Another week, another collection of events. And because that’s our job, Fortitude has been writing about these things, purely so that you, dear readers, can consume the meal of information that we have so delightfully served to you. Feast your eyes and your brains on the buffet of information below this introductory paragraph.
Ukraine on Fire as Protests Turn Violent
It’s the story on everyone’s lips. The ever developing situation in Ukraine has captivated the interest of the public and media over the past three months. Rioting, protest and violence in a country that’s sufficiently European enough to make everyone interested in what’s going on. This is no 3rd World state, this is real and it’s relatively close to where we live. And we thought that we had seen it come to a close, but alas, no such luck. Joe details the continuing protests and their violent developments here.
The UN Report On North Korea Will Incite No Change
This time of year again, and tis the season to poke and prod the North Koreans. Last year, they started testing the delivery options for a Nuclear payload, threatening everyone and puffing out their chests. This time, the UN has produced a report on the frankly horrific and barbaric punishments, work camps that resemble Nazi concentration camps and general dickishness. In this article, Zak Janes points out the fact that, true to form, the North Korean government (read; Kim Kong-Un) probably don’t give a hoot about anything the United Nations has to say about them. They are North Korea’s people and they will treat them how they like, which just so happens to be horrific. Read more here.
Venezuela – The Other Protest Crisis
Sometimes the media can only reasonably cope with maybe 3 or 4 stories a week. What with the Ukraine casting a fiery glow on the eastern fringes of Europe, the lingering embers of discontent that can be seen in South America do little to warrant any attention. But, rest assured, people are up certain creeks (paddle absent), things have been crudely thrown at fans and things have generally been going tits up. But the problems in Venezuela have largely been ignored by the world. Chances are, you didn’t even know about it. We attempt to rectify that problem, right here.
Coalition Clegg Can’t Get Enough of Power-Sharing
Turns out that the school slut of British politics Nick Clegg is, true to form, getting around a bit (this analogy will now cease before it gets too graphic). Since the formation of the Coalition government all those years ago, Nick Clegg has systematically given the general public absolutely no reason to trust him with anything vaguely resembling power. The coalition has certainly done much more to hurt the Lib Dems than the Conservatives, but now Clegg is attempting to throw his lot in with Miliband and co. Joe contemplates on this latest development precisely after you press the hyperlink that follows this sentence. Here.
It’s Likely That You’ve Been Forgotten
What are you doing with your Sunday afternoon? Tea? Watching the last bits of the Winter Olympics? Why not read Alexander’s contemplations on the relationship between the public and their constant whining (he said, indelicately). As was so much more delicately put by Abraham Lincoln: ““You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time but you can never please all of the people all of the time.”. It’s a fact that makes life much easier to cope with, but so many people don’t. Read all about it, here.
Residential Parking Scheme…The End of The World?
There is a distinct difference between things that don’t work and things that just seem to be normal; the average undistinguishing facets of our lives that warrant no mention or attention. We notice computers, we don’t notice placemats. Things that work, we don’t care about them. When’s the last time you had an issue with a coathanger? When’s the last time you noticed your phone (unless, of course, you own one of the mythical early days Nokia phones)? And what’s one thing that everyone notices? Parking. If after a long day at work you drive home and can’t find a parking space, it could quite easily be equated to the feeling of losing a loved one. Mark delves into why the human race and society are completely mental right here.
The Security State Endangers Us All – We Need to Dismantle It, Before It’s Too Late
So the government, some other governments and probably someone else are looking at your emails and flicking through your Facebook pictures like a reminiscent and disgruntled ex. Shocking news?! Hardly, that’s so 2013. But due to the tragic nuances of modern society and our incessant desire for change, we’ve moved on from the NSA’s indecent intrusion to our personal lives. Online snooping has largely been forgotten by everyone apart from the people doing it. Like a thief that got caught by the police, who then got distracted and the thief got back to stealing things, nothing really came of it. Adam Kibbey makes his debut article for Fortitude here.
Enjoy.