Such deficiencies seem to be a major malaise in NZ since the reforms of the 1980s implemented greed and cost cutting in favour of doing the job properly.
Congratulations to Tim Shadbolt, Tracy Hicks and Robert Guyton on their reelection in Southland, as a Southlander living overseas these 3 have worked for the interests of Southland and its great that Southland avoids the party politics that plague other metropolitan towns and cities. While there will always be differences of opinion I think the rest of NZ could learn a thing or too from Gore, Invercargill and Rural Southland about getting on with things rather than infighting etc.
There are more $30b in funds invested in kiwisaver.
I’d like to hear of your plan for where that money would be invested, in a way that allows investors to pull it out to build houses or when they retire, without the money being invested in banks or the stock market.
“How does investing in building houses provide investment returns? How do these people cash the money out when they want to retire?”
We keep our immigration levels up and we just turn NZ into one giant house building economy for mostly Asia where there is plenty of demand for citizens to leave.
Often migrants want to have a look first which keeps tourism levels up.
And the world needs more water and food, so we can sell them our water super cheap and our farms and assets like Silver Ferm farms.
That’s the Natz vision for our economy.
Sadly I’m not sure if there is much of an alternative vision from other political parties or maybe they can voice it in a way that is easily understood.
BTW – this economic approach does nothing for productivity and we are middling at best for GDP in spite of having the 3rd highest population growth after Israel and Luxembourg.
You shouldn’t be asking such awkward questions Lanthanide.
“How does investing in building houses provide investment returns”.
Have another read of the things CV, save NZ and The Chairman are saying.
What they really want isn’t to use the money in people’s Kiwi Saver accounts, or the Government Super Fund or the Cullen Fund to be used on that sort of thing. They want to grab it and spend it on their own little hobby horses and to blow it on their pet little projects.
That is why I don’t trust ANY Government to own and run businesses. They can’t resist the chance to throw money at things they favour, rather than things that make any sense.
They also can’t resist the temptation to claim that they have to right to help themselves to other peoples hard earned savings or businesses that private individuals have developed.
Why do you think that save NZ talks about “our farms and assets like Silver Fern farms”. He thinks they are HIS assets.
Why do you think that The Chairman talks about “That money could be funding new publicly owned (SOEs) exporting ventures”.
He doesn’t want to spend his own money on things he favours. He wants to spend YOUR’S
Yip, I almost wrote “you’re no better than politicians who see a large pot of money set aside for public pensions and can’t help themselves but raid it for their pet projects”.
I believe it was James Shaw who just recently said the superannuation fund money should be put towards building renewable power plants.
If I had used your words, which convey exactly what I meant I could have saved such a lot of typing.
The Greens have an almost unique ability to choose the most foolish economic proposals. One of them is the way they propose to encourage people to use “greener” forms of transport, in particular electric cars. They want, I understand, to exempt them from FBT. That is of course a subsidy or rebate on such vehicles.
The Economist, a couple of months ago published a brief article on the most effective way of getting people to use greener forms of vehicle. The ways it could be done were higher fuel charges, higher registration charges for polluting vehicles or a rebate on green machines. All these were tried in Switzerland.
One can invest in little with a dollar, but collectively (through government) that dollar can be turned into millions, vastly increasing investment opportunities.
The local private sector is lacking when it comes to exporting, hence the need for Government to help fill this void.
The alternative which tends to be pursued is to seek offshore investment.
However, when one looks at our current account, one can see how well that has been working out for the nation overall.
Why don’t you set up a KiwiSaver scheme then that announces it’s policy is the set up such companies?
Then invest your own KiwiSaver money, and that of anyone else who wants to join up, in such ventures.
Just don’t force people to do so if they want to get higher returns, and a better retirement, elsewhere.
Why do you think YOU have the right to determine where I invest my retirement savings?
KiwiSaver membership is not mandatory, hence I’m not forcing anyone to invest.
Moreover, the level of risk you decide to select is up to you.
While your suggestion could be of some benefit to the nation and myself, it doesn’t reach the scale of what I was suggesting, thus produce the wider benefits.
How does investing in building houses provide investment returns? How do these people cash the money out when they want to retire?
Wrong questions.
The correct questions are:
Why do we insist that we need private investment?
Why do we insist that people must get something for nothing from having money?
Why do we insist that people need to ‘save for their retirement’ when saving money saves nothing at all?
That money could be funding new publicly owned (SOEs) exporting ventures, which will boost the productive sector, creating new jobs whilst growing the nations wealth.
From an investor point of view I am not sure I would take your investment advise CV, country risk is huge, all assets tied up in high risk business start ups, liquidity is crap,, no diversification etc. dont confuse Wall Street the market with the underlying assets if they are shares, these are real companies making real things that you see around you and that you buy and use every day,
You may want to look into the economic theory called the ‘paradox of thrift’. This demonstrates conclusively that to the extent NZers saving propensities are raised this increases the average NZers saving rate by no dollers what so ever. Its impossible for Kiwisaver to succeed in its primary (stated) policy goal of raising NZers savings rate. Its actually just another branch of the neoliberal onslaught and in practice an attempt to run a govt budget surplus by minimising pension payments over time.
Ad. I understood the closeness of the vote between Gillon and Hill was considered too close to call (68) and could be overturned by specials – unless there’s been an update I don’t know about.
Don’t get me wrong. Hills show huge promise. I want to see him win.
Long form interview of Syrian President al-Assad by Denmark’s TV2
The Syrian Government knew in advance that the ceasefire would fail because they already understood from previous experience that the Americans had no genuine motivation or ability to separate out “moderate” rebel groups from the jihadists, as required by the ceasefire agreement.
The most telling, and also chilling, bit of this interview is the reference to the Cuban missile crisis, followed by this, Now the situation is different, because in the United States you don’t have superior statecraft. When you don’t have superior statecraft, you should expect anything… He is not the first to make this observation, and it was openly visible in Samantha Powers’ petulant, childish address to the UN, and in a presidential debate that could easily have passed as an audition for a part in a reality TV show. Even if you go back a short way to Bush Snr. and Dukakis, you could not then have imagined the standard of sober-mindedness for high office falling so low.
The TINA doctrine expresses a position that brooks no negotiation. Its adherents seem to want to elevate people who are able to win over the public and follow directions (as with reality TV). Where Kennedy was able to leave Cuba more-or-less alone in exchange for not having a missile base next door, these people seem incapable of such moves. To do that would be inconsistent with the “hard choices” that they believe they must make. Both Kerry and Obama do seem, prima facie, better than that, but also seem unable to rein in the silliness and hubris that has developed to an alarming degree within US public life.
The question as to whether Putin and Al Assad are good or bad pales alongside the question as to whether the west is currently capable of sober, mature behaviour.
Don’t forget State Dept spox John Kirby saying a week or two ago that the way Russia is going in Syria, Russia might expect to start losing resources, planes, might start receiving more body bags at home, and that Russian cities might be attacked.
There are many dupes on this site of the USA.
They still believe their lies after 9/11 and Iraq.
You should listen to John Pilger.
No doubt you’d call him a ‘dupe of Russia’.
He also happens to be a most respected independent journalist.
Before viewing evidence I look at credibility of the individual professing it , ie first A then B, unfortunately you fail the A text, I have read Pilcher in the past, grumpy old man syndrome, with massive chip to boot, I can see why you and he get along
+100 Paul … worth watching!…interesting if scathing comments on the mainstream media, the American Election …. and demonisation of Donald Trump… war criminals Hillary Clinton and Obama too…also Madeleine Albright
“Then the fake document becomes the source of a news story distributed on far-left or far-right-wing websites,”
That’s the weirdest thing about the Putin fan-boys – there are as many of them on the loonier fringes of the left as there are on the loonier fringes of the right. I wouldn’t have expected to see people on the left cheerleading for right-wing nationalist authoritarians, but it looks as though for some people their (US) enemy’s enemy is their friend. Newsflash, suckers: your enemy’s enemy isn’t your friend, but does enjoy having useful idiots on-side.
Presenting Putin’s useful idiots – anyone who disagrees with the establishment
This weekend we once again got confirmation that any time the generic narrative spectacularly falls apart, and the “establishment” is caught with its pants down (or, in the case of the DNC, engaging in borderline election fraud leading to what the FT just described as “Democrats in turmoil”) what does it do? Why blame Putin of course, and more specifically his “useful idiots”, and hope the whole thing blows over quickly.
And you support US neocon foreign policy in Ukraine. Latvia, Syria….
Supporting the policies of Bush, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld. now that’s a progressive stance.
Nowhere, ever, have I supported the US.
why do you lie? Why are you so stupid as to think criticism against Putin somehow implies supporting the US? Is your worldview that binary?
Instead of being castigated by one-dimensional numpties who cannot understand that critical analysis of one thing does not equate to support for something else.
If anyone’s spurned the left it’s Leftie and those of his ilk, not CV. CV challenges the so-called left by asking if they’re left enough. Leftie epitomises what’s become the current mainstream neo-liberal left by accepting without question and without exception every single thing Labour says and does. That is called spurning the left.
I like the fact that cv questions the neo-liberal left’s domestic policies, as well as questioning the left’s slavish support of extreme neocon US foreign policy.
It is worth noting that cv gets a lot more flak from the right wing trolls than our neo-liberal Labour commentators on this site.
Cheers to the three of you. Sorry I missed most of this thread as it unfolded.
Marty Mars is a good guy and correct in basically saying that I no longer subscribe to the groupings of the traditional (mid 20th Century based industrial pro growth social democratic)/establishment (sold out for power centrist free market)/liberal identity politics left, and that I have said so explicitly.
(And yes he is also correct that I am “proud” of this.)
Sadly, the established conventional Left have only a small fraction of the answers needed for what is coming down the pike over the next ten to twenty years.
thank you cv – I don’t judge your comment but accept it and respect it too – unlike some of your supporters who don’t accept let alone respect it and want to try and create a problem where there isn’t one – that’s you chris.
I am also very very happy that you don’t identify as a left thinker, supporter or activist.
no need to be a patronising git there chris – curb yourself.
I already answered – I don’t care. He doesn’t care what I think he is. He is happy not to be on the left. It isn’t that controversial or hard to understand. Hopefully you won’t come back with slimey bullshit now that that has all been cleared up ffs.
Chris, and Paul, whatever disagreements there might be about CV’s politics or the value of CV’s contributions here, it is most definitely true that CV earlier this year declared himself to not be left wing. He’s said it a number of times, and many of us remember this because of how it happened and the context it happened in.
I think it’s 50/50 whether CV himself, who is still active in this thread, will confirm this himself. That alone tells us much about the problems here.
Sure, but what does that mean? marty mars seems to be saying that this means CV’s some kind of extreme right wing something something. That’s the implication and marty mars won’t say otherwise. It’s a meaningless accusation.
I never said or implied that at all fuckwit – don’t try and spin some wank game geezer. It is a fact, he said it – deal with it. You are the only one making shit up.
Sure, but what does that mean? marty mars seems to be saying that this means CV’s some kind of extreme right wing something something. That’s the implication and marty mars won’t say otherwise. It’s a meaningless accusation.
What it means is that marty said repeatedly that CV doesn’t consider himself to be left wing anymore. There is no further implication about being extreme right, although marty did suggest it might be called pan-political.
There are lots of things to accuse CV of, but marty didn’t do that. Reminding that CV himself doesn’t consider himself to be left wing is a relevant comment on its own. Any inference is something you’ve decided, not something marty has said. Here’s the exact quotes. Feel free to scroll up to see them in context, but I think they stand pretty clearly on their own.
Marty is in quotation marks, others in [ ].
“CV has spurned the left and has declared he’s no leftie.”
*
[I think cv presents an honest left wing viewpoint.]
”He doesn’t – ask him he is proud of it.”
*
“Hes not left he has said this it isnt a conspiracy just a non judgemental fact .”
*
[If anyone’s spurned the left it’s Leftie and those of his ilk, not CV. CV challenges the so-called left by asking if they’re left enough. Leftie epitomises what’s become the current mainstream neo-liberal left by accepting without question and without exception every single thing Labour says and does. That is called spurning the left.]
“Bullshit. He isnt left he says so or are you calling him a liar”
*
[Now, getting back to that discussion. If “he isn’t left” (what ever that may or may not mean), what would you say he “is”?]
“I don’t care other than he isn’t left – he says the left/right model is outdated so I suppose he is pan political.”
*
“I already answered – I don’t care. He doesn’t care what I think he is. He is happy not to be on the left. It isn’t that controversial or hard to understand. Hopefully you won’t come back with slimey bullshit now that that has all been cleared up ffs.”
CV: Marty Mars claims you have “has spurned the left” and that you are “no leftie.”
Hi Paul, I no longer count myself as a member of the traditional left wing (jobs, industrial growth, organised labour, social democracy), or the establishment left wing (centrist market model Labour/Greens), or the liberal identity politics left wing (take your pick).
Not because there aren’t useful elements within there, but because they are completely unsuitable and inadequate for what is coming down the pike in the next 10 to 20 years.
Say what you mean then, son. All you’ve said is that CV’s “not left”. What the fuck does that mean, you one-dimensional little weasel. What are you accusing CV of being, then? Far left? Fuck, I’d be proud if someone called me that, but you’ve said nothing apart from “CV’s not left”. If you call yourself “left”, then heaven fucking help us.
[you’ve had this explained to you several times already, including by CV himself. If you’re not willing to listen to people and just want to be abusive, take the night off. – weka]
1,2 – I haven’t insulted cv by clarifying that he says he isn’t a left winger – get a grip.
chis – your having a wankathon by yourself over your made up outrage over your made up conclusion which has been clarified for you at least 3 times now. Seems you are too up yourself and your rightonrick approach – guess what geezer – these are the south seas here not blighty. And my original comment was a clarification for the extremist you dick.
If that’s all mm’s saying, that CV’s “not left”, and that’s all he’s concerned about, I suggest that he’s concerned about nothing because what he says, that someone is “not left” means absolutely nothing. I’m glad that the fact mm hasn’t been saying anything at all has been clarified.
I used to suspect that CV was a leftie with poor planning skills whose failed intrigues had resulted in a massive overcompensation of naysaying and uncritical parrotting of propaganda to preserve his inflated but fragile ego.
But when he shat a brick over Swarbrick’s cv, I glimpsed a midlife crisis and concomitant shift towards general toryism when he finally gets putinlove out of his system..
Ah yes the 22 year old LLB BA double degree cafe owner arts patron journalist 2degrees employee fashion designer/fashion label launching marketing consultant mayoral candidate.
Some people looked at that and decided – astonishing youth prodigy. I looked at that and decided the obvious.
Young women these days are graduating from University in greater numbers, succeeding in business and establishing powerful political/business networks far faster and more effectively than young men the same age.
It was a mistake to gauge Swarbrick by male standards.
[RL: I’ll make a moderation note here rather than pick on any one poster. The levels of personal abuse have gotten WAY too high. I’m not going to intervene here because I don’t think I’m the right person to do it. I’m leaving it over to weka to moderate as she sees fit and totally support any action she takes. ]
RL you know and I know full well the fast networker fast job changing fast ladder climbing always on the look out for the next stepping stone careerist types, and yes in our beautiful modern day they are definitely both men and women.
Based on her CV would you have seriously considered hiring Swarbrick for a key mid level management position in a large, demanding organisation?
