ conversation, can be glimpsed beyond the bridge. I wondered whether the glimpse of ‘might’ could be symbolic of Curtis and his crusade to pursue a worthy political agenda. Whether it is Curtis or another fighter for a social cause I’ll be keen to read the next novel.
A short visit to the Western Australian Art Gallery
Robin's Room 