Irony-free NewstalkZB
“Do you see this as VILE, Jock?”
“The Huddle”, NewstalkZB, Wednesday 13 March 2013, 5:45 p.m.
Larry “Lackwit” Williams, Jock Anderson, Bill Ralston
LARRY “LACKWIT” WILLIAMS: Okay, umm, ahhh, uuuummm…. topic number one today is the Novopay situation. They’re sending in the debt collectors, Bill!
BILL RALSTON:[snarling and panting with indignation] Arrrrgghhhh, what a load of whining and moaning and mad whinging by these teachers! I mean, they might have a point with some issues but they shout everything at maximum volume. So you CAN’T TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY!
LARRY “LACKWIT” WILLIAMS: Jock?
JOCK ANDERSON: Bill’s dead right. These teachers have their lap-dogs in the media. This whole business is just an hysterical over-reaction.
BILL RALSTON:[frenzied] And how many of them were there that received these debt notices? Seven?
JOCK ANDERSON: That’s right! There were only seven of them!
LARRY “LACKWIT” WILLIAMS:[mockingly] Call 911!
BILL RALSTON:[apoplectic] There’s just this mad angel chorus! This whining and moaning and whinging! And I tell you what: NOBODY… TAKES…. THEM…. SERIOUSLY.
LARRY “LACKWIT” WILLIAMS: Yep!
JOCK ANDERSON: Exactly! There are no doubt many good, hard-working teachers out there.
LARRY “LACKWIT” WILLIAMS: Oh yes, yes, of course.
JOCK ANDERSON: I have yet to meet one, however.
LARRY “LACKWIT” WILLIAMS:[uneasily] Ah, ahhh, um.
BILL RALSTON: [softly, nervously] Ha ha ha.
BILL RALSTON: Okay, we’re back with The Huddle after the break.
……..COMMERCIALS…….
LARRY “LACKWIT” WILLIAMS: Topic No. 2 is this Comedy Central television show called The Jeselnik Offensive, which thought it would be a good idea to make jokes about the death of Adam Strange at Muriwai. Listen to this…..
AUDIO CLIP:[American comedian] “Last week, a man in New Zealand was attacked by a fourteen-foot shark. Was he killed? You bet your sweet ass he was killed! And he had a family and everything!” [AUDIENCE:] Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
LARRY “LACKWIT” WILLIAMS: Okay. Now…. [Pauses to indicate how troubled he is] Now, do you see this as VILE, Jock?
JOCK ANDERSON:[with utmost gravitas] I certainly do.
BILL RALSTON: Some of these people think they can say whatever they like.
…….CUT…….
At this point, I was unable to continue listening, as my companion in the car started swearing and shouting at the disembodied voices of Messrs Anderson, Ralston and Lackwit-Williams, denouncing them as “fucking hypocrites”, “racists”, “professional haters”, “boors”, and many other choice and mordantly accurate pejoratives.
FUN FACT: One of NewstalkZB’s advertising slogans is “Tune Your Mind”. Another one is “Fair and Balanced.”
You bet ya. Just count the stories with an inherent bias against teachers in the Herald. There always seems to be a tale about this or that that paints teachers in a bad light.
I do no longer believe such stories are coincidences, but part of a plan to set the ground to influence public opinion before radical changes.
As Malcolm X said.. “If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”
Yes well it is noticeable mickysavage that a majority of the principled, intelligent, competent and courageous MPs currently sit on Labour’s back benches.
And exactly what % of folk in NZ give a toss about the catholic church anyway, I’d have thought it’s way down the list now with the diverse range of faiths on display now and cults like the Destination Brian.
Nope, it’s the biggest religious thing in the world…
No, it’s not. Catholicism may be the biggest christian denomination (~17% of entire world) but Muslim is larger (~23% of entire world). Of course, Christianity as a whole is the largest religion.
…and way the biggest denomination of anything in the country.
It’s the AMOUNT of attention it gets. Sure I would expect some coverage. Al Jazeera had a live watch this morning, waiting for over half an hour for the new Pope to appear. Not needed.
Do other religions with similar numbers of followers get so much attention?
Karol, as a non religious agnostic even I find your lack of appreciation somewhat bewildering. This man represents the spiritual leadership of a quarter of the world…not very significant.
We don’t have to agree with him, his dogma, his “patriarchal” nature, his personal viewpoints etc, but to ignore his significance is somewhat of a limitation on somebodies world view.
So to give you and others a little hint at the significance of this one:
* Loyola is happy, this is the first Jesuit Pope. They are an evangelical order dedicated to evangelical preservation of the Catholic faith, working with the believers and converts. It points towards a more hands on approach between the church and the congregation.
* He is the first Francis. St Francis came to “rebuild a church”, he was a reformer. He was also a leader by example.
* This is the first South American Pope. If you want to do politics in South America you need the church onside.
* He is a man of the people, he moved out of his bishops palace into a small apartment and coos for himself, walks and catches buses.
Nope – still don’t get it. As I said, a report yes, by not as much attention as the media give him. His significance is bloated by the media – self-perpetuating cycle. Do we hear as much about key Muslim leaders? Or key protestant leaders?
PS: And how wealthy is the Catholic Church world wide – in terms of possessions, real estate etc? It seems to be denied by many but the stats they give are of the annual budgets of the Vatican, which often runs a deficit. It’s a matter of debate.
Lets look at another way…bloating by the media…there have been 3 changes of Pope in the last 30 years so the media turn up. As you would expect, and they are not getting paid or endorsed or able to turn the cash on it (like they do in the US presidential election). On that basis the coverage is less than that US election, which given most of the planet is part of the US imperial system figures….even so 20% of the planet is directly affected by the Pope so…voila huge media coverage.
More Papal media coverage? Yes there will be and should be heaps of it. Still you can always tune out and watch the temporal spiritual equivalent on the “News”, the “markets” followed by “sport”.
Muslim leaders dont get the coverage? Since the fall of the Caliphate there has been no Islamic equivalent of Pope but we do get plenty of media about hard line Islamic clerics…and associates like Al Quaeda. Then there is the Queen among-st Protestants…she is head of the C of E. Sells Womens mags as well. Then of course you can turn on the broadcast media any day an watch Protestant televangelists.
So back to your first point, the amount of coverage the Pope gets. Too much? Or perhaps are other things that are of significance to yourself and others getting too little?
Agree that sport and the Queen get too much coverage – ditto all kinds of celebs. Al Qaeda’s coverage is hardly equivalent as it’s usually very negative coverage.
Well, certainly, the plight of the less well off (including amongst rank and file, church going Catholics, Muslims, workers in diverse countries from China to South America through India, the US and Europe), get far to little coverage.
I’m just amazed at the number of people who still believe this nonsense here we are in 2013 and some still believe ghosts and angels and life after death..
Well there’s no real equivalent. The grand muftis would be the closest within Sunni Islam, but they are not at all comparable to a Pope in terms of religious authority.
EinR
Yes I have been thinking lately that kindness could be the major ameliorating emotion for all the destructive ones that we humans have. Too much kindness can be smothering, but then it can be argued that that is not true kindness, it’s passive aggression or controlling.
That seventies? slogan – ‘Aim to carry out daily random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty’ might be due for a revival.
Not sure whether it’s apples v apples putting Catholic v (Sunni + Shia + others).
new pope isn’t the most earth-shattering event, but it’s still pretty important to a lot of people in NZ. Might even be on the same level of public interest as a rugby match 🙂
Yes it’s the biggest religious thing in the world, and has very little to do with global share. Fortunately. Check out that media and crowd turnout for who got to lead the Anglicans. Love them as I do.
As for the NZ denominational size, wait for the census results. Catholics will be the largest.
Anyone who thinks leadership change in a major institution doesn’t really matter (because changing the culture is too hard) probably didn’t have a coherent view about the leadership of the Labour Party.
ad; submissions to the same-sex marriage bill committee by the Catholic Action network were amongst those deemed too offensive to be seen or considered… http://catholicaction.org/
Would Helen Clark have got another term if she had pushed through so many social reform Acts? I put it to you: yes. And we would likely be in an historic fifth term. So was it the right thing to do or not, at the time?
Clearly Labour have determined not to have a Reformation. Have they even whipped on the same-sex marriage bill? Let’s not paint white virtue over the team please.
For arguments sake lets say 1% of NZ give a toss about the catholic church. So what, it is still news worthy.
The spiritual leader for over a billion people in this world has been elected. Someone who takes on an instituion which has more problems than the National Government.
Don’t let your anti catholic prejudices get in the way of a very important news story.
IMO it’s not an important news story, I know plenty of catholics who think the vatican is as irrelevant as Justin Beiber or Michael Laws and the only thing a new Pope takes on is the robes.
You get the gig to sustain the insitution not change it.
See my comment above and examine the gig statement. This institution has been around two thousand years during which time a lot has changed and often. The lesson is that the RC church has also had to change. The change agent is normally the Pope. This one signifies a change. And that is how they sustain it. There are some lessons in this.
Behind the humble bus-rider of Vatican publicity; behind the warm grandfatherly smile; Francis I remains as much a prisoner of reactionary Catholic theology as John-Paul II and Benedict XVI.
And according to the research of Horacio Verbitsky, one of Argentina’s leading investigative journalists, Bergoglio’s reactionary beliefs are not confined to the issues of homosexuality, abortion and contraception. Francis I is also a political reactionary.
He was actively involved on the side of the nasty folks in Argentina’s “dirty war”
Hugh O’Shaughnessy has been reporting Latin American politics for 40 years. In the Guardian of 4 January 2011 he wrote:
“To the judicious and fair-minded outsider it has been clear for years that the upper reaches of the Argentine church contained many … [individuals] … who had communed and supported the unspeakably brutal Western-supported military dictatorship which seized power in that country in 1976 and battened on it for years.”