I would not have.
BTW if she keeps at politics she’s not going to end up as a left winger. Centre, maybe. Possibly. Just a guess.
Fashion labels and cafes are like any other small business – starting one has no indication of scale, just company registration. And fashion and art overlap quite a bit.
The thing is, I’ve met people like Chloe. Rarely, but it happens. They do a lot of work in a lot of different fields, and yes even do double degrees (double honours in one case I knew) at the same time. Fuck, look at Cook Bros. That started with five marketing students getting bank loans to buy equal shares in a pub.
You have no knowedge of her politics, no knowledge of her background, no knowledge of any impropriety, no idea of how much financial assistance she had as opposed to saving and leveraging on what she built.
You just can’t believe that her CV is plausible because it looks much better than yours. Rather than have your delicate ego scratched, you’ll adopt the myth that what she wrote can’t be true.
Hey Penny, I support certain PPPs to see certain necessary infrastructure built.
It is a practicality, and does not need to be evil, especially with requisite controls in contracts.
I am against the TPPA, and my track record in journalism will show that.
I support density because cities operate best, and most efficiently, when they are denser.
Where would you like to see Auckland growth go?
Forever sprawling outwards, without the support of infrastructure or job opportunity?
My whole campaign is premised on engaging the disengaged – bringing Auckland’s disenfranchised back into the conversation.
I do not think we can have a representative democracy when only 1/3 of the city votes, let alone when there is a large correlation there between voters and homeowners protecting their interests.”
Chloe Swarbrick – in my opinion – practical, pragmatic PRIVATISER.
Remember folks?
“The key thing in life is sincerity. Once you can fake that – you’ve got it made.”
I’m mostly with McF on this one. I’ve never met Swarbrick and I’ve no idea if she over-egged her CV or not. But I think you made a mistake in casting judgement on it with insufficient information.
As McFlock says, such ‘over-achieving’ young people do exist and I’m happy they do.
Whether she has the maturity and skills to operate as a senior manager within Auckland City is perhaps a better question, and one that the voters delivered an answer on. But then again look at Helen Clark who was active in politics at a very young age; youth alone should be no barrier to activism. Swarbrick looks like talent and there’s every chance we’ll see her some time down the track.
As you must know personally CV, politics is a tough game, and staging a recovery from setbacks is a lesson best learnt young. Wish I had.
So the call is uber hardworking uber effective networking outstanding multitasking fast rising career star then? OK happy to go with your call. Swarbrick for Mayor 2019.
lolk
You only jump to deflection when you’re strugging for a reasonable response.
Come on, what exactly about Swarbrick’s cv made you think it was unbelievable: that a 22yo might have started a few small companies, maybe one during uni? It’s easy to form a company – friend of mine registered one for a single theatrical production. It’s a good way of keeping boundaries separate, especially if you’re juggling a lot of different plates.
Was it the use of the word “patron” that pissed you off? Or did the double egree just activate your anti-education reflex?
Really? You have evidence Swarbrick’s CV was untrue? Feel free to present it, rather than pretendng you’re some sort of deus ex machina swanning in to proclaim the truth based solely on your own authority..
In fact, I think it is highly likely that Swarbrick did/attempted all those things on her CV.
“did/attempted”?
Even when you’re backtracking, you can’t but help suggesting that not everything in the list of what she did, she actually did, rather than attempted.
If I claimed to be a ‘patron of the arts’ on the basis that I have a couple of paintings I’ve paid a few hundred dollars each for … then strictly speaking I’m not lying. But to someone who maybe had spent a lifetime spending millions, like say David Walsh, collecting and building a magnificent gallery … then it doubtless he’d think I was talking crap.
And while I own a couple of companies, they really are of such modest consequence I wouldn’t dream of calling myself ‘company director’. Even though strictly speaking it’s true.
And when I’m employing staff, I see far too many CV’s that are blatantly embellished. Typically people who claim high levels of competency in multiple skill areas that I know each one might take 3- 5 years to become good at, when they’ve barely been out of Uni a couple of years. Again strictly speaking they probably aren’t exactly lying, but neither do I find their claims convincing.
At 22 yrs of age, did Swarbrick over-egg her CV? I’d be surprised and delighted if it did indeed stand up to scrutiny; but equally you can hardly be too harsh if others express skepticism.
You and CV can bat this one about all night, but in the absence of hard information about Swarbrick it becomes an exercise in sour, sterile sniping.
You and CV can bat this one about all night, but in the absence of hard information about Swarbrick it becomes an exercise in sour, sterile sniping.
That was my main response the other day when it came up. There’s bugger all information to go on. Myself, I don’t have a problem with what she is claiming, and am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt unless something concrete gets presented. I just thought CV’s comments weren’t based on much other than his own antipathy (and he wasn’t very upfront about what he was meaning, but that’s another kete of ika)
In today’s story in the Sunday Star Times about funding needed for transport improvements touted by mayoral candidates: “And while Bridges says he is keen to work with councils to improve their get-around-ability, he won’t buy into their pork barrel politics with taxpayer dollars. ”
Admittedly that’s the journalist’s spin as he is quoted as actually saying: “I’m very keen to keep up a new approach I’ve had where we manage to strip aside the politics, use evidence-based information, and have officials working together”.
But isn’t this the same man who plucked 10 phantom bridges out of thin air to tempt the voters of Northland?
Pilger’s best days were a quarter of a century ago, today he tiptoes along the line between journalist and crank.
Drawing an equivalance between a publication like the the New York Times and Putin’s asymentric state use of black propaganda is exactly the sort of false equivalence that fuels Trumpism (a sneering imbecile also beloved of CV) and brings delighted smiles to the kleptocracy running the Russian mafia state. One can read the NYT (with a mind to it’s bias) with a reasonable degree that it is reporting facts, albeit with a (often considerable) slant. Departing news for fantasy, and defending that fantasy as some sort of equvalent, is disgraceful and (to mix metaphors) simply tells me that CV has painted his high horse into a corner, and rather than climb down and wear the sticky results he’ll just keeping upping the ante until, one presumes, he is defending David Icke’s right to an equal hearing in the flat earth “debate”.
“There can be no cooperation between the US and Russia over Syria, because the two government’s goals are entirely different. Russia wants to defeat ISIS, and the US wants to use ISIS to overthrow Assad. This should be clear to the Russians. Yet they still enter into “agreements” that Washington has no intention of keeping. Washington breaks the agreements and blames Russia, thus creating more opportunities to paint Russia as untrustworthy. Without Russia’s cooperation in setting themselves up for blame, Russia’s portrait would not be so black.
PCR gets it. So does Col Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to Sec State Colin Powell, and many other former establishment players who are horrified at what has been happening over the last decade.
wah wah wah, Russian propoganda, Western readers being duped …
“Perhaps everyone has already forgotten that when Washington’s plan to invade Syria was blocked by the UK Parliament and Russian diplomacy, Washington sent the forces used against Gaddafi in Libya to overthrow Assad in Syria where they emerged as ISIS and commit extraordinary atrocities.
“As ISIS was serving Washington’s purpose, Washington took no action against them. After a couple of years of death and destruction suffered by Syrians, the Russian government lost its patience and backed the Syrian Army with air power. Soon ISIS was defeated and on the run.
“Washington was caught in a bind. In Iraq Washington was fighting ISIS, because ISIS was overthrowing Washington’s puppet in Iraq. However, in Syria Washington was supporting ISIS, often characterizing ISIS as “moderates” fighting to bring democracy to Syria. Now that ISIS is on the verge of total defeat in Syria, Washington’s whores among the “experts” want Russia punished for blocking Washington’s overthrow of Syria.
…
“Real experts have integrity, and these experts want the Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama regimes tried for their war crimes. I think David Satter should be in the dock with them.”
This guy was part of the Reagan administration in 1981? He certainly will know a lot about shitty activities by the US government, but the fact is the current US government isn’t even in the same league of shitty activities as the one he was involved with. Who would take his word for anything?
This alone identifies him as either an idiot or part of Putin’s troll army:
…Washington sent the forces used against Gaddafi in Libya to overthrow Assad in Syria…
Stuff about chemtrails or the lizard people would be less embarrassing than that.
You are such an awesome arse clown. Honestly, do you have to try to be so willfully idiotic? It’s like talking to a stupider than normal brick wall.
[I agree with Red. Please stick to the politics and debate, and tone down the abuse. CV’s comment looks like a deliberate windup, don’t take the bait – weka]
With respect Sanctuary, that comment above is pretty much just “pointless abuse”. If I felt like wearing a moderators hat right now (and most times I don’t) it would likely attract a warning or more.
There is such a thing as pointed abuse, which is exactly what CV deserves.
[there is a general acceptance of rudeness here when it’s part of making a political point. Abuse for the sake of it is not acceptable. Abusing someone personally and not making a political point is not acceptable. No more warnings – weka]
Fuck, you inclusive self enlightened diversity loving safe space promoting lefty liberal types make me laugh when your true colours fly. Maybe check out a mirror some time?
I always like to remind people of what the Labour Party did to conscientious objectors and pacifists within their ranks during WWII. Expelled them, black listed them, got them fired from their jobs, made life miserable for them.
I cannot believe how so many people accept the lines of the Us government and its sockpuppets in the media.
After all, if they had being paying attention, they will know about the lies about Iraq and weapons of mass destruction. If there was an ounce of critical thinking going on, they would see that we were also lied to about 9/11.
And yet they believe the spin doctors and repeaters within the media.
I source Pilger, Cockburn, Fisk and other reputable independent journalists.
Who are their sources?
102 years ago too many people willfully believed the propaganda sold to them and World War 1 eventuated. Will they ever learn?
If there was an ounce of critical thinking going on, tinfoil-hat types wouldn’t be constantly peddling 9/11 conspiracy theories.
It amuses me that you, CV and Chooky berate everyone else for lacking your discernment in identifying propaganda in the western media, while getting much of your news from an actual government propaganda service.
and brings delighted smiles to the kleptocracy running the Russian mafia state.
As opposed to the kleptocracy running the US corporate mafia state?
It is hardly my problem if you cannot recognise the geopolitical argey bargey between conflicting groups of kleptocrats and conflicting sets of kleptocratic objectives on opposite sides of the world.
The only problem for us is how the risks of a confrontation between nuclear super powers is growing by the day.
To degree there’s is bad as each other the Us does not excuse Russia or vice versa, likewise Hillary does not excuse trump or vice versa, to argue otherwise is BS
My point is that most of the argument here on trump and Hillary or US vs Russia is predicated on idealigical bais that one is better than the other based on the sins of the other ( Paul more so parroting his washed up love child JP and his superior synthesis of non bias media from his wacky world of his lounge and his PC ) if you look at each in isolation none comes up smelling of roses
I would have said that its more predicated on the worlds pre-eminent military and economic power by far wanting to exercise its right of regime change and total financial and economic control over any nation on the planet that it disagrees with.
Plenty more civilians are going to die in Eastern Aleppo unless the Jihadis take up the offer of amnesty and leave, or unless the west stops arming/funding/supplying those Jihadis so they can no longer hold the territory.
Marty Mars claims you have “has spurned the left” and that you are “no leftie.”
Or have you just spurned the New Zealand Labour Party?
Able or wish to comment?
Marty Mars claims you have “has spurned the left” and that you are “no leftie.”
Hi Paul, I no longer count myself as a member of the traditional left wing (jobs, industrial growth, organised labour, social democracy), or the establishment left wing (centrist market model Labour/Greens), or the liberal identity politics left wing (take your pick).
Not because there aren’t useful elements within there, but because they are completely unsuitable and inadequate for what is coming down the pike in the next 10 to 20 years.
And you support Trump and Peters/NZF, who are both completely inadequate for dealing with the approaching crises. There is something disingenuous about your explanation.
Russia needs excuses for the bombing of civilians in Syria.
Russia is assisting the Syrian Government destroy jihadist units entrenched in Eastern Aleppo. It is ugly, brutal urban warfare.
The jihadists have been offered safe passage out of Aleppo, if they wish to spare the local population the hardship.
Syrians are dying to support Russia’s military expansion.
Russia is present in Syria at discretion of the Syrian Government, and to support the warfighting efforts against the terrorist jihadists. Russia is not there as part of a “military expansion.”
It doesn’t as it happens – outside conspiracy theories proof that the US created ISIS is less than convincing – and if you understand anything about the politics of the region these neat wraps that CV produces that put all the anti-Russian forces into one jihadist box are utter bullshit.
Even the jihadists are multifarious.
Russia is doing what it always does – bombing any opposition and innocent bystanders to death.
Neither US nor Russian bombing of civilians is ever permissable.
The USA/NATO did not “create ISIS” in so much as it facilitated and indirectly funded ISIS as a strategic asset in the wider goal of taking down Assad. Most of this help went via Turkey, key NATO member and US ally.
Russia is doing what it always does – bombing any opposition and innocent bystanders to death.
Neither US nor Russian bombing of civilians is ever permissable.
The US could have chosen to separate out the “moderate opposition” from the head chopping pilot burning minority enslaving jihadists and promoted a peaceful political process in Syria to move Assad on.
Instead, the US continues to use the head chopping pilot burning minority enslaving jihadists jihadists as a proxy force to try and oust Assad with.
And now, if these jihadists don’t take the opportunity to leave Aleppo using the Syrian Government amnesty, then Russia and Syria are going to eliminate that proxy force through military means.
Yes, that means nasty block by block urban combat through old East Aleppo where the remaining couple of thousand jihadist terrorists are holed up.
Lavrov has said that they are using only legal munitions in Aleppo. Perhaps someone at the Security Council can initiate an independent investigation into the possible use of cluster bombs.
As for bombing hospitals – again, independent investigations are required. The reliability of the reports bears examining. I saw suggestions that Quds hospital in Aleppo had just been destroyed/bombed to collapse for the second or third time and was still accepting patients.
I have seen, over the last few years, quite a number of people on this blog complaining that the current Government has no mandate to do anything because they did not get a majority of the voting age population having voted for them in the last General Election.
They usually take the line that everyone who didn’t enrol, or didn’t vote was actually completely opposed to the Government.
I wonder when one of these individuals will announce that Goff is a liar when he claims to have a “mandate” from Auckland voters?
I have done the calculation for them.
I am assuming that 80% of the voting-age population were enrolled.
There was a turnout of about 38%
Goff got 47.6% of the votes.
Hence his support was 0.476 * 0.38 * .80 * 100 percent.
That comes to about 15% and therefore, by the wild reasoning lots of people here have applied to the National Government, we must argue that a massive 85% of the population of Auckland don’t want Goff to promote ANY of the things he campaigned on.
Where are all the people who think that their peculiar reasoning about National is correct? Why are they not claiming that Goff has no mandate to do anything?
It may be true that only 15% voted for Goff. However, I think it is generally accepted that it is the old and/or well off that tend to vote. The young and/or poor tend not to be registered or organised or motivated to vote-this is an increasing trend*. This group tends to vote for the left. If more of them had voted Goff would have done even better.
The lesson for the Lab/Gr bloc is to launch a registration drive for the upcoming election, making this easy to do online through the Labour and Green websites. And to include policies that young people will be motivated to vote for. A 12 month period overseas before student loans have to be begun to be paid back (the 6 month period is too short for a decent OE) and affordable houses for first-time buyers (here I mean $350,000 not $650,000) and 100% subsidised Uni and Poly tuition fees come to mind.
