Here we go again. Goebbels would have been proud of the propaganda effort.
Chemical attack witnessed by the ‘heroic’ White Helmets, whose word is accepted unequivocally by the lapdog western media, prompting Trump to say there is going to be a big price to pay.
More rushing to judgement over Russia.
The western public has already been softened up with lies about spies. They’ve been primed to blame Russia and its dastardly leader Putin.
Looks like the western establishment including its propaganda arm of the media is gunning for war.
Francesca was bullied off this site by your aggressive treatment of her.
I know you do not share my opinion on this and other matters.
I do not think this gives you the right to stalk every post I write with insults and aggression.
I am wearying of your constant bully boy approach.
I’ve no doubt OABs commenting behaviour ‘helped’ Francesca decide to take to the garden and what not for a time. And there was Lynn’s unnecessarily rude moderating comment to her.
Lynn does that.
But OAB is hanging by the tenderest of threads. He knows this, but oddly just carries on with the same derailing, snarking and bullying – which I find interesting to observe.
Maybe today’s the day the boredom sets in and the 1 month ban lands. Could be tomorrow or the next day. Might be one comment away.
Or then again, OAB might just cut the crap. Who knows?
OAB has been shredding his own credibility in an obnoxious way for a while now.
I to used to be a real aggressive arsehole on the internet …. before I wised up a bit.
Going back and reading old arguments I’d had …. made me realise I came across as much the same prick as those pricks I was arguing with.
So I started making changes ….. and I’m still evolving my techniques against trolls and others.
Now when I make a post / point of view, I log out, and perhaps write the next piece of information I want to put up.
This stops me getting involved with the ‘snarks’., …. which is a derail from the point of view I’m trying to put across. They are ego baiting. I try to leave my ego off the table .
I write for the people I’m not arguing with.
I also find it helps to view trolls as Dick Picks …. which allows me to treat them with the seriousness which they deserve,… as even a pack attack by a bunch of penises is laughable to me …. bunt away boys.
I’m not saying OAB is a troll ….. but he’s starting to display a few to many of their symptoms and he’s letting himself down.
He’s obviously quite intelligent …. but imparts so little information … and is obsessed over some things ….. Ed being one of them.
Yo Assad, you just secured 90% of E. Ghouta. You’ve surrounded the last town, you have overwhelming military force and are negotiating surrender. What’s next ? Assad: launch a chemical attack of no tactical significance to provoke international outrage & military intervention against me.
I think this latest attack holds to a pretty consistent pattern from that tyrant Assad. It goes: warn everyone on the ground that the rebels will raise a false flag operation about a chemical warfare attack. Do the attack. Then before enough good evidence has been raised by the incoherent international community, strike somewhere else.
The outrage economy moves on to another town.
Makes perfect sense in the calculus of Assad, Vladimir Putin, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They want first and foremost to subdue the remaining rebels in Syria, specifically several million people remaining in rebel-held Idlib province. Give them all fear enough to dissuade any later opposition once the war is over. And second, outflank Trump and the outrage machine, just as they did with Obama.
Obama was humiliated in August 2013 when he changed his mind about his “red line”. Box America and you neutralise Saudi Arabia, and then the entire floor is yours to lay waste with.
Bold tactic – then and now – from the leading three countries, and its still working.
So the chemical weapons factories in Ghouta (replete with instructions for manufacturing various compounds and delivery mechanisms) are just for show?Or the first hand reports are lies, and the accompanying photographs false? Or (perhaps) the entire set up is a hastily cobbled together stage set that the SAA constructed for the benefit of gullible journalists?
I’ll have to go with that (or similar).
Because the only sensible explanation is that an army on the cusp of victory, and that has tasked itself with evacuating civilians to safety while giving terrorists the option of surrender or free passage would deploy chemical weapons on civilians, and thus prevent themselves from making any kind of rapid advance on the ground.
Oh. And obviously they are feeling six foot tall and bulletproof and positively relishing the prospect of being treated as monstrous pariahs down through the coming years – what with all the additional sanctions that will no doubt be landed (such fun!) and the continued illegal presence by armed forces of the countries they are guaranteed to piss off should they deploy chemical weapons….
Yup. Them’s is just belligerent and mad. No accounting for that ME mind set. No siree.
Far be it from me to discern the motivations of those three tyrants from Iran, Russia, and Syria. It’s not an easy mental space for me to get into.
From their last five years of evidence , I don’t think they give a flying fig about their international reputation or their historical Wikipedia profiles. Trump, not they, are subject to the power of a free media, so once they have neutralised him into his own whirlpool of rage-media cycle, and show that the United States has everything to gain by retreating and withdrawing, the ground is theirs again, unimpeded.
That is now what they have done.
Trump has signalled full withdrawal.
Ghouta’s ceasefire and rebel withdrawal is confirmed.
And the signal that US withdrawal gives Assad, Putin, and Khamenei is that they and Turkey can now go after the entire Kurdish territory and people unimpeded.
The result will be as big as the Armenian genocide of a century ago, and it will occur within this year. Now there is no level of international outrage to stop them.
So those three tyrants care about nothing except eradicating Syrian opposition, and inciting terror without measure is the fastest way they have of ensuring submission.
With Saudi Arabia and the United States retreating fully to the Gulf, Syria is now in the control of Russia and Iran, and they don’t care if it is rubble and choking on chlorine gas.
At least the region can look forward to a period without thousands of hooded murderers in Toyotas freely roaming the country cutting people’s heads off.
Can’t believe Bolton’s first day as National Security Advisor will be to objectively assess whether Assad used chemical weapons in Douma as alleged and to recommend an appropriate response
He came to my office and said: ‘You have to resign and I give you 24 hours, this is what we want. You have to leave, you have to resign from your organization, director-general.'”
Bustani said he “owed nothing” to the US, pointing out that he was appointed by all OPCW member states. Striking a more sinister tone, Bolton said: “OK, so there will be retaliation. Prepare to accept the consequences. We know where your kids are.”
Yup I’m hearing you there One Two. And while news networks are arguing the politics of the matter, the public doesn’t even know what or who to believe anymore and on the ground, people are dying, who is helping them?
Where’s the truth and where’s the freaking teleporter? I’d be there in a heartbeat.
I’d suggest believing the people who report from Syria, those who have reported from Syria from the beginning of the war. Those who talk to citizens, army officers and politicians and those who actually live in Syria.
People such as Vanessa Beeley, Eva Bartlett, Tim Hayward, Fares Shehabi, Janice Kortkamp, Ahmad Al-Issa, Tom Duggan there are many others
In Ahmad Al-Issa ‘s twitter feed he reports on the recent evacuation of Ghouta.
Tom Duggan has been in Ghouta recently and reports via facebook.
Assuming there was use of chemical weapons as detailed by the reports out of the hospitals in the area where do you believe they came from and what do you believe is being covered up ?
None of which will be of any interest to the Syrian citizens who are being slaughtered of course.
Assumption is the mother of all wars ‘Stunned mullet’;
Remember the assumptions we all made after those allegations against Saddam were made by these same media ‘reports we heard over and over that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction?
All made clear according to President Bush and UK PM Tony Blair duo, so don’t assume anything sunshine if you don’t want World War three as some appear to be begging for.
Nowhere in that article is there any mention of anyone threatening WWIII for criticising “the Kremlin”. In fact, the fear expressed in the article is that with Trump’s election “Germans advocating strategic neutrality will gain credibility”.
And I love the kicker you swiped from your quote. In full, it reads –
Similarly apocalyptic rhetoric, evocative of the 1980s anti-nuclear movement (itself heavily influenced by the KGB and East German secret police) inculcates the idea that confronting Russia is dangerous.
I mean, I dunno. Have you ever thought of sending a wee CV off to the NSA or some such to see if you can get paid for this warping of discussion and pushing of thinly veiled propaganda that seems to be your “thing” these days?
this notion of “peace” permits Russia to act as it likes in its “near abroad” without consequence.
I’m not convinced that the KGB and Stasi had that much of an influence on the anti-war movement of the 1980s. The argument outside the parentheses stands on its own.
Again, you rip away context in your partial quoting and present a bullshit statement.
The full quote.
As was the case during the Cold War, when Western “peace” movements urged unilateral disarmament, this notion of “peace” permits Russia to act as it likes in its “near abroad” without consequence.
Apart from Afghanistan I’m struggling to think of any invasion by the USSR during the Cold War.
It’s pretty rabid liberal interventionism that would position peace as the enemy and suggest peace has a track record on that front – as that article does.
Apart from Afghanistan I’m struggling to think of any invasion by the USSR during the Cold War.
The statement (about the Kremlin acting as it likes) could just as easily refer to the consequences for countries or citizens who disagreed with the status quo in the USSR. Prague Spring, gulags and so-forth. All that Orwellian stuff.