Reviewing Verbitsky’s book “El Silencio” (The Silence), O’Shaunghessy recounted how:
“The Argentine navy with the connivance of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, now the Jesuit archbishop of Buenos Aires, hid from a visiting delegation of the Inter-American Human Rights Commission the dictatorship’s political prisoners. Bergoglio was hiding them in nothing less than his holiday home in an island called El Silencio in the River Plate. The most shaming thing for the church is that in such circumstances Bergoglio’s name was allowed to go forward in the ballot to choose the successor of John Paul II. What scandal would not have ensued if the first pope ever to be elected from the continent of [South] America had been revealed as an accessory to murder and false imprisonment.”
I respect both Trotters view and OShaugnessys. For the latter, a Contra who was actively partisan, I would ask for hardnevidence, there appears from other sources to be a very different story, so judgment withheld.
From Trotter I hear loud and clear the objections of enlightenment liberal thinking: Chris is crazy if he ever thought the Pope would be doctrinally different and he is missing the real possibilities. These are based in the real human traditions that far out date our “modern”secular thought. Historic context is important and Chris has either missed it or ignored it.
By taking Francis the new Pope may be indicating that his Church move toward a Franciscan tradition of service and charity, and more importantly toward leadership by example. This goes to the heart of the Christian message, there has always been a tension between humility (and leadership by example) and demanding adherence from the pulpit. Franciscan versus Dominican.
PS: I am not religious. I just happen to think that if you limit your world view and thinking to post Voltaire rationalism you become very mechanistic and narrow in approach. It can lead you to political and personal absolutism on par with doctrinal absolutism.
Ennui, is the criticism of absolutism directed at me? I don’t recognise your description in myself.
The change to a more Franciscan approach is appealing. However, I have difficulty seeing that as being led by an institution/city state that incorporates a pomp and opulence within a rigid hierarchy.
Not personal K, however there is a strong streak of absolutism on this blog (and pretty much every other). Hell I do it too, but there’s inconsistency and duality for you.
On the Franciscan approach my viewpoint is extremely long term: since the time of the ancient Pontifex Maximi (yes the papacy predates JC) there has always been an adjustment to circumstances, the main issue being to preserve the institution and faith. Francis never succeeded in rebuilding the Church, he built his legacy in our minds and actions. But not all of us, some of us are Dominicans. I don’t expect the RC as an institution to do anything but adjust and survive, its an enviable track record regardless of how we regard the dogma etc. Francis might however change the immediate focus on what is a priority. Lets watch.
Only twelve percent of the population, and it’s only the world’s largest Christian church, with 1.2 billion members worldwide, obviously it’s totally irrelevant
Phew, that observation generated a bit of excitement amongst a few, but in passing I think comparisons with coverage of the Royal family are spurious.
FYI, there are not umpteen billion catholics in New Zealand and as far as I recall, the pope does not yet have the power to dismiss a democratically elected commonwealth government, say the New Zealand Parliament, which I understand HRH and her descendants currently still/will do. (Oh and to say that they never would, well ask the Australian people what happened in 1975).
The Govt is gunning for the Auckland Council. This is in today’s Herald –
“The Government is becoming increasingly heavy-handed over Auckland’s housing shortage, with talk of a new Crown agency to free up more land. Environment Minister Amy Adams has suggested stripping the Auckland Council of some planning powers for three years to allow a Crown agency to play a role increasing the city’s residential land supply.
New Housing Minister Nick Smith has also released a Government report which, he says, shows a worrying trend of reduced land availability and soaring section prices.
……… and this –
“……Department of Internal Affairs review of development contributions which considers options of capping or abolishing them”
IMO Auckland cannot afford to sprawl any more. It eats up fertile horticultural land, and costs too much for additional infrastructure and motorways. And there is a need for development contributions from the developers to help pay for some of the extra costs – more people require more council services – libraries, parks, recreation areas.
But this Govt is a developers’ friend – not an environmental friend, or – for that matter – a friend of the 99%. And its hell-bent on taking over the legal roles of local govt when it can’t get its own way, Aucklanders are in for a fight !
Auckland Council asked for the Unitary Plan to have effect from the time it is released (ie this year) and Government turned them down. Then it jumps up and down because Auckland is not doing anything …
And they’re getting really upset about higher density housing which must mean that their only concern is that the land bankers on the city fringe may not get their expected returns.
Remember that central control of the second city of ChCh has already been achieved, as well as the Kaipara Council, so it is hardly a surprise that AKL Council is under the microscope, why not!
One way or another central control will eventuate to some level, just take a look at the projected debt increase over the next ten years forecasted for AKL.
Books are not open of course, and the money simply *vanishing*, being replaced by debt with interest. Privatization of AKLs assets are a done deal, thats what the super city was all about!
What is more interesting to note is that the opposite policy applies in rural regions looking to expand irrigation and intensify agriculture. In these areas the government is pushing more power onto local councils, because they are dominated by farmer representatives.
This is a massive rebalancing of power within NZ.
But it will not last. This government in doing these things is going against the mid and long term grain. These things they are introducing are going to be reversed.
As has been said many times before – this is the last hurrah and grasp for goodies by greedies. And they aint holding back, the dirty c#&%s.
What high density redevelopment of all existing State housing sites in akl would look like BEFORE heatley started selling it to their developer mates. GI is relatively central as is the recent Sandringham issue.
Bullying and selling is easy, building and being collaborative requires effort and committment.
There’s plenty of companies who have lost a hundred jobs in the last few years.
But what makes this one different is that the great majority of those being made redundant:
– will not be managers or Chief Executives
– will be high end technicians and account managers earning well over $150,000 and
– are from New Zealand’s largest high-tech company
This is precisely the kind of company New Zealand needs to grow if it is to be less bulk commodity dependent and less dependent upon the weather.
These are highly mobile people who will of course be able to find adventure in other countries.
But with them go their expense accounts, research demand, service demand, spinoff capability, luxury goods buying capacity, school fees and t ravel budgets; cumulatively a huge dark ripple effect.
Aye! I’m watching. And it’ll be those managers and CE’s leading the charge out of self-preservation (as usual – even if it sinks the whole outfit). The more I see your posts (ad) I’m wondering whether the rest of the handle could be v d t – a mighty fine fellow, but then one shouldn’t speculate out loud
cool,
a little Kristeva on ice then?
-she, brought Marxist theory and Russian formalism together with structuralism and psychoanalysis to produce an eclectic inter-disciplinary approach to questions concerning subjectivity.
-initially worked with Derrida
-Some of her work has been in feminist philosophy, some in aesthetics, cultural studies, and psychoanalysis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Kristeva
cool as
Welcome!!! full credit to TONZU for good employment practice and here’s hoping that more private employers begin to see the light,
AND,
The Labour Party brings forward an employment policy of raising the minimum wage by $1.50 an hour for every year that they are the Government,
That’s not only good for the lowest paid workers, it’s also a boost in income for the Capitalists themselves who are the ultimate beneficiaries of higher wages for those who earn the least as such monies are directly spent into the economy driving companies to compete creating yet more employment,
The Government’s coffers are also enriched by being a beneficiary of the rise in income from taxation as those reliant upon the lowest income as a majority always spend what they have earned into the local economy as they earn such monies…
Jessie Chalmers is also a respected member of the Waitemata Local Board and a Green party activist. Good to see that she is walking the walk in terms of her political beliefs.
That IS good news re Tonzu paying a living wage to its workers. They are a great example to other employers in the food manufacturing sector. Having dealt with them as suppliers back in the day I can say they were always on the level and walked the talk. No greenwash with that family. It’s been good to see their company grow over the years and it goes to show that business can be sustainable, ethical and profitable. There is no need for companies to be A-Holes (think Talleys, Sealord, Preston Taylor etc) to turn a profit.
Sadly there are also companies in NZ in the same category as the Chalmers – (Wholefoods/Organics) who aren’t such clean operators. The worst offenders for low pay rates, intimidation, poor staff moral, serious health and safety breaches (including unreported serious harm) and screwing down raw product suppliers as well as turning a blind eye to non compliance that I have ever seen, have been in this category.
We have such a very long way to go in terms of improving our business behaviour in NZ so bigs ups to Tonzu for demonstrating what a good employer and a good ethical business is. Lets hope it catches on.
More s**t journalism from RadioNZ National’s Morning Report today allowing State Owned enterprises Minister Tony Ryall to spew forth a trail of ‘modified truth’ over the airwaves about the Slippery National Government’s involvement in the financial knee-capping of the States coal miner Solid Energy,
Ryall is now claiming that they (National) only became concerned about the financial state of Solid Energy as the price of coal dropped sharply in the last six months,
The ‘facts’ which escaped both Ryall and those interviewing Him on RadioNZ this morning are that the price of coal has been remarkably stable since May 2012,
Ryall modifying the truth this morning on RadioNz is a direct contradiction of what Slippery the Prime Minister said in answer to a question from the Green Party’s Russell Norman last week in the Parliament where Slippery said that National had no previous concerns about Solid energy’s financial position because coal prices had remained ‘high’,
Bill from Dipton is now talking of ‘hindsight’ as an excuse for this National Governments financial gutting of Solid energy, obviously Bill was too busy elsewhere to notice that at the point of His election into the position of Finance Minister the bottom had fallen out of the price of coal…
That’s just bovine defecation from Bill from Dipton, the debt of Solid Energy at the point of the 2008 election was just 13 million dollars,
Now after being directly told by Tony Ryall and Bill English to take on more debt Solid Energy is staggering under a debt of 389 million dollars, not racked up while Labour was the Government, pushed into such unsustainable debt by this Slippery National Government who have in the past month tried to squirm out of their responsibility for the kneecapping of Solid Energy…
Well, if the progressive side isn’t dominating the airwaves right now when the rare convergence of the Solid Energy and Mighty River power stories are intersecting with the Assets Sales petition, and Key is distracted and off-message while overseas, it’s more a failure of opposition than a triumph of National Radio (!), or a triumph for Tony Ryall (!).
Anyone here wishing for a progressive leader that could cut through the flim flam, appear coherent on television, and send a shudder through National and indeed the polls?
Right now is the moment to make the left cohere. Anyone? Hello?