*the Brexit vote was lost for the same reason
On a completely different election, Clinton is now 4.6% ahead and is ahead in 11/14 battleground states. This is before Trump’s latest idiotic remarks were revealed.
I seem to remember that some Students Associations had such an option in their elections.
I not sure of that though but it seems like a good idea. I’m not sure what happened if “none of the above” won though.
My memory was accurate, apparently. At least that the option had existed.
I wonder if there were ever any elections where the rejections went on and on and nobody ended up being elected before the next years elections came around?
Remembering my own student days I am sure some of us would have been tempted to try and arrange such an event.
Fair comment alwyn.
I would have thought you’d be happy to have a neolib mayor, one could go so far as to say he was the lesser of two right wing evils!
I don’t live in Auckland so I don’t much care who won the Mayoral election.
I am not happy about the Wellington result though. The “way past it” people like Andy Foster seem to have survived. Name recognition I guess.
And no, I don’t think that a claim that 85% oppose Goff is sensible. He can, just like John Key, claim to have a mandate for his election policies. Whether he can get them through the Council is another matter.
That comes to about 15% and therefore, by the wild reasoning lots of people here have applied to the National Government, we must argue that a massive 85% of the population of Auckland don’t want Goff to promote ANY of the things he campaigned on.
Correct which is the main reason why we implemented MMP and why we need to now implement preferential voting for mayors.
We also need to change to mandatory voting and setting policies by referenda so that such arguments don’t happen again.
“implement preferential voting for mayors”.
That bit I agree with, even though it led to the election of our last, green leaning, unsuccessful Mayor. The incumbent in 2010 led easily in the first round but as more and more candidates were eliminated the final round gave a small majority to Wade-Brown
In a FPP election Prendergast would have got 41% and Wade-Brown about 34%.
STV is a much fairer system though.
The odd part about it is though that a single vote can decide the final winner. If you make up a fantasy voting pattern you can get a circumstance where switching a single vote could lead to the first person eliminated changing to being the one who finally triumphs. I don’t suggest it is likely. I just say it is possible.
I am not in favour of binding referenda though. It is almost impossible to get a question where a yes/no vote makes sense and also avoids getting totally contradictory conclusions between different referenda results.
I’m sure you could pass several results like.
1. Reduce income taxes by 20%
2. Increase the health budget by 20%.
3. Increase National Super by 20%
4. Reduce GST to zero
Now, how would you implement al of those?
I actually thought that Wade- Brown was a good mayor. Didn’t get sucked into a lot of “corporate high spending I want council to subsidize me crap”. ( Can’t say the same for council officers!?? ). Nor did she want to concrete everything in sight! What’s wrong with rates going on basic boring water rubbish sewage stuff.
“A good mayor”? She is a very pleasant person who was way out of her depth in the job in my opinion. Still, to each his own.
You approve of a runway extension at the Airport? Just where do you think any airline is going to fly?
Apart from subsidising Singapore to the tune of a million or so a year of course. And don’t tell me that she didn’t have anything to do with it.
Or the farce on the Parade in Island Bay where the cycleway made a wide, safe street into an accident zone?
At least she gave up, most unhappily on “light rail”.
No progress on such a basic, boring thing like a water supply for the hospital if we have an earthquake of course.
And just how much money did we waste on “recycling” plastic bags only to find they end up being dumped anyway
The odd part about it is though that a single vote can decide the final winner. If you make up a fantasy voting pattern you can get a circumstance where switching a single vote could lead to the first person eliminated changing to being the one who finally triumphs.
Do you recall a few years ago when we had the Waitakere Electorate change hands two or three times on recounts? That was 11 votes.
So, yes, a single vote can change the outcome but that doesn’t apply solely to STV.
I am not in favour of binding referenda though. It is almost impossible to get a question where a yes/no vote makes sense and also avoids getting totally contradictory conclusions between different referenda results.
I’m sure you could pass several results like.
1. Reduce income taxes by 20%
2. Increase the health budget by 20%.
3. Increase National Super by 20%
4. Reduce GST to zero
Now, how would you implement al of those?
I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t ask those questions and I’d have rules in place preventing them.
Instead you have people vote on what type of taxes that they think should be implemented with the understanding that the taxes will be adjusted to ensure that everything passed by referenda is fully funded thus an increase in the health budget gets an increase in taxes.
Of course, I also happen to think that we need to get away from money. Start practising economics from reality rather than the delusion that we have now. Everything that needs to be done is costed not in money but in the actual resources needed to do it including labour with instant feedback to the people voting showing how that will affect the available resources and other programs.
What a shame. Nobody who was in the legion who attacks the current Government because less than half the population voted for them came forward to apply the same standard to Phil Goff.
Oh well I shouldn’t really be surprised. What is that “not-Star Wars” quote?
“The hypocrisy is strong in that one”
Eh, not sure have an auto-mod addition like that is a good idea, if it’s entirely automatic. If it’s optional and applied by default it’s probably fine.
There have been cases in the past where entire threads of comments have been moved to Open Mike, sometimes 20-30+ comments at once. Adding that little blurb to every single comment would amount to spam.
I don’t know, seems reasonably clear. Forget that namby pamby bonding creative stuff, destroying things is so much better. That message works on lots of levels.
"Feminists are terrible because they think every man is a mysoginist!""Trump is just doing what EVERY guy does."Pick one, chuckleheads— Eaton (@eaton) October 8, 2016
Trump would win if he knew how to deflect these attacks and stick to policy. Instead he engages with them and digs himself a hole. At tomorrow’s debate I fully expect him to deliver absolutely crude insults and stories to Hillary Clinton regarding her husbands history of misconduct towards women.
Looks like Hillary will have her own explaining to do.
It will be an interesting second debate and i hope the public ask the real questions and forget about Trump.
Basically they’re not as bad as what she’s already been tried, convicted and sentenced for in liberal minds. She probably would have been better off just releasing them, like most things it’s trying to hide or cover it that’s more damaging than just coming clean.
When she is POTUS, which is not that far away as it is only days away, she will be pretty much immune from prosecution 🙂
‘Pretty much’ given there is the two-step impeachment process which may not happen until she gets many of the things underway that she will compliantly do as a willing piggy bank.
As for Trump, he is not that reliable and can be unpredictably disruptive, hence the bet is on the other one.
Understand what you are saying about Trump, and good on you.
In my view some “disruption” is exactly what we need, and urgently. Yes disruption might entail a bit of risk in making things somewhat worse than expected, but it might also disrupt things making things head in a substantially better way than expected.
With Clinton, we simply get more of the predictable status quo agenda, on a mild dose of steroids.
Which means that drawing a straight line prediction over the last ten or so years and extending the line into the future, with Hillary we will get things more or less exactly as worse as expected.
(Bill Posted on this recently…msm kowtowing to official lines )
Mainstream media under fire again…for dereliction of duty ? disinformation?
…Is a sinister shadow State being surreptitiously erected in Syria?
Are the supposed humanitarian ‘White Helmets’ (with $100 million dollar funding from UK, USA, Europe) actually selling regime change against the wishes of the Syrian people ?
…and by stealth eradicating the Syrian State?
….This propagandising organisation is not recognised by the UN and like a parasite blood sucker is taking over the real Syrian Civil Defence.
For a good discussion outside the msm on this issue:
“The White Helmets: a heartfelt humanitarian NGO or an elaborate and cynical Western PR stunt promoting illegal regime change in Syria? Does wearing white helmets mean they are the good guys supporting a just cause?
CrossTalking with Vanessa Beeley, Eva Bartlett, and Patrick Henningsen.”
The NZ ambassador to the UN, Gerard von Bohemen, puts the boot into his own organisation. He’s another in a long list of western elites eroding confidence in the UN, giving them toothpicks to fight 21st century battles.
His own prime minister’s solution to the crisis in Syria was for everyone to hold hands.
Russia is now matching NATO’s moves over the last 12+ months to place thousands of European troops, heavy weapons and ABM systems closer and closer to its borders.
Russia has already based its most advanced ground to air weapon systems in Kaliningrad.
Child rape victim comes forward for the first time in 40 years to call Hillary Clinton a ‘liar’ who defended her rapist by smearing her, blocking evidence and callously laughing that she knew he was guilty
‘Hillary Clinton is not for women and children,’ says Kathy Shelton, 54, who was 12 years old when she was raped by Thomas Alfred Taylor in Arkansas
– Clinton was the rapist’s defense lawyer, pleading him down to ‘unlawful fondling of a minor’
– The 41-year-old drifter served less than a year in prison
– The plea came after Clinton was able to block the admission of forensic evidence that linked her client to the crime
– Shelton says she’s furious that Clinton has been portraying herself as a lifelong advocate of women and girls on the campaign trail
– Clinton accused Shelton of ‘seeking out older men’ in the case and demanded that she undergo a grueling court-ordered psychiatric examination
– The presidential candidate later laughed while discussing aspects of the case in a recently-unearthed audiotaped interview from the 1980s
Edit: I feel this disclaimer should always be added when replying to CV or his cohorts –
*This in no way an endorsement of Clinton, more it is an attempt to counter the festering bullshit that dwells in CV’s rabid alt-right brain
amazing – it is pretty well totally debunked – why would someone put up that when it has been proven to be false – I just don’t get why someone would do that and expect to be taken seriously.
Ok, so now you’re a champion for the rights of rape victims? Thought not.
The US has an adversarial justice system that is incredibly hard on victims of sexual assault. Afaik, unless the accused admits guilt to their lawyer then the lawyer has a legal obligation to defend them as no guilty to the extent that the law allows, and that includes being hard on victims. That’s how the system is designed.
Even if Clinton did push hard in her defence case and the child was further traumatised, in what ways is that relevant to her running for president now? Be specific, I’d really like to know what point you are actually trying to make here. I can think of some I would make about it, but I doubt they’re the same as what you are trying to do.
Using child rape for political ends is about as sick as it gets. Doing so while at the same time supporting and advocating for the politics of a man known to sexually harass and assault women is even worse.
And let’s not forget that your original comment is in response to Joe90’s link to early Trump racism. Because somehow in your mind if Clinton is evil then we can excuse Trump’s evilness? Or was it just a straight out reactionary diversion?
Even if Clinton did push hard in her defence case and the child was further traumatised, in what ways is that relevant to her running for president now? Be specific, I’d really like to know what point you are actually trying to make here.
Simple: if the Clinton apologising left think that the things Trump has said 10, 20, 30 years ago is relevant to his fitness to be President, then the things that Clinton has done 10, 20, 30 years ago is definitely relevant to her fitness to be President.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, don’t you know.
Afaik, unless the accused admits guilt to their lawyer then the lawyer has a legal obligation to defend them as no guilty to the extent that the law allows, and that includes being hard on victims. That’s how the system is designed.
And that’s what I call being a Clinton apologist. So now Clinton was only acting within the confines of a bad legal system that is hard on victims, and she simply had to fit in within how “the system is designed” so she is OK to run for President?
Take this for a contrast: Trump takes a totally legal $900M business tax deduction, acting within the confines of a bad tax system, operating within how “the system is designed” – but he’s not OK to run for President?
It seems that what is good for the goose is not good for the gander.
Liberal lefty hypocrisy ratchets up to a new volume.
Shit, dude – if you must equate a defense lawyer doing their job with a tax write-off, you might want to remember that Clinton tried to get recused from defending the rapist. Trump actively claimed the tax write off, nobody forced him to do it.
Bullshit. Investors in his companies and projects could sue him if they uncovered that he acted financially negligently and gave away hundreds of millions of dollars of legitimate tax deductions as allowed by law.
Investors in his companies and projects could sue him if they uncovered that he acted financially negligently and gave away hundreds of millions of dollars of legitimate tax deductions
Nope.
Yet even in public companies, experts say that there is no enforceable legal duty to “maximize shareholder value”—the business judgment rule protects independent directors’ decisions about the best way to serve the interests of the corporation and its shareholders, including decisions that reduce share price or profits in the foreseeable future.
“Simple: if the Clinton apologising left think that the things Trump has said 10, 20, 30 years ago is relevant to his fitness to be President, then the things that Clinton has done 10, 20, 30 years ago is definitely relevant to her fitness to be President.”
Well duh. Of course. But that’s not what’s going on here. Further, Trump is accused of being a serial sexual assaulter, racist etc. Clinton is accused of doing her job in the way that her peers did at the time, and still do. Like I said, I could critique Clinton on this, but you, someone with a long online history of opposing rape culture analysis and promoting rape apology, you have an entirely different agenda here. A pretty fucked up one I might add. If you had a different history, say one of political analysis of rape trials and what happens in them and how that impacts on victims, then you might have some credibility here. As it stands you have less than none.
“And that’s what I call being a Clinton apologist.”
yes, I know you do. but that’s because you are using child rape to further your own political agenda and this either stops you from seeing that I don’t support Clinton, or you simply don’t care that you lie by implication and projection.
eg,
So now Clinton was only acting within the confines of a bad legal system that is hard on victims, and she simply had to fit in within how “the system is designed” so she is OK to run for President?
I neither said that nor believe it. You just made all that running shit up in your own head and projected it on to me. I’ll just keep saying it again and again, I could make my own criticisms of Clinton here, but you are basically incapable of engaging in that conversation because of your own politics around the US election and your politics around rape culture.
Take this for a contrast: Trump takes a totally legal $900M business tax deduction, acting within the confines of a bad tax system, operating within how “the system is designed” – but he’s not OK to run for President?
Stop and think about what you just did there CV. Because I’m pretty sure even you know that I’ve never made that argument. This is your bigotry supreme. You appear now to be incapable of seeing people with left wing or progressive views as anything other an amorphous lump who you despise, and this renders you incapable of seeing the actual arguments being made.
Don’t lie about my views CV. Don’t quote me out of context. And don’t conflate other arguments that other people have made with mine.
Oh yeah? Then tell me what alternative meaning you had in mind when you wrote the following in your comment defending Clinton:
The US has an adversarial justice system that is incredibly hard on victims of sexual assault. Afaik, unless the accused admits guilt to their lawyer then the lawyer has a legal obligation to defend them as no guilty to the extent that the law allows, and that includes being hard on victims. That’s how the system is designed.
And now about this other comment of yours:
Don’t lie about my views CV. Don’t quote me out of context. And don’t conflate other arguments that other people have made with mine.
Get over yourself weka. When I write a comment doing just what you ask – that is, you wanted me to explain my perspective and meaning – then I am explaining MY perspective, not YOUR perspective, unless I specifically say so.
If you don’t want to hear MY perspective then don’t waste both my time and your time by fucking asking for it, and we will both have a happier life.
Ok, so now you want to be spoon fed right? (for the readers, that’s a reference to CV refusing to be clear in his own comments at times and when challenged on it he makes out that requests for clarity are requests to be spoon fed)
Then tell me what alternative meaning you had in mind when you wrote the following in your comment defending Clinton:
“The US has an adversarial justice system that is incredibly hard on victims of sexual assault. Afaik, unless the accused admits guilt to their lawyer then the lawyer has a legal obligation to defend them as no guilty to the extent that the law allows, and that includes being hard on victims. That’s how the system is designed.”
I’m not defending Clinton you numpty, I’m critiquing you and what you are doing in this thread.