“Liberal interventionism” is a good comparison. I don’t recall anyone ever suggesting that if I criticised the USA’s nuclear missile proliferation, their dirty wars in Central or South America, their wars of aggression in Asia, or any of the other things I’ve observed about their foreign policy, that doing so made me a warmonger.
Amnesty International also stands up to bullies, including the ones in the Kremlin, sometimes at great personal cost to its employees. That doesn’t make them warmongers either.
Embrace notions of peace and you’ll soon find yourself exposed to subversive ideas such as “no justice, no peace”, and then the idea that “confronting [the Kremlin] is dangerous” might not seem quite so palatable.
So lets all tool up, be fearful and suspicious, and knock seven shades of shit out anyone and everyone who just might knock seven shades of shit out of us…which by that mind set is absolutely every one.
Where do you get these ideas from? Certainly not me.
[And gone. One month. I warned you many, many times between your last ban and now. But I’ve indulged your various varieties of bullshit for long enough now – it just got too tedious.] – Bill
Are you asking whether I criticised them? Have a bleedin’ guess.
When I called them war criminals, I don’t recall you saying that meant I wanted WWII, but now I criticise the Kremlin and that’s exactly the accusation you’re levelling.
Was it really your intention to portray Putin et al as so thin-skinned?
I asked a simple question – if there has been yet another instance of the use of chemicals as weapons which certainly appears to be the case with now multiple reports, where did the weapons come from and what is being covered up as alluded to by OneTwo.
It’s a stretch to assign sarin manufacturing capacity to ISIS (or any of the other ragtag semi-islamist groups). Not everyone could make it in their basement even if they had the precursors. And the US would have become a target – it wasn’t Assad that moved them out of Mosul.
Assad’s forces did possess substantial stocks however – and didn’t acquire them by accident. The irregular forces have not been proven to possess them at all. A decent rule of thumb might be to look at the victims – if it were Syrian armed forces the irregulars would be plausible assailants. The convenience of claiming multiple labs wherever Syrian forces kill ‘rebels’ however, is stretching plausibility to breaking point. Only uncritical swallowers of Russian and Syrian propaganda will continue to swallow such self-serving nonsense.
Chlorine is still available. It’s used to make water potable. It was also used in WWI in trench warfare. Creates respiratory problems. I’m sure the necessary inventiveness to produce such a bane would easily be in the repertoire of urban fighters with much to avenge. And a career to develop.
Civilian population is not in prime health after months of restricted diet, prolonged fear, and aerial attacks.
It doesn’t have to have been Assad. There are enough crazies in the area to create a large list of possible villains for the deed.
And Assad would never do anything like that – the tonnes of nerve gas he had acquired by 2014 in no way indicate a willingness to use them. He must’ve been a collector eh.
I wonder at what point Assad supporters will repent their increasingly desperate rationalizations.
Thing is Stuart, I’ve explained it to you more than once now, and you continue to ignore what I’ve said…
You’ve taken a side based on whatever twisted variables contruct the narratives in your own mind….and can’t seem to comtemplate making adjustments despite decade after decade of naked propganda…
I’ve not taken a side, and because I don’t take sides, I can evaluate extended periods of time lapsed propaganda exposures aligned against events and outcomes without prejudice…
Meanwhile you keep repeating ad nauseum your bias, while convincing yourself that I’ve on-boarded a view counter to yours…
Come on man…you need a long hard look in the mirror…it’s not good enough in this day and age to be at such a low level..
I assume you’re an adult…
I’ll leave you to it for good from now on, as I strongly suspect you have some other issues going on…
Unpleasant as it is, Syria in line with many other non-nuclear states, manufactured and stockpiled the “poor man’s” nuclear deterrent – chemical and/or biological agents.
So yes. A “collector” in much the same way as nuclear nations “collect” nuclear weapons.
Israel’s next door, y’know?
As for why (I’ll use the term beloved by western media outlets) rebels would have chemical weapons factories in Ghouta (as reported by fairly reliable non-mainstream media), well….
And why would terrorists who are getting huge amounts of support from the west, target the west with chemicals designed to aid in the overthrow of the Syrian government? (By encouraging military intervention to stop the country’s army that’s on the cusp of victory deploying chemicals in order to delay and possibly jeapordise its own imminent victory over terrorists in the country)
You’ve still got a problem explaining why Syria, which is known to have them, and which UN bodies at least are persuaded have used them, aren’t using them, while irregular forces who don’t have them are supposed to have so many labs that the ‘poor’ Russians can’t seem to drop a bomb without supposedly hitting one.
Syria destroyed its chemical weapons stockpile during Obama’s presidency.
And I’m only aware of one occasion when Russia claimed it had hit a chemical weapons factory operated by the terrorists.
Meanwhile, in Ghouta, Beeley claims CNN reporters were with her on the ground at the site of a chemical factory formerly operated by terrorists, but that they didn’t report on it.
(I linked her article somewhere on the thread and someone else did too)
You do have to wonder at all those allegations being leveled at the Syrian government by governments with no presence in the area, aye?
I mean, even if there were chemical attacks, how would the US, UK, France and the other complainants, who funnily enough all want the Syrian government overthrown and replaced, know about them?
Maybe the rebels tell them, except, as is becoming ever more clear, there are no rebels – just terrorists.
So the terrorists tell them. And that opens its own can of worms for “our” governments irrespective of who launched what chemical attack (assuming they all actually took place).
There seem to be several claims: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39500947
Russia, which has carried out air strikes in support of President Assad since 2015, said the Syrian air force had struck Khan Sheikhoun “between 11:30am and 12:30pm local time” on 4 April, but that the target had been “a large terrorist ammunition depot” on its eastern outskirts. http://21stcenturywire.com/2018/04/08/syria-the-egregious-western-media-chemical-weapon-fraud-in-eastern-ghouta/
Terrorist Chemical Weapon Capability in Eastern Ghouta.
Journalist and geopolitical analyst, Sharmine Narwani, was in liberated Eastern Ghouta a few weeks ago when a Chemical Weapons laboratory was discovered in the farmlands between between Shifouniyeh and Douma. Narwani comments on the western media “disinterest” in this discovery: https://www.rt.com/op-ed/421515-ghouta-syria-chemical-weapons/
Terrorist capabilities laid bare in an Eastern Ghouta chemical lab
I’m not for a second suggesting there have been no chemical weapons deployed in Syria
.
Strange how the oppositionterrorists only ever seem to gas themselves with their super secret stockpiles of chemical weapons, yet never use them against the regime or Russian and Iranian forces.
Well, no. That’s not correct. There have been allegations of chemicals being used against SAA soldiers.
And no terrorist uses chemicals against themselves. But they do have large captive civilian populations, many of who don’t or wont “convert” and willingly acquiesce to Sharia Law.
And no terrorist uses chemicals against themselves
.
Apparently this mob spent weeks negotiating terms acceptable to them and their families, softened themselves up with an alleged gas attack and then threw in the towel and accepted the opposition’s terms.
.
AMMAN: Fighters in the last opposition-controlled city in East Ghouta reached a deal with Russian negotiators on Sunday to evacuate with their families, one rebel official told Syria Direct, after intense bombardment and a reported chemical attack killed at least 225 civilians over the weekend.
Under the reported agreement, all rebel fighters with the Jaish al-Islam faction in Douma city and any civilians wishing to leave are to evacuate the eastern Damascus suburbs for opposition-held northwestern Syria in coming days, a member of the faction’s media office told Syria Direct on Sunday.
The media official requested that his name not be published, as he spoke to Syria Direct without authorization from Jaish al-Islam, which has not officially announced an evacuation deal.
Syrian and Russian state media both reported that a deal was reached on Sunday for rebels to evacuate Douma. Russia is a longtime backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and was a party to recent negotiations with rebel factions in East Ghouta.
For weeks, Jaish al-Islam has maintained that it would not accept any agreement with Russia or the Syrian government that included the evacuation of fighters from Douma.
According to a site called “Syria Direct” from Yale University. That’s slightly unfair perhaps – it’s coming out of Jordan. But the Managing Director, Justin Schuster, is from Yale.
I don;t know the site Joe. But a very quick look and I see headlines about “rebels” and mention of government reprisals for anyone moving to government areas.
And for now, I’m just going to say that flies in the face of what on the ground independent journalists are saying.
But I do like to see sources – which your ‘heroes’ don’t seem to like to use. And I’m quite familiar with disinformatsia, which you either don’t know about, or don’t care about.
Uncritically embracing sites like MOOA, RT, Globalresearch, and folk like Murray or Beeley, won’t get you much closer to the truth – it just gives you a different set of lies.
Which you seem to swallow like an eight year old. Which leaves you some way short of being convincing.
There are reports of chemical weapons manufacturing ‘factories’ being found in Ghouta. Apparently one journalist present worked for CNN, (Frederick Pleitgen, his camerawoman and a translator) but well, they omitted that detail from the live report for the network.