The Opposition are in my opinion ‘doing quite well’ on the Solid energy issue, it was highlighted on TV1 news last night portraying National’s handling of the finances surrounding Solid Energy in a very poor light after David Shearers questioning of Bill English in the Parliament yesterday where He had English having to admit that the National Government wrote to Solid Energy in 2009 as the price of coal fell dramatically telling Solid Energy to take on more debt,
English is at present answering these questions on behalf of Slippery the Prime Minister and while doing so is exposing previous answers by Slippery to questions in the House over Solid Energy’s Chairman at the Select Committee and information gleaned from that Committee will be used in coming weeks to beat upon Ryall,English, and Slippery the Prime Minister for their current first it was high coal prices then it was low coal prices attempts at deviating from the truth surrounding the financial knee-capping of the States coal miner Solid energy,
‘The Opposition’ only gets certain amounts of questions and supplementary questions it can ask in the Parliament on any given day so such ‘scandals’ as Solid energy’s abhorrent over-loading of 389 million dollars of debt while this National Government sucked 120+ million dollars of dividends out of the company can only be exposed brick by brick,
The collective news media do not help to give the full picture of such shonky business dealings by this National Government by conducting ill researched interviews with the likes of SOE Minister Tony Ryall when they allow Him to tell blatant lies about the price of coal and hardly afford the Opposition the right of reply,
It is bordering upon ‘fraud’ for this National Government to highlight as it has done the amount of dividends it has collected from Solid Energy in the past 3 years whilst attempting to hide the amount of debt that company has racked up and further attempting to hide this National Governments culpability in having Solid Energy take on that amount of debt in the first place,
My view is that the Opposition is scoring some good points off of the back of the lies so far told by Slippery, English, and Ryall over the Solid Energy debacle, that there is more yet to come from this issue and that the NZ news media should get up to speed on what actually took place vis a vis coal prices and debt loading along with the taking of dividends by this National Government…
Not really interested in how many excuses parliamentary questions or the media give the Opposition right now.
Tell you what, if your points get Labour a lift in the next polls – say just 2% – I will say I am wrong and there really was an effective leadership of the Opposition.
Yes of course ‘your’ not really interested in the mechanics of the slanted and biased treatment that the news media give to the Opposition party’s right now, much easier to just sit there and whine about the fact that the other David isn’t the leader of the opposition right???,
Will i what???, Labour could virtually assure it’self as the next major party of Government at the 2014 election by bringing forward a policy of increasing the minimum wage by $1.50 an hour for every year that it holds office,
i wont hold my breath waiting for such a policy release but i am ever the optimist…
You clearly don’t have any idea about how to hold people accountable. Time to start.
Change your mindset. When you invest in something, be it shares or membership, expect results, not woolly virtues like loyalty, to be rewarded. They never are.
The polls have not current rewarded your optimism for 5 years. Be cold with the reality of this. This is as good as Opposition gets. They either make a real move now, or they simply can’t.
The Stock Market Is a Debt-Fueled Bubble: Steve Keen
Oh dear, it seems that the US stock market has gone back into bubble territory financed by highly leveraged debt. Exactly as we saw in 2k and 2k6/7 – just before the whole artifice collapsed.
Yes the Banking Cartels have decided to play another game of Roulette with the bloated middle classes that have all got more monies than brains,
The US stock-markets are being pumped with with some of the trillions of dollars of printed monies used to ‘bail’ them out of the 2007-2008 fiasco which they directly created,
The Bankster’s ill gotten gains will be laundered through the inflation of stock-prices and the wealthy middle classes will be left holding the baby (again) when the bubble bursts,
i am not sure if people with very short memories ‘deserve’ to get continuously ripped by the banking cartels, but ripped they will be…
The fatal choice between food or heating in Modern Britain
HASSAN GHANI, TRNN CORRESPONDENT: Winters in the UK can be bitterly cold. In an economy where the cost of living is going up while average incomes are staying the same, a growing number of people are having to choose between food and heating. One recent survey found that up to 1 in 4 families in Britain was turning down the heating during the winter to be able to pay other bills. The cost of gas and electricity for consumers has more than doubled since 2004, and the energy industry is warning that heating bills are going to get even bigger in coming years.
The basic problem, say energy companies, is that there simply isn’t enough capacity anymore, because they’re having having to close down some of their older coal and oil power stations in order to meet green energy targets. They’re now building a series of natural gas power stations in order to bridge the gap. The bottom line is that energy companies are going to raise their prices even further, and they’re blaming it on the rising cost of wholesale gas and investment in renewable energy.
But more and more consumers are growing wise to the fact that the energy companies themselves are making vast and growing profits, despite their claims of simply passing on price rises. British Gas, for example, saw an 11percent increase in profits last year. It’s managing director, who’s tom moving on, will leave with a $15million departure package. And there’s very little transparency in the way the big energy companies buy their fuel, which is purchased in advance. An investigation is now underway into allegations of price-fixing by the power companies.
Ultimately, the rise in household bills is having a devastating effect on the most vulnerable members of society
The BBC maintained a strong a record of misleading reporting throughout the presidency of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who died on Tuesday, following a two year battle with cancer…
In discussing US-Venezuelan relations, Kelly does not mention probably the most seminal event of the last fourteen years: the US-backed coup in 2002. As an interesting aside, straight after the death of Hugo Chavez, in the BBC ‘look back’ at his life, the coup was also omitted by James Robbins, who instead described events as ‘a general strike’ when ‘Chavez was briefly pushed from office’.
Yeah right. For all its faults, the BBC is still the greatest broadcasting platform in the world and a force for good. Why else do you think Rupert Murdoch hates it so much and the Tories are trying to nobble it?
Don’t get me wrong, I still love the BBC, but there is no doubt that it has been curbed and controlled, especially since Alistair Campbell and Blair led the Government jihad against it when it briefly stepped out of line and went off-message about the Iraq invasion.
Why the seventies? It just seems remote and exotic now, and all Eastern European-style black and white.
Yes, indeed, a top decade. Nice to see Bowie back on form, eh?
I recall there was a joke in the USSR about the two papers, Izvestia (Spark) and Pravda (Truth) along the lines that there was no spark in Pravda and no truth in Izvestia.
Yes, I do include Savile. But one man’s crimes, and the incompetence or enabling behaviour of one department of an enormous, worldwide organisation does not diminish the overall good the BBC has done. They helped put that Austrian corporal to rights, for starters.
But its not just one mans crimes, or one department is it, JS was a UK mega star, he was the BBC entertainment arm, and much more to the BBC at the time, and its been covered up for decades. JS was also one of the largest fund raisers, and high profile charity types in UK history.
Appreciate the whole organisation is not likely to be dirty, and that they have done some fantastic work, I used to watch alot of the documentaries, but the organisation, has been eaten out!
So how about Dr David Kelly, different departmental attack, cover up etc…
Two isolated incidents, however bad, do not mean the organisation is rotten or that the good they have done and continue to do is worthless. They remain the closest thing to good, honest global media we have. Not perfect, but without peer.
Since the 1980s, however, incomes have diverged dramatically, with those at the top end soaring and those at the bottom end losing ground – the ‘Great Regression.’ This has been accompanied by financial turbulence and crashes.
What led to these changes? In the 1980s, neo-liberal doctrines were introduced in a number of countries. As the unfettered pursuit of profit took hold, along with the myth of the ‘cost-benefit calculating individual’, ideas of justice, integrity, generosity and freedom began to seem quaint.
Inspired by neo-liberal thinking, successive governments in New Zealand introduced policies concentrating influence and wealth in the hands of a few, disempowering the many.
Our society and economy is in trouble because we began to worship greed (the neo-liberal paradigm) and started to reward the rich for being rich. This government is making it worse as it continues these destructive policies.
How Money is Destroyed
And once you’ve finished watching that you’ll understand why this government is borrowing at an increasing rate while telling people to pay their debt and save.
The Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, has called for an ethical response to solve the problem of social debt, saying that, not only do terrorism, repression and murder violate human rights, but also extreme poverty and the “unjust economic structures that give rise to great inequalities.”
Social debt is “immoral, unjust and illegitimate,” the cardinal said, emphasizing that this is especially true when it occurs “in a nation that has the objective conditions for avoiding or correcting such harm.” “Unfortunately,” he noted, it seems that those same countries “opt for exacerbating inequalities even more.”
12 people have died in house fires in three months, compared to 13 for the entire 2012 (an elderly and disabled contribution to this demographic, along with poverty and intoxication?)
Campbell Live; 200 apply for seven jobs at CHH; this is very sad; “weak employment market”-Wheeler concurs with Deutsche Banke
The Wellington City Mission has become “risk averse” and placing “self-preservation” ahead of caring for the poor; now emphasizing older people and families before the youth and homeless.
-former (resigned City Missioner; subservient to the CEO)
“Going through the winter and coming out the other side, the price of meat is going to climb”.
-Terry McKee, Butcher.
(Kim Jong Un is “more bloodthirsty, however, like the NActs, who ignored Solid Energy Chairmans’ opposition to a larger dividend.
absolut 😉 (some morale) that certain kinds of actions are always wrong, or, are always obligatory, whatever the cosequences.
e.g, wrong to deliberately kill an *innocent* human being; contrasts with “consequentialism”
linked to, yet not synonymous with, a deontological position in ethics (the latter the view that certain kinds of actions are intrinsically right or wrong-independent of the consequences to which they lead.
A deontological position obviously? contrasts with a consequentialist one.
Nevertheless, when detached from appeals to religious (prefer spiritual) authority, Absolutism may appear to be vulnerable to rational criticism.
However, to be plausible, Absolutism may be supplemented with some further distinction between different ways in which consequences may come about, such as the distinction between acts and omissions or the doctrine of double effect.
see Anscombe, “War and Murder” in Collected Philosophical Papers : Oxford, 1981, or
Nagel, “War and Massacre” in Mortal Questions : Cambridge, 1979.