The reason you can’t understand that paragraph (one of the reasons), is because you’re taking it out of context. It follows directly on from a comment about your politics
Ok, so now you’re a champion for the rights of rape victims? Thought not.
The US has an adversarial justice system that is incredibly hard on victims of sexual assault. Afaik, unless the accused admits guilt to their lawyer then the lawyer has a legal obligation to defend them as no guilty to the extent that the law allows, and that includes being hard on victims. That’s how the system is designed.
My point there is that in order to have credibility in commenting on this issue (about Clinton), one needs to understand how the system is designed. It’s designed to privilege the accused at the expense of rape victims. It’s not possible to legitimately critique Clinton unless one has that context. You of course take that to be an excuse for Clinton or an outright defence of her, but that says more about you than anything else.
And of course you will use what is in the Daily Mirror and ignore what is in Snopes because it suits your political agenda, which is not aligned with the rights, needs or safety of rape victims in court. Quite the opposite, you want a man who sexually assaults women to be President.
Get over yourself weka. When I write a comment doing just what you ask – that is, you wanted me to explain my perspective and meaning – then I am explaining MY perspective, not YOUR perspective, unless I specifically say so.
When I said don’t lie about my views, I was specially referring to where you lied about my views. In your comment. I’ve critiqued YOUR perspective as well, but at the end of my comment I just said don’t lie about what I think. If you insist on wilfully misinterpreting what I say and the arguments I make, then of course I am going to tell you to stop.
Oh I see, so you were explaining the constraints and harshness of the legal system that Clinton had to act within but you weren’t defending Clinton by doing so.
[RL: Deleted. This entire conversation is like watching two people juggling an unpinned grenade. You have a choice, progress this respectfully, or have it end in ugliness and hurt.]
As I said, if you don’t want to hear my perspective then don’t fucking ask for it and you won’t be wasting both our time.
for the readers, that’s a reference to CV refusing to be clear in his own comments at times and when challenged on it he makes out that requests for clarity are requests to be spoon fed)
Not everyone has the well studied blindness that you put on, weka. Learn to read between the lines instead of being spoonfed.
Oh I see, so you were explaining the constraints and harshness of the legal system that Clinton had to act within but you weren’t defending Clinton by doing so.
That’s right CV. It’s called context, and it allows us to make sense of situations. I can see that you wouldn’t want to do that, because it would lessen you ability to push your anti-Clinton agenda. And that’s what’s important, right? It’s not understanding a complex situation about rape, it’s about bringing down Clinton because someone has pointed to Trump being racist.
And no, don’t start with some bullshit about how I support Clinton, I don’t.
For the umpteenth time, I could make my own critiques about Clinton in this situation, but I’m not because (a) you are incapable of engaging in that kind of conversation, and (b) my comments in this thread are about your politics. Go on, read them again. I actually say bugger all about Clinton and the case.
As I said, if you don’t want to hear my perspective then don’t fucking ask for it and you won’t be wasting both our time.
I don’t know what you are on about there to be honest. I’ve responded to your perspective, what is wrong with that? I’ve also pointed out that I have zero tolerance for my own views being misrepresented, and if you like, that includes when you express your views about them. You’re entitled to your opinion, I’m entitled to point out when you’re misrepresenting mine. It’s taken how many comments thus far for you to even begin to understand that I’m not defending Clinton here. I’m calling you on your bullshit.
“for the readers, that’s a reference to CV refusing to be clear in his own comments at times and when challenged on it he makes out that requests for clarity are requests to be spoon fed)”
Not everyone has the well studied blindness that you put on, weka. Learn to read between the lines instead of being spoon fed.
In other words you’ve got nothing. You wander around the site making backhanded and snide smears and then when people ask for clarification you make out there is something deficient with them. That’s the action of someone who can’t argue their corner.
While Shelton [was was the 12 year old rape victim] gave an anonymous interview to the Daily Beast in 2014, she said wants to start speaking out publicly, in part because ‘I think a lot of people would look at [Clinton] in a different way’ after hearing her story directly.
‘I want to speak to the world. Out there at the White House, so everyone can hear me,’ said Shelton. ‘That’s always been my thing since the anger’s built up. I want to speak out like [Clinton] does, and let the whole world hear it.’
For decades, Shelton said she had no idea that Clinton was the same woman as the lawyer who defended her rapist in 1975.
During the case, Clinton accused the 12-year-old of ‘seek[ing] out older men’ and ‘engag[ing] in fantasizing’ in court affidavits, and later laughed while discussing aspects of the case in a recently-unearthed audiotape from the 1980s.
Ummm – as per the link which you obviously didn’t read:
“Documents from the 1975 case include an affidavit (p. 34) sworn by Clinton, from which the “in court, Hillary told the judge that I made up the rape story” portion of the claims was derived. That affidavit doesn’t show, as claimed, that Hillary Clinton asserted the defendant “made up the rape story because [she] enjoyed fantasizing about men”; rather, it shows that other people, including an expert in child psychology, had said that the complainant was “emotionally unstable with a tendency to seek out older men and to engage in fantasizing about persons, claiming they had attacked her body,” and that “children in early adolescence tend to exaggerate or romanticize sexual experiences.”
Of course, she should’ve ignored the long standing notion of the right to a competent defence. It’s not as if there’s any sort of historical precedent.
/
An ambitious Clinton was very early in her trial career, and her future career was on the line if she didn’t smash away at a 12 year old girl on the stand through fair means and foul.
Clinton asked to be taken off the case? And that justifies how she treated the victim, and how later on she laughed about how she got an expert witness to win a point on a technicality?
It’s amazing how Clinton trashed the life of a 12 year old female victim, and now that the victim has come forward to tell her story, you’re going to trash her life again on behalf of Clinton.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the modern liberal left.
If you read the Snopes article which is very heavily cross referenced – it would appear that Hillary Rodham as she was at that time did indeed ask not to be on the case. However when it was pointed out to her that she could not refuse the request of the judge she did act as any responsible lawyer would do and worked in the defence of her client. There was evidence from child psychologists to the effect that the young person involved could have exaggerated the matter, and in the end the result was a plea bargain for a lesser sentence. As for the allegation that she laughed at the outcome, again this does not seem to actually represent the true nature of the facts. The Daily Mail article you reference is shown to be a gross exaggeration of the facts – not an unusual tactic for this “rag” which is usually more interested in “readership” than actual truth.
But a lawyer who has to defend someone they’re pretty sure did it but the crime lab threw out the physical evidence and the judge didn’t want to discuss the details of the case with a female lawyer? The guy could complain that she didn’t get him off competely, rather than just settling for time served. Farcical.
And her future career? When this case came across the table she was volunteering at a legal aid type organisation and she was drafted into the case. She was in fucking law school at the time. She had no “legal career”.
he’s just trying to smear – can’t defend don the dim so always has to pull it back to the lowtide mark of attack memes on clinton and then watch dejectedly as the sandcastles of hate get washed away by the tides of (mostly) truth.
You didn’t. And CV is at his manipulative best right now. Not only using child rape to push a political agenda and divert attention away from Trump’s racism, but also using people’s reactions to what he linked to try and paint his hated left as minimisers of sexual assault. This would be laughable if it weren’t for all those arguments over the years where he has been dismissive of rape culture or the issues raised by women about rape. I didn’t think CV could go much lower, but I’m starting to see there probably is a whole slew of paths he could take now and none of them are pretty.
btw, we have choices here. We don’t have to buy into the agenda he is clearly setting.
I didn’t think I had and yep time for bed methinks. I can’t stand this misappropriation but par for the course it seems as desperate supporters get desperate and more despicable I have to say.
The agendas being pushed are in various forms, from various quarters…
Quite certain you can see that, including your own!
These forums have decended into farce regarding the US election, which is makes it all the more shambolic that such energy and bluster would be wasted on human filth like The Clintons and The Trump
Of course I want the conversation to go a certain way, that’s why I’m involved in this one. The question then becomes are all agendas valid? I think they’re not.
These forums have decended into farce regarding the US election, which is makes it all the more shambolic that such energy and bluster would be wasted on human filth like The Clintons and The Trump
I haven’t been following them for a while, but that wouldn’t surprise me. I’m not actually arguing about the US election though. I’m talking about something else.
With regards to NATO v Russia, given that the UK government has just given their troops effective immnity from procecution over atrocities in Iraq, I would imagine Putin doing the same with the Red Army. And look what happened last time Red Army troops occupied Berlin.
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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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
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. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
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 ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
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Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
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Political parties have now fully disclosed the donations they received last year - with National getting more than double the cash of any other party. ...
A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS military pact. ...
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National returned a massive donation the day after a Newsroom story linked the donors to a property being investigated for operating unlawfully as a migrant workers’ hostel. The party’s 2023 donation filings, released on Friday, show it returned a $200,000 donation from Buen Holdings on August 23. That was the ...
Pacific Media Watch New Zealand has slumped to an unprecedented 19th place in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index survey released today on World Press Freedom Day — May 3. This was a drop of six places from 13th last year when it slipped out of its ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lennon Y.C. Chang, Associate Professor of Cyber Risk and Policy, Deakin University Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety ...
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A week that began in triumph ended in an all-too-familiar disaster for the Green Party. Duncan Greive asks if there’s something in the mission that breaks its best and brightest. A long, strange week for the Green party began with a fantastic poll result. On one level this is hardly ...
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 3 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Samantha Bee has her own hot mic incident. All usual Samantha Bee warnings apply, including swallow your coffee and put the cup down.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/samantha-bee-leaked-audio-donald-trump_us_57f8ac44e4b0e655eab4a07f?section=&
Experts warn of a wave of new buildings failing earthquake standards
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/84488823/falling-through-the-cracks-experts-warn-of-a-wave-of-new-buildings-failing-earthquake-standards
Such deficiencies seem to be a major malaise in NZ since the reforms of the 1980s implemented greed and cost cutting in favour of doing the job properly.
The result is a huge fix up bill and public safety issue which potentially puts lives at risk.
Congratulations to Tim Shadbolt, Tracy Hicks and Robert Guyton on their reelection in Southland, as a Southlander living overseas these 3 have worked for the interests of Southland and its great that Southland avoids the party politics that plague other metropolitan towns and cities. While there will always be differences of opinion I think the rest of NZ could learn a thing or too from Gore, Invercargill and Rural Southland about getting on with things rather than infighting etc.
+100…great Tim Shadbolt got back in! (don’t know anything about the other two…)
Total annual KiwiSaver fees exceed $300 million in the last year.
The ratio of returns to fees was $3 of fees paid for every $13 of returns. That means fees consumed about 23 per cent of returns.
With future investment returns predicted to be lower, the next few years could see that percentage rise.
Annual earnings fell to $1.3 billion from $3 billion in 2015.
The proportion of noncontributing members has grown slightly from 42.6% at the end of 2015 to 42.7%.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/85019659/ten-revelations-from-the-financial-markets-authoritys-annual-kiwisaver-report
https://fma.govt.nz/assets/Reports/_versions/9042/161004-FMA-KiwiSaver-Report-2016.1.pdf
Thank you to Labour for creating a great system for funnelling two million Kiwi workers wages to Wall St and the financial sector.
There are more $30b in funds invested in kiwisaver.
I’d like to hear of your plan for where that money would be invested, in a way that allows investors to pull it out to build houses or when they retire, without the money being invested in banks or the stock market.
I heard the country is short of about 100,000 houses.
$30B might be just enough.
Also, it’s only electronic funny money, invested in electronic/paper pretend assets.
Might as well put it towards something real and beneficial to Kiwis right here right now.
How does investing in building houses provide investment returns? How do these people cash the money out when they want to retire?
Are you suggesting that kiwifund managers should instead have gone into residential housing and managing tenancies?
The market rate for residential tenancy management is 8% + GST. That’s a lot higher than the fees we’re talking about.
“How does investing in building houses provide investment returns? How do these people cash the money out when they want to retire?”
We keep our immigration levels up and we just turn NZ into one giant house building economy for mostly Asia where there is plenty of demand for citizens to leave.
Often migrants want to have a look first which keeps tourism levels up.
And the world needs more water and food, so we can sell them our water super cheap and our farms and assets like Silver Ferm farms.
That’s the Natz vision for our economy.
Sadly I’m not sure if there is much of an alternative vision from other political parties or maybe they can voice it in a way that is easily understood.
BTW – this economic approach does nothing for productivity and we are middling at best for GDP in spite of having the 3rd highest population growth after Israel and Luxembourg.
http://sciblogs.co.nz/the-dismal-science/2016/10/05/new-zealand-envy-world-middling-best/
+100 save nz…well said!
You shouldn’t be asking such awkward questions Lanthanide.
“How does investing in building houses provide investment returns”.
Have another read of the things CV, save NZ and The Chairman are saying.
What they really want isn’t to use the money in people’s Kiwi Saver accounts, or the Government Super Fund or the Cullen Fund to be used on that sort of thing. They want to grab it and spend it on their own little hobby horses and to blow it on their pet little projects.
That is why I don’t trust ANY Government to own and run businesses. They can’t resist the chance to throw money at things they favour, rather than things that make any sense.
They also can’t resist the temptation to claim that they have to right to help themselves to other peoples hard earned savings or businesses that private individuals have developed.
Why do you think that save NZ talks about “our farms and assets like Silver Fern farms”. He thinks they are HIS assets.
Why do you think that The Chairman talks about “That money could be funding new publicly owned (SOEs) exporting ventures”.
He doesn’t want to spend his own money on things he favours. He wants to spend YOUR’S
Yip, I almost wrote “you’re no better than politicians who see a large pot of money set aside for public pensions and can’t help themselves but raid it for their pet projects”.
I believe it was James Shaw who just recently said the superannuation fund money should be put towards building renewable power plants.
If I had used your words, which convey exactly what I meant I could have saved such a lot of typing.
The Greens have an almost unique ability to choose the most foolish economic proposals. One of them is the way they propose to encourage people to use “greener” forms of transport, in particular electric cars. They want, I understand, to exempt them from FBT. That is of course a subsidy or rebate on such vehicles.
The Economist, a couple of months ago published a brief article on the most effective way of getting people to use greener forms of vehicle. The ways it could be done were higher fuel charges, higher registration charges for polluting vehicles or a rebate on green machines. All these were tried in Switzerland.
The rebates procedure was the worst. Why am I not surprised that it was the one chosen by the New Zealand Green Party?
http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21702762-why-fuel-taxes-are-best-way-encourage-sales-greener-cars-not-easy-being
Something for you to ponder, alwyn
One can invest in little with a dollar, but collectively (through government) that dollar can be turned into millions, vastly increasing investment opportunities.
The local private sector is lacking when it comes to exporting, hence the need for Government to help fill this void.
The alternative which tends to be pursued is to seek offshore investment.
However, when one looks at our current account, one can see how well that has been working out for the nation overall.
http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/statistics/key-graphs/key-graph-current-account
Why don’t you set up a KiwiSaver scheme then that announces it’s policy is the set up such companies?
Then invest your own KiwiSaver money, and that of anyone else who wants to join up, in such ventures.
Just don’t force people to do so if they want to get higher returns, and a better retirement, elsewhere.
Why do you think YOU have the right to determine where I invest my retirement savings?
KiwiSaver membership is not mandatory, hence I’m not forcing anyone to invest.
