The deadly battles that tipped Myanmar into civil war – BBC News

I have lived in South Africa with my wife since 2003 and we have enjoyed our time here immensely. It is time that I feel gives me the right to comment on what is happening now.

It is incredible to think that in a country which is many, many centuries old, which claims to have civilised the world, which employs for its administration, management and government, some of the most expensively educated people on the planet. A country with top tier scientists, world class military, think tanks and envied universities who’s inventors gave the planet the internet, the English language and more..

A couple of weeks ago our church was privileged to have a visit from Lebanese Sufi master, Sheikh Nour Kabbani, and, together with him, members of our community signed the “Charter of Compassion”- a document developed by Karen Armstrong some ten years ago that urges communities and governments to reaffirm the central importance of compassion in our common life. Tragically, on almost the same day, Australia’s Home Affairs minister, Peter Dutton, (in The Weekend Australian) urged out nation to beware of the ‘danger of compassion’ when it comes to our treatment of asylum-seekers and refugees – suggesting that…

When Donald Trump won the US presidential election the whole world was dismayed. Few people outside of the USA expected anything good to come of it and for a year and a half one disaster followed another. Millions of US citizens were deprived of affordable healthcare, nothing was done to lessen the widespread slaughter caused by lax gun control, a ban was imposed on immigrants from selected Moslem countries, the USA was withdrawn from the Paris Agreement on climate change to give free-rein to the polluting oil and coal industries, and America’s NATO allies were subjected to severe criticism while President Putin of Russia was treated as a friend. These were all actions that many people both expected and feared. But now, in introducing tariffs on imported goods Mr Trump has taken a small step towards a better world.

It is difficult to continually be pilloried and demonised whilst under the threat of land expropriation without compensation whilst paying a disproportionate percentage of personal tax in relation to the masses that don’t. The equation is not dissimilar to that of 80% of the wealth is held by 20% of the population, except in this case only 20% pay tax, and in this case the burden is borne by those who have historically made this country’s wealth not plundered it.