Nominalism, traditionally understood, is a doctrine which denies the real existence of universals, conceived as the supposed referents of general terms like “chair” or “blue’ (bayou). In order to explain how and why we classify different individual things alike as being “blue” (Peter), nominalists appeal to particular resemblances between those things. Realists object that such an account involves tacit reliance on universals because resemblance is always similarity in “some general respect”, pointing out that different things resemble each other in many different ways.
Yet nominalists reply, such objections are misconceived and question-begging…
Open Letter to Jim Mora:
You reverently praised Pope Francis, but snickered at the mere mention of Hugo Chávez. What gives?
“The Panel”, Radio New Zealand National, Thursday 14 March 2013
Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, who died last week, was famous for his choosing to favor the poor and dispossessed over the rich and powerful, and for his radical critique of social inequality. Anyone listening to Jim Mora’s show on Monday 11 March will have heard Mora snicker and giggle every time he used the words “Hugo Chávez”.
Therefore, listeners a few days later (14 March 2013) would no doubt have been astonished to hear Jim Mora adopt a serious and respectful tone when talking of the way that the new Pope prefers the poor and the dispossessed over the rich and powerful, and is a radical critic of social inequality. I flicked the following email to Mr Mora….
You reverently praised Pope Francis, but snickered at the mere mention of Hugo Chávez. What gives?
Dear Jim,
So the new Pope identifies with the poor and is a critic of the structural injustices that have led to grinding poverty in South America and many other parts of the world. So did another South American, Hugo Chávez, and he was regarded as a hero by the poor of South America for that reason.
On today’s show, during your words of praise for Pope Francis, you never sniggered once. By contrast, every time you even mentioned Hugo Chávez’s name on Monday, you sniggered.
Why the respect for the new Pope, but the attitude of levity and gross disrespect for Hugo Chávez?Was it because you had the right wing, trenchantly anti-Chávez Nevil Gibson in the studio with you, glowering at the mere mention of Chávez’s name?
I wonder how Lindsey Freer would have responded if you had snickered and giggled every time you mentioned the name of the new Pope.
I think he’s getting worse. Can barely listen to him now.
Keeps on inviting ACT supporters and other Ayn Rand devotees – they get less than 1% of the vote, but Jim and his director give them far more air time.
I think the people ultimately responsible for the selection of these extremely biased, right wing guests—or the “talent” as he likes to call them—are his producers.
But I don’t think his producers told Mora to guffaw every time he said “Hugo Chávez”; he indulged in that epic display of puerile contempt because he was nervous of the glowering Nevil “Breivik” Gibson. The giggles indicate not so much that Mora is anti-Chávez, but that he has a quite pathetic desire to win the approval of the likes of Breivik-Gibson.
Why do you think Mora is so in awe of these people? I note he also fawns over Bernard Hickey and is deseperate to get advice on mortgage rates, and other personal financial advice.
For all his faults, at least Bernard Hickey has an obvious deep knowledge of his subject. The same cannot be said for Nevil “Breivik” Gibson, who on Monday demonstrated that he knew next to nothing about either Venezuela or Hugo Chávez.
I don’t think Mora is in awe of most of his guests. I think he would (justly) rate his own intelligence above that of most of them. I think Mora’s behaviour, which I find to be increasingly frivolous and determinedly trivial-minded, is the result of both a pathological desire to please, which explains the nervous giggling, and a certain perversity: Mora doesn’t actually believe that Chávez has a “dubious legacy” (as he claimed on Monday) but he was quite prepared to say that if he figured it would win him favour, even with such a crazed and unpleasant ideologue as Nevil “Breivik” Gibson.
The Breivik moniker comes not from me, but from another appalled reader of one of Gibson’s hare-brained NBR editorials, where he made the Breivik-style assertion that all terrorism in the world was carried out by Muslims.
And anyone who has read or listened to his ranting for a reasonable amount of time will be aware that Nevil Gibson is far, far to the right of what any reasonable person would mean by “tory”.
Jim Mora’s emphasis on Papal concern for the poor in Latin America:
Let’s remember that, as head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the 80s and 90s, the last Pope (Ratso Ratzinger) launched a fundamental attack on those South and Central American bishops and priests pursuing Liberation Theology. The poor were to put up with murderous Far Right dictators and concentrate instead on having a good afterlife.
What’s odd about it? If the popular revolution wins, both US/Israel and Iran/China/Russia have to be in a position to influence the outcome. Having mercs on the ground is their way of shortening the odds.
This does not alter the basic struggle in Syria between the majority who happen to be Sunni and the al Assad regime. http://syriafreedomforever.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/prospects-for-syrias-revolution/#more-1808
Hmmmmm since English openly admits that droughts may become increasingly frequent in the foreseeable future, I suspect that he’s not a CCD’er. Although he’s never ever going to utter the actual words “climate change”.
It does now. Someone must have fixed it. Before it took me to today’s op ed piece by Dame Anne Salmond. I was puzzled about her connection to the Green Party.
Sent: Thursday, 14 March 2013 5:04 p.m.
To: Tau Henare
Subject: ‘Open Letter’ to all New Zealand Members of Parliament – re: the purchase of shares in Mighty River Power
14 March 2013
Dear New Zealand Member Of Parliament,
Please be reminded that the final vote on the Public Finance (Mixed Ownership Model) Amendment Act 2012, was 61 – 60
A party vote was called for on the question, That the Public Finance (Mixed Ownership Model) Amendment Bill be now read a third time.
Ayes 61
New Zealand National 59; ACT New Zealand 1; United Future 1.
Noes 60
New Zealand Labour 34; Green Party 14; New Zealand First 8; Maori Party 3; Mana 1.
1) For the public record, as a New Zealand Member of Parliament, can YOU please confirm – will YOU purchase shares in Mighty River Power, if they become available?
– YES or NO?
2) Is this the agreed position of the political party which you represent, as a New Zealand Member of Parliament?
– YES or NO?
Please be advised that your reply will be made available to both the media and the public.
Your prompt response would be much appreciated.
Yours sincerely,
Penny Bright
A Spokesperson for the Switch Off Mercury Energy group.
All I will say is that you are right, the vote was won by us, in fact the election was won by us. Whether I or any of my colleagues purchases shares is neither here nor there.
Hop you have a nice day.
Tau
____________________________________________________________________________
Hi Tau!
Perhaps you missed this?
” UF (United Future) did not specifically campaign for the ‘mixed ownership model for the electricity companies and Air New Zealand’ because it was not UF (United Future)policy”
[ Pete George (United Future Dunedin North candidate 2011) (16,292) Says: February 15th, 2013 at 10:28 pm]
So – upon what do you purport to have a ‘mandate’?
If MPs buy shares in Mighty River Power – how is that not a form of ‘corrupt practice’?
‘Misuse of public office for private gain’?
Voting for something from which you may personally profit?
Not a good look for New Zealand ‘perceived’ to be the ‘least corrupt country in the world’
(along with Finland and Denmark) according to the 2012 Transparency International ‘Corruption Perception Index’?
Well done, Penny. Be warned, however, that in trying to debate reasonably with Uncle Tau, you are battling against someone who possesses iron-plated complacency and the moral conscience of a sandfly.
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After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
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COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
Irony-free NewstalkZB
“Do you see this as VILE, Jock?”
“The Huddle”, NewstalkZB, Wednesday 13 March 2013, 5:45 p.m.
Larry “Lackwit” Williams, Jock Anderson, Bill Ralston
LARRY “LACKWIT” WILLIAMS: Okay, umm, ahhh, uuuummm…. topic number one today is the Novopay situation. They’re sending in the debt collectors, Bill!
BILL RALSTON: [snarling and panting with indignation] Arrrrgghhhh, what a load of whining and moaning and mad whinging by these teachers! I mean, they might have a point with some issues but they shout everything at maximum volume. So you CAN’T TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY!
LARRY “LACKWIT” WILLIAMS: Jock?
JOCK ANDERSON: Bill’s dead right. These teachers have their lap-dogs in the media. This whole business is just an hysterical over-reaction.
BILL RALSTON: [frenzied] And how many of them were there that received these debt notices? Seven?
JOCK ANDERSON: That’s right! There were only seven of them!
LARRY “LACKWIT” WILLIAMS: [mockingly] Call 911!
BILL RALSTON: [apoplectic] There’s just this mad angel chorus! This whining and moaning and whinging! And I tell you what: NOBODY… TAKES…. THEM…. SERIOUSLY.
LARRY “LACKWIT” WILLIAMS: Yep!
JOCK ANDERSON: Exactly! There are no doubt many good, hard-working teachers out there.
LARRY “LACKWIT” WILLIAMS: Oh yes, yes, of course.
JOCK ANDERSON: I have yet to meet one, however.
LARRY “LACKWIT” WILLIAMS: [uneasily] Ah, ahhh, um.
BILL RALSTON: [softly, nervously] Ha ha ha.
BILL RALSTON: Okay, we’re back with The Huddle after the break.
……..COMMERCIALS…….
LARRY “LACKWIT” WILLIAMS: Topic No. 2 is this Comedy Central television show called The Jeselnik Offensive, which thought it would be a good idea to make jokes about the death of Adam Strange at Muriwai. Listen to this…..
AUDIO CLIP: [American comedian] “Last week, a man in New Zealand was attacked by a fourteen-foot shark. Was he killed? You bet your sweet ass he was killed! And he had a family and everything!” [AUDIENCE:] Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
LARRY “LACKWIT” WILLIAMS: Okay. Now…. [Pauses to indicate how troubled he is] Now, do you see this as VILE, Jock?
JOCK ANDERSON: [with utmost gravitas] I certainly do.
BILL RALSTON: Some of these people think they can say whatever they like.
…….CUT…….
At this point, I was unable to continue listening, as my companion in the car started swearing and shouting at the disembodied voices of Messrs Anderson, Ralston and Lackwit-Williams, denouncing them as “fucking hypocrites”, “racists”, “professional haters”, “boors”, and many other choice and mordantly accurate pejoratives.
FUN FACT: One of NewstalkZB’s advertising slogans is “Tune Your Mind”. Another one is “Fair and Balanced.”