Moreover, the level of risk you decide to select is up to you.
While your suggestion could be of some benefit to the nation and myself, it doesn’t reach the scale of what I was suggesting, thus produce the wider benefits.
Wrong questions.
The correct questions are:
Why do we insist that we need private investment?
Why do we insist that people must get something for nothing from having money?
Why do we insist that people need to ‘save for their retirement’ when saving money saves nothing at all?
I have a suggestion.
That money could be funding new publicly owned (SOEs) exporting ventures, which will boost the productive sector, creating new jobs whilst growing the nations wealth.
Shall we go for more economic growth, and more resource consumption, that’s a viable long term strategy.
From an investor point of view I am not sure I would take your investment advise CV, country risk is huge, all assets tied up in high risk business start ups, liquidity is crap,, no diversification etc. dont confuse Wall Street the market with the underlying assets if they are shares, these are real companies making real things that you see around you and that you buy and use every day,
Sustainable investment would be the priority, CV.
Yes that’s like Green Growth (or to make the comparison more obvious,
“clean coal”)
There’s nothing stopping Kiwisaver managers from setting up such companies themselves right now.
But that won’t avert the clipping of the ticket.
Correct, but if your idea is such a sure-fire winner, why aren’t any of the kiwisaver funds organising it?
Is it because they’re lazy? Or is it because the potential reward isn’t worth the risk?
They lack the scale, scope and resources the Government can bring to the table, therefore they may find it less feasible.
Right, too risky.
While there is a level of risk in all investments, I was highlighting the Government is in a better position to capitalise.
Moreover, our economic circumstance requires it.
You may want to look into the economic theory called the ‘paradox of thrift’. This demonstrates conclusively that to the extent NZers saving propensities are raised this increases the average NZers saving rate by no dollers what so ever. Its impossible for Kiwisaver to succeed in its primary (stated) policy goal of raising NZers savings rate. Its actually just another branch of the neoliberal onslaught and in practice an attempt to run a govt budget surplus by minimising pension payments over time.
Top work to Richard Hills on Auckland’s North Shore beating out Grant Gillon.
Also will be awesome to see Efeso round the table.
Celebratory re-watch of his campaign video?
https://youtu.be/7dLguFjpYr8
That’s wonderful!
Thanks Stephanie – it would go well with your don’t despair post.
Ad. I understood the closeness of the vote between Gillon and Hill was considered too close to call (68) and could be overturned by specials – unless there’s been an update I don’t know about.
Don’t get me wrong. Hills show huge promise. I want to see him win.
Long form interview of Syrian President al-Assad by Denmark’s TV2
The Syrian Government knew in advance that the ceasefire would fail because they already understood from previous experience that the Americans had no genuine motivation or ability to separate out “moderate” rebel groups from the jihadists, as required by the ceasefire agreement.
http://thesaker.is/interview-of-president-al-assad-to-denmarks-tv-2-moderate-opposition-is-a-myth/
The most telling, and also chilling, bit of this interview is the reference to the Cuban missile crisis, followed by this, Now the situation is different, because in the United States you don’t have superior statecraft. When you don’t have superior statecraft, you should expect anything… He is not the first to make this observation, and it was openly visible in Samantha Powers’ petulant, childish address to the UN, and in a presidential debate that could easily have passed as an audition for a part in a reality TV show. Even if you go back a short way to Bush Snr. and Dukakis, you could not then have imagined the standard of sober-mindedness for high office falling so low.
The TINA doctrine expresses a position that brooks no negotiation. Its adherents seem to want to elevate people who are able to win over the public and follow directions (as with reality TV). Where Kennedy was able to leave Cuba more-or-less alone in exchange for not having a missile base next door, these people seem incapable of such moves. To do that would be inconsistent with the “hard choices” that they believe they must make. Both Kerry and Obama do seem, prima facie, better than that, but also seem unable to rein in the silliness and hubris that has developed to an alarming degree within US public life.
The question as to whether Putin and Al Assad are good or bad pales alongside the question as to whether the west is currently capable of sober, mature behaviour.
Don’t forget State Dept spox John Kirby saying a week or two ago that the way Russia is going in Syria, Russia might expect to start losing resources, planes, might start receiving more body bags at home, and that Russian cities might be attacked.
How’s that for the west’s “superior statecraft.”
http://theduran.com/us-state-department-john-kirby-warns-russia-russian-foreign-ministry-maria-zakharova-warns-john-kirby/
An interesting piece for the Standard’s resident dupe of Russia…
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/29/world/europe/russia-sweden-disinformation.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0
the US wants to keep surrounding Russia with NATO forces and NATO bases. Business as usual for the empire.
BTW New York Times propaganda was instrumental in the pro-war drumbeat which led the US public to the Iraq War, and the disastrous implosion of Libya.
There are many dupes on this site of the USA.
They still believe their lies after 9/11 and Iraq.
You should listen to John Pilger.
No doubt you’d call him a ‘dupe of Russia’.
He also happens to be a most respected independent journalist.
This has been posted 3, 4 maybe 5 times in as many days. What ever point you are trying to make has already been made
It appears that the point may have been made, but from your comments the point certainly has not registered.
John pilger blah blah, Like a broken record on this guy Paul, what’s the count on how many times you have posted this video
Have you watched it yet?
I sense not.
Or possibly you no sense
So no then.
Great you condemn something without evidence.
Before viewing evidence I look at credibility of the individual professing it , ie first A then B, unfortunately you fail the A text, I have read Pilcher in the past, grumpy old man syndrome, with massive chip to boot, I can see why you and he get along
Even seen this?
+100 Paul … worth watching!…interesting if scathing comments on the mainstream media, the American Election …. and demonisation of Donald Trump… war criminals Hillary Clinton and Obama too…also Madeleine Albright
“Then the fake document becomes the source of a news story distributed on far-left or far-right-wing websites,”
That’s the weirdest thing about the Putin fan-boys – there are as many of them on the loonier fringes of the left as there are on the loonier fringes of the right. I wouldn’t have expected to see people on the left cheerleading for right-wing nationalist authoritarians, but it looks as though for some people their (US) enemy’s enemy is their friend. Newsflash, suckers: your enemy’s enemy isn’t your friend, but does enjoy having useful idiots on-side.
Presenting Putin’s useful idiots – anyone who disagrees with the establishment
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-07-24/presenting-putins-useful-idiot-anyone-who-disagrees-establishment
That’s what strikes me – how you can say your left wing but support a authoritarian right wing conservative
And you support US neocon foreign policy in Ukraine. Latvia, Syria….
Supporting the policies of Bush, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld. now that’s a progressive stance.
Nowhere, ever, have I supported the US.
why do you lie? Why are you so stupid as to think criticism against Putin somehow implies supporting the US? Is your worldview that binary?
CV has spurned the left and has declared he’s no leftie.
I think cv presents an honest left wing viewpoint.
He doesn’t – ask him he is proud of it.
I’d say he’s declared he’s no supporter of what the current mainstream left stands for, and that he’s proud of that.
And for that he should be applauded.
Instead of being castigated by one-dimensional numpties who cannot understand that critical analysis of one thing does not equate to support for something else.
They are very wearisome.
Hes not left he has said this it isnt a conspiracy just a non judgemental fact .
Neither honest nor leftwing IMO.
Why?
+1 Karen
+1 Karen.
If anyone’s spurned the left it’s Leftie and those of his ilk, not CV. CV challenges the so-called left by asking if they’re left enough. Leftie epitomises what’s become the current mainstream neo-liberal left by accepting without question and without exception every single thing Labour says and does. That is called spurning the left.
I agree.
I like the fact that cv questions the neo-liberal left’s domestic policies, as well as questioning the left’s slavish support of extreme neocon US foreign policy.
It is worth noting that cv gets a lot more flak from the right wing trolls than our neo-liberal Labour commentators on this site.
+100 CV…is a very pertinent and well informed commentator….one can learn a lot from him… one of the reasons I keep coming here..if not the main reason
…and he certainly gets the discussion going
Totally agree.
I learn a lot from him.
Bullshit. He isnt left he says so or are you calling him a liar
It’s interesting we’re having a discussion about CV’s politics – I’m sure he must be having a decent chuckle, but I digress.
Now, getting back to that discussion. If “he isn’t left” (what ever that may or may not mean), what would you say he “is”?
…a truth inquirer/ speaker…and a very very well informed analytical ,intelligent one
Hi Chris and Chooky and Paul
Cheers to the three of you. Sorry I missed most of this thread as it unfolded.
Marty Mars is a good guy and correct in basically saying that I no longer subscribe to the groupings of the traditional (mid 20th Century based industrial pro growth social democratic)/establishment (sold out for power centrist free market)/liberal identity politics left, and that I have said so explicitly.
(And yes he is also correct that I am “proud” of this.)
Sadly, the established conventional Left have only a small fraction of the answers needed for what is coming down the pike over the next ten to twenty years.
thank you cv – I don’t judge your comment but accept it and respect it too – unlike some of your supporters who don’t accept let alone respect it and want to try and create a problem where there isn’t one – that’s you chris.
I am also very very happy that you don’t identify as a left thinker, supporter or activist.
I still turn out to support left wing mates in their efforts when I can of course, but that’s not the direction my own politics is in.
I don’t care other than he isn’t left – he says the left/right model is outdated so I suppose he is panpolitical.
You’re becoming as one-dimenional as Loftie but unlike him, there’s still hope. Just think a little harder, I do believe you’ve got it in you.
no need to be a patronising git there chris – curb yourself.
I already answered – I don’t care. He doesn’t care what I think he is. He is happy not to be on the left. It isn’t that controversial or hard to understand. Hopefully you won’t come back with slimey bullshit now that that has all been cleared up ffs.
This slimy enough for you?
Chris, and Paul, whatever disagreements there might be about CV’s politics or the value of CV’s contributions here, it is most definitely true that CV earlier this year declared himself to not be left wing. He’s said it a number of times, and many of us remember this because of how it happened and the context it happened in.
I think it’s 50/50 whether CV himself, who is still active in this thread, will confirm this himself. That alone tells us much about the problems here.
You owe marty an apology.
Sure, but what does that mean? marty mars seems to be saying that this means CV’s some kind of extreme right wing something something. That’s the implication and marty mars won’t say otherwise. It’s a meaningless accusation.
I never said or implied that at all fuckwit – don’t try and spin some wank game geezer. It is a fact, he said it – deal with it. You are the only one making shit up.
MM, you’re becoming increasingly irrational in recent weeks through your comments, including insulting people with bad language
Looking back over time it seemed to be an exception, now it seems to be the rule..
Perhaps you could take some time to evaluate if all the emotive vitriol you currently have for CV, primarily but not exclusively, is worth it
..
Sure, but what does that mean? marty mars seems to be saying that this means CV’s some kind of extreme right wing something something. That’s the implication and marty mars won’t say otherwise. It’s a meaningless accusation.
What it means is that marty said repeatedly that CV doesn’t consider himself to be left wing anymore. There is no further implication about being extreme right, although marty did suggest it might be called pan-political.
There are lots of things to accuse CV of, but marty didn’t do that. Reminding that CV himself doesn’t consider himself to be left wing is a relevant comment on its own. Any inference is something you’ve decided, not something marty has said. Here’s the exact quotes. Feel free to scroll up to see them in context, but I think they stand pretty clearly on their own.
Marty is in quotation marks, others in [ ].
Say what you mean then, son. All you’ve said is that CV’s “not left”. What the fuck does that mean, you one-dimensional little weasel. What are you accusing CV of being, then? Far left? Fuck, I’d be proud if someone called me that, but you’ve said nothing apart from “CV’s not left”. If you call yourself “left”, then heaven fucking help us.
[you’ve had this explained to you several times already, including by CV himself. If you’re not willing to listen to people and just want to be abusive, take the night off. – weka]
Equally it should be plain that CV is no right winger either; the old left/right labels no longer stick quite like used to.
1,2 – I haven’t insulted cv by clarifying that he says he isn’t a left winger – get a grip.
chis – your having a wankathon by yourself over your made up outrage over your made up conclusion which has been clarified for you at least 3 times now. Seems you are too up yourself and your rightonrick approach – guess what geezer – these are the south seas here not blighty. And my original comment was a clarification for the extremist you dick.
If that’s all mm’s saying, that CV’s “not left”, and that’s all he’s concerned about, I suggest that he’s concerned about nothing because what he says, that someone is “not left” means absolutely nothing. I’m glad that the fact mm hasn’t been saying anything at all has been clarified.
You’re a patronizing Nat fan troll, Chris.
Panpolitical is it. CV wants to see the world burn. Not positive like Steph asks for and critical in all the wrong places.
CV has an ego the size of Trump’s and a platform the size of Tinkerbell’s.
I want to see the world burn?
Nah, I’m just totally amazed that so few people can see that the world is already completely on fire.
And it’s not fun at all. But I can understand the ostrich mentality.
cv why don’t you clarify your non left status for chris above – he’s really struggling to understand and is trying to take his anger out on others.
@marty, CV already has. I’ve quoted him in one of the subthreads too.
I used to suspect that CV was a leftie with poor planning skills whose failed intrigues had resulted in a massive overcompensation of naysaying and uncritical parrotting of propaganda to preserve his inflated but fragile ego.
But when he shat a brick over Swarbrick’s cv, I glimpsed a midlife crisis and concomitant shift towards general toryism when he finally gets putinlove out of his system..
Pretty much spot on
+1. He wastes so much energy in the wrong fucking direction.
If only he and Chris Trotter would move on from 1984 and help the modern Labour movement we might be in a better place.
A prime example of “Pommers Law” (look it up)
Ah yes the 22 year old LLB BA double degree cafe owner arts patron journalist 2degrees employee fashion designer/fashion label launching marketing consultant mayoral candidate.
Some people looked at that and decided – astonishing youth prodigy. I looked at that and decided the obvious.
The toilet paper is with chris – he’s just about finished cleaning himself up.
[marty can you also please take a step back from the abuse, thanks – weka]
Young women these days are graduating from University in greater numbers, succeeding in business and establishing powerful political/business networks far faster and more effectively than young men the same age.
It was a mistake to gauge Swarbrick by male standards.
[RL: I’ll make a moderation note here rather than pick on any one poster. The levels of personal abuse have gotten WAY too high. I’m not going to intervene here because I don’t think I’m the right person to do it. I’m leaving it over to weka to moderate as she sees fit and totally support any action she takes. ]
RL you know and I know full well the fast networker fast job changing fast ladder climbing always on the look out for the next stepping stone careerist types, and yes in our beautiful modern day they are definitely both men and women.
Based on her CV would you have seriously considered hiring Swarbrick for a key mid level management position in a large, demanding organisation?
I would not have.
BTW if she keeps at politics she’s not going to end up as a left winger. Centre, maybe. Possibly. Just a guess.
Fashion labels and cafes are like any other small business – starting one has no indication of scale, just company registration. And fashion and art overlap quite a bit.
The thing is, I’ve met people like Chloe. Rarely, but it happens. They do a lot of work in a lot of different fields, and yes even do double degrees (double honours in one case I knew) at the same time. Fuck, look at Cook Bros. That started with five marketing students getting bank loans to buy equal shares in a pub.
You have no knowedge of her politics, no knowledge of her background, no knowledge of any impropriety, no idea of how much financial assistance she had as opposed to saving and leveraging on what she built.