In tandem with that Vanessa Beeley (whose first hand reports from Syria have been pretty well on the mark even if her overarching political philosophy is questionable) reports that an estimated 3 500 civilians have been incarcerated by Jaish Al Islam in Ghouta.
Here’s the link to her piece that includes the reference to CNN.
Makes sense to me that ISIS remnants would perpetrate this atrocity as a last-ditch propaganda attack on Damascus. The problem is I can also see Assad doing it again, too.
Anyone who would do it once, or even plan for it in the first place (cf: the “Syrian Center of Environmental Protection Problems”) is already beyond the bounds of sense or decency, so expecting them to start behaving reasonably is a stretch.
ISIS are no better. Either party could be responsible for an attack like this.
“Obama was given a nobel peace prize moments after taking office”
A slight exaggeration One Two. It was actually about eight and a half months. It certainly felt like the way you describe it though. I can only think of one reason they gave him the award. https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/press.html
He wasn’t George W Bush and the Norwegian Nobel Committee really hated George. Obama certainly hadn’t done anything, at least at that stage, to deserve it.
Trevvy reporting”new fuel tax” as an apocalypse. Can’t bring myself to read the article yet. Can’t wait for her to write a real news column. New revelations on Pike River Mine for one. Middlebrow Hospital for another. Camp Burnham as well. Umm, EQC debacle. Shame on you Brownies. Should go and read it now, it might be a truly unbiased revelation.
Poor old Mike is going to have to pay more for his coffee so workers on minimum wages have a better chance of feeding themselves and their kids.
Poor Mike.
The government is a huge market force. The ability to make laws and regulations is very influential. In NZ (iirc) they’re also the largest employer in the country.
Hosking’s saying “you can’t dip your toe in the water” to someone who’s already in the bath.
You’re probably right. So, we have to get rid of the failed experiment called capitalism as it obviously can’t support society at all as an economic system is supposed to do.
Have to say I’d think twice about getting in the way of “a half a ton of angry pot-roast”. Not saying he did the right thing, more like I might well make the same mistake. Mind you I haven’t got bull-bars.
Farmer should have had people there so ultimately it’s on them. But it does sound like a bunch of people who had no idea how to be in/around cattle, doing stupid shit*. We share the road with farmers. Would the cyclists have done that in a paddock of cattle? Then why do it on the road?
I’ve seen a farmer come up behind me when I’ve slowed for cattle on the road, pass me, and then use his vehicle to push the cattle out of the way faster. I wasn’t in a hurry, he was an arsehole who thought he was doing his job. The cattle behaved exactly as you would expect and got agitated, jumping around.
Not an issue with cars (although I can see the potential for damage to the vehicle or the animal there if someone driving didn’t know what to do), but a really bad idea when you have people in that situation who are smaller than the cattle.
*also possible is the person who drove his vehicle into the actual animal was a farmer.
He drove into the steer and it then attacked another cyclist. Understandably (by the steer).
We don’t know what happened, but on the face of it, in the story in the article, what I would have done is gotten out of my vehicle and told the cyclist to get off his bike, cross to the other side of the road and stop and wait for the steer to figure out what to do. It’s not going to attack people randomly, but it will if it’s stressed or scared. The person who drove into the steer aggravated the situation.
Dude in the comment section is adamant cones were in place and farmers at each end, cyclists bowled through, if that’s the case they only have themselves to blame.
The other take home is how shit the reporting is – they have repeatedly confused a bull with a steer (obviously different temperament/handling) and didn’t establish the facts around the animal movement.
I am not a Green voter but I am impressed of what I saw of Marama Davidson on the AM show this morning.
She was NOT going to let Garner talk over her and wasn’t he pissed off.
So pissed off, he and that other odious character Ricardson along with the female on the show who does not impress me one bit, had a deep and meaningful discussion on Marama Davidson’s comment on benefit fraud. something like ” I am not going to discuss that” not sure of exact words.
It is a pity they do not have a similarly deep and meaningful discussion on tax fraud and the state of Middlemore Hospital, that no bridges Bridges says it is nothing to do with the National party.
We need more like Marama Davidson to start to put these arseoles in their place, and I think Garner was so desperate to get something on her, he had to scrape the bottom of the barrel so hard to find that snippet he must have put a hole it.
She also owned the interview with Espiner on RNZ on Morning Report this morning, my partner said “way to go Marama” – she controlled the narrative and what a breath of fresh air that was. Interesting times ahead for her and her political career.
Last time I was a supporter of the green party was in 2002 and we split off to start our own Environmental advocacy centre because the green party were not supporting our actions using the green party.
But now we see a glimmer of hope that the greens may push Labour back left again to it’s ‘true left side’ (as Simon Bridges suggested would happen if Marama was elected co-leader),on this morning on The AM Show.
So we live in hope that the labour party will turn left again as all expected it to do.
Good on her.
Alternatively she might have said she was happy to discuss benefit fraud so long as Garner allocated 33x as much time to discussing tax avoidance as that ratio correctly reflects their relative economic impact according to Lisa Marriot’s research.
Say, 3 seconds on benefit fraud and 1min 40 sec on tax avoidance?
Well said Tony, after witnessing his attempts on both TV networks this morning I’m predicting that he will lead national to their biggest loss ever come 2020.
Wish Clark would start telling people about the clusterf#$k that Ryall/Key/Blinglish and Coleman created just in health.
A Comprehensive year by year listing of all the services cut back or removed including a grim reaper to show where Mental Health keeled over because not having a reasonable mental health system is asking for trouble in this modern world.
Then move on to Education, the environment, transport, housing etc in a format that’s easily understood so sheeple get the look and feel.
Sheeple don’t think so with the nact msm giving these unchallenged soapboxes the Govt runs a risk by not countering the BS.
Probably loik you, at toims I foind it difficult to unnastearn the bugger. Not unloik John Key going forwid.
But then I’VE JUSS BEEN LUSSNING ta Jearssie Mullgin – lissning bearnt Kriss Lewisand the nurryda .
I’l have to listen again because all I could hair was “ear ear ear” (going forward).
En oim a mouldabull genrayshull Nu Zullna liviing, and deeply embedded amongst the Mount Victoria Urban Liberal – even to the extent I’ve sampled most of the lower Marjoribank Street’s eateries.
Bugger me tho’…… I really will have to revisit and listen.
“Though they’ll never admit it, the logical consequence of the Taxpayers’ Union’s policies is indistinguishable from that of every other “taxation is theft” outfit: expanding the domain of public pain by deliberately reducing the opportunities for its concerted public amelioration. Like the far-Right American lobbyist, Grover Norquist, they are determined to get the state down to “the size where we can drown it in the bathtub”
I wouldnt phrase it so simplistically but agree with the general direction….the problem however is that too many comparatively well off see it as a personal attack whether or not their personal circumstances would be adversely affected or not…a case of ‘better the devil you know’ rather than ‘nothing to lose’ all wrapped up with fear.
Holland use discipline far more than we do but temper it with a much higher level of humanity towards incarcerated and use rehabilitation and training to give hope to those who have faulted.
The most recent article from Craig Murray.
Brilliant satire.
“Despite this story being one of the most improbably wild conspiracy theories in human history, it is those who express any doubt at all as to its veracity who are smeared as “conspiracy theorists” or even “traitors”.”
If you favour sanctions for Russia, then have a read of this. Working people inside Russia are suffering. The last election was a joke, as mass protest against Putin suggest. “What protest in Russia” I hear you say, Christian Anarchists have been helping organising them, 300,000 people at one protest alone. All is not well in the oligarchic regime, what with them bleeding working Russians dry.
Do I need to mention a friend of mine is still in Prison, awaiting charges. Almost three years, now. Another guy I know has been given 5 years for Sedition, he was handing out fliers in support gay rights. His church is constantly being monitored, because they let LGBT members into the congregation.
Here’s a link to the article Simon Wilson wrote based on an interview with Johnathan Coleman. He claims to have known nothing about Middlemore (surprise, surprise!). Perhaps a bigger surprise – says he argued against tax cuts and for more funding for Health and Education” Wasn’t he the minister of health who presided over that?
“I can tell you right now I had no knowledge of that at all,” he said. “Absolutely none. And,” he added, speaking each word carefully, “I don’t lie.”
He said the Counties-Manukau district health board chair Lester Levy told a parliamentary select committee in February this year that they had two problems. “One was increased demand and the other was management of ageing infrastructure.” But he said Levy had not gone into any detail.
“It was never raised with us,” Coleman said. “Look. If I had known, this would have gone to the top of my list.”
Coleman cast himself as the champion of health. He told me that as health minister he battled inside Cabinet and caucus for more resources for his sector. “I asked for more money for health in each budget. It’s no secret that I advocated for more spending on health and education, instead of tax cuts.”
No secret, eh, Johnathan? I sure don’t recall hearing this from you in the past. What about all the “Labour is the party of tax” and “tax is theft” bullshit your party has spouted in recent times?