Hate radio is in full cry. The government and the state must be gearing up for even more attacks on education.
You bet ya. Just count the stories with an inherent bias against teachers in the Herald. There always seems to be a tale about this or that that paints teachers in a bad light.
I do no longer believe such stories are coincidences, but part of a plan to set the ground to influence public opinion before radical changes.
As Malcolm X said.. “If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”
“all of the above”
Nice work Morrissey.
Even Monty Python couldn’t come up with that.
In which I learn that “What do you think of Jennifer Lawrence?” is a fantastic question.
http://www.vice.com/read/what-do-hate-groups-think-of-jennifer-lawrence
That was funny and a nice round up of some hate groups too.
Louisa Wall take a bow. And Labour this what an effective principled MP looks like. If anyone deserves a promotion it is her.
Yes well it is noticeable mickysavage that a majority of the principled, intelligent, competent and courageous MPs currently sit on Labour’s back benches.
+1
…thank goodness Rome has found how to make white smoke. Perhaps Radio New Zealand can move on now.
And exactly what % of folk in NZ give a toss about the catholic church anyway, I’d have thought it’s way down the list now with the diverse range of faiths on display now and cults like the Destination Brian.
Nope, it’s the biggest religious thing in the world, and way the biggest denomination of anything in the country.
Some of us even vote Labour.
No, it’s not. Catholicism may be the biggest christian denomination (~17% of entire world) but Muslim is larger (~23% of entire world). Of course, Christianity as a whole is the largest religion.
and that’s not true either.
Thanks, DTB. I am always bewildered at the unwarranted amount of media attention given the patriarchal personage of the pope.
You think the media attention for the election of the spiritual leader of over one billion people is unwarranted?
It’s the AMOUNT of attention it gets. Sure I would expect some coverage. Al Jazeera had a live watch this morning, waiting for over half an hour for the new Pope to appear. Not needed.
Do other religions with similar numbers of followers get so much attention?
Karol, as a non religious agnostic even I find your lack of appreciation somewhat bewildering. This man represents the spiritual leadership of a quarter of the world…not very significant.
We don’t have to agree with him, his dogma, his “patriarchal” nature, his personal viewpoints etc, but to ignore his significance is somewhat of a limitation on somebodies world view.
So to give you and others a little hint at the significance of this one:
* Loyola is happy, this is the first Jesuit Pope. They are an evangelical order dedicated to evangelical preservation of the Catholic faith, working with the believers and converts. It points towards a more hands on approach between the church and the congregation.
* He is the first Francis. St Francis came to “rebuild a church”, he was a reformer. He was also a leader by example.
* This is the first South American Pope. If you want to do politics in South America you need the church onside.
* He is a man of the people, he moved out of his bishops palace into a small apartment and coos for himself, walks and catches buses.
Might tell you something.
Nope – still don’t get it. As I said, a report yes, by not as much attention as the media give him. His significance is bloated by the media – self-perpetuating cycle. Do we hear as much about key Muslim leaders? Or key protestant leaders?
PS: And how wealthy is the Catholic Church world wide – in terms of possessions, real estate etc? It seems to be denied by many but the stats they give are of the annual budgets of the Vatican, which often runs a deficit. It’s a matter of debate.
Which is why somebody named after Francis (Assisi) who eschewed worldly wealth and promoted charity may be significant.
Only if he took the name Francis from St Francis. There are plenty of Francises.
Confirmed by the Vatican that they name was chosen to acknowledge <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/03/13/174237155/pope-francis-a-saintly-name-hold-the-i"<St. Francis of Assisi
Also he is Pope Francis not Francis I – he would only be Francis I if a subsequent Pope chose that Regnal/Papal name.
(Reply to Karol – but too many levels down)
Lets look at another way…bloating by the media…there have been 3 changes of Pope in the last 30 years so the media turn up. As you would expect, and they are not getting paid or endorsed or able to turn the cash on it (like they do in the US presidential election). On that basis the coverage is less than that US election, which given most of the planet is part of the US imperial system figures….even so 20% of the planet is directly affected by the Pope so…voila huge media coverage.
More Papal media coverage? Yes there will be and should be heaps of it. Still you can always tune out and watch the temporal spiritual equivalent on the “News”, the “markets” followed by “sport”.
Muslim leaders dont get the coverage? Since the fall of the Caliphate there has been no Islamic equivalent of Pope but we do get plenty of media about hard line Islamic clerics…and associates like Al Quaeda. Then there is the Queen among-st Protestants…she is head of the C of E. Sells Womens mags as well. Then of course you can turn on the broadcast media any day an watch Protestant televangelists.
So back to your first point, the amount of coverage the Pope gets. Too much? Or perhaps are other things that are of significance to yourself and others getting too little?
Agree that sport and the Queen get too much coverage – ditto all kinds of celebs. Al Qaeda’s coverage is hardly equivalent as it’s usually very negative coverage.
Well, certainly, the plight of the less well off (including amongst rank and file, church going Catholics, Muslims, workers in diverse countries from China to South America through India, the US and Europe), get far to little coverage.
“key protestant leaders”…like um the head of the Anglican Church…
There will be blanket coverage when Elizabeth dies and is replaced by Charles. There will bo no other news for a week
[sorry you had already responded to that point]
I’m just amazed at the number of people who still believe this nonsense here we are in 2013 and some still believe ghosts and angels and life after death..
Do we hear as much about key Muslim leaders?
Well there’s no real equivalent. The grand muftis would be the closest within Sunni Islam, but they are not at all comparable to a Pope in terms of religious authority.
You’re a dove of peace Ennui.
Thanks Prism, kindness a rule number one always.
EinR
Yes I have been thinking lately that kindness could be the major ameliorating emotion for all the destructive ones that we humans have. Too much kindness can be smothering, but then it can be argued that that is not true kindness, it’s passive aggression or controlling.
That seventies? slogan – ‘Aim to carry out daily random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty’ might be due for a revival.
Not sure whether it’s apples v apples putting Catholic v (Sunni + Shia + others).
new pope isn’t the most earth-shattering event, but it’s still pretty important to a lot of people in NZ. Might even be on the same level of public interest as a rugby match 🙂
😉 (btw, revelatory knowledge not as bitter as rhubarb)
Yes it’s the biggest religious thing in the world, and has very little to do with global share. Fortunately. Check out that media and crowd turnout for who got to lead the Anglicans. Love them as I do.
As for the NZ denominational size, wait for the census results. Catholics will be the largest.
Anyone who thinks leadership change in a major institution doesn’t really matter (because changing the culture is too hard) probably didn’t have a coherent view about the leadership of the Labour Party.
Canon reference D.
ad; submissions to the same-sex marriage bill committee by the Catholic Action network were amongst those deemed too offensive to be seen or considered…
http://catholicaction.org/
Agreed.
Would Helen Clark have got another term if she had pushed through so many social reform Acts? I put it to you: yes. And we would likely be in an historic fifth term. So was it the right thing to do or not, at the time?
Clearly Labour have determined not to have a Reformation. Have they even whipped on the same-sex marriage bill? Let’s not paint white virtue over the team please.
tc
For arguments sake lets say 1% of NZ give a toss about the catholic church. So what, it is still news worthy.
The spiritual leader for over a billion people in this world has been elected. Someone who takes on an instituion which has more problems than the National Government.
Don’t let your anti catholic prejudices get in the way of a very important news story.
IMO it’s not an important news story, I know plenty of catholics who think the vatican is as irrelevant as Justin Beiber or Michael Laws and the only thing a new Pope takes on is the robes.
You get the gig to sustain the insitution not change it.
See my comment above and examine the gig statement. This institution has been around two thousand years during which time a lot has changed and often. The lesson is that the RC church has also had to change. The change agent is normally the Pope. This one signifies a change. And that is how they sustain it. There are some lessons in this.
What one fascist followed by another is a change. You must be joking.
http://www.latinorebels.com/2013/03/13/pope-francis-i-and-argentinas-dirty-war/
Chris Trotter is not very impressed by The new Pope’s past either. As well as being actively homophobic and anti-abortion,
He was actively involved on the side of the nasty folks in Argentina’s “dirty war”
I respect both Trotters view and OShaugnessys. For the latter, a Contra who was actively partisan, I would ask for hardnevidence, there appears from other sources to be a very different story, so judgment withheld.
From Trotter I hear loud and clear the objections of enlightenment liberal thinking: Chris is crazy if he ever thought the Pope would be doctrinally different and he is missing the real possibilities. These are based in the real human traditions that far out date our “modern”secular thought. Historic context is important and Chris has either missed it or ignored it.
By taking Francis the new Pope may be indicating that his Church move toward a Franciscan tradition of service and charity, and more importantly toward leadership by example. This goes to the heart of the Christian message, there has always been a tension between humility (and leadership by example) and demanding adherence from the pulpit. Franciscan versus Dominican.
PS: I am not religious. I just happen to think that if you limit your world view and thinking to post Voltaire rationalism you become very mechanistic and narrow in approach. It can lead you to political and personal absolutism on par with doctrinal absolutism.
Ennui, is the criticism of absolutism directed at me? I don’t recognise your description in myself.
The change to a more Franciscan approach is appealing. However, I have difficulty seeing that as being led by an institution/city state that incorporates a pomp and opulence within a rigid hierarchy.
Not personal K, however there is a strong streak of absolutism on this blog (and pretty much every other). Hell I do it too, but there’s inconsistency and duality for you.
On the Franciscan approach my viewpoint is extremely long term: since the time of the ancient Pontifex Maximi (yes the papacy predates JC) there has always been an adjustment to circumstances, the main issue being to preserve the institution and faith. Francis never succeeded in rebuilding the Church, he built his legacy in our minds and actions. But not all of us, some of us are Dominicans. I don’t expect the RC as an institution to do anything but adjust and survive, its an enviable track record regardless of how we regard the dogma etc. Francis might however change the immediate focus on what is a priority. Lets watch.