You just can’t believe that her CV is plausible because it looks much better than yours. Rather than have your delicate ego scratched, you’ll adopt the myth that what she wrote can’t be true.
Is support for privatisation via Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) – now acceptable supposedly ‘left wing’ / Labour policy?
Yes or no?
Penny Bright
‘Anti- privatisation / anti-corruption Public Watchdog’.
Chlöe Swarbrick
September 24 at 8:27am
Hey Penny, I support certain PPPs to see certain necessary infrastructure built.
It is a practicality, and does not need to be evil, especially with requisite controls in contracts.
I am against the TPPA, and my track record in journalism will show that.
I support density because cities operate best, and most efficiently, when they are denser.
Where would you like to see Auckland growth go?
Forever sprawling outwards, without the support of infrastructure or job opportunity?
My whole campaign is premised on engaging the disengaged – bringing Auckland’s disenfranchised back into the conversation.
I do not think we can have a representative democracy when only 1/3 of the city votes, let alone when there is a large correlation there between voters and homeowners protecting their interests.”
Chloe Swarbrick – in my opinion – practical, pragmatic PRIVATISER.
Remember folks?
“The key thing in life is sincerity. Once you can fake that – you’ve got it made.”
Penny Bright
‘Whistle-blower’.
CV’s instinct is correct..
People will believe whatever they want, especially when they are trying to put their ego over the top of another
Such as you’re doing in this instance
Do you even realise what you were doing?
thank you moderators – message received.
I’m mostly with McF on this one. I’ve never met Swarbrick and I’ve no idea if she over-egged her CV or not. But I think you made a mistake in casting judgement on it with insufficient information.
As McFlock says, such ‘over-achieving’ young people do exist and I’m happy they do.
Whether she has the maturity and skills to operate as a senior manager within Auckland City is perhaps a better question, and one that the voters delivered an answer on. But then again look at Helen Clark who was active in politics at a very young age; youth alone should be no barrier to activism. Swarbrick looks like talent and there’s every chance we’ll see her some time down the track.
As you must know personally CV, politics is a tough game, and staging a recovery from setbacks is a lesson best learnt young. Wish I had.
So the call is uber hardworking uber effective networking outstanding multitasking fast rising career star then? OK happy to go with your call. Swarbrick for Mayor 2019.
Huh?
Oh yeah, you’re a salaryman, I suppose you still need a CV don’t you.
lol
oops I touched a nerve.
What do you mean “touched a nerve”?
lolk
You only jump to deflection when you’re strugging for a reasonable response.
Come on, what exactly about Swarbrick’s cv made you think it was unbelievable: that a 22yo might have started a few small companies, maybe one during uni? It’s easy to form a company – friend of mine registered one for a single theatrical production. It’s a good way of keeping boundaries separate, especially if you’re juggling a lot of different plates.
Was it the use of the word “patron” that pissed you off? Or did the double egree just activate your anti-education reflex?
Or are you incapable of self-reflection?
Yes I particularly loved “patron of the arts”. so informative
So the word “patron” made you disbelieve the entire thing?
That’s nice, Penny.
It still doesn’t mean her CV is padded.
Really? You have evidence Swarbrick’s CV was untrue? Feel free to present it, rather than pretendng you’re some sort of deus ex machina swanning in to proclaim the truth based solely on your own authority..
I never said that Swarbrick’s CV was “untrue” McFlock.
In fact, I think it is highly likely that Swarbrick did/attempted all those things on her CV.
edit – soz I see you weren’t replying to me
No, you just called it “obvious crap”
“did/attempted”?
Even when you’re backtracking, you can’t but help suggesting that not everything in the list of what she did, she actually did, rather than attempted.
Is this conversation really necessary?
If I claimed to be a ‘patron of the arts’ on the basis that I have a couple of paintings I’ve paid a few hundred dollars each for … then strictly speaking I’m not lying. But to someone who maybe had spent a lifetime spending millions, like say David Walsh, collecting and building a magnificent gallery … then it doubtless he’d think I was talking crap.
And while I own a couple of companies, they really are of such modest consequence I wouldn’t dream of calling myself ‘company director’. Even though strictly speaking it’s true.
And when I’m employing staff, I see far too many CV’s that are blatantly embellished. Typically people who claim high levels of competency in multiple skill areas that I know each one might take 3- 5 years to become good at, when they’ve barely been out of Uni a couple of years. Again strictly speaking they probably aren’t exactly lying, but neither do I find their claims convincing.
At 22 yrs of age, did Swarbrick over-egg her CV? I’d be surprised and delighted if it did indeed stand up to scrutiny; but equally you can hardly be too harsh if others express skepticism.
You and CV can bat this one about all night, but in the absence of hard information about Swarbrick it becomes an exercise in sour, sterile sniping.
@Red
You and CV can bat this one about all night, but in the absence of hard information about Swarbrick it becomes an exercise in sour, sterile sniping.
That was my main response the other day when it came up. There’s bugger all information to go on. Myself, I don’t have a problem with what she is claiming, and am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt unless something concrete gets presented. I just thought CV’s comments weren’t based on much other than his own antipathy (and he wasn’t very upfront about what he was meaning, but that’s another kete of ika)
+1 McFlock.
As per usual, you post a load of rubbish Chris.
+ 1
Good to see you guys have finally made up.
https://openparachute.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/croc-tears.jpg?w=500&h=341
In today’s story in the Sunday Star Times about funding needed for transport improvements touted by mayoral candidates: “And while Bridges says he is keen to work with councils to improve their get-around-ability, he won’t buy into their pork barrel politics with taxpayer dollars. ”
Admittedly that’s the journalist’s spin as he is quoted as actually saying: “I’m very keen to keep up a new approach I’ve had where we manage to strip aside the politics, use evidence-based information, and have officials working together”.
But isn’t this the same man who plucked 10 phantom bridges out of thin air to tempt the voters of Northland?
Slanted evidence, unfortunately: http://transportblog.co.nz/2016/09/16/atap-the-right-answers-to-the-wrong-questions/
Pilger’s best days were a quarter of a century ago, today he tiptoes along the line between journalist and crank.
Drawing an equivalance between a publication like the the New York Times and Putin’s asymentric state use of black propaganda is exactly the sort of false equivalence that fuels Trumpism (a sneering imbecile also beloved of CV) and brings delighted smiles to the kleptocracy running the Russian mafia state. One can read the NYT (with a mind to it’s bias) with a reasonable degree that it is reporting facts, albeit with a (often considerable) slant. Departing news for fantasy, and defending that fantasy as some sort of equvalent, is disgraceful and (to mix metaphors) simply tells me that CV has painted his high horse into a corner, and rather than climb down and wear the sticky results he’ll just keeping upping the ante until, one presumes, he is defending David Icke’s right to an equal hearing in the flat earth “debate”.
Bullshit Sanctuary. Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once…. The best propagandists in the world are the Americans. Period.
Sanctuary thinks he is smart enough to not be affected by the ubiquitous corporate MSM western propaganda.
“There can be no cooperation between the US and Russia over Syria, because the two government’s goals are entirely different. Russia wants to defeat ISIS, and the US wants to use ISIS to overthrow Assad. This should be clear to the Russians. Yet they still enter into “agreements” that Washington has no intention of keeping. Washington breaks the agreements and blames Russia, thus creating more opportunities to paint Russia as untrustworthy. Without Russia’s cooperation in setting themselves up for blame, Russia’s portrait would not be so black.
“On September 28, 2016, the New York Times gave us a good example of how Washington’s propaganda system works. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/29/world/middleeast/russias-brutal-bombing-of-aleppo-may-be-calculated-and-it-may-be-working.html?_r=0 ”
Paul Craig Roberts
(oh dear, former United States Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy under President Reagan, 1981)
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2016/09/30/bring-back-the-cold-war-paul-craig-roberts/
PCR gets it. So does Col Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to Sec State Colin Powell, and many other former establishment players who are horrified at what has been happening over the last decade.
wah wah wah, Russian propoganda, Western readers being duped …
“Perhaps everyone has already forgotten that when Washington’s plan to invade Syria was blocked by the UK Parliament and Russian diplomacy, Washington sent the forces used against Gaddafi in Libya to overthrow Assad in Syria where they emerged as ISIS and commit extraordinary atrocities.
“As ISIS was serving Washington’s purpose, Washington took no action against them. After a couple of years of death and destruction suffered by Syrians, the Russian government lost its patience and backed the Syrian Army with air power. Soon ISIS was defeated and on the run.
“Washington was caught in a bind. In Iraq Washington was fighting ISIS, because ISIS was overthrowing Washington’s puppet in Iraq. However, in Syria Washington was supporting ISIS, often characterizing ISIS as “moderates” fighting to bring democracy to Syria. Now that ISIS is on the verge of total defeat in Syria, Washington’s whores among the “experts” want Russia punished for blocking Washington’s overthrow of Syria.
…
“Real experts have integrity, and these experts want the Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama regimes tried for their war crimes. I think David Satter should be in the dock with them.”
PCR
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2016/08/10/the-stench-of-raw-propaganda-paul-craig-roberts/
I guess former US establishment types like Roberts, Wilkerson, Flynn, Binnie, McGovern and others are all Russian agents now…
I doubt they listen to anything other than a very narrow prism of media.
+100 CV…are Americcan patriots who are courageous in speaking out the truth
This guy was part of the Reagan administration in 1981? He certainly will know a lot about shitty activities by the US government, but the fact is the current US government isn’t even in the same league of shitty activities as the one he was involved with. Who would take his word for anything?
This alone identifies him as either an idiot or part of Putin’s troll army:
…Washington sent the forces used against Gaddafi in Libya to overthrow Assad in Syria…
Stuff about chemtrails or the lizard people would be less embarrassing than that.
Might be better to point out the role of France in Libya. Not everything originates in Washington.
You are such an awesome arse clown. Honestly, do you have to try to be so willfully idiotic? It’s like talking to a stupider than normal brick wall.
[I agree with Red. Please stick to the politics and debate, and tone down the abuse. CV’s comment looks like a deliberate windup, don’t take the bait – weka]
With respect Sanctuary, that comment above is pretty much just “pointless abuse”. If I felt like wearing a moderators hat right now (and most times I don’t) it would likely attract a warning or more.
was already logged in 🙂
There is such a thing as pointed abuse, which is exactly what CV deserves.
[there is a general acceptance of rudeness here when it’s part of making a political point. Abuse for the sake of it is not acceptable. Abusing someone personally and not making a political point is not acceptable. No more warnings – weka]
Fuck, you inclusive self enlightened diversity loving safe space promoting lefty liberal types make me laugh when your true colours fly. Maybe check out a mirror some time?
Yawn. You simply cannot take criticism of your massive ego, can you?
I always like to remind people of what the Labour Party did to conscientious objectors and pacifists within their ranks during WWII. Expelled them, black listed them, got them fired from their jobs, made life miserable for them.
Those traits still exist in the Left.
I cannot believe how so many people accept the lines of the Us government and its sockpuppets in the media.
After all, if they had being paying attention, they will know about the lies about Iraq and weapons of mass destruction. If there was an ounce of critical thinking going on, they would see that we were also lied to about 9/11.
And yet they believe the spin doctors and repeaters within the media.
I source Pilger, Cockburn, Fisk and other reputable independent journalists.
Who are their sources?
102 years ago too many people willfully believed the propaganda sold to them and World War 1 eventuated. Will they ever learn?
If there was an ounce of critical thinking going on, tinfoil-hat types wouldn’t be constantly peddling 9/11 conspiracy theories.
It amuses me that you, CV and Chooky berate everyone else for lacking your discernment in identifying propaganda in the western media, while getting much of your news from an actual government propaganda service.
Just using the expression ‘tinfoil-hat type’ shows your inclination to want to close down critical thinking and debate.
For your information,
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-02-23/1967-he-cia-created-phrase-conspiracy-theorists-and-ways-attack-anyone-who-challenge
As opposed to the kleptocracy running the US corporate mafia state?
It is hardly my problem if you cannot recognise the geopolitical argey bargey between conflicting groups of kleptocrats and conflicting sets of kleptocratic objectives on opposite sides of the world.
The only problem for us is how the risks of a confrontation between nuclear super powers is growing by the day.
As opposed to the kleptocracy running the US corporate mafia state?
If they ever introduce a world championship for false equivalence, you’re a dead cert for NZ rep.
How is exact equivalence “false equivalence”?
Look at the multi-hundred million dollar-aires and billionaires running for the Oval Office. Putin is also said to have a vast fortune.
What else do you need for the definition of kleptocracy?
To degree there’s is bad as each other the Us does not excuse Russia or vice versa, likewise Hillary does not excuse trump or vice versa, to argue otherwise is BS
What exactly is it that you think Russia needs “excuses” for in Syria? And what is it that you think the US needs “excuses” for in Syria?
My point is that most of the argument here on trump and Hillary or US vs Russia is predicated on idealigical bais that one is better than the other based on the sins of the other ( Paul more so parroting his washed up love child JP and his superior synthesis of non bias media from his wacky world of his lounge and his PC ) if you look at each in isolation none comes up smelling of roses
I would have said that its more predicated on the worlds pre-eminent military and economic power by far wanting to exercise its right of regime change and total financial and economic control over any nation on the planet that it disagrees with.
still does not let Russia off the hook
But you do accept that the US is not a paragon of virtue in this area?
Yes
What is it exactly in Syria do you think that Russia is “on the hook” for?
Just got the odd civilian death here and there, including kids, nothing major
Plenty more civilians are going to die in Eastern Aleppo unless the Jihadis take up the offer of amnesty and leave, or unless the west stops arming/funding/supplying those Jihadis so they can no longer hold the territory.
Marty Mars claims you have “has spurned the left” and that you are “no leftie.”
Or have you just spurned the New Zealand Labour Party?
Able or wish to comment?
prepare to be disappointed paul – I haven’t made anything up
Please, please, MM, don’t turn into another Loftie.
Hi Paul, I no longer count myself as a member of the traditional left wing (jobs, industrial growth, organised labour, social democracy), or the establishment left wing (centrist market model Labour/Greens), or the liberal identity politics left wing (take your pick).
Not because there aren’t useful elements within there, but because they are completely unsuitable and inadequate for what is coming down the pike in the next 10 to 20 years.
And you support Trump and Peters/NZF, who are both completely inadequate for dealing with the approaching crises. There is something disingenuous about your explanation.
Yes they are completely inadequate but that’s the menu we have in front of us.
Russia needs excuses for the bombing of civilians in Syria.
One hegemonic player in a region is no damned good – but two is infinitely worse for the civilian population.
Syrians are dying to support Russia’s military expansion.
No amount of conspiracy theory legitimises this.
Russia is assisting the Syrian Government destroy jihadist units entrenched in Eastern Aleppo. It is ugly, brutal urban warfare.
The jihadists have been offered safe passage out of Aleppo, if they wish to spare the local population the hardship.
Russia is present in Syria at discretion of the Syrian Government, and to support the warfighting efforts against the terrorist jihadists. Russia is not there as part of a “military expansion.”