I read that article and reflected on his claims. He did have leadership ambitions up until recently which is probably the reason he kept silent about his opposition to tax cuts.
It shows that in the Nat Party ambition trumps everything.
Coleman, Levy and Mathias have show lack of commitment to our public health system while occupying positions of power within it.
Mathias, the Birthcare and Labtests entrepreneur. Levy the seemingly conflicted director of Tonkin and Taylor and Coleman groomed to become CEO of Acurity Healthcare.
Looks to me like they entered and left the public sector to suit their private sector agendas.
Perhaps we should defer to @Wayne’s expertise and impartial opinion on the matter.
He should be along soon (when he gets time to indulge in a little conversation with a hard-left Labour Party blog site like TS.
From my recollection I am pretty sure the other country is Afghanistan. I recall various discussions with NZDF and MFAT officials on this particular point.
When forces are deployed in another country which has a legally constituted government (which Afghanistan had from about 2002/2003) naturally that country has a say in the scope of the ROE.
And as Exkiwiforces says there is also a status of forces agreement. Most of the legal jurisdiction over our forces remained with the New Zealand government.
Having read that post during my lunch and IMO it’s Afghanistan Government via what’s called a SOFA ( Status Of Forces Agreement) which covers everything from ROE, OFOF, LOAC, Size of the Military Force in the host nation, Religious stuff, respect of Local customs/ culture and use of locally employed contractors doing building, cleaning the dunnies etc etc as list is almost endless on the do’s and don’ts in the host nation.
The Iraq SOFA is very strict and this largely due to some of the muppet PMC’s aka Blackwater and the shit that went on during the last shit fight post invasion.
With the SOFA in place, and any information regarding how troops engaged or behaved under these agreements, and subject to classification – how would you see any unethical or out of scope behaviour by the NZ Army (most notably the decision makers) being able to be discovered, and verified?
I don’t know the full mechanics of how the SOFA works, but from what I do know that the host nation particularly those within the MER are very sensitive at gets released to the general public.
Some of the confronting shit I’ve/ We’ve have seen in MER which went against my/ our values and morals we had to sand back or turn our back as I/ we couldn’t intervene due to the SOFA. BTW it’s not to do with Combat or the POWs as the they came under LOAC, but it was cultural and Religious stuff.
Yes – but surely they’ll remain loyal to Shanan Halbert who did pretty well last year?
Happy to see the contagion of Croaker Coleman lifted no matter what the result tbh
Newshub congratulations to our sports stars for there win . Duncan New Zealand is as raciest as Taika Waititi is right with his statement .If I was brought up by my white father I would not be going through this Total harassment By the NEW ZEALAND POLICE they are using all the dirty tactics they can I read and see all the people whom the police have used to try and take me out . Can you justifie that . I am as proud as of my MAORI heritage and nothing is going to change that.
Jacinda you handled Dancan well I treat everyone with respect I try my best not to be raciest because in my eyes we are all one race the humans race. Race should be banded to the history books we have to ALL COME together to mitigate against climate change to survive look at the other ancient cultures that have collapse around Papatuanuku .
The Aucland Council should close that native forest track to save OUR ancient Kauri till they find a solution that stops the spread of that Kauri die back virus now.
As for jonathan coleman watch him bend his neck while he lies his—— off Ana to kai. P.S shonky was a master at suppressing information and minuplating information
Ka kite ano
The AM Show I agree with old Michele Barnett that OUR nurses deserve a pay rise they are just as important to OUR society as any the police . Paddy that’s the way ehoa tell it like you see it on Taika Waititi statement is correct P.S I am multi tasking on my computa .
Ana to kai Ka kite ano
The AM Show I detest bullies as I was bullied since my Greatgrandmother died . The New Zealand police are bulling me now and bulling everyone that I associate with
The thing is that I have a thick skin and it does not affect me as it does others Ana to kai Ka kite ano
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
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Here we go again. Goebbels would have been proud of the propaganda effort.
Chemical attack witnessed by the ‘heroic’ White Helmets, whose word is accepted unequivocally by the lapdog western media, prompting Trump to say there is going to be a big price to pay.
More rushing to judgement over Russia.
The western public has already been softened up with lies about spies. They’ve been primed to blame Russia and its dastardly leader Putin.
Looks like the western establishment including its propaganda arm of the media is gunning for war.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/08/trump-big-price-to-pay-suspected-syria-chemical-weapons-attack
That’s one way of looking at it: don’t criticise Pauli Walnuts or he’ll give you the bash.
Francesca was bullied off this site by your aggressive treatment of her.
I know you do not share my opinion on this and other matters.
I do not think this gives you the right to stalk every post I write with insults and aggression.
I am wearying of your constant bully boy approach.
False accusations Ed.
I don’t accept your logic:
1: The Kremlin does something.
2: People criticise them.
3. Nuclear war!
I think appeasing them will embolden them which is a far riskier approach.
I’ve no doubt OABs commenting behaviour ‘helped’ Francesca decide to take to the garden and what not for a time. And there was Lynn’s unnecessarily rude moderating comment to her.
Lynn does that.
But OAB is hanging by the tenderest of threads. He knows this, but oddly just carries on with the same derailing, snarking and bullying – which I find interesting to observe.
Maybe today’s the day the boredom sets in and the 1 month ban lands. Could be tomorrow or the next day. Might be one comment away.
Or then again, OAB might just cut the crap. Who knows?
I agree Ed,
OAB is not my idea of a “bloke” as an ordinary bloke is depicted as in Sir Robert Muldoon’s often used “the average bloke” terms.
OAB is a product of the right wingers argument most times.
OAB has been shredding his own credibility in an obnoxious way for a while now.
I to used to be a real aggressive arsehole on the internet …. before I wised up a bit.
Going back and reading old arguments I’d had …. made me realise I came across as much the same prick as those pricks I was arguing with.
So I started making changes ….. and I’m still evolving my techniques against trolls and others.
Now when I make a post / point of view, I log out, and perhaps write the next piece of information I want to put up.
This stops me getting involved with the ‘snarks’., …. which is a derail from the point of view I’m trying to put across. They are ego baiting. I try to leave my ego off the table .
I write for the people I’m not arguing with.
I also find it helps to view trolls as Dick Picks …. which allows me to treat them with the seriousness which they deserve,… as even a pack attack by a bunch of penises is laughable to me …. bunt away boys.
I’m not saying OAB is a troll ….. but he’s starting to display a few to many of their symptoms and he’s letting himself down.
He’s obviously quite intelligent …. but imparts so little information … and is obsessed over some things ….. Ed being one of them.
Evaluating your ownself…breaking it down…making adjustments….
That’s beautiful…
Yo Assad, you just secured 90% of E. Ghouta. You’ve surrounded the last town, you have overwhelming military force and are negotiating surrender. What’s next ? Assad: launch a chemical attack of no tactical significance to provoke international outrage & military intervention against me.
https://twitter.com/Zinvor/status/982746616284286978
I think this latest attack holds to a pretty consistent pattern from that tyrant Assad. It goes: warn everyone on the ground that the rebels will raise a false flag operation about a chemical warfare attack. Do the attack. Then before enough good evidence has been raised by the incoherent international community, strike somewhere else.
The outrage economy moves on to another town.
Makes perfect sense in the calculus of Assad, Vladimir Putin, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They want first and foremost to subdue the remaining rebels in Syria, specifically several million people remaining in rebel-held Idlib province. Give them all fear enough to dissuade any later opposition once the war is over. And second, outflank Trump and the outrage machine, just as they did with Obama.
Obama was humiliated in August 2013 when he changed his mind about his “red line”. Box America and you neutralise Saudi Arabia, and then the entire floor is yours to lay waste with.
Bold tactic – then and now – from the leading three countries, and its still working.
So the chemical weapons factories in Ghouta (replete with instructions for manufacturing various compounds and delivery mechanisms) are just for show?Or the first hand reports are lies, and the accompanying photographs false? Or (perhaps) the entire set up is a hastily cobbled together stage set that the SAA constructed for the benefit of gullible journalists?
I’ll have to go with that (or similar).
Because the only sensible explanation is that an army on the cusp of victory, and that has tasked itself with evacuating civilians to safety while giving terrorists the option of surrender or free passage would deploy chemical weapons on civilians, and thus prevent themselves from making any kind of rapid advance on the ground.
Oh. And obviously they are feeling six foot tall and bulletproof and positively relishing the prospect of being treated as monstrous pariahs down through the coming years – what with all the additional sanctions that will no doubt be landed (such fun!) and the continued illegal presence by armed forces of the countries they are guaranteed to piss off should they deploy chemical weapons….
Yup. Them’s is just belligerent and mad. No accounting for that ME mind set. No siree.
Far be it from me to discern the motivations of those three tyrants from Iran, Russia, and Syria. It’s not an easy mental space for me to get into.