Only twelve percent of the population, and it’s only the world’s largest Christian church, with 1.2 billion members worldwide, obviously it’s totally irrelevant
Phew, that observation generated a bit of excitement amongst a few, but in passing I think comparisons with coverage of the Royal family are spurious.
FYI, there are not umpteen billion catholics in New Zealand and as far as I recall, the pope does not yet have the power to dismiss a democratically elected commonwealth government, say the New Zealand Parliament, which I understand HRH and her descendants currently still/will do. (Oh and to say that they never would, well ask the Australian people what happened in 1975).
The Govt is gunning for the Auckland Council. This is in today’s Herald –
IMO Auckland cannot afford to sprawl any more. It eats up fertile horticultural land, and costs too much for additional infrastructure and motorways. And there is a need for development contributions from the developers to help pay for some of the extra costs – more people require more council services – libraries, parks, recreation areas.
But this Govt is a developers’ friend – not an environmental friend, or – for that matter – a friend of the 99%. And its hell-bent on taking over the legal roles of local govt when it can’t get its own way,
Aucklanders are in for a fight !
Typical Government.
Auckland Council asked for the Unitary Plan to have effect from the time it is released (ie this year) and Government turned them down. Then it jumps up and down because Auckland is not doing anything …
Talk about Nanny State.
And they’re getting really upset about higher density housing which must mean that their only concern is that the land bankers on the city fringe may not get their expected returns.
yep, there was an article supporting this analysis on TDB, DTB 🙂
‘ere ’tis
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2013/03/13/the-problem-the-politics-the-solutions-why-aucklands-hot-housing-market-is-nick-smiths-cart/
Remember that central control of the second city of ChCh has already been achieved, as well as the Kaipara Council, so it is hardly a surprise that AKL Council is under the microscope, why not!
One way or another central control will eventuate to some level, just take a look at the projected debt increase over the next ten years forecasted for AKL.
Books are not open of course, and the money simply *vanishing*, being replaced by debt with interest. Privatization of AKLs assets are a done deal, thats what the super city was all about!
What is more interesting to note is that the opposite policy applies in rural regions looking to expand irrigation and intensify agriculture. In these areas the government is pushing more power onto local councils, because they are dominated by farmer representatives.
This is a massive rebalancing of power within NZ.
But it will not last. This government in doing these things is going against the mid and long term grain. These things they are introducing are going to be reversed.
As has been said many times before – this is the last hurrah and grasp for goodies by greedies. And they aint holding back, the dirty c#&%s.
Govt piles on pressure for housing land
Ah, this government – taking away democracy in favour of its rich mates – again.
What high density redevelopment of all existing State housing sites in akl would look like BEFORE heatley started selling it to their developer mates. GI is relatively central as is the recent Sandringham issue.
Bullying and selling is easy, building and being collaborative requires effort and committment.
the cost of fuel, the cost of fuel, the cost of fuel
Watch out for that Gen-I restructure.
There’s plenty of companies who have lost a hundred jobs in the last few years.
But what makes this one different is that the great majority of those being made redundant:
– will not be managers or Chief Executives
– will be high end technicians and account managers earning well over $150,000 and
– are from New Zealand’s largest high-tech company
This is precisely the kind of company New Zealand needs to grow if it is to be less bulk commodity dependent and less dependent upon the weather.
These are highly mobile people who will of course be able to find adventure in other countries.
But with them go their expense accounts, research demand, service demand, spinoff capability, luxury goods buying capacity, school fees and t ravel budgets; cumulatively a huge dark ripple effect.
A very dark moment.
Aye! I’m watching. And it’ll be those managers and CE’s leading the charge out of self-preservation (as usual – even if it sinks the whole outfit). The more I see your posts (ad) I’m wondering whether the rest of the handle could be v d t – a mighty fine fellow, but then one shouldn’t speculate out loud
Bad luck with the guess.
Ad stands for Anno Domini, and also for Adorno (for those who like obscure Critical Theorists).
cool,
a little Kristeva on ice then?
-she, brought Marxist theory and Russian formalism together with structuralism and psychoanalysis to produce an eclectic inter-disciplinary approach to questions concerning subjectivity.
-initially worked with Derrida
-Some of her work has been in feminist philosophy, some in aesthetics, cultural studies, and psychoanalysis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Kristeva
cool as
Checkl out her little pamphlet on the intersection of religion and psychoanalysis:
“In The beginning Was Love”
have Google, will do.
lets Paint It Black (and purple)
http://www.cddc.vt.edu/feminism/kristeva.html
😯
“as within, so without”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abjection
now, back to the news.
auckland.scoop.co.nz/…west-auckland-company-champions-living-…
Round of applause to this Auckland tofu manufacturer for agreeing to pay it’s workers ‘the living wage’…
Bugger, that link isn’t going to work, Google the above and it will take you to the page…
Thanks for the tip, bad. TONZU + respect for unions and collective bargaining.
Welcome!!! full credit to TONZU for good employment practice and here’s hoping that more private employers begin to see the light,
AND,
The Labour Party brings forward an employment policy of raising the minimum wage by $1.50 an hour for every year that they are the Government,
That’s not only good for the lowest paid workers, it’s also a boost in income for the Capitalists themselves who are the ultimate beneficiaries of higher wages for those who earn the least as such monies are directly spent into the economy driving companies to compete creating yet more employment,
The Government’s coffers are also enriched by being a beneficiary of the rise in income from taxation as those reliant upon the lowest income as a majority always spend what they have earned into the local economy as they earn such monies…
Jessie Chalmers is also a respected member of the Waitemata Local Board and a Green party activist. Good to see that she is walking the walk in terms of her political beliefs.
That IS good news re Tonzu paying a living wage to its workers. They are a great example to other employers in the food manufacturing sector. Having dealt with them as suppliers back in the day I can say they were always on the level and walked the talk. No greenwash with that family. It’s been good to see their company grow over the years and it goes to show that business can be sustainable, ethical and profitable. There is no need for companies to be A-Holes (think Talleys, Sealord, Preston Taylor etc) to turn a profit.
Sadly there are also companies in NZ in the same category as the Chalmers – (Wholefoods/Organics) who aren’t such clean operators. The worst offenders for low pay rates, intimidation, poor staff moral, serious health and safety breaches (including unreported serious harm) and screwing down raw product suppliers as well as turning a blind eye to non compliance that I have ever seen, have been in this category.
We have such a very long way to go in terms of improving our business behaviour in NZ so bigs ups to Tonzu for demonstrating what a good employer and a good ethical business is. Lets hope it catches on.
More s**t journalism from RadioNZ National’s Morning Report today allowing State Owned enterprises Minister Tony Ryall to spew forth a trail of ‘modified truth’ over the airwaves about the Slippery National Government’s involvement in the financial knee-capping of the States coal miner Solid Energy,
Ryall is now claiming that they (National) only became concerned about the financial state of Solid Energy as the price of coal dropped sharply in the last six months,
The ‘facts’ which escaped both Ryall and those interviewing Him on RadioNZ this morning are that the price of coal has been remarkably stable since May 2012,
May 2012= $102.68,
February 2013= $101.72,
http://www.worldcoal.org/coal/market-amp-transportation/coal-price/
Ryall modifying the truth this morning on RadioNz is a direct contradiction of what Slippery the Prime Minister said in answer to a question from the Green Party’s Russell Norman last week in the Parliament where Slippery said that National had no previous concerns about Solid energy’s financial position because coal prices had remained ‘high’,
Bill from Dipton is now talking of ‘hindsight’ as an excuse for this National Governments financial gutting of Solid energy, obviously Bill was too busy elsewhere to notice that at the point of His election into the position of Finance Minister the bottom had fallen out of the price of coal…
Blinglish’s also rolled out the ‘Blame Labour’ line on SE also.
Don’t worry, the people see through that bullshit. This is another doozy of a knock to the current govt.
Time for them to be whacked with the next one. Then the next one. Then th next one. Then the next one.
That’s just bovine defecation from Bill from Dipton, the debt of Solid Energy at the point of the 2008 election was just 13 million dollars,
Now after being directly told by Tony Ryall and Bill English to take on more debt Solid Energy is staggering under a debt of 389 million dollars, not racked up while Labour was the Government, pushed into such unsustainable debt by this Slippery National Government who have in the past month tried to squirm out of their responsibility for the kneecapping of Solid Energy…
Well, if the progressive side isn’t dominating the airwaves right now when the rare convergence of the Solid Energy and Mighty River power stories are intersecting with the Assets Sales petition, and Key is distracted and off-message while overseas, it’s more a failure of opposition than a triumph of National Radio (!), or a triumph for Tony Ryall (!).
Anyone here wishing for a progressive leader that could cut through the flim flam, appear coherent on television, and send a shudder through National and indeed the polls?
Right now is the moment to make the left cohere. Anyone? Hello?
The Opposition are in my opinion ‘doing quite well’ on the Solid energy issue, it was highlighted on TV1 news last night portraying National’s handling of the finances surrounding Solid Energy in a very poor light after David Shearers questioning of Bill English in the Parliament yesterday where He had English having to admit that the National Government wrote to Solid Energy in 2009 as the price of coal fell dramatically telling Solid Energy to take on more debt,
English is at present answering these questions on behalf of Slippery the Prime Minister and while doing so is exposing previous answers by Slippery to questions in the House over Solid Energy’s Chairman at the Select Committee and information gleaned from that Committee will be used in coming weeks to beat upon Ryall,English, and Slippery the Prime Minister for their current first it was high coal prices then it was low coal prices attempts at deviating from the truth surrounding the financial knee-capping of the States coal miner Solid energy,
‘The Opposition’ only gets certain amounts of questions and supplementary questions it can ask in the Parliament on any given day so such ‘scandals’ as Solid energy’s abhorrent over-loading of 389 million dollars of debt while this National Government sucked 120+ million dollars of dividends out of the company can only be exposed brick by brick,
The collective news media do not help to give the full picture of such shonky business dealings by this National Government by conducting ill researched interviews with the likes of SOE Minister Tony Ryall when they allow Him to tell blatant lies about the price of coal and hardly afford the Opposition the right of reply,
It is bordering upon ‘fraud’ for this National Government to highlight as it has done the amount of dividends it has collected from Solid Energy in the past 3 years whilst attempting to hide the amount of debt that company has racked up and further attempting to hide this National Governments culpability in having Solid Energy take on that amount of debt in the first place,
My view is that the Opposition is scoring some good points off of the back of the lies so far told by Slippery, English, and Ryall over the Solid Energy debacle, that there is more yet to come from this issue and that the NZ news media should get up to speed on what actually took place vis a vis coal prices and debt loading along with the taking of dividends by this National Government…
Not really interested in how many excuses parliamentary questions or the media give the Opposition right now.