Are you guys able to make an argument without recourse to terms like ‘conspiracy theory’. You know it weakens your argument.
https://www.amazon.com/Conspiracy-Theory-America-Discovering/dp/0292757697
http://www.naturalnews.com/053452_conspiracy_theories_Kennedy_assassination_CIA.html
It doesn’t as it happens – outside conspiracy theories proof that the US created ISIS is less than convincing – and if you understand anything about the politics of the region these neat wraps that CV produces that put all the anti-Russian forces into one jihadist box are utter bullshit.
Even the jihadists are multifarious.
Russia is doing what it always does – bombing any opposition and innocent bystanders to death.
Neither US nor Russian bombing of civilians is ever permissable.
THERE IS NO EXCUSE.
The USA/NATO did not “create ISIS” in so much as it facilitated and indirectly funded ISIS as a strategic asset in the wider goal of taking down Assad. Most of this help went via Turkey, key NATO member and US ally.
The US could have chosen to separate out the “moderate opposition” from the head chopping pilot burning minority enslaving jihadists and promoted a peaceful political process in Syria to move Assad on.
Instead, the US continues to use the head chopping pilot burning minority enslaving jihadists jihadists as a proxy force to try and oust Assad with.
And now, if these jihadists don’t take the opportunity to leave Aleppo using the Syrian Government amnesty, then Russia and Syria are going to eliminate that proxy force through military means.
Yes, that means nasty block by block urban combat through old East Aleppo where the remaining couple of thousand jihadist terrorists are holed up.
dropping cluster bombs and bombing hospitals is what Russia can start producing excuses for.
Shit. Got muddled about replying to another comment.
Lavrov has said that they are using only legal munitions in Aleppo. Perhaps someone at the Security Council can initiate an independent investigation into the possible use of cluster bombs.
As for bombing hospitals – again, independent investigations are required. The reliability of the reports bears examining. I saw suggestions that Quds hospital in Aleppo had just been destroyed/bombed to collapse for the second or third time and was still accepting patients.
“Lavrov has said that they are using only legal munitions in Aleppo.”
Of course he said that. In other news, Powell said that Iraq absolutely had WMD.
+1
CV long since gave up any pretense of being easonable and considered. Now he just prefers to spout whatever comes into his head no matter laughable
Who are your sources for your opinions about the Syrian civil war?
Pretty you have asked me this before and I gave you an exhaustive list of sources I regularly read/watch
“Pilger’s best days were a quarter of a century ago, today he tiptoes along the line between journalist and crank.”
Evidence for this?
Here is some evidence supporting the fact he is still a fearless and independent journalist.
note Paul is chairman of the New Zealand John Pilger fan club while he is not making tinfoil hats and seeking banning of chem trails
Do you have a point to make or are you limited to ad hominems?
Dull.
Very dull……
I would expect better debating technique from a child.
“I would expect better debating technique from a child.”
Wow, really?
Says the guy who responds to criticism with “You must be a Killary/US/Neo-con supporter”
You have no sense of irony I suspect
Utopia is a film that looks at racism in Australia.
I recommend you watch it.
Not a big Pilger fan (I prefer Chomsky) but have read Secret Country
Did you watch the video I posted on ‘ A World War 3 Has Begun Break The Silence.’
Please keep an open mind on the Syrian crisis.
According to red, he’s to be associated with chemtrails and tin foil hats.
The ignorance of these rwnjs is just unbelievable.
No the reference to tin foil hats and chem trails was directed ar you Paul not pilger
Evidence for this claim?
These people don’t need “evidence.” Their moral superiority and intellectual self-righteousness are more than sufficient.
That’s rich coming from you. Evidence is a foreign word to you
+100 Paul…Pilger at his best is a great journalist and documentary film maker
Pilger’s pretty good in fact – but I wouldn’t assert his infallibility.
I recall Tariq Ali’ Bush in Baylon https://www.amazon.com/Bush-Babylon-Recolinisation-Tariq-Ali/dp/1844675122 A great read from someone with a deep knowledge of the country and the issues. But then he wrote some truly awful piffle about North Korea.
If Pilger’s backing Putin he’s been seriously misinformed.
He isn’t backing Putin.
Watch the video!
I have seen, over the last few years, quite a number of people on this blog complaining that the current Government has no mandate to do anything because they did not get a majority of the voting age population having voted for them in the last General Election.
They usually take the line that everyone who didn’t enrol, or didn’t vote was actually completely opposed to the Government.
I wonder when one of these individuals will announce that Goff is a liar when he claims to have a “mandate” from Auckland voters?
I have done the calculation for them.
I am assuming that 80% of the voting-age population were enrolled.
There was a turnout of about 38%
Goff got 47.6% of the votes.
Hence his support was 0.476 * 0.38 * .80 * 100 percent.
That comes to about 15% and therefore, by the wild reasoning lots of people here have applied to the National Government, we must argue that a massive 85% of the population of Auckland don’t want Goff to promote ANY of the things he campaigned on.
Where are all the people who think that their peculiar reasoning about National is correct? Why are they not claiming that Goff has no mandate to do anything?
@Alwyn
It may be true that only 15% voted for Goff. However, I think it is generally accepted that it is the old and/or well off that tend to vote. The young and/or poor tend not to be registered or organised or motivated to vote-this is an increasing trend*. This group tends to vote for the left. If more of them had voted Goff would have done even better.
The lesson for the Lab/Gr bloc is to launch a registration drive for the upcoming election, making this easy to do online through the Labour and Green websites. And to include policies that young people will be motivated to vote for. A 12 month period overseas before student loans have to be begun to be paid back (the 6 month period is too short for a decent OE) and affordable houses for first-time buyers (here I mean $350,000 not $650,000) and 100% subsidised Uni and Poly tuition fees come to mind.
*the Brexit vote was lost for the same reason
On a completely different election, Clinton is now 4.6% ahead and is ahead in 11/14 battleground states. This is before Trump’s latest idiotic remarks were revealed.
Simple answer …. every poll should have a “no confidence in any of the candidates” tick box
I seem to remember that some Students Associations had such an option in their elections.
I not sure of that though but it seems like a good idea. I’m not sure what happened if “none of the above” won though.
In my day, it meant another election, but the previous candidates couldn’t stand again.
My memory was accurate, apparently. At least that the option had existed.
I wonder if there were ever any elections where the rejections went on and on and nobody ended up being elected before the next years elections came around?
Remembering my own student days I am sure some of us would have been tempted to try and arrange such an event.
Fair comment alwyn.
I would have thought you’d be happy to have a neolib mayor, one could go so far as to say he was the lesser of two right wing evils!
I don’t live in Auckland so I don’t much care who won the Mayoral election.
I am not happy about the Wellington result though. The “way past it” people like Andy Foster seem to have survived. Name recognition I guess.
And no, I don’t think that a claim that 85% oppose Goff is sensible. He can, just like John Key, claim to have a mandate for his election policies. Whether he can get them through the Council is another matter.
Correct which is the main reason why we implemented MMP and why we need to now implement preferential voting for mayors.
We also need to change to mandatory voting and setting policies by referenda so that such arguments don’t happen again.
“implement preferential voting for mayors”.
That bit I agree with, even though it led to the election of our last, green leaning, unsuccessful Mayor. The incumbent in 2010 led easily in the first round but as more and more candidates were eliminated the final round gave a small majority to Wade-Brown
In a FPP election Prendergast would have got 41% and Wade-Brown about 34%.
STV is a much fairer system though.
The odd part about it is though that a single vote can decide the final winner. If you make up a fantasy voting pattern you can get a circumstance where switching a single vote could lead to the first person eliminated changing to being the one who finally triumphs. I don’t suggest it is likely. I just say it is possible.
I am not in favour of binding referenda though. It is almost impossible to get a question where a yes/no vote makes sense and also avoids getting totally contradictory conclusions between different referenda results.
I’m sure you could pass several results like.
1. Reduce income taxes by 20%
2. Increase the health budget by 20%.
3. Increase National Super by 20%
4. Reduce GST to zero
Now, how would you implement al of those?
I actually thought that Wade- Brown was a good mayor. Didn’t get sucked into a lot of “corporate high spending I want council to subsidize me crap”. ( Can’t say the same for council officers!?? ). Nor did she want to concrete everything in sight! What’s wrong with rates going on basic boring water rubbish sewage stuff.
“A good mayor”? She is a very pleasant person who was way out of her depth in the job in my opinion. Still, to each his own.
You approve of a runway extension at the Airport? Just where do you think any airline is going to fly?
Apart from subsidising Singapore to the tune of a million or so a year of course. And don’t tell me that she didn’t have anything to do with it.
Or the farce on the Parade in Island Bay where the cycleway made a wide, safe street into an accident zone?
At least she gave up, most unhappily on “light rail”.
No progress on such a basic, boring thing like a water supply for the hospital if we have an earthquake of course.
And just how much money did we waste on “recycling” plastic bags only to find they end up being dumped anyway
Do you recall a few years ago when we had the Waitakere Electorate change hands two or three times on recounts? That was 11 votes.
So, yes, a single vote can change the outcome but that doesn’t apply solely to STV.
I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t ask those questions and I’d have rules in place preventing them.
Instead you have people vote on what type of taxes that they think should be implemented with the understanding that the taxes will be adjusted to ensure that everything passed by referenda is fully funded thus an increase in the health budget gets an increase in taxes.
Of course, I also happen to think that we need to get away from money. Start practising economics from reality rather than the delusion that we have now. Everything that needs to be done is costed not in money but in the actual resources needed to do it including labour with instant feedback to the people voting showing how that will affect the available resources and other programs.
“Now how would you implement all of those?”
By making all those changes in the next budget (something the government does every year).
Your welcome.
What a shame. Nobody who was in the legion who attacks the current Government because less than half the population voted for them came forward to apply the same standard to Phil Goff.
Oh well I shouldn’t really be surprised. What is that “not-Star Wars” quote?
“The hypocrisy is strong in that one”
No-one taking notice of your dim-witted posts? Diddums.
Phil Goff is kind of left leaning so it’s all right…nothing to see here type of thing.
Actually, I’m pretty sure that most of the Left-leaning people here recognise that Phil Goff is almost as right-wing as John Key.
They also recognise that alwyn is simply bating.
I would have assumed Auckland was on STV by now (which they are not). I mean thats why Leister has a mandate right?
Why Silver is right.
Test the OpenMike feature
[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.]
Eh, not sure have an auto-mod addition like that is a good idea, if it’s entirely automatic. If it’s optional and applied by default it’s probably fine.
There have been cases in the past where entire threads of comments have been moved to Open Mike, sometimes 20-30+ comments at once. Adding that little blurb to every single comment would amount to spam.
Agreed.
It only gets put on the top comment, the one that caused the thread to be moved. The old code didn’t put a note in at all.
Should save moderators a lot of time.
Sounds fine.
I’m totally confused. This just sends mix messages about the state of masculinity.
Warning it’s an add for a video game.
I don’t know, seems reasonably clear. Forget that namby pamby bonding creative stuff, destroying things is so much better. That message works on lots of levels.
Fun game that one
heh
….i dare not look after the other salacious naughty thing you posted of Trump with a toad in a hole in his pants!
(…i will leave the viewing of this to others more brave than me…and await their reports)
It’s OK, there’s nothing visually disturbing and the language is much milder than Trump’s. It’s not far into NSFW territory.
I did?.
well i think it was you…it was very rude
Nope, not me so put up or STFU.
lol…well sorry! ( now why did i think it was you?)
why I love twitter.
Trump would win if he knew how to deflect these attacks and stick to policy. Instead he engages with them and digs himself a hole. At tomorrow’s debate I fully expect him to deliver absolutely crude insults and stories to Hillary Clinton regarding her husbands history of misconduct towards women.
Looks like Hillary will have her own explaining to do.
It will be an interesting second debate and i hope the public ask the real questions and forget about Trump.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/emails-clinton-wall-street-private/
Yeah, lots of explaining…..
/
#PodestaEmails
Some more context, with links to the actual e-mails.
http://www.vox.com/2016/10/7/13207286/clinton-speech-transcripts-wikileaks-email
http://www.vox.com/2016/10/7/13206882/hillary-clinton-wikileaks-speeches-goldman
Basically they’re not as bad as what she’s already been tried, convicted and sentenced for in liberal minds. She probably would have been better off just releasing them, like most things it’s trying to hide or cover it that’s more damaging than just coming clean.
Long time analyst reckons lots won’t stand forensic scrutiny.
When’s her actual trial?
Or does she too have immunity from prosecution like all her key staffers?
When she is POTUS, which is not that far away as it is only days away, she will be pretty much immune from prosecution 🙂
‘Pretty much’ given there is the two-step impeachment process which may not happen until she gets many of the things underway that she will compliantly do as a willing piggy bank.
As for Trump, he is not that reliable and can be unpredictably disruptive, hence the bet is on the other one.
Understand what you are saying about Trump, and good on you.
In my view some “disruption” is exactly what we need, and urgently. Yes disruption might entail a bit of risk in making things somewhat worse than expected, but it might also disrupt things making things head in a substantially better way than expected.
With Clinton, we simply get more of the predictable status quo agenda, on a mild dose of steroids.
Which means that drawing a straight line prediction over the last ten or so years and extending the line into the future, with Hillary we will get things more or less exactly as worse as expected.
Huge, if true.
(Bill Posted on this recently…msm kowtowing to official lines )
Mainstream media under fire again…for dereliction of duty ? disinformation?
…Is a sinister shadow State being surreptitiously erected in Syria?
Are the supposed humanitarian ‘White Helmets’ (with $100 million dollar funding from UK, USA, Europe) actually selling regime change against the wishes of the Syrian people ?
…and by stealth eradicating the Syrian State?
….This propagandising organisation is not recognised by the UN and like a parasite blood sucker is taking over the real Syrian Civil Defence.
For a good discussion outside the msm on this issue:
‘White helmets, really?’
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/361887-white-helmets-aid-pr/
“The White Helmets: a heartfelt humanitarian NGO or an elaborate and cynical Western PR stunt promoting illegal regime change in Syria? Does wearing white helmets mean they are the good guys supporting a just cause?
CrossTalking with Vanessa Beeley, Eva Bartlett, and Patrick Henningsen.”
What other colours are remaining after the list of various colour revolutions?
Syria: Doctors in Aleppo refute Western media lies
https://off-guardian.org/2016/10/08/syria-doctors-in-aleppo-refute-western-media-lies/
The NZ ambassador to the UN, Gerard von Bohemen, puts the boot into his own organisation. He’s another in a long list of western elites eroding confidence in the UN, giving them toothpicks to fight 21st century battles.
His own prime minister’s solution to the crisis in Syria was for everyone to hold hands.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11725642
Russia deploys nuclear capable Iskander mobile missile system to Kaliningrad
The latest versions of the system are thought to be capable of hitting Berlin from Kaliningrad.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-10-08/russia-deploys-nuclear-capable-missiles-kaliningrad-near-polish-border
What, no outrage and condemnation at this reckless escalation and nuclear intimidation tactic?
Russia is now matching NATO’s moves over the last 12+ months to place thousands of European troops, heavy weapons and ABM systems closer and closer to its borders.
Russia has already based its most advanced ground to air weapon systems in Kaliningrad.