From their last five years of evidence , I don’t think they give a flying fig about their international reputation or their historical Wikipedia profiles. Trump, not they, are subject to the power of a free media, so once they have neutralised him into his own whirlpool of rage-media cycle, and show that the United States has everything to gain by retreating and withdrawing, the ground is theirs again, unimpeded.
That is now what they have done.
Trump has signalled full withdrawal.
Ghouta’s ceasefire and rebel withdrawal is confirmed.
And the signal that US withdrawal gives Assad, Putin, and Khamenei is that they and Turkey can now go after the entire Kurdish territory and people unimpeded.
The result will be as big as the Armenian genocide of a century ago, and it will occur within this year. Now there is no level of international outrage to stop them.
So those three tyrants care about nothing except eradicating Syrian opposition, and inciting terror without measure is the fastest way they have of ensuring submission.
With Saudi Arabia and the United States retreating fully to the Gulf, Syria is now in the control of Russia and Iran, and they don’t care if it is rubble and choking on chlorine gas.
At least the region can look forward to a period without thousands of hooded murderers in Toyotas freely roaming the country cutting people’s heads off.
That signal from Trump ? Just another case of his saying shit.
Official spokesman has retracted any idea of a withdrawal. Big Donny has to follow the rules, Mattis probably threatened a resignation.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/04/analysis-white-house-clarifies-president-donald-trumps-blunt-remarks-syria/485510002/
A false false flag attack. That’s a new one. You have quite an imagination!
The mental gymnastics required to support these fantastical conspiracies.
Must be very tiring…
Indeed – what regimen are you following ?
Can’t believe Bolton’s first day as National Security Advisor will be to objectively assess whether Assad used chemical weapons in Douma as alleged and to recommend an appropriate response
https://twitter.com/MaxAbrahms
He came to my office and said: ‘You have to resign and I give you 24 hours, this is what we want. You have to leave, you have to resign from your organization, director-general.'”
Bustani said he “owed nothing” to the US, pointing out that he was appointed by all OPCW member states. Striking a more sinister tone, Bolton said: “OK, so there will be retaliation. Prepare to accept the consequences. We know where your kids are.”
https://www.rt.com/usa/423477-bolton-threat-opcw-iraq/
Scary
Bolton is fucking nuts.
I guess this time it will be Trump who will telling someone as an aside ‘hes a Moron”
Ad the hammer man by proxy … holds to a pretty consistent pattern
Yes, Ed
Obama was given a nobel peace prize moments after taking office, before expanding ‘peace efforts’ globally..
The White Helmets received an oscar nomination…
The cries of chemical weapons use serve only to highlight further the depth ‘the west’ with their Saudi/Israeli partners, will plumb…
What are ‘they’ covering up for this time…is the question…
Yup I’m hearing you there One Two. And while news networks are arguing the politics of the matter, the public doesn’t even know what or who to believe anymore and on the ground, people are dying, who is helping them?
Where’s the truth and where’s the freaking teleporter? I’d be there in a heartbeat.
I’d suggest believing the people who report from Syria, those who have reported from Syria from the beginning of the war. Those who talk to citizens, army officers and politicians and those who actually live in Syria.
People such as Vanessa Beeley, Eva Bartlett, Tim Hayward, Fares Shehabi, Janice Kortkamp, Ahmad Al-Issa, Tom Duggan there are many others
In Ahmad Al-Issa ‘s twitter feed he reports on the recent evacuation of Ghouta.
Tom Duggan has been in Ghouta recently and reports via facebook.
Yes totally agree .
Here is Vanessa Beeley on the most recent western propaganda.
http://21stcenturywire.com/2018/04/08/syria-the-egregious-western-media-chemical-weapon-fraud-in-eastern-ghouta/
Thanks Brigid for that info, much appreciated.
Hi Cinny,
Agree with you it’s a complete mess…
The only way to get a clearer view would be for the foreign invaders to pull out…
So long as they’re inside boarders where they don’t belong it becomes increasingly murky…
I can’t see the war machine pulling back or out…
Begs the question…whose driving and to what end…
Assuming there was use of chemical weapons as detailed by the reports out of the hospitals in the area where do you believe they came from and what do you believe is being covered up ?
None of which will be of any interest to the Syrian citizens who are being slaughtered of course.
Be suspicious:
https://gowans.wordpress.com/2018/04/08/eight-reasons-why-the-latest-syria-chemical-weapons-attack-allegations-are-almost-certainly-complete-nonsense/
Assumption is the mother of all wars ‘Stunned mullet’;
Remember the assumptions we all made after those allegations against Saddam were made by these same media ‘reports we heard over and over that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction?
All made clear according to President Bush and UK PM Tony Blair duo, so don’t assume anything sunshine if you don’t want World War three as some appear to be begging for.
Threatening people with World War 3 because they criticise the Kremlin sounds like the sort of thing bullies do if you ask me.
And I’m not the only one:
h/t to Chris Trotter for piquing my interest in “Russlandversteher”.
Nowhere in that article is there any mention of anyone threatening WWIII for criticising “the Kremlin”. In fact, the fear expressed in the article is that with Trump’s election “Germans advocating strategic neutrality will gain credibility”.
And I love the kicker you swiped from your quote. In full, it reads –
Similarly apocalyptic rhetoric, evocative of the 1980s anti-nuclear movement (itself heavily influenced by the KGB and East German secret police) inculcates the idea that confronting Russia is dangerous.
I mean, I dunno. Have you ever thought of sending a wee CV off to the NSA or some such to see if you can get paid for this warping of discussion and pushing of thinly veiled propaganda that seems to be your “thing” these days?
It’s the sort of thing bullies do:
this notion of “peace” permits Russia to act as it likes in its “near abroad” without consequence.
I’m not convinced that the KGB and Stasi had that much of an influence on the anti-war movement of the 1980s. The argument outside the parentheses stands on its own.
Is character assassination your best rebuttal?
Again, you rip away context in your partial quoting and present a bullshit statement.
The full quote.
As was the case during the Cold War, when Western “peace” movements urged unilateral disarmament, this notion of “peace” permits Russia to act as it likes in its “near abroad” without consequence.
Apart from Afghanistan I’m struggling to think of any invasion by the USSR during the Cold War.
It’s pretty rabid liberal interventionism that would position peace as the enemy and suggest peace has a track record on that front – as that article does.
But if that’s your bag…..
Apart from Afghanistan I’m struggling to think of any invasion by the USSR during the Cold War.
The statement (about the Kremlin acting as it likes) could just as easily refer to the consequences for countries or citizens who disagreed with the status quo in the USSR. Prague Spring, gulags and so-forth. All that Orwellian stuff.
“Liberal interventionism” is a good comparison. I don’t recall anyone ever suggesting that if I criticised the USA’s nuclear missile proliferation, their dirty wars in Central or South America, their wars of aggression in Asia, or any of the other things I’ve observed about their foreign policy, that doing so made me a warmonger.
Amnesty International also stands up to bullies, including the ones in the Kremlin, sometimes at great personal cost to its employees. That doesn’t make them warmongers either.
That piece isn’t standing up to a damned thing, bar the possible ghastly prospect of people embracing notions of peace.
Embrace notions of peace and you’ll soon find yourself exposed to subversive ideas such as “no justice, no peace”, and then the idea that “confronting [the Kremlin] is dangerous” might not seem quite so palatable.
Right.
So lets all tool up, be fearful and suspicious, and knock seven shades of shit out anyone and everyone who just might knock seven shades of shit out of us…which by that mind set is absolutely every one.
lets all tool up, be fearful and suspicious
Where do you get these ideas from? Certainly not me.
[And gone. One month. I warned you many, many times between your last ban and now. But I’ve indulged your various varieties of bullshit for long enough now – it just got too tedious.] – Bill
“Threatening people with World War 3 because they criticise the Kremlin sounds like the sort of thing bullies do”
Well who criticised Bush and Blair for their lies about saddam having weapons of mass destruction OAB and were they not advocating war too when lying?
Are you asking whether I criticised them? Have a bleedin’ guess.
When I called them war criminals, I don’t recall you saying that meant I wanted WWII, but now I criticise the Kremlin and that’s exactly the accusation you’re levelling.
Was it really your intention to portray Putin et al as so thin-skinned?
Um what …?
I asked a simple question – if there has been yet another instance of the use of chemicals as weapons which certainly appears to be the case with now multiple reports, where did the weapons come from and what is being covered up as alluded to by OneTwo.
It’s a stretch to assign sarin manufacturing capacity to ISIS (or any of the other ragtag semi-islamist groups). Not everyone could make it in their basement even if they had the precursors. And the US would have become a target – it wasn’t Assad that moved them out of Mosul.
Assad’s forces did possess substantial stocks however – and didn’t acquire them by accident. The irregular forces have not been proven to possess them at all. A decent rule of thumb might be to look at the victims – if it were Syrian armed forces the irregulars would be plausible assailants. The convenience of claiming multiple labs wherever Syrian forces kill ‘rebels’ however, is stretching plausibility to breaking point. Only uncritical swallowers of Russian and Syrian propaganda will continue to swallow such self-serving nonsense.
Chlorine is still available. It’s used to make water potable. It was also used in WWI in trench warfare. Creates respiratory problems. I’m sure the necessary inventiveness to produce such a bane would easily be in the repertoire of urban fighters with much to avenge. And a career to develop.
Civilian population is not in prime health after months of restricted diet, prolonged fear, and aerial attacks.
It doesn’t have to have been Assad. There are enough crazies in the area to create a large list of possible villains for the deed.
And Assad would never do anything like that – the tonnes of nerve gas he had acquired by 2014 in no way indicate a willingness to use them. He must’ve been a collector eh.
I wonder at what point Assad supporters will repent their increasingly desperate rationalizations.
I wonder at what point western propaganda enthusiasts will stop believing the increasingly desperate rationalizations
How many times will you fall for the same line, Stuart….
Approximately…
Of course you’d never ask yourself that question – being so “clever” that you’ve made like a gannet and swallowed the version from the other side.
Thing is Stuart, I’ve explained it to you more than once now, and you continue to ignore what I’ve said…
You’ve taken a side based on whatever twisted variables contruct the narratives in your own mind….and can’t seem to comtemplate making adjustments despite decade after decade of naked propganda…
I’ve not taken a side, and because I don’t take sides, I can evaluate extended periods of time lapsed propaganda exposures aligned against events and outcomes without prejudice…
Meanwhile you keep repeating ad nauseum your bias, while convincing yourself that I’ve on-boarded a view counter to yours…
Come on man…you need a long hard look in the mirror…it’s not good enough in this day and age to be at such a low level..
I assume you’re an adult…
I’ll leave you to it for good from now on, as I strongly suspect you have some other issues going on…
Be well…
“I’ve not taken a side, and because I don’t take sides,”
Piffle.
You’ve been a constant member of the RT cheer team. You’re a Putin troll – Own it.
Unpleasant as it is, Syria in line with many other non-nuclear states, manufactured and stockpiled the “poor man’s” nuclear deterrent – chemical and/or biological agents.
So yes. A “collector” in much the same way as nuclear nations “collect” nuclear weapons.
Israel’s next door, y’know?
As for why (I’ll use the term beloved by western media outlets) rebels would have chemical weapons factories in Ghouta (as reported by fairly reliable non-mainstream media), well….
And why would terrorists who are getting huge amounts of support from the west, target the west with chemicals designed to aid in the overthrow of the Syrian government? (By encouraging military intervention to stop the country’s army that’s on the cusp of victory deploying chemicals in order to delay and possibly jeapordise its own imminent victory over terrorists in the country)
You’ve still got a problem explaining why Syria, which is known to have them, and which UN bodies at least are persuaded have used them, aren’t using them, while irregular forces who don’t have them are supposed to have so many labs that the ‘poor’ Russians can’t seem to drop a bomb without supposedly hitting one.
Syria destroyed its chemical weapons stockpile during Obama’s presidency.
And I’m only aware of one occasion when Russia claimed it had hit a chemical weapons factory operated by the terrorists.
Meanwhile, in Ghouta, Beeley claims CNN reporters were with her on the ground at the site of a chemical factory formerly operated by terrorists, but that they didn’t report on it.
(I linked her article somewhere on the thread and someone else did too)
Depends who you ask.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Use_of_chemical_weapons_in_the_Syrian_Civil_War#Reported_chemical_weapons_attacks
@Joe90.
You do have to wonder at all those allegations being leveled at the Syrian government by governments with no presence in the area, aye?
I mean, even if there were chemical attacks, how would the US, UK, France and the other complainants, who funnily enough all want the Syrian government overthrown and replaced, know about them?
Maybe the rebels tell them, except, as is becoming ever more clear, there are no rebels – just terrorists.
So the terrorists tell them. And that opens its own can of worms for “our” governments irrespective of who launched what chemical attack (assuming they all actually took place).
There seem to be several claims:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39500947
Russia, which has carried out air strikes in support of President Assad since 2015, said the Syrian air force had struck Khan Sheikhoun “between 11:30am and 12:30pm local time” on 4 April, but that the target had been “a large terrorist ammunition depot” on its eastern outskirts.
http://21stcenturywire.com/2018/04/08/syria-the-egregious-western-media-chemical-weapon-fraud-in-eastern-ghouta/
Terrorist Chemical Weapon Capability in Eastern Ghouta.
Journalist and geopolitical analyst, Sharmine Narwani, was in liberated Eastern Ghouta a few weeks ago when a Chemical Weapons laboratory was discovered in the farmlands between between Shifouniyeh and Douma. Narwani comments on the western media “disinterest” in this discovery:
https://www.rt.com/op-ed/421515-ghouta-syria-chemical-weapons/
Terrorist capabilities laid bare in an Eastern Ghouta chemical lab
Assuming that was a response to my comment to Joe90…
I think you misunderstand my comment. I’m not for a second suggesting there have been no chemical weapons deployed in Syria.
In fact it was a reply to
“I’m only aware of one occasion when Russia claimed it had hit a chemical weapons factory operated by the terrorists.”
.
Strange how the
oppositionterrorists only ever seem to gas themselves with their super secret stockpiles of chemical weapons, yet never use them against the regime or Russian and Iranian forces.Well, no. That’s not correct. There have been allegations of chemicals being used against SAA soldiers.
And no terrorist uses chemicals against themselves. But they do have large captive civilian populations, many of who don’t or wont “convert” and willingly acquiesce to Sharia Law.
.
Apparently this mob spent weeks negotiating terms acceptable to them and their families, softened themselves up with an alleged gas attack and then threw in the towel and accepted the opposition’s terms.
.
AMMAN: Fighters in the last opposition-controlled city in East Ghouta reached a deal with Russian negotiators on Sunday to evacuate with their families, one rebel official told Syria Direct, after intense bombardment and a reported chemical attack killed at least 225 civilians over the weekend.
Under the reported agreement, all rebel fighters with the Jaish al-Islam faction in Douma city and any civilians wishing to leave are to evacuate the eastern Damascus suburbs for opposition-held northwestern Syria in coming days, a member of the faction’s media office told Syria Direct on Sunday.
The media official requested that his name not be published, as he spoke to Syria Direct without authorization from Jaish al-Islam, which has not officially announced an evacuation deal.
Syrian and Russian state media both reported that a deal was reached on Sunday for rebels to evacuate Douma. Russia is a longtime backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and was a party to recent negotiations with rebel factions in East Ghouta.
For weeks, Jaish al-Islam has maintained that it would not accept any agreement with Russia or the Syrian government that included the evacuation of fighters from Douma.
http://syriadirect.org/news/%E2%80%98deal-reached%E2%80%99-for-rebels-to-leave-douma-after-bloody-weekend-suspected-chemical-attack/
Uh-huh.
According to a site called “Syria Direct” from Yale University. That’s slightly unfair perhaps – it’s coming out of Jordan. But the Managing Director, Justin Schuster, is from Yale.
I don;t know the site Joe. But a very quick look and I see headlines about “rebels” and mention of government reprisals for anyone moving to government areas.
And for now, I’m just going to say that flies in the face of what on the ground independent journalists are saying.
Do you believe every word the western propaganda machine tells you Stuart ?
No.
But I do like to see sources – which your ‘heroes’ don’t seem to like to use. And I’m quite familiar with disinformatsia, which you either don’t know about, or don’t care about.
Uncritically embracing sites like MOOA, RT, Globalresearch, and folk like Murray or Beeley, won’t get you much closer to the truth – it just gives you a different set of lies.
Which you seem to swallow like an eight year old. Which leaves you some way short of being convincing.
Belief isn’t good enough to make a decision upon. We need evidence and that is almost always missing from these discussions.
The problem is that so many make vital decisions based upon belief and ideology rather than the facts.
Draco;
Both Stunned mullet and QAB always wildly ‘assume’ or use “belief” as they are right wing terms to widen the focus that it has been proven already.
We now live in a deep state world of propandana activities and not the true factual world any more.
‘Propanda’ …sounds cuddly.
Nah mate. You’re getting it all confused with Poppa Panda.
Propanda is the “Save the Bamboo” crowd.
And propandana that cleangreen was referring to is just this years, vaguely militantly themed fashionable panda headwear.
Ah good oh, thanks for the clarification.
For I second I thought he was riffing like good old Randal and his Hardly Davisons.
It’s not fair to call OAB right wing. An intelligent poster with sometimes differing views to whoever. Hope the month goes quick.
There are reports of chemical weapons manufacturing ‘factories’ being found in Ghouta. Apparently one journalist present worked for CNN, (Frederick Pleitgen, his camerawoman and a translator) but well, they omitted that detail from the live report for the network.
In tandem with that Vanessa Beeley (whose first hand reports from Syria have been pretty well on the mark even if her overarching political philosophy is questionable) reports that an estimated 3 500 civilians have been incarcerated by Jaish Al Islam in Ghouta.