Tell you what, if your points get Labour a lift in the next polls – say just 2% – I will say I am wrong and there really was an effective leadership of the Opposition.
Will you?
Yes of course ‘your’ not really interested in the mechanics of the slanted and biased treatment that the news media give to the Opposition party’s right now, much easier to just sit there and whine about the fact that the other David isn’t the leader of the opposition right???,
Will i what???, Labour could virtually assure it’self as the next major party of Government at the 2014 election by bringing forward a policy of increasing the minimum wage by $1.50 an hour for every year that it holds office,
i wont hold my breath waiting for such a policy release but i am ever the optimist…
You clearly don’t have any idea about how to hold people accountable. Time to start.
Change your mindset. When you invest in something, be it shares or membership, expect results, not woolly virtues like loyalty, to be rewarded. They never are.
The polls have not current rewarded your optimism for 5 years. Be cold with the reality of this. This is as good as Opposition gets. They either make a real move now, or they simply can’t.
“pamphlet” was interesting, although a little “wordy” for a semiotic
The Stock Market Is a Debt-Fueled Bubble: Steve Keen
Oh dear, it seems that the US stock market has gone back into bubble territory financed by highly leveraged debt. Exactly as we saw in 2k and 2k6/7 – just before the whole artifice collapsed.
Yes the Banking Cartels have decided to play another game of Roulette with the bloated middle classes that have all got more monies than brains,
The US stock-markets are being pumped with with some of the trillions of dollars of printed monies used to ‘bail’ them out of the 2007-2008 fiasco which they directly created,
The Bankster’s ill gotten gains will be laundered through the inflation of stock-prices and the wealthy middle classes will be left holding the baby (again) when the bubble bursts,
i am not sure if people with very short memories ‘deserve’ to get continuously ripped by the banking cartels, but ripped they will be…
Yep
Another dispatch from the U$K class war, courtesy of the people’s artist taxi driver.
“BBC Propaganda; pitting poor against poorer ”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1YUo_tjqb4&list=UUGThM-ZZBba1Zl9rU-XeR-A&index=2
beneficiaries existing on pittances are being attacked with propaganda that they’re scroungers.
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=9800#.UUFM0zfPJkg
The fatal choice between food or heating in Modern Britain
HASSAN GHANI, TRNN CORRESPONDENT: Winters in the UK can be bitterly cold. In an economy where the cost of living is going up while average incomes are staying the same, a growing number of people are having to choose between food and heating. One recent survey found that up to 1 in 4 families in Britain was turning down the heating during the winter to be able to pay other bills. The cost of gas and electricity for consumers has more than doubled since 2004, and the energy industry is warning that heating bills are going to get even bigger in coming years.
The basic problem, say energy companies, is that there simply isn’t enough capacity anymore, because they’re having having to close down some of their older coal and oil power stations in order to meet green energy targets. They’re now building a series of natural gas power stations in order to bridge the gap. The bottom line is that energy companies are going to raise their prices even further, and they’re blaming it on the rising cost of wholesale gas and investment in renewable energy.
But more and more consumers are growing wise to the fact that the energy companies themselves are making vast and growing profits, despite their claims of simply passing on price rises. British Gas, for example, saw an 11percent increase in profits last year. It’s managing director, who’s tom moving on, will leave with a $15million departure package. And there’s very little transparency in the way the big energy companies buy their fuel, which is purchased in advance. An investigation is now underway into allegations of price-fixing by the power companies.
Ultimately, the rise in household bills is having a devastating effect on the most vulnerable members of society
Future for us under John Yankee!? :-9
http://www.newsunspun.org/article/the-bbcs-bogeyman-narrative-on-hugo-chavez
The BBC maintained a strong a record of misleading reporting throughout the presidency of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who died on Tuesday, following a two year battle with cancer…
In discussing US-Venezuelan relations, Kelly does not mention probably the most seminal event of the last fourteen years: the US-backed coup in 2002. As an interesting aside, straight after the death of Hugo Chavez, in the BBC ‘look back’ at his life, the coup was also omitted by James Robbins, who instead described events as ‘a general strike’ when ‘Chavez was briefly pushed from office’.
The BBC, or British State Radio. It’s a propaganda arm of the British state, about as reliable and trustworthy as Pravda was in the 1970s.
Yeah right. For all its faults, the BBC is still the greatest broadcasting platform in the world and a force for good. Why else do you think Rupert Murdoch hates it so much and the Tories are trying to nobble it?
Why just the 70’s, btw?
Don’t get me wrong, I still love the BBC, but there is no doubt that it has been curbed and controlled, especially since Alistair Campbell and Blair led the Government jihad against it when it briefly stepped out of line and went off-message about the Iraq invasion.
Why the seventies? It just seems remote and exotic now, and all Eastern European-style black and white.
What a great decade it was…
Yes, indeed, a top decade. Nice to see Bowie back on form, eh?
I recall there was a joke in the USSR about the two papers, Izvestia (Spark) and Pravda (Truth) along the lines that there was no spark in Pravda and no truth in Izvestia.
You include the Jummy Saville cover up in that do you!
Force for good, yeah, nah!
Yes, I do include Savile. But one man’s crimes, and the incompetence or enabling behaviour of one department of an enormous, worldwide organisation does not diminish the overall good the BBC has done. They helped put that Austrian corporal to rights, for starters.
But its not just one mans crimes, or one department is it, JS was a UK mega star, he was the BBC entertainment arm, and much more to the BBC at the time, and its been covered up for decades. JS was also one of the largest fund raisers, and high profile charity types in UK history.
Appreciate the whole organisation is not likely to be dirty, and that they have done some fantastic work, I used to watch alot of the documentaries, but the organisation, has been eaten out!
So how about Dr David Kelly, different departmental attack, cover up etc…
Two isolated incidents, however bad, do not mean the organisation is rotten or that the good they have done and continue to do is worthless. They remain the closest thing to good, honest global media we have. Not perfect, but without peer.
Sadly, Te Reo, it is not just “two isolated incidents”. The rot is systemic.
The BBC is not good or honest; you must have it confused with Al-Jazeera or Democracy Now!
“They remain the closest thing to good, honest global media we have.”
A good argument for avoiding corporate media altogether.
Dame Anne Salmond: Time to defend democratic rights
Our society and economy is in trouble because we began to worship greed (the neo-liberal paradigm) and started to reward the rich for being rich. This government is making it worse as it continues these destructive policies.
How Money is Destroyed
And once you’ve finished watching that you’ll understand why this government is borrowing at an increasing rate while telling people to pay their debt and save.
sigh…Benny the pope…questionable past and now… Frankie the pope..questionable past..
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2011/jan/04/argenitina-videla-bergoglio-repentance
Frank does seem to be an interesting man though.
The Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, has called for an ethical response to solve the problem of social debt, saying that, not only do terrorism, repression and murder violate human rights, but also extreme poverty and the “unjust economic structures that give rise to great inequalities.”
Social debt is “immoral, unjust and illegitimate,” the cardinal said, emphasizing that this is especially true when it occurs “in a nation that has the objective conditions for avoiding or correcting such harm.” “Unfortunately,” he noted, it seems that those same countries “opt for exacerbating inequalities even more.”
http://m.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17285
12 people have died in house fires in three months, compared to 13 for the entire 2012 (an elderly and disabled contribution to this demographic, along with poverty and intoxication?)
Campbell Live; 200 apply for seven jobs at CHH; this is very sad; “weak employment market”-Wheeler concurs with Deutsche Banke
2M children affected by the Syrian conflict
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxYsi5Y-xOQ
Hell Is For Children
Youth Unemployment rate
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8316799/Youth-unemployment-no-surprise
The Wellington City Mission has become “risk averse” and placing “self-preservation” ahead of caring for the poor; now emphasizing older people and families before the youth and homeless.
-former (resigned City Missioner; subservient to the CEO)
“Going through the winter and coming out the other side, the price of meat is going to climb”.
-Terry McKee, Butcher.
(Kim Jong Un is “more bloodthirsty, however, like the NActs, who ignored Solid Energy Chairmans’ opposition to a larger dividend.
absolut 😉 (some morale) that certain kinds of actions are always wrong, or, are always obligatory, whatever the cosequences.
e.g, wrong to deliberately kill an *innocent* human being; contrasts with “consequentialism”
linked to, yet not synonymous with, a deontological position in ethics (the latter the view that certain kinds of actions are intrinsically right or wrong-independent of the consequences to which they lead.
A deontological position obviously? contrasts with a consequentialist one.
Nevertheless, when detached from appeals to religious (prefer spiritual) authority, Absolutism may appear to be vulnerable to rational criticism.
However, to be plausible, Absolutism may be supplemented with some further distinction between different ways in which consequences may come about, such as the distinction between acts and omissions or the doctrine of double effect.
see Anscombe, “War and Murder” in Collected Philosophical Papers : Oxford, 1981, or
Nagel, “War and Massacre” in Mortal Questions : Cambridge, 1979.
Nominalism, traditionally understood, is a doctrine which denies the real existence of universals, conceived as the supposed referents of general terms like “chair” or “blue’ (bayou). In order to explain how and why we classify different individual things alike as being “blue” (Peter), nominalists appeal to particular resemblances between those things. Realists object that such an account involves tacit reliance on universals because resemblance is always similarity in “some general respect”, pointing out that different things resemble each other in many different ways.
