View from the Shire: News you might have missed: December 2015

From election losers to LGBT power, and from River Song to a drag queen's Christmas message...

Here's the news you might have missed in December...

Politics

Tim Farron's Message for World AIDS Day

http://lgbt.libdems.org.uk/en/article/2015/1126955/tim-farron-s-message-for-world-aids-day

Worth watching

High morals v low pragmatism: What on earth to do about Syria?

http://thinkingliberal.co.uk/?p=2140

There are no simple solutions

Hilary Benn’s barnstorming Syria speech

http://order-order.com/2015/12/02/hilary-benns-barnstorming-speech/

He makes a strong case

Venezuela election: Maduro's Socialists trounced
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-35019111#_=_

Change is coming to Venezuela...

Nick Clegg arguing in favour of the EU at the Oxford Union

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDcR_6x7GgI

Making a strong case

How Stop the War airbrushed a conspiracy theory from its website

http://www.markpack.org.uk/136129/stop-the-war-mount-sinjar/

You can’t hide from the Internet Archive

Paris climate deal: the trouble with targetism

http://www.theguardian.com/science/political-science/2015/dec/14/the-trouble-with-targetism

We need more action…

“So far, setting ambitious long-term global climate targets has not been a prerequisite but a substitute for appropriate action.”

New academic research project on political party members

http://www.nickbarlow.com/blog/?p=4828

Members of political parties are to be examined...

Schools should teach that Britain is a Christian country, says Nicky Morgan

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/12/28/schools-should-teach-that-britain-is-a-christian-country-says-nicky-morgan/

Countries don’t have religions, they have citizens with a range of religious beliefs (including none at all).

The unaccountability of Nick Clegg

http://markreckons.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/the-unaccountability-of-nick-clegg.html

I get the feelings expressed here, but I’m not sure what being “held accountable” would look like in reality

LGBT

LGBT Power Surge: Why Russia, Uganda, and other repressive states are fighting a losing battle against sexual freedom
https://2015globalthinkers.foreignpolicy.com/#!advocates/detail/lgbt-power-surge

Really interesting read...

"It is no coincidence that the notion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights is spreading globally at the exact moment that old boundaries are collapsing in the era of the digital revolution, mass migration, and international commodity markets."

New documentary reveals Reagan administration's indifference to AIDS

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/new-documentary-reveals-reagan-administrations-indifference-to-aids/#gs.1_ChSVQ

A sad reminder of the early 80s

Next year's National Student Pride will focus on LGBTI mental health
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/next-years-national-student-pride-will-focus-on-lgbti-mental-health/#gs.G1sBLS8
Good to see

Homophobia could be costing UK engineering sector £11billion a year
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/homophobia-could-be-costing-uk-engineering-sector-11billion-a-year/#gs.0Cz4MUk
Coming out is good for the economy!

Hillary Clinton policy brief details staunch support of LGBTI people
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/hillary-clinton-policy-brief-details-staunch-support-of-lgbti-people/#gs.1IZy_QE

Good to see

Education

Taking student politics far too seriously

http://www.nickbarlow.com/blog/?p=4816

I’m glad I left student politics before the social media warrior armies were invented!

Will scrapping nurse bursaries help or worsen NHS staffing crisis?

http://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2015/dec/07/will-scrapping-nurse-bursaries-help-or-worsen-nhs-staffing-crisis