Oh jeez, my ribs hurt…
Real Clear Politics currently has Clinton smashing Trump by over 100 electoral college votes, 322 versus Trump 216, on a no toss ups basis.
very very funny – the best funny is often close to reality
Always a pig of a man.
https://twitter.com/Khanoisseur/status/784401554480566272
Child rape victim comes forward for the first time in 40 years to call Hillary Clinton a ‘liar’ who defended her rapist by smearing her, blocking evidence and callously laughing that she knew he was guilty
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3729466/Child-rape-victim-comes-forward-time-40-years-call-Hillary-Clinton-liar-defended-rapist-smearing-blocking-evidence-callously-laughing-knew-guilty.html
Always check snopes, guy
http://www.snopes.com/hillary-clinton-freed-child-rapist-laughed-about-it/
Edit: I feel this disclaimer should always be added when replying to CV or his cohorts –
*This in no way an endorsement of Clinton, more it is an attempt to counter the festering bullshit that dwells in CV’s rabid alt-right brain
amazing – it is pretty well totally debunked – why would someone put up that when it has been proven to be false – I just don’t get why someone would do that and expect to be taken seriously.
Because they’re fucking knob ends with google.
Debunked? Then you better read below about the impact that Clinton’s disgusting legal attacks had on the then 12 year old victim.
Ok, so now you’re a champion for the rights of rape victims? Thought not.
The US has an adversarial justice system that is incredibly hard on victims of sexual assault. Afaik, unless the accused admits guilt to their lawyer then the lawyer has a legal obligation to defend them as no guilty to the extent that the law allows, and that includes being hard on victims. That’s how the system is designed.
Even if Clinton did push hard in her defence case and the child was further traumatised, in what ways is that relevant to her running for president now? Be specific, I’d really like to know what point you are actually trying to make here. I can think of some I would make about it, but I doubt they’re the same as what you are trying to do.
Using child rape for political ends is about as sick as it gets. Doing so while at the same time supporting and advocating for the politics of a man known to sexually harass and assault women is even worse.
And let’s not forget that your original comment is in response to Joe90’s link to early Trump racism. Because somehow in your mind if Clinton is evil then we can excuse Trump’s evilness? Or was it just a straight out reactionary diversion?
Simple: if the Clinton apologising left think that the things Trump has said 10, 20, 30 years ago is relevant to his fitness to be President, then the things that Clinton has done 10, 20, 30 years ago is definitely relevant to her fitness to be President.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, don’t you know.
And that’s what I call being a Clinton apologist. So now Clinton was only acting within the confines of a bad legal system that is hard on victims, and she simply had to fit in within how “the system is designed” so she is OK to run for President?
Take this for a contrast: Trump takes a totally legal $900M business tax deduction, acting within the confines of a bad tax system, operating within how “the system is designed” – but he’s not OK to run for President?
It seems that what is good for the goose is not good for the gander.
Liberal lefty hypocrisy ratchets up to a new volume.
Shit, dude – if you must equate a defense lawyer doing their job with a tax write-off, you might want to remember that Clinton tried to get recused from defending the rapist. Trump actively claimed the tax write off, nobody forced him to do it.
Bullshit. Investors in his companies and projects could sue him if they uncovered that he acted financially negligently and gave away hundreds of millions of dollars of legitimate tax deductions as allowed by law.
investors force him to take a writeoff on his personal tax liabilities?
That’s nice of them.
Nope.
Yet even in public companies, experts say that there is no enforceable legal duty to “maximize shareholder value”—the business judgment rule protects independent directors’ decisions about the best way to serve the interests of the corporation and its shareholders, including decisions that reduce share price or profits in the foreseeable future.
http://time.com/4516100/donald-trump-taxes-fiduciary-duty/
“Simple: if the Clinton apologising left think that the things Trump has said 10, 20, 30 years ago is relevant to his fitness to be President, then the things that Clinton has done 10, 20, 30 years ago is definitely relevant to her fitness to be President.”
Well duh. Of course. But that’s not what’s going on here. Further, Trump is accused of being a serial sexual assaulter, racist etc. Clinton is accused of doing her job in the way that her peers did at the time, and still do. Like I said, I could critique Clinton on this, but you, someone with a long online history of opposing rape culture analysis and promoting rape apology, you have an entirely different agenda here. A pretty fucked up one I might add. If you had a different history, say one of political analysis of rape trials and what happens in them and how that impacts on victims, then you might have some credibility here. As it stands you have less than none.
“And that’s what I call being a Clinton apologist.”
yes, I know you do. but that’s because you are using child rape to further your own political agenda and this either stops you from seeing that I don’t support Clinton, or you simply don’t care that you lie by implication and projection.
eg,
So now Clinton was only acting within the confines of a bad legal system that is hard on victims, and she simply had to fit in within how “the system is designed” so she is OK to run for President?
I neither said that nor believe it. You just made all that running shit up in your own head and projected it on to me. I’ll just keep saying it again and again, I could make my own criticisms of Clinton here, but you are basically incapable of engaging in that conversation because of your own politics around the US election and your politics around rape culture.
Take this for a contrast: Trump takes a totally legal $900M business tax deduction, acting within the confines of a bad tax system, operating within how “the system is designed” – but he’s not OK to run for President?
Stop and think about what you just did there CV. Because I’m pretty sure even you know that I’ve never made that argument. This is your bigotry supreme. You appear now to be incapable of seeing people with left wing or progressive views as anything other an amorphous lump who you despise, and this renders you incapable of seeing the actual arguments being made.
Don’t lie about my views CV. Don’t quote me out of context. And don’t conflate other arguments that other people have made with mine.
Oh yeah? Then tell me what alternative meaning you had in mind when you wrote the following in your comment defending Clinton:
And now about this other comment of yours:
Get over yourself weka. When I write a comment doing just what you ask – that is, you wanted me to explain my perspective and meaning – then I am explaining MY perspective, not YOUR perspective, unless I specifically say so.
If you don’t want to hear MY perspective then don’t waste both my time and your time by fucking asking for it, and we will both have a happier life.
Ok, so now you want to be spoon fed right? (for the readers, that’s a reference to CV refusing to be clear in his own comments at times and when challenged on it he makes out that requests for clarity are requests to be spoon fed)
Then tell me what alternative meaning you had in mind when you wrote the following in your comment defending Clinton:
“The US has an adversarial justice system that is incredibly hard on victims of sexual assault. Afaik, unless the accused admits guilt to their lawyer then the lawyer has a legal obligation to defend them as no guilty to the extent that the law allows, and that includes being hard on victims. That’s how the system is designed.”
I’m not defending Clinton you numpty, I’m critiquing you and what you are doing in this thread.
The reason you can’t understand that paragraph (one of the reasons), is because you’re taking it out of context. It follows directly on from a comment about your politics
Ok, so now you’re a champion for the rights of rape victims? Thought not.
The US has an adversarial justice system that is incredibly hard on victims of sexual assault. Afaik, unless the accused admits guilt to their lawyer then the lawyer has a legal obligation to defend them as no guilty to the extent that the law allows, and that includes being hard on victims. That’s how the system is designed.
My point there is that in order to have credibility in commenting on this issue (about Clinton), one needs to understand how the system is designed. It’s designed to privilege the accused at the expense of rape victims. It’s not possible to legitimately critique Clinton unless one has that context. You of course take that to be an excuse for Clinton or an outright defence of her, but that says more about you than anything else.
And of course you will use what is in the Daily Mirror and ignore what is in Snopes because it suits your political agenda, which is not aligned with the rights, needs or safety of rape victims in court. Quite the opposite, you want a man who sexually assaults women to be President.
Get over yourself weka. When I write a comment doing just what you ask – that is, you wanted me to explain my perspective and meaning – then I am explaining MY perspective, not YOUR perspective, unless I specifically say so.
When I said don’t lie about my views, I was specially referring to where you lied about my views. In your comment. I’ve critiqued YOUR perspective as well, but at the end of my comment I just said don’t lie about what I think. If you insist on wilfully misinterpreting what I say and the arguments I make, then of course I am going to tell you to stop.
Oh I see, so you were explaining the constraints and harshness of the legal system that Clinton had to act within but you weren’t defending Clinton by doing so.
[RL: Deleted. This entire conversation is like watching two people juggling an unpinned grenade. You have a choice, progress this respectfully, or have it end in ugliness and hurt.]
As I said, if you don’t want to hear my perspective then don’t fucking ask for it and you won’t be wasting both our time.
Not everyone has the well studied blindness that you put on, weka. Learn to read between the lines instead of being spoonfed.
Oh I see, so you were explaining the constraints and harshness of the legal system that Clinton had to act within but you weren’t defending Clinton by doing so.
That’s right CV. It’s called context, and it allows us to make sense of situations. I can see that you wouldn’t want to do that, because it would lessen you ability to push your anti-Clinton agenda. And that’s what’s important, right? It’s not understanding a complex situation about rape, it’s about bringing down Clinton because someone has pointed to Trump being racist.
And no, don’t start with some bullshit about how I support Clinton, I don’t.
For the umpteenth time, I could make my own critiques about Clinton in this situation, but I’m not because (a) you are incapable of engaging in that kind of conversation, and (b) my comments in this thread are about your politics. Go on, read them again. I actually say bugger all about Clinton and the case.
As I said, if you don’t want to hear my perspective then don’t fucking ask for it and you won’t be wasting both our time.
I don’t know what you are on about there to be honest. I’ve responded to your perspective, what is wrong with that? I’ve also pointed out that I have zero tolerance for my own views being misrepresented, and if you like, that includes when you express your views about them. You’re entitled to your opinion, I’m entitled to point out when you’re misrepresenting mine. It’s taken how many comments thus far for you to even begin to understand that I’m not defending Clinton here. I’m calling you on your bullshit.
“for the readers, that’s a reference to CV refusing to be clear in his own comments at times and when challenged on it he makes out that requests for clarity are requests to be spoon fed)”
Not everyone has the well studied blindness that you put on, weka. Learn to read between the lines instead of being spoon fed.
In other words you’ve got nothing. You wander around the site making backhanded and snide smears and then when people ask for clarification you make out there is something deficient with them. That’s the action of someone who can’t argue their corner.
(bold mine)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3729466/Child-rape-victim-comes-forward-time-40-years-call-Hillary-Clinton-liar-defended-rapist-smearing-blocking-evidence-callously-laughing-knew-guilty.html
Ummm – as per the link which you obviously didn’t read:
“Documents from the 1975 case include an affidavit (p. 34) sworn by Clinton, from which the “in court, Hillary told the judge that I made up the rape story” portion of the claims was derived. That affidavit doesn’t show, as claimed, that Hillary Clinton asserted the defendant “made up the rape story because [she] enjoyed fantasizing about men”; rather, it shows that other people, including an expert in child psychology, had said that the complainant was “emotionally unstable with a tendency to seek out older men and to engage in fantasizing about persons, claiming they had attacked her body,” and that “children in early adolescence tend to exaggerate or romanticize sexual experiences.”
[RL: Deleted. Make your case without the abuse.]
Of course, she should’ve ignored the long standing notion of the right to a competent defence. It’s not as if there’s any sort of historical precedent.
/
http://www.john-adams-heritage.com/boston-massacre-trials/
An ambitious Clinton was very early in her trial career, and her future career was on the line if she didn’t smash away at a 12 year old girl on the stand through fair means and foul.
Did you not read the court papers? You know, the fucking link I posted where Clinton asked to be taken off the case?
Jesus fucking Christ, you’re hopeless man
Clinton asked to be taken off the case? And that justifies how she treated the victim, and how later on she laughed about how she got an expert witness to win a point on a technicality?
No, no, no.
Jesus man, I mean really. This is like shooting fish in a barrell
It’s amazing how Clinton trashed the life of a 12 year old female victim, and now that the victim has come forward to tell her story, you’re going to trash her life again on behalf of Clinton.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the modern liberal left.
If you read the Snopes article which is very heavily cross referenced – it would appear that Hillary Rodham as she was at that time did indeed ask not to be on the case. However when it was pointed out to her that she could not refuse the request of the judge she did act as any responsible lawyer would do and worked in the defence of her client. There was evidence from child psychologists to the effect that the young person involved could have exaggerated the matter, and in the end the result was a plea bargain for a lesser sentence. As for the allegation that she laughed at the outcome, again this does not seem to actually represent the true nature of the facts. The Daily Mail article you reference is shown to be a gross exaggeration of the facts – not an unusual tactic for this “rag” which is usually more interested in “readership” than actual truth.
Most awful for the kid.
But a lawyer who has to defend someone they’re pretty sure did it but the crime lab threw out the physical evidence and the judge didn’t want to discuss the details of the case with a female lawyer? The guy could complain that she didn’t get him off competely, rather than just settling for time served. Farcical.
And her future career? When this case came across the table she was volunteering at a legal aid type organisation and she was drafted into the case. She was in fucking law school at the time. She had no “legal career”.
For fucks sake….
You really don’t seem to understand just how things work in the real world.
(hint, it’s an adversarial system and there’s probably not a judge on the bench who hasn’t done much the same thing)
he’s just trying to smear – can’t defend don the dim so always has to pull it back to the lowtide mark of attack memes on clinton and then watch dejectedly as the sandcastles of hate get washed away by the tides of (mostly) truth.
I’m glad that the child rape victim finally, all these years later, decided to come forward and explain to the world what Hillary Clinton did to her.
And Hillary should own it, instead of the likes of you minimising the statements of the now adult victim.
“minimising the statements of the now adult victim.”
where did I do that?
You didn’t. And CV is at his manipulative best right now. Not only using child rape to push a political agenda and divert attention away from Trump’s racism, but also using people’s reactions to what he linked to try and paint his hated left as minimisers of sexual assault. This would be laughable if it weren’t for all those arguments over the years where he has been dismissive of rape culture or the issues raised by women about rape. I didn’t think CV could go much lower, but I’m starting to see there probably is a whole slew of paths he could take now and none of them are pretty.
btw, we have choices here. We don’t have to buy into the agenda he is clearly setting.
+1 Weka.
I didn’t think I had and yep time for bed methinks. I can’t stand this misappropriation but par for the course it seems as desperate supporters get desperate and more despicable I have to say.
The agendas being pushed are in various forms, from various quarters…
Quite certain you can see that, including your own!
These forums have decended into farce regarding the US election, which is makes it all the more shambolic that such energy and bluster would be wasted on human filth like The Clintons and The Trump
The puppet masters are laughing
Of course I want the conversation to go a certain way, that’s why I’m involved in this one. The question then becomes are all agendas valid? I think they’re not.
These forums have decended into farce regarding the US election, which is makes it all the more shambolic that such energy and bluster would be wasted on human filth like The Clintons and The Trump
I haven’t been following them for a while, but that wouldn’t surprise me. I’m not actually arguing about the US election though. I’m talking about something else.
+1 Weka.
I have come to despise CV over the past few months.
+100 CV…great the child victim has become an avenging woman…stating fearlessly what happened to her on Hillary Clinton’s watch!
…and it is easy to tell who the real feminists/humanitarians are around here
@ CV…that is pretty terrible!!!!
…lets hope this (yet another Clinton story) reaches all the American voters BEFORE they vote !
…and I wonder what the American feminist supporters of Clinton will say?!…in all conscience they must withdraw their support and condemn her
Trump looks like a “choir boy” in comparison to Clinton ( as someone said over on the Daily Blog)
With regards to NATO v Russia, given that the UK government has just given their troops effective immnity from procecution over atrocities in Iraq, I would imagine Putin doing the same with the Red Army. And look what happened last time Red Army troops occupied Berlin.