Yet nominalists reply, such objections are misconceived and question-begging…
Plan 9 Channel 7
Just for you ad,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m2JyiggwAU (no Ant-Poe , or leaving remainders in the library) 🙂
Some of you facebook sorts might enjoy the ‘Arrest John Key’ page. I’m guessing the aim is to pull all the dodgy threads together in one place.
http://www.facebook.com/ArrestJohnKey
Open Letter to Jim Mora:
You reverently praised Pope Francis, but snickered at the mere mention of Hugo Chávez. What gives?
“The Panel”, Radio New Zealand National, Thursday 14 March 2013
Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, who died last week, was famous for his choosing to favor the poor and dispossessed over the rich and powerful, and for his radical critique of social inequality. Anyone listening to Jim Mora’s show on Monday 11 March will have heard Mora snicker and giggle every time he used the words “Hugo Chávez”.
Therefore, listeners a few days later (14 March 2013) would no doubt have been astonished to hear Jim Mora adopt a serious and respectful tone when talking of the way that the new Pope prefers the poor and the dispossessed over the rich and powerful, and is a radical critic of social inequality. I flicked the following email to Mr Mora….
You reverently praised Pope Francis, but snickered at the mere mention of Hugo Chávez. What gives?
Dear Jim,
So the new Pope identifies with the poor and is a critic of the structural injustices that have led to grinding poverty in South America and many other parts of the world. So did another South American, Hugo Chávez, and he was regarded as a hero by the poor of South America for that reason.
On today’s show, during your words of praise for Pope Francis, you never sniggered once. By contrast, every time you even mentioned Hugo Chávez’s name on Monday, you sniggered.
Why the respect for the new Pope, but the attitude of levity and gross disrespect for Hugo Chávez?Was it because you had the right wing, trenchantly anti-Chávez Nevil Gibson in the studio with you, glowering at the mere mention of Chávez’s name?
I wonder how Lindsey Freer would have responded if you had snickered and giggled every time you mentioned the name of the new Pope.
Yours sincerely,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
I think he’s getting worse. Can barely listen to him now.
Keeps on inviting ACT supporters and other Ayn Rand devotees – they get less than 1% of the vote, but Jim and his director give them far more air time.
I think the people ultimately responsible for the selection of these extremely biased, right wing guests—or the “talent” as he likes to call them—are his producers.
But I don’t think his producers told Mora to guffaw every time he said “Hugo Chávez”; he indulged in that epic display of puerile contempt because he was nervous of the glowering Nevil “Breivik” Gibson. The giggles indicate not so much that Mora is anti-Chávez, but that he has a quite pathetic desire to win the approval of the likes of Breivik-Gibson.
Why do you think Mora is so in awe of these people? I note he also fawns over Bernard Hickey and is deseperate to get advice on mortgage rates, and other personal financial advice.
For all his faults, at least Bernard Hickey has an obvious deep knowledge of his subject. The same cannot be said for Nevil “Breivik” Gibson, who on Monday demonstrated that he knew next to nothing about either Venezuela or Hugo Chávez.
I don’t think Mora is in awe of most of his guests. I think he would (justly) rate his own intelligence above that of most of them. I think Mora’s behaviour, which I find to be increasingly frivolous and determinedly trivial-minded, is the result of both a pathological desire to please, which explains the nervous giggling, and a certain perversity: Mora doesn’t actually believe that Chávez has a “dubious legacy” (as he claimed on Monday) but he was quite prepared to say that if he figured it would win him favour, even with such a crazed and unpleasant ideologue as Nevil “Breivik” Gibson.
Did you just equate a tory editor and commentator with a psycho mass-murderer?
Classy.
The Breivik moniker comes not from me, but from another appalled reader of one of Gibson’s hare-brained NBR editorials, where he made the Breivik-style assertion that all terrorism in the world was carried out by Muslims.
And anyone who has read or listened to his ranting for a reasonable amount of time will be aware that Nevil Gibson is far, far to the right of what any reasonable person would mean by “tory”.
So he pulled a Prosser. Big gap between that and killing almost a hundred people.
And don’t blame other people for the imagery you use.
Birds of a feather and all of that (whether higher or lower or simply near by). Thought you of all people would understand such pigeon holing McFlock.
“near by” is the bit I’m not sure is at all valid, in this case. From an astronomical perspective, may it might be.
There are light years between merely being a third-rate tory propagandist, and looking dozens of people in the eye before shooting them.
Jim Mora’s emphasis on Papal concern for the poor in Latin America:
Let’s remember that, as head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the 80s and 90s, the last Pope (Ratso Ratzinger) launched a fundamental attack on those South and Central American bishops and priests pursuing Liberation Theology. The poor were to put up with murderous Far Right dictators and concentrate instead on having a good afterlife.
Ah, Joe the Rat. Popes don’t resign unless there is a internal political reason for it.
Upping the Arms to Syria
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/exclusive-iran-steps-up-weapons-lifeline-to-syrias-assad–envoys
Paul Krugman: “The Eurobeatings will continue”
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/12/the-eurobeatings-will-continue/
Britain faces “Stagflation”
http://www.theweek.co.uk/business/51956/britain-faces-stagflation-threat-what-grim-prognosis-means
Aussie “jobless numbers to grow” (new jobs not keeping pace with Pop. growth)
http://www.smh.com.au/business/jobless-numbers-to-grow-despite-new-surge-in-confidence-20130313-2g0r9.html
Sustained retreat for Aussie iron ore
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1303/S00538/australia-miners-under-attack.htm
Lots of foreign fighters too.
http://stratrisks.com/geostrat/11111?utm
Hmmmm according to Jenny the war in Syria is about oppressed Syrians trying to overthrow a brutal dictator via a popular rebellion.
Odd how all these Russian Islamists and Saudi’s and Bahranians have been popping up. With US financing and Turkish logistical support, of all things.
What’s odd about it? If the popular revolution wins, both US/Israel and Iran/China/Russia have to be in a position to influence the outcome. Having mercs on the ground is their way of shortening the odds.
This does not alter the basic struggle in Syria between the majority who happen to be Sunni and the al Assad regime.
http://syriafreedomforever.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/prospects-for-syrias-revolution/#more-1808
yes, but well, no
LOOK! The Green Party shamelessly pandering to their secret overlords’ plans to downplay climate change!!!!
QoT, I think the post you were trying to link to is this one: http://www.greens.org.nz/node/30839
Is Bill English a CCDer?
Hmmmmm since English openly admits that droughts may become increasingly frequent in the foreseeable future, I suspect that he’s not a CCD’er. Although he’s never ever going to utter the actual words “climate change”.
And Hot Topic nails English, as well: http://hot-topic.co.nz/bill-englishs-weasel-words-on-weather-climate-and-drought/
It is indeed. The link in my comment works for me though … *puzzled*
It does now. Someone must have fixed it. Before it took me to today’s op ed piece by Dame Anne Salmond. I was puzzled about her connection to the Green Party.
Works for me too, now. But I tried it in a couple of browsers earlier and … nothing. A great post though, well worth the effort.
When I first tried to access that link Chrome told me the server was down.
How many of all the above posters do you think aren’t known beyond their anonymity lprent?
Unexpected earthquake observation no. 212: the unusual experience of being rubber necker fodder
Sent: Thursday, 14 March 2013 5:04 p.m.
To: Tau Henare
Subject: ‘Open Letter’ to all New Zealand Members of Parliament – re: the purchase of shares in Mighty River Power
14 March 2013
Dear New Zealand Member Of Parliament,
Please be reminded that the final vote on the Public Finance (Mixed Ownership Model) Amendment Act 2012, was 61 – 60
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Debates/Debates/e/8/e/50HansD_20120626_00000012-State-Owned-Enterprises-Amendment-Bill-Public.htm
A party vote was called for on the question, That the Public Finance (Mixed Ownership Model) Amendment Bill be now read a third time.
Ayes 61
New Zealand National 59; ACT New Zealand 1; United Future 1.
Noes 60
New Zealand Labour 34; Green Party 14; New Zealand First 8; Maori Party 3; Mana 1.
_____________________________________________________________________________
1) For the public record, as a New Zealand Member of Parliament, can YOU please confirm – will YOU purchase shares in Mighty River Power, if they become available?
– YES or NO?
2) Is this the agreed position of the political party which you represent, as a New Zealand Member of Parliament?
– YES or NO?
Please be advised that your reply will be made available to both the media and the public.
Your prompt response would be much appreciated.
Yours sincerely,
Penny Bright
A Spokesperson for the Switch Off Mercury Energy group.
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Tau Henare
date: Thu, Mar 14, 2013 at 5:05 PM
Kia ora Penny
All I will say is that you are right, the vote was won by us, in fact the election was won by us. Whether I or any of my colleagues purchases shares is neither here nor there.
Hop you have a nice day.
Tau
____________________________________________________________________________
Hi Tau!
Perhaps you missed this?
” UF (United Future) did not specifically campaign for the ‘mixed ownership model for the electricity companies and Air New Zealand’ because it was not UF (United Future)policy”
[ Pete George (United Future Dunedin North candidate 2011) (16,292) Says: February 15th, 2013 at 10:28 pm]
So – upon what do you purport to have a ‘mandate’?
If MPs buy shares in Mighty River Power – how is that not a form of ‘corrupt practice’?
‘Misuse of public office for private gain’?
Voting for something from which you may personally profit?
Not a good look for New Zealand ‘perceived’ to be the ‘least corrupt country in the world’
(along with Finland and Denmark) according to the 2012 Transparency International ‘Corruption Perception Index’?
http://www.transparency.org/cpi2012/results#myAnchor1
How many other countries allow MP’s to purchase shares in companies whilst they’re in public office?
Oh – that’s right.
NZ MPs don’t even have an enforceable ‘Code of Conduct’.
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
Well done, Penny. Be warned, however, that in trying to debate reasonably with Uncle Tau, you are battling against someone who possesses iron-plated complacency and the moral conscience of a sandfly.
While Labour doesn’t appear to be able to state such things without ummming and ahhing, other parties can:
State Assets to be renationalised