Here’s the link to her piece that includes the reference to CNN.
http://21stcenturywire.com/2018/04/08/syria-the-egregious-western-media-chemical-weapon-fraud-in-eastern-ghouta/
Makes sense to me that ISIS remnants would perpetrate this atrocity as a last-ditch propaganda attack on Damascus. The problem is I can also see Assad doing it again, too.
Anyone who would do it once, or even plan for it in the first place (cf: the “Syrian Center of Environmental Protection Problems”) is already beyond the bounds of sense or decency, so expecting them to start behaving reasonably is a stretch.
ISIS are no better. Either party could be responsible for an attack like this.
Not according to “our” governments and the howls (more muted than on previous occasions) from the liberal/corporate media.
Their take seems very much to be that if chemicals were used it was Assad; it was Russia….and Iran will also pay, because “Iran”.
What you can ‘see’ counts for nothing when the OPCW, in every investigation, has not proved Assad’s government gassed Syrians.
And we know the white helmets have tried to frame the government before.
People who stockpile 1,300 tonnes of the stuff (not including the chlorine) don’t do so by accident. Nor do they do so with good intentions.
As you can see, I have a low opinion of Bashar Al-Assad. You’re going to have to find a way to accept that.
I don’t write stuff on here for your eyes only.
You’re going to have to find a way to accept that.
However, when you’re merchandising your doubt at me, you can expect a response.
“Obama was given a nobel peace prize moments after taking office”
A slight exaggeration One Two. It was actually about eight and a half months. It certainly felt like the way you describe it though. I can only think of one reason they gave him the award.
https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/press.html
He wasn’t George W Bush and the Norwegian Nobel Committee really hated George. Obama certainly hadn’t done anything, at least at that stage, to deserve it.
POTUS for 8 years, peace prize after 8 months…
11% of the total time of the presidency…
It was announced sometime prior to the award…
Moments!
Trevvy reporting”new fuel tax” as an apocalypse. Can’t bring myself to read the article yet. Can’t wait for her to write a real news column. New revelations on Pike River Mine for one. Middlebrow Hospital for another. Camp Burnham as well. Umm, EQC debacle. Shame on you Brownies. Should go and read it now, it might be a truly unbiased revelation.
Poor old Mike is going to have to pay more for his coffee so workers on minimum wages have a better chance of feeding themselves and their kids.
Poor Mike.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12028762i
try
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12028762
Hosking doesn’t understand that the government is one of the market forces he purports to worship.
Ha ha ha.
Yes you may be correct there as it stands presently OAB.
The government is a huge market force. The ability to make laws and regulations is very influential. In NZ (iirc) they’re also the largest employer in the country.
Hosking’s saying “you can’t dip your toe in the water” to someone who’s already in the bath.
Minimum wage nor a living wage will save workers. Mike will find a cheaper alternative.
Robot baristas, here they come!
https://youtu.be/UYcTG7YLTQw
You’re probably right. So, we have to get rid of the failed experiment called capitalism as it obviously can’t support society at all as an economic system is supposed to do.
Spot on, Draco.
Economic systems are philosophical ideas designed to serve us all.
Excellent – perhaps a rogue robot will remove Mike’s head and steam it for 20 seconds before dropping it in a latte bowl?
Blame the cyclists. Blame the cattle.
Personal responsibility? Missing in action.
Dude shunting the animal with his ute needs to have a think about what he did too.
Have to say I’d think twice about getting in the way of “a half a ton of angry pot-roast”. Not saying he did the right thing, more like I might well make the same mistake. Mind you I haven’t got bull-bars.
Farmer should have had people there so ultimately it’s on them. But it does sound like a bunch of people who had no idea how to be in/around cattle, doing stupid shit*. We share the road with farmers. Would the cyclists have done that in a paddock of cattle? Then why do it on the road?
I’ve seen a farmer come up behind me when I’ve slowed for cattle on the road, pass me, and then use his vehicle to push the cattle out of the way faster. I wasn’t in a hurry, he was an arsehole who thought he was doing his job. The cattle behaved exactly as you would expect and got agitated, jumping around.
Not an issue with cars (although I can see the potential for damage to the vehicle or the animal there if someone driving didn’t know what to do), but a really bad idea when you have people in that situation who are smaller than the cattle.
*also possible is the person who drove his vehicle into the actual animal was a farmer.
Do you have a farm as I do, and we treat our animals as we would treat you, so are you up for this?
We treat our animals humanly with respect so should everyone as they have no other voice of reason than us.
I don’t even eat them: I reckon that’s pretty “humane”.
Not really, save the person whoever’s fault it was.
He drove into the steer and it then attacked another cyclist. Understandably (by the steer).
We don’t know what happened, but on the face of it, in the story in the article, what I would have done is gotten out of my vehicle and told the cyclist to get off his bike, cross to the other side of the road and stop and wait for the steer to figure out what to do. It’s not going to attack people randomly, but it will if it’s stressed or scared. The person who drove into the steer aggravated the situation.
Missed that but, yes quite probably wound it up more- if true, the story has already changed from yesterday!
Dude in the comment section is adamant cones were in place and farmers at each end, cyclists bowled through, if that’s the case they only have themselves to blame.
The other take home is how shit the reporting is – they have repeatedly confused a bull with a steer (obviously different temperament/handling) and didn’t establish the facts around the animal movement.
media reporting sound about right.
Only ten of us installed the Big Brother app.
Can the other sixty-three thousand of us claim ACC or something? I feel a sense of paranoia coming on.
So ten people used an app connected to FB and FB enabled CA to access the data of 60,000 people?
Probably not all their (Our? My?) data, but still.
FB enabled CA to access the data of friends, and friends of friends of those 10 people – sure mounts up if each had 250 friends!
100% weka.
I am not a Green voter but I am impressed of what I saw of Marama Davidson on the AM show this morning.
She was NOT going to let Garner talk over her and wasn’t he pissed off.
So pissed off, he and that other odious character Ricardson along with the female on the show who does not impress me one bit, had a deep and meaningful discussion on Marama Davidson’s comment on benefit fraud. something like ” I am not going to discuss that” not sure of exact words.
It is a pity they do not have a similarly deep and meaningful discussion on tax fraud and the state of Middlemore Hospital, that no bridges Bridges says it is nothing to do with the National party.
We need more like Marama Davidson to start to put these arseoles in their place, and I think Garner was so desperate to get something on her, he had to scrape the bottom of the barrel so hard to find that snippet he must have put a hole it.
She also owned the interview with Espiner on RNZ on Morning Report this morning, my partner said “way to go Marama” – she controlled the narrative and what a breath of fresh air that was. Interesting times ahead for her and her political career.
half crown you hit the nail squarely on the head.
Last time I was a supporter of the green party was in 2002 and we split off to start our own Environmental advocacy centre because the green party were not supporting our actions using the green party.
But now we see a glimmer of hope that the greens may push Labour back left again to it’s ‘true left side’ (as Simon Bridges suggested would happen if Marama was elected co-leader),on this morning on The AM Show.
So we live in hope that the labour party will turn left again as all expected it to do.
Good on her.
Alternatively she might have said she was happy to discuss benefit fraud so long as Garner allocated 33x as much time to discussing tax avoidance as that ratio correctly reflects their relative economic impact according to Lisa Marriot’s research.
Say, 3 seconds on benefit fraud and 1min 40 sec on tax avoidance?
Correction: “evasion’ not avoidance
Great news.
Catherine Delahunty of the Greens also found out that Amanda Gillies ( like Richardson and Garner) does not deserve our respect.
Soimon is UNfuckingBELIEVABLE!
On the news -” the Government should stop whining and get on with fixing the mess in the health system!” or words to that effect.
Well said Tony, after witnessing his attempts on both TV networks this morning I’m predicting that he will lead national to their biggest loss ever come 2020.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/04/national-government-didn-t-know-about-shocking-state-of-middlemore-hospital-simon-bridges.html
Wish Clark would start telling people about the clusterf#$k that Ryall/Key/Blinglish and Coleman created just in health.
A Comprehensive year by year listing of all the services cut back or removed including a grim reaper to show where Mental Health keeled over because not having a reasonable mental health system is asking for trouble in this modern world.
Then move on to Education, the environment, transport, housing etc in a format that’s easily understood so sheeple get the look and feel.
Sheeple don’t think so with the nact msm giving these unchallenged soapboxes the Govt runs a risk by not countering the BS.
Probably loik you, at toims I foind it difficult to unnastearn the bugger. Not unloik John Key going forwid.
But then I’VE JUSS BEEN LUSSNING ta Jearssie Mullgin – lissning bearnt Kriss Lewisand the nurryda .
I’l have to listen again because all I could hair was “ear ear ear” (going forward).
En oim a mouldabull genrayshull Nu Zullna liviing, and deeply embedded amongst the Mount Victoria Urban Liberal – even to the extent I’ve sampled most of the lower Marjoribank Street’s eateries.
Bugger me tho’…… I really will have to revisit and listen.
‘World leaders urged to act as anger over inequality reaches a ‘tipping point’
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/apr/07/global-inequality-tipping-point-2030
same clowns.
In a similar vein….must be contagious
https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2018/04/should-we-mourn-our-cancelled-tax-cuts.html
“Though they’ll never admit it, the logical consequence of the Taxpayers’ Union’s policies is indistinguishable from that of every other “taxation is theft” outfit: expanding the domain of public pain by deliberately reducing the opportunities for its concerted public amelioration. Like the far-Right American lobbyist, Grover Norquist, they are determined to get the state down to “the size where we can drown it in the bathtub”
The rich are the problem – time to get rid of them.
I wouldnt phrase it so simplistically but agree with the general direction….the problem however is that too many comparatively well off see it as a personal attack whether or not their personal circumstances would be adversely affected or not…a case of ‘better the devil you know’ rather than ‘nothing to lose’ all wrapped up with fear.
There comes a tipping point.
Well, we can use legislation to get rid of them or that tipping point arrives and people in dire straights do dire things.
100%, Draco;
Vote for the only option left to us all now is socialism as capitalism is dead now because of human greed.
Yup
Clearly we are doing something wrong in NZ….
“New Zealand’s prison population is skyrocketing, and our jails are at breaking point.
The Netherlands has the opposite problem – they’re closing down prisons because inmate numbers have plummeted.”
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2018/04/dutch-prison-system-offers-inspiration-to-new-zealand.html
Yes savenz;
Holland use discipline far more than we do but temper it with a much higher level of humanity towards incarcerated and use rehabilitation and training to give hope to those who have faulted.
Like these people?
http://metro.co.uk/2015/08/26/13-vegan-athletes-smashing-it-on-a-meat-free-diet-5349835/
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
The most recent article from Craig Murray.
Brilliant satire.
“Despite this story being one of the most improbably wild conspiracy theories in human history, it is those who express any doubt at all as to its veracity who are smeared as “conspiracy theorists” or even “traitors”.”
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2018/04/portonblimp-down-episode-2-a-tale-by-boris-johnson/
If you favour sanctions for Russia, then have a read of this. Working people inside Russia are suffering. The last election was a joke, as mass protest against Putin suggest. “What protest in Russia” I hear you say, Christian Anarchists have been helping organising them, 300,000 people at one protest alone. All is not well in the oligarchic regime, what with them bleeding working Russians dry.
https://libcom.org/blog/tragic-events-russia-08042018
Do I need to mention a friend of mine is still in Prison, awaiting charges. Almost three years, now. Another guy I know has been given 5 years for Sedition, he was handing out fliers in support gay rights. His church is constantly being monitored, because they let LGBT members into the congregation.
Here’s a link to the article Simon Wilson wrote based on an interview with Johnathan Coleman. He claims to have known nothing about Middlemore (surprise, surprise!). Perhaps a bigger surprise – says he argued against tax cuts and for more funding for Health and Education” Wasn’t he the minister of health who presided over that?
“I can tell you right now I had no knowledge of that at all,” he said. “Absolutely none. And,” he added, speaking each word carefully, “I don’t lie.”
He said the Counties-Manukau district health board chair Lester Levy told a parliamentary select committee in February this year that they had two problems. “One was increased demand and the other was management of ageing infrastructure.” But he said Levy had not gone into any detail.
“It was never raised with us,” Coleman said. “Look. If I had known, this would have gone to the top of my list.”
Coleman cast himself as the champion of health. He told me that as health minister he battled inside Cabinet and caucus for more resources for his sector. “I asked for more money for health in each budget. It’s no secret that I advocated for more spending on health and education, instead of tax cuts.”
No secret, eh, Johnathan? I sure don’t recall hearing this from you in the past. What about all the “Labour is the party of tax” and “tax is theft” bullshit your party has spouted in recent times?
Probably one of the best kept National Party secrets (i.e. his advocacy in Cabinet for increased funding in the health sector).
I read that article and reflected on his claims. He did have leadership ambitions up until recently which is probably the reason he kept silent about his opposition to tax cuts.
It shows that in the Nat Party ambition trumps everything.
A bit harsh on Dr Death 🙂
He would have been sacked or have had to quit if he’d publicly gone against Key’s and Bingles’ desire for
tax cutsbribes the public didn’t even want.But then again he didn’t quit, did he.
Can imagine ponytail boy and bingles being too happy reading that Wilson interview…lol.
Just shows he was weak in Cabinet.
Continually got rolled.
Coleman, Levy and Mathias have show lack of commitment to our public health system while occupying positions of power within it.
Mathias, the Birthcare and Labtests entrepreneur. Levy the seemingly conflicted director of Tonkin and Taylor and Coleman groomed to become CEO of Acurity Healthcare.
Looks to me like they entered and left the public sector to suit their private sector agendas.
Lester Levy would have had his speech vetted by Colemans staff. Thats how these things work.
They certainly ‘managed ‘the Waikato DHB CEO scandal to push it out till after the election.
You can bet your bottom dollar the foreign country in question was the United States.
http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2018/04/why-is-foreign-power-deciding-who-nz.html
Perhaps we should defer to @Wayne’s expertise and impartial opinion on the matter.
He should be along soon (when he gets time to indulge in a little conversation with a hard-left Labour Party blog site like TS.
You will be in trouble with lprent. It’s not a Labour Party blog-site.
I forgot the /sarc
From my recollection I am pretty sure the other country is Afghanistan. I recall various discussions with NZDF and MFAT officials on this particular point.
When forces are deployed in another country which has a legally constituted government (which Afghanistan had from about 2002/2003) naturally that country has a say in the scope of the ROE.
And as Exkiwiforces says there is also a status of forces agreement. Most of the legal jurisdiction over our forces remained with the New Zealand government.
Having read that post during my lunch and IMO it’s Afghanistan Government via what’s called a SOFA ( Status Of Forces Agreement) which covers everything from ROE, OFOF, LOAC, Size of the Military Force in the host nation, Religious stuff, respect of Local customs/ culture and use of locally employed contractors doing building, cleaning the dunnies etc etc as list is almost endless on the do’s and don’ts in the host nation.
Yes I think that would be the case as well.
The Iraq SOFA is very strict and this largely due to some of the muppet PMC’s aka Blackwater and the shit that went on during the last shit fight post invasion.
With the SOFA in place, and any information regarding how troops engaged or behaved under these agreements, and subject to classification – how would you see any unethical or out of scope behaviour by the NZ Army (most notably the decision makers) being able to be discovered, and verified?
I don’t know the full mechanics of how the SOFA works, but from what I do know that the host nation particularly those within the MER are very sensitive at gets released to the general public.
Some of the confronting shit I’ve/ We’ve have seen in MER which went against my/ our values and morals we had to sand back or turn our back as I/ we couldn’t intervene due to the SOFA. BTW it’s not to do with Combat or the POWs as the they came under LOAC, but it was cultural and Religious stuff.
Anyone want to have a go at Northcote on June 9th?
My personal pick would be Richard Hills the local Labour Councillor.
He would have as good a shot as any against a fairly significant National majority.
He would be the ideal candidate and – bless his cotton socks – he might even pull off a shock win.
Yes – but surely they’ll remain loyal to Shanan Halbert who did pretty well last year?
Happy to see the contagion of Croaker Coleman lifted no matter what the result tbh
Newshub congratulations to our sports stars for there win . Duncan New Zealand is as raciest as Taika Waititi is right with his statement .If I was brought up by my white father I would not be going through this Total harassment By the NEW ZEALAND POLICE they are using all the dirty tactics they can I read and see all the people whom the police have used to try and take me out . Can you justifie that . I am as proud as of my MAORI heritage and nothing is going to change that.
Jacinda you handled Dancan well I treat everyone with respect I try my best not to be raciest because in my eyes we are all one race the humans race. Race should be banded to the history books we have to ALL COME together to mitigate against climate change to survive look at the other ancient cultures that have collapse around Papatuanuku .
The Aucland Council should close that native forest track to save OUR ancient Kauri till they find a solution that stops the spread of that Kauri die back virus now.
As for jonathan coleman watch him bend his neck while he lies his—— off Ana to kai. P.S shonky was a master at suppressing information and minuplating information
Ka kite ano
The AM Show I agree with old Michele Barnett that OUR nurses deserve a pay rise they are just as important to OUR society as any the police . Paddy that’s the way ehoa tell it like you see it on Taika Waititi statement is correct P.S I am multi tasking on my computa .
Ana to kai Ka kite ano
The AM Show I detest bullies as I was bullied since my Greatgrandmother died . The New Zealand police are bulling me now and bulling everyone that I associate with
The thing is that I have a thick skin and it does not affect me as it does others Ana to kai Ka